A cautionary tale the caregiver learned from the orphanage's matron.
The tale begins one late afternoon on Vozzaki Aisle. The caregiver had exhausted much of the nearby orchard's fruits trying to perfect one of the traveling merchant's favorite meals. An apple pecan pie. To the caregiver, the failed experiments were just the budding excitement for many orphans who got to test try his meals - as he got better an better, the orphans had gotten more... 'excited' for his next trial. One little one got too excited, an before the pie had even set to cool - one of those little scoundrels STOLE IT! Right from the window sil! Oh, the poor Housekeeper was just about himself, not just for the fact one of these kids just up an stole his meal - but because he didn't know the perpretrator, he couldn't even ask for how it tastes! The matron was told as the caregiver bauled about it - then the matron chuckled.
She rounded up all of the orphans in the night, asking "Which one of you little rascals took our DESSERT tonight?" in her sweet old voice. The orphans exchange glances. Boy in red scar, "Not I, ma'am!" Little girl in green dress, "it wasnt me" Little boy blue in his little sweet shoes, "I don't even like pie!" The matron chuckled, adding calmly, "Alright, but for those who lied... BEWARE of the CHAUKAI-YA! I'm sure his CLAWS will SCRAPE along the floor an CLAW at yer doors! Whoever doesn't fess up will lose their tail by 'MORN!" The little orphans shudder but none had given in, so the matron sent all to bed - without dessert.
Come later that night as the housekeeper did his rounds, locked the doors - dusted the floors, an made sure every kid was in bed... he made his way back to his room as he bumped into the matron - "Oh! Goodnight, Ma'am." The matron replies, "Goodnight, good worker." As the housekeeper opened his door returning to resign for the night, he stopped an turned back towards the matron who glided past him causing wicks of candles to go out in her wake. The housekeeper asked quickly, "Oh! But ma'am, what - what did you TELL those orphans?" The matron chuckled without looking back, "Ah, the Chaukai-ya! You must not have heard..?" She chuckles, slowly turning around - gliding back over, inviting herself into his room an beckoning him to the waiting table for tea. "It's a simple tale - a TRUE one!" The housekeeper sat down in the dusty night, clouds rolling along - clouding any sortof night light. The matron snapped a finger, causing the candelabra before them to alight as she began the tale.
Tis' simple, if true - to be truthful to those around you, for the Chaukai-ya knows lies an seeks to devour them WHOLE! Chaukkai-ya is a mysterious spirit, one with the body of a panther! With three tails, each glowing with a ghostly light! An the face, you can tell is an abhorrent little one! Three eyes as well, two where they'd normally be and one on its tongue! The Chaukai-ya sneaks around the graves of houses, streets, forest, any place people dwell. It lurks an listens out for those who speaks mistruths - lies an tall tales. Any that it deems harmful whose lies bring misfortune to others - it hunts doggedly without sleep, without wear, but DEFINITELY with TEAR! It is said that its soft glow with the three tails is its first warning. Speak a lie in its wake --" the matron waves her hands an the warm subtle glow grows bright white. "Continue to speak the lies, and you *hear* the lies rebound - ECHOING no matter WHERE you are - be it street, cave, or forest... an the flickering lights will reflect it." She waves her hands once more to the awe of the housekeeper as the white lights glow RED. The matron continues, "Just like its EYE! Just like its tails, an just like the LIES, speak it THRICE an the Chaukai-ya will come hunt down your own TONGUE!"
The housekeeper gasps at the *horrid thought--* but collected himself enough to squeak out the question, "B-But.. you said it would take its tails! The children's, I mean." Chuckling, "Oh yes, a little ol' wives trick you see. Something that gives the kids warning but doesn't... well, cause them *mental scarring--* especially *when..* The matron taps her claws on the table, scratching along it as those same scratches can be heard echoing throughout the halls as an ungodly scream echoes through. The stomping, clashing, an breaking of things as the housekeeper hears banging on his door - the wails of some children, scared an very much afraid - begging to come in, not to be taken - not their sweet little tails!
The housekeeper quickly dashed over to the door, flying it open to see--- little boy blue with his blue sweet shoes, the lovely sweet lass with her green dress - the poor boy with the red scarf. They barrel in scared an crying, blubbering an sad. The housekeeper turns to the matron who was surprisingly - or maybe not - disappeared without trace. The housekeeper shaking his head, the great tricksy matron leaving him alone with these kids - to bed he tucks them in, with himself, to sleep - for that night there was no visit from such creatures or spirits.. not any HE would see, for just outside those wooden walls.. prowls a PANTHER on the hunt...licking its lips.. the eye, AGLOWW!