**************************************************************************
Short Story By Mike Baharmast 1-94
From a book of short stories titled "Untruly Funny Stories" 
For more, see "README.TXT"
**************************************************************************

Mr. Pantra Punampurