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Portugal
Olival (Cards 1 and 2)
6A
Red lioness is the name of a big agile fast elegant feline, with strong, long reddish fur, blue eyes, strong paws with sharpen claws. It is an excellent hunter. Its tail can transform itself into a strong and indestructible lock, capable of fastening anything. Its fur is not only more resistant than a bullet proof vest, but also an effective armor when it feels threatened; when it roars the sound is a deafening lightning.
6B
In the dense jungle, where the light rarely goes through, the Red Lioness lives in a cave full of fireflies lighting up the darkness, surrounded by perfumed and colourful flowers that look like a rainbow. (One day…)
Rui Ramos (Cards 3 and 4)
One day, a rock in flames fell down from the sky and hit the forest hard. The shock wave destroyed that wild sanctuary. Flames spread themselves, swallowing everything on its way. The fastest animals ran ahead of that uncontrolled hell, searching a safe place. However, the slower and the hurt ones were lagging behind and were quickly trapped by the high flames.
The heat was unbearable, the feathers and the fur were about to burn anytime. It was impossible to breathe in that hot air full of black smoke. The helpless animals snuggled, tangled in each other and got ready to die burnt.
The red lioness came to help out. It roared powerfully, diverting the water stream of a river close by on top of the fire, putting it out. But the water ran uncontrollably, dragging everything before it, catching the animals off guard.
Smart, the lioness saw it beforehand and, without hesitation, transformed its tail in a fabulous current and recued its friends from the powerful flood, bringing them back safe to firm land.
When the angry waters calmed down, the animals could see the desolation left by that catastrophe sent by the sky. The once lush forest full of life was converted into a land without trees, charred and muddy. In its centre, there was the responsible for everything, the huge steaming space rock.
The scary animals ran away. Still, the Red Lioness stood there because she was curious. She wanted to know what that was and where it came from. She got near it with caution. It wasn´t a meteorite or an asteroid but a gigantic robot made of rock and metal!
Its eyes shone and its head moved to face the Red Lioness.
- My time is over!- it said in a cavernous voice full of pain; the robot was dying. – For millions of years I protected this planet from extraterrestrial invasions. The forces that attack us now are too powerful; I was defeated. Take this talisman to Master Chaka-Al, the guardian of the Mountain of the Fire. He knows what to do to save the Earth from the invasion.
Upon saying this, the gigantic robot turned into a cloud of dust and sand blown by the wind.
The Red Lioness was alone in that desolate land with the burden of a terrible mission: how would it find that Master Chaka-Al of the Mountain of the Fire to deliver him that mysterious talisman?
From Italy (Cards 5,6 and 7)
The Red Lioness knew very well that the Mountain of Fire was miles away from there. Then, she thought of eating those few strands of a special dried herb that a golden eagle had brought her as a gift, from a far away country, on the day of her birth with a card on which the following words were written: 'Remember to eat it only when you want to be like me. " (Federica, Maria Pia, Valentina 4th year)
Only now did she understand the meaning of that gift, and that herb would have been very useful to reach the Mountain of Fire, even if the effect would have lasted only a few hours.
When the grass was eaten, she turned into a beautiful Royal Eagle, took the talisman between her talons and took off. In a short time the Royal Eagle reached the mountain wrapped in a thick fog, then began to twirl until she found herself opposite the entrance of a huge cave blocked by a giant rock. (Ilaria, Alisia, Letizia, Alessandra 2nd year)
Meanwhile her feathers had turned into a thick red fur coat, little by little she had resumed her likeness of the Red Lioness. It was an enchanted cave and the Red Lioness to reach the Master Chaka-Al had to overcome three difficult trials. The first concerned the strength, the second the courage and the last one the wisdom. She did not let herself be intimidated by the first trial because thanks to her powerful tail ... (Federica, Sonia, Maria Teresa 4th year)
From UK (Cards 7 and 8)
Challenge 2: Courage.
