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		CRYPTIC    ESCUTCHEON
		When he was just born, I took him to see his sex, dewclaws etc. But I've been completely fascinated by the white "escutcheon" that was shining on his chest. That appeared very queer, because he was the only one with such a wide mark at birth, among the whole Snasha's issue, included the last litter with the same sire - then the white marks drew "only" a point or a line. And all his siblings revealed to wear either a point or no mark at all. Then I weighed him, and I only realized that his tail was short, about half tail, exactly like his sister Cehalia, I was so captivated by his white "escutcheon" that I didn't remember to look at the tail and the dewclaws. When I was ready to give him back to his mother, his name came into my mind : Cercigor. Yesterday, I heard about escutcheons, that immediately brought back to my mind Cercigor's birth. So let me write a tale for a cryptic escutcheon wearer.
		Once upon a time, there was a dream house somewhere in the country. All the people were gung-ho this day, because the lady had just delivered a lovely little boy. Everyone wanted to offer a present to the newborn child - everyone, included all the fairies of the house. One of them got an odd idea : she gave a cryptic escutcheon to the little boy. His parents considered that it was really a peculiar gift, but they decided to respect the - queer - fairy's will and they kept the cryptic escutcheon. But what could ever mean such an escutcheon for a little boy ? What might it ever bring ? Some even wondered whether the strange fairy had mocked at  either the newborn child or someone else among his family ... Then the little boy grew up, everyone had shelved the cryptic escutcheon indefinitely.  The boy had even never been told that at birth he had been given this present by one of the fairies. How could he have guessed ... ? So the cryptic escutcheon had slipped everyone's mind - everyone but one, the so called queer fairy. She grieved a lot while contemplating the escutcheon, covered in dust, buried beneath trifles inside the highest part of the old attic - and for so many years ... Year after year the cryptic escutcheon defied time - and dust - concealed amongst ancient odds and ends inside the garret. As for the fairy, she was simply and quietly biding her time ... When the boy had turned into a young man, the fairy decided to take action. One day, something inside of the boy led him to the old attic, there he discovered so many ancient things ! Rummage in such dusty trifles appeared like a pleasant game ! But suddenly his eyes met a cryptic object, he recognized an escutcheon, and he thought that it was a very important thing. He set it free from dust - and from oblivion - and then he asked his parents about it.  So he found out that the cryptic escutcheon was a birth present that a fairy - a good fairy, he said - offered him. And since this moment, he kept with him the cryptic escutcheon. But the young man was meant to travel up hill and down dale. He always brought the escutcheon with him.  May the cryptic escutcheon always bring him luck wherever he might roam - the gentle fairy uttered when she looked at him flying away like a bird from its nest.
			07/10/07 Isabelle Coquinot