Somewhere out there lived a mere being whose existence was unknown to people. He was not known to the army nor to the king, and not to a single person alive. He was seen walking around. People glanced out through their windows and would sometimes catch a glimpse of him as he strode off to the unknown. The baby who turned one yesterday got his name on the civilian list but not this man. A 99-year-old grandma who died a week ago, still has her name inscribed on the debt ledger book of Mammoonj’s teashop but not this one.
But Lucy, a young girl noticed the one human whom nobody talked to and rushed straight towards the man covered in blanket and uttered with all the confidence that she could gather.
“Sir, would you like to have a cup of tea”. Instantly she stepped back as she was rewarded with a glare and a walk-off! Day one, day two, three and four went on in a similar fashion and Lucy was still making attempts to offer tea to the man. The city where Lucy resided was full of monotonous people who had no interest in anything but their own selfish benefits.
“Sir, would you like to have a cup of tea?” This question asked by Lucy amazed the man. He started visiting the city again and again, just to hear the question asked innocently by a strange girl.
One day, the man was walking through the place, but strangely enough
the girl with her persistent question was not to be seen. Though unintended, his curiosity shot up…and so took a few steps to ask a woman about the ‘only one curious girl in the city of absent minded’. Clearing the rough throat which had never been used since decades, he got ready for a conversation.
“Miss, have you seen the girl who lives nearby and runs a tea shop”.
“Who cares!!?”. the lady answered viciously.
The man’s eyes shone as he glared angrily at the woman. Instantly, he rushed towards the center of village of unbothered and indifferent civilians and cast the most powerful spell. “Caterwauling-curos ti!!”
The place shuddered, as one by one the people fainted and fell down like trees being cut.
Thus, the day went by. Eventually the people woke up and went about as they came to, one by one. But the next day saw a change in the people. They started asking questions. “Why don’t cats fly when they can jump so neatly?” “Do caterpillars have eyes? “Why didn’t Jack save himself when there was enough space on the plank of wood?”
All this gibberish was heard by the girl far away in the tea-shop and she wondered “WHY”? Gradually the place of indifferent people changed into the village of curious people. Later, the city was known as “Currioocity” which is how the word ‘curiosity’ is believed to have its origin.