The Red Lioness slid down the final stretch of the giant mountain. She landed face first into a bundle of grass. She looked up to find the second challenge waiting for her. The Lioness had to meet her worst fear. Quicksand! She pounced and turned over the bubbling quicksand before landing with a thud on a shimmering, green emerald. The Lioness immediately noticed that a large chunk of the gem was missing. This must be the third challenge.
Challenge 3: Wisdom.
She looked up and down, side to side until she reached an ancient, mossy wall. On top of it there was a vibrant green glow, it had to be the missing piece. The bricks shook as the Lioness pulled herself to the top of the towering wall. Finally, she was able to reach and with no hesitation she snatched the emerald and confidently leaped down to the ground and began to run towards the broken emerald as fast as she could. Carefully, the Red Lioness placed the missing part of the gem into the gap as if it was a puzzle piece. BOOM! She span around in complete terror but to her surprise … the wall was gone.
Instead, there was a village but this was no ordinary village. It was abandoned. There was a cluster of moss covered huts at one side of the dark forest. At least half of each grimy hut was missing, most of the holes were covered up with winding ivy that was creeping up the ruins very slowly. The Lioness needed a closer look. She swept past a burning fire. Someone must’ve been there recently. She peeked inside a moss covered hut. The bush behind her rustled, there was something inside it …
(Emily 10yrs old)
And there he was, the Black Panther, standing right in front of the lioness. Black Panther stood staring at her with his fiery, red eyes, razor sharp claws, silky, glistening black fur and sharp, powerful whiskers. Panther was as strong as a gorilla and as fast as a cheetah. The Lioness had been told stories about the evil mythical Black Panther roaming the forest at night and here he was in the flesh, stood right in front of the Lioness. Stories told of how he was sly, ruthless, sneaky and evil, young animals were taught that if they saw him they were to run home immediately and never, never to look him straight in the eye. Their eyes met …
(Carly, Jack and Isabelle 7-8yrs old)
5º D S. Pedro da Cova/Portugal (Card 9)
There were two formidable opponents. On the one hand, the powerful and invincible Black Panther. On the other hand, our heroine with all the powers we already know. The fight began. The Black Panther fiercely pitched forward, trying to crush his opponent, holding her by the neck. The Red Lioness, surprised, rolled along the ground, trying to free herself from the deadly trap that bound her. She wrapped her strong tail around the body of the Black Panther, throwing him against some of the houses that were shattered into pieces. Even more furious, that black figure rose and shouted:
- Raaa! Now I'm angry! You're going to die, you red thing!
And with his eyes he shot a violet ray that burned everything in his path. The Red Lioness, as if by magic, had once again become an eagle, with a swift flap of her wings, and rapidly thrust her great claws into her enemy, dragging it to the shifting sands.
The Black Panther was desperate, but the more he struggled, the more he sank. Our heroine, already transformed into the Red Lioness, approached the shifting sands, stretched out her tail and said,
- Do not dwell on it. You're just going to make your situation worse. If you answer a question, I'll help you save yourself from a horrible death. Do you accept the deal?
Panting from the effort, the Black Panther said yes and gave his word of honour.
The Red Lioness stretched her tail a little more, and with a mighty blow drew her adversary out of the trap.
Already free from danger, the Black Panther stretched out his paw to the Red Lioness and, removing the mask that covered his head, revealing that he was indeed a potent "robot", he thanked her:
- Thank you for your gesture, for saving me. You're an incredible opponent! You deserve all my respect. You can ask me whatever you want...
- You live here, in this secret universe, do you know who Chaka – Al is?
The Black Panther was amazed at the question of the Red Lioness. How did she know of Chaka-Al's existence? It was supposed to be the best kept secret in the universes of this and a thousand other galaxies.
6ºE- S. Pedro da Cova/Portugal (Card 10)
-But how do you know about Chaka-Al?- The Black Panther asked curiously.
- A robot like you gave me this talisman and said that if I gave it to Chaka-Al, he would know how to save the land. - replied the confident Red Lioness.
