This story happened many years ago when I was a child, living in a village in India. There were only five people in this village and when I was around the age of five we decided to conduct a sacrifice to the god of fire. We performed this sacrifice every year for many years but gradually the numbers decreased and we focused on one person alone who would be the sacrifice, the fire god definitely feared the loss of power.
This particular day the sacrifice was that of my brother, who was our village chief. He was only five at the time and one of the village elders made a special potion that would be consumed by all of us; that would ensure that the end of the world would not be brought about.
The potion happened to be an apple, and since we did not have any others we would have to eat this particular apple without knowing how it was made. The official who gave this potion was a man we called 'The half-wit'. He was clearly a halfwit and though all of us, including myself, hated him. He had poor health, looked rotten, could not take care of himself at all and yet people never left him. We would look up to him.
(half-wit) 'Thank god. It is ready! The fire god is very angry at me, but this year I have managed to convince him that the sacrifice must be that of my son and I have manipulated him. He wants to lose his power.'
All of us were scared when we heard this news; we had been brought up to believe that we would be safe if the sacrifice was the son of the chief but now the chief himself was our only hope.
Finally, everyone pleaded with him to do what we wanted, but the chief was determined and continued on with the sacrifice.
(half-wit) 'So we will start now.'
Finally all the villagers were lined up and we were told to lie on the ground while the sacrifice was brought out.
When it came, we noticed that it was a boy of about twelve to thirteen years of age and he was our age. He was beautiful; there was no better sight than watching him walk towards the fire, which lit his hair, like his eyes. He was so appealing with his cute little feet, braids and his gentle face that we all begged him to stop.
(half-wit) 'Oh no! Stop this. You will destroy us all.'
He stopped at the place nearest to the fire.
(half-wit) 'We should not even be here. But we will do anything what you ask of us. No one before you has done this, no one did what you want. No one was brave enough to do anything for us. You will be the one, no matter what happens to me and my son.'
The boy was about to be thrown into the fire but we stopped him.
(half-wit) 'Look, when I was a child I liked to break things and I like to walk over things too. I had a lot of time before I was twelve.'
(the boy) 'Stop, I don't want to die. Just leave me alone.'
(half-wit) 'I did this for all of us. The fire god is the most powerful god but I am the most powerful person in the world and not even the fire god can do anything to me. Whatever you say, I will do.'
With that he pointed a stick we all knew was a magic staff and we watched as it started to glow and the boy moved closer sat across from it.
(half-wit) 'So we all have to die, but you don't have to die. Why don't you just move the stick somewhere else? All of us will have our happiness in your lifetime. You just have to ask.'
The boy started to sob and yelled that he just wanted to stay alive.
(half-wit) 'Ok, let's just move it. Just ask the stick.'
The boy started to sob but was able to speak.