The Second Shadow

Once upon a time, in a distant town, there lived a young boy named Musa. Musa was a responsible and careful boy who paid attention to even the smallest details of his belongings, from his shoes to the buttons on his clothes. But more than anything, he cherished his shadow. He understood that he had only one shadow, and it would stay with him for life. Whenever he walked, he made sure it stayed clean and undisturbed. If he passed through dusty areas, he would hurry so that his shadow would not get dirty.

Musa’s carefulness did not go unnoticed. One day, while returning from school, he was stopped by a mysterious sorceress. She had been observing him and said, “I have seen how carefully you take care of your shadow, and it pleases me greatly. I have been looking for someone like you.”

Musa, curious but cautious, replied, “I care for it because it is unique, and it will stay with me all my life.”

The sorceress smiled and said, “Exactly. You are the boy I have been seeking. I need someone to protect my shadow while I go away on vacation for two weeks. I cannot take my old, fragile shadow with me. You see, sometimes shadows can cause a lot of trouble.”

Musa was surprised and said, “But my shadow has never caused me any trouble.”

She explained, “Perhaps you are right, but my shadow is different. I don’t want to leave it with anyone else, so I wish to entrust it to you.” Musa, afraid and respectful, agreed and promised to take care of it.

The sorceress then tied her shadow to Musa’s own, leaving him with two shadows, and flew away on her magic broom. Her shadow, however, was different—it was stubborn and rebellious, unlike Musa’s obedient shadow. Unlike ordinary shadows, it did not simply follow its owner’s movements.

The next day, when Musa went to buy apples at the fruit stall, the sorceress’s shadow began interfering. It mingled with the shadows of bananas, pears, and other fruits, causing confusion. The fruit seller cried out, “Move this shadow away! How can I sell these fruits if their shadows are mixed up?” Musa could not allow the shadow to run freely, so he returned home without buying the apples.

At home, while sipping tea, Musa noticed the shadow crawling along the wall, stretching over the clock and even frightening the pet dog. His mother exclaimed, “Musa, I don’t like seeing that cursed shadow creeping around the house. Keep it outside!” Musa remembered his promise to the sorceress and kept a close watch, trying to prevent the shadow from misbehaving.

Despite his carefulness, the shadow grew increasingly mischievous. It began frightening Musa’s own shadow, even pinching it. Musa, who always treated his shadow kindly, felt pained seeing it suffer. He tried to control the sorceress’s shadow, but it remained wild and unpredictable, like a wolf in disguise.

One day, as Musa walked home from school under the bright sun, the sorceress’s shadow attacked his own shadow. In pain, his original shadow screamed and ran away. Musa chased it, but it disappeared from his sight. Left with only the sorceress’s troublesome shadow, Musa felt lonely and sad. He tried to befriend it, but it was impossible—like trying to tame a wild beast.

Finally, the sorceress returned at midnight. She instructed Musa to bring the shadow along. After retrieving it under the moonlight, she restored her shadow and gave Musa a reward—a striped candy wrapped in a bat’s wing. “This candy is a magic charm,” she said. “Whoever eats it can transform into any camel, racing or domestic, at will.”

Musa, however, cared little for the charm. All he wanted was his own shadow back. To his relief and immense joy, as he reached his home, he saw his original shadow shyly hiding among the others. It approached him and wrapped around his feet. In the moonlight, Musa danced with delight, and his shadow danced joyfully with him. The long separation was over, and he was whole again.

This story highlights responsibility, care, and the irreplaceable bond between a person and their shadow.