Feeling he could trust her, the Black Panther finally answered the Red Lioness’s question:
- Master Chaka-Al has the responsibility of protecting the earth from invasions, so he creates robots like me and like what you’ve found before, but if one of us gave you this talisman, you'd better talk to Chaka-Al.
- I do not know where Chaka-Al's house is. If you could show me the way ... asked the Red Lioness.
- Of course I can show you the way, but not the way to Chaka-Al's house, said the Black Panther.
-Then, what will you show me the way to?- asked the Red Lioness, without knowing what was going on.
- I’m going to show you the way to the only guardian who knows where Master Chaka-Al lives: the Black Raven.- answered the Black Panther firmly.
And together they went: the Red Lioness behind and the Black Panther ahead. Some time later, already half way to the volcano, the latter said:
- From now on you continue alone, for I am not allowed to go any further.
- All right, thank you for the help! replied the Red Lioness.
She went on alone for a while until she heard a noise that seemed to be that of a raven, looked up, and saw a completely black raven, and asked it,
- Are you the guardian who knows where Chaka-Al lives?
- Yes, I am, but why should I trust you?" - said the Black Raven.
- Because I have this talisman to give to Chaka-Al.
6ºF – S. Pedro da Cova / Portugal (Card 11)
- Okay, I'll help you, but I still cannot tell you the exact location.
- But how do I find him if you do not tell me where he is?
- Take it easy! You will have to face some challenges! exclaimed the Black Raven.
- I'm tired of challenges!- the Red Lioness cried angrily. And she kicked a rock. Suddenly, there appeared a small being with the size of a thumb: a Homunculus. This strange being had an extremely small body and hands and feet the size of a human adult. He had difficulty in moving because he was dragging his hands.
- Look! A Homunculus!- exclaimed the Red Lioness.
- How do you know?- asked the Black Raven and the Homunculus himself.
- In so many adventures I have lived through, I have heard accounts of these beings. These are the failed experiments of scientists.
- I'm the only survivor. Do not hurt me! -he asked.
- Do you want to come with us on an important mission?- invited the Red Lioness.
- Yes! - replied the Homunculus, rising up to the Red Lioness.
The three of them followed, when suddenly, an uncontrolled flying saucer appeared, right in front of them. A strange voice was heard from within:
- Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
- Someone needs help! - exclaimed the Homunculus.
- How do you know?- asked the Red Lioness. - Do you have a translator inside you?
- Yes, one of my powers is to translate all languages.
With her tail, the Red Lioness stopped the flying saucer. From inside it came a purple being with black eyes: an alien. He started to speak. Meanwhile the Homunculus translated.
- I'm the alien Zony Zubi. Thank you for getting me out of the flying saucer. It was possessed and controlling me. I do not understand what happened, but I think they wanted to get rid of me. I was against the attack on Chaka-Al! I was the only one to do it.
- Chaka-Al?!!!! You know him?
- Yeah. It's a long story. Many thousands of light-years from here, three planets went to war: Calin, Belin and Selin. All because of the talisman that will give the greatest strength and intelligence of the Universe to the one who possesses it. If this talisman falls into the wrong hands, it can be the end of everything.
- And where does Chaka-Al come into this story?
- Chaka-Al was the chosen guardian to take care of this talisman, but they stole it! However, he sent robots to retrieve it. And he did it. The talisman ends a prophecy: "Whoever this amulet possesses / Between good and evil will decide." - and saying this, the alien disappeared in the blink of an eye.
The Red Lioness, the Homunculus, and the Black Raven continued the journey. At the end of the day, they stopped to rest and sleep. When they awoke, they were in a white temple.
- Did I die?- asked the Red Lioness.
- No, my dear Red Lioness! Thank you for coming from so far to meet me: I am Master Chaka-Al! - he said, with his back turned.
- How do you know my name?
- I know who you are and what brings you here.
- I came to deliver the talisman at the request of a robot.
- This is the talisman of death.
- The Talisman of death or life. Depending on who uses it. And the aliens want it for an evil purpose.
