A damsel named Tongue

(I dedicate this tale to my sweet daughter, Champi.)

This is the story of a beautiful carmine damsel named Tongue, losing her liberty and suffering untold attacks by her cruel captors.

In the beginning, when she was young, she had all the freedom she desired.  She would twirl and slide, making happy noises at whoever passed by.  She would curl, she would flip, and she would jump with unshackled joy.  Her slippery moves made many a person captive.

Unawares, as she was growing, she was making hidden enemies, who were determined to wreak havoc on her life.  Little did she imagine the visceral hatred these budding enemies held towards her.

One day, she was dragged to her growling Master at Throat.

"Tongue! You make too much noise, disturbing everybody."

Recoiling at this unexpected accusation, Tongue protested. 

"But Master! That is my destiny! I can also utter sweet songs when your mind so desires."

Unmoved by her plea, Master at Throat grabbed her with an icy grip.  

"From now on, I will never let you move free.  I will imprison you in Mouth and surround you with 32 guards.  These guards named Teeth have only one goal in their lives: to mince and mime you whenever they can with their sharp weapons." 

Tongue was crestfallen and slumped, as her 32 tormentors started surrounding her menacingly, in their shining white armor.

"But you can never subdue my spirits", Tongue replied in a rebellious voice.  "I may be a prisoner, but I'll still dance with joy.  I may get chopped, but I'll heal myself and live to dance another day."

Since that incident, I rarely got to see Tongue.  Occasionally, she would escape her brutal captors to catch some falling food for her sustenance, but never for long.  She would invariably get dragged back by her cruel Master at Throat, with her body curling up at this manifest injustice.