The Game of Truth
Once upon a time, there lived a young man named Mama Nana. He was the greatest warrior in the forest, and everyone spoke of his bravery and praised him.
— Who is the greatest being? — Mama Nana! — The most honest and noble, the wisest! — Mama Nana! — Hey! The greatest being! The most honest and noble, the wisest! If you see him coming, hide as fast as you can! — Nana Nana! King of the jungle! King of the jungle! The one and only king of the jungle! The king, the king, the king! The one and only king of the jungle! The king, the king, the king! The one and only king of the jungle! The king, the king, the king! The one and only king of the jungle!
The Awakening and the Search for the Emerald
— Wake up! Wake up! — King! King! — Wake up! — What? What? — Move your lazy bum! We're going to get the emerald! — Not again? — Not again! I'm tired of being a monkey! Yes? I have to break that spell! And for that, I need the emerald!
And so, once again, just like every day, Freddy and Mama Nana set off deep into the forest to search for the emerald. They searched and searched until Mama Nana grew tired.
— Brother, can we rest a little? Please! — But, but we have to search until sunset! — Brother, please, just a little! — Oh, fine!
The Encounter with the Dragon
As they rested, they suddenly heard a growl. It was a dragon.
— Is there a human in my territory? — Run, brother, run!
And immediately Freddy took off running and disappeared into the forest. Mama Nana remained there, frozen.
— Please, don't hurt me!
The dragon was terribly amused.
— Hurt you? Why would I hurt you? Oh, because I'm a dragon! You assumed that... — Oh, no, no, no, no, no! I didn't mean to... — Forget it! I don't care! It doesn't interest me! Tell me, what are you looking for in my territory? And why did that monkey call you brother? And what's with the patch over his eye? — It's a long story. — I have plenty of time.
The Story of Freddy and the Curse
— The monkey is my brother, Freddy. One day, at our house, a hermit came asking for some food. I was in the forest, looking for firewood. My brother had a juicy red apple that he was about to eat when the hermit knocked on the door. — Oh, dear one! I'm very hungry! Will you give me something to eat, please?
My brother wanted to help the hermit, but he got upset when he thought about having to give him the apple.
— I'm sorry, sir, but I don't have any food. I wish I could help you.
The hermit had a very keen sense of smell. When Freddy opened the door, he sensed that there was an apple inside.
— You're lying to me! You have an apple! — No! No! I don't! — You're lying again! I curse you to become a monkey!
And just like that, he turned into a monkey.
— When I returned with the firewood, I found a monkey in the house. I was about to chase it away when it spoke to me. I dropped the firewood and ran after the hermit. When I found him, I begged him to break the spell. — Do you have any food? — Yes! I have a piece of cheese!
Then, I gave it to him, but the hermit didn't take it. He smiled at me.
— You seem honest. I like you. Let me tell you something. Deep in the forest, there's an emerald that can only be found during the day in its true form, and only by a person who has never lied. If you can find it, then you will know how to break this spell. Listen to the emerald.
Then he disappeared. And ever since then, every morning my brother and I leave to search for the emerald and return home in the evening.
— And the cloth patch? — He says it suits him. — He's not right at all. — I know. I hope we find the emerald soon. Months have passed, and we still haven't found it. — Until now! — What do you mean?
The Emerald and King Hamer's Palace
Suddenly, the dragon was surrounded by a powerful light and shimmering magical particles.
— I am the emerald!
Freddy, who was trying to see what was happening while hidden in the bushes, could only see a strong yellow light.
— What? What's happening?
Mama Nana climbed onto the dragon, and the two took flight. Freddy saw that the yellow light had disappeared and came running.
— Uh, uh! Where's my brother? Oh, no! That dragon probably took him! Brother!
Mama Nana flew past the great river and arrived near a palace. They landed nearby, and the dragon said:
— This is King Hamer's palace. — Oh, I've heard of him. The entire forest belongs to him. — Yes! And not just the forest. His kingdom stretches across entire continents. — Wow! But why have we come here? — To get your brother back!
The dragon told Mama Nana about the luxurious King Hamer and his obsession with playing the game of truth.
— He captured the fairies who owned this forest. If you manage to beat the king at his own game and free the fairies, they will help you break your brother's spell, and the forest will be a happier place. Here! Take this ruby horn so you have something to play with. The king will want it.
The Game of Truth
Mama Nana nodded and entered the palace. When the king's guards told him that a young man had arrived who wanted to play the game of life and had a shining ruby horn, the king was delighted.
— It seems it's my lucky day. The prey has come directly to me. Ha ha ha!
When Mama Nana was brought before the king, he was pleased to see the ruby horn. He immediately explained the rules to him.
— Alright, boy! Remember the rule. Tell the truth, no matter what. And there's another rule: don't insult me, no matter what. Ha ha ha! If I win, I'll take your ruby horn. And what would you like if, you know, you win? Ha ha ha! — Ha! I want the forest fairies to be freed and the forest given back to them!
When he heard this, the king got angry, but then he calmed down, thinking it wasn't possible for Mama Nana to win.
— Alright. Let's begin. Put your hand on the ball and answer my question. If you tell the truth, the ball will turn blue. If not, red.
Mama Nana nodded.
— Am I the most handsome man in the world?
Mama Nana whispered something, then replied:
— Yes!
The ball turned blue. The king was pleasantly surprised, but the ministers were shocked.
— Seriously? Good! Do you think I'm the best of all?
Once again, Mama Nana whispered something, then said:
— Yes!
The ball turned blue again, and the king was impressed, although deep down he began to worry.
— Good! Last question. Did you come here with a hidden intention?
Mama Nana smiled and said:
— No!
And again, the ball turned blue.
— You asked the three questions. Now it's my turn. I have only one question to ask you. Do you love your subjects?
The king was scared. He hadn't thought that anyone would get to ask him questions in the game of truth, because everyone lost at the beginning.
— Uh... Mm... Yes!
The ball turned red, and the king himself turned red with shame. The ministers were shocked.
Victory and Liberation
With his face downcast, he ordered the guards to free the fairies and give them back the forest. Then he stood up and left. Mama Nana was delighted.
When he came with the fairies, the dragon said:
— Well done, Mama Nana! But tell me, how did you manage to make the ball turn blue, even though, mm, you weren't telling the truth? — Well, I didn't lie. For the first question, I whispered to myself, just for me: "For your mother." For the second question: "Among all the kings in your kingdom," because he is the only king in his kingdom, obviously. — Wow! And what about the last question? Did you really have a hidden intention? — No, I didn't! My intention was to free the fairies, and I told the king that at the beginning of the game.
The dragon and the fairies smiled, for they were impressed. When they arrived in the forest, the entire jungle rejoiced that the fairies had returned. The fairies transformed Freddy back into a human. He promised never to lie again. The fairies promised that Mama Nana would be the new king of the jungle. He was very happy, for that's what he had always wanted: to live in the jungle and take care of nature.
And through his wisdom and sincerity, Mama Nana became what he had always wished for.
— Hey! Who is the greatest being? Hey, the most honest, the most noble, and the wisest! If you see him coming, hide as fast as you can! Mama, Mama! King of the jungle! The king, the king, the king! The one and only king of the jungle! The king, the king, the king! The one and only king of the jungle! The king, the king, the king! The one and only king of the jungle! The king, the king, the king! The one and only king of the jungle!