Meanwhile, Chaka-Al turned. He was young, tall, strong, muscular and amazing. He had sky-blue eyes, long blue hair like a protective armor around him, a flash of fire on his forehead, freckles that lit up in his expression and a long black beard.
He had the reputation of being very intelligent, brave, sensible, and likable.
To her astonishment, Chaka-Al asked the Red Lioness for her herbs of transformation and gave her a revelation:
- These herbs were an inheritance from your parents: one of my robots and a Red Lioness. To protect you. Thanks to them, you turn into an eagle when you need it. You inherited the bullet-proof hair and the strong tail of your father; the red, the rapidity, and the thunderous roar of your mother. Your parents are protecting the world from invasion.
After this and finally, the Red Lioness was able to give him the talisman, not containing a tear of joy. However, to her surprise, as soon as she did, Master Chaka-Al broke it:
- What are you doing? Now it's no good.
The Master ignored what the Red Lioness said and then took out a paper from the inside of the talisman, where the following formula was written:
A tear of happiness
A Black Crow Feather
Three hairs of Homunculus
A tear of fright
Rui Ramos/The story teller (card 12)
Without hesitation, the Master hurried to pick up each of the listed elements and tossed them into a bowl that came into his hand. He struck up a strange chant and with a gesture of the other free hand, exploded the contents of the cup.
The lioness closed her eyes with the flash of light released.
- Drink it! - Chaka-Al ordered.
She obeyed and felt that strange, thick, hot liquid go down to her stomach. Powerful energy flooded her.
- Let the power of this potion lead you in the fight against the invaders of the Earth.- As she spoke, the Red Lioness grew steadily.
- Yes, grow! Grow up!- shouted the Master to be heard by the gigantic Lioness, who continued to grow in size, overtaking the highest mountains in the region.
- Now jump and leave the planet to face the extraterrestrial threat.
The Lioness took a deep breath and made the biggest leap of her life. In an instant, She passed the atmosphere and plunged into the void of space, sprinkled with stars. In front of her, the invading fleet of spaceships were preparing to launch their attack. Faced with that unexpected monstrous apparition, the aliens panicked and fired at the Red Lioness. But the shots did nothing but infuriate her and she let out her mighty roar. The sound wave generated destroyed the entire invading fleet. The structure of the ships fragmented into millions of particles, consumed in a magnificent fireball.
Seen from Earth, its inhabitants believed they saw a second Sun in the sky, so great was the explosion that completely destroyed the extraterrestrial threat.
When the fire was extinguished and the earthlings could look back at the sky, they saw a shooting star leaving a trail of red light. It was the Lioness who, unconsciously, fell helpless at great speed, attracted by the gravity of the Earth, towards her death. Her colossal dimension diminished until it was reduced to the original size.
Chaka-Al raised his arms and summoned the great royal eagles. Quickly answering his orders, they flew to the Red Lioness and caught her in mid-flight, and carried her to the Master, gently resting her at his feet.
The Lioness's body smoked, lifeless. Chaka-Al put his hands on her back and sang a song. His magic words echoed through all the valleys and mountains and the earth trembled, the wind whirled through the jungle trees and at last, the Lioness rose with a savage cry.
- Welcome back!- greeted the Master with a smile. - You have succeeded in ending your difficult mission, and as a reward I have given you life and a wish. Ask what you want.
- Thank you master! -thanked the renewed Lioness deeply. - All I want to do is return home and that the destroyed forest be reborn and its animals be allowed to inhabit it again.
- Is that what you want?
- Yes, it is. - she said, determinedly.
- Then let it be. And with a broad hand gesture, Master Chaka-Al teleported the Lioness in space into the house, while around them trees sprouted from the ground and stretched their branches covered with fragrant leaves and flowers. The animals, attracted by that living spectacle of nature, ran to choose the best places to live.
Grateful, the beasts of the forest named the Red Lioness their queen, and lived happily under her righteous and good reign for many good years. The Red Lioness was so loved by her people that even today her Legend is told and retold and serves as an inspiration to future generations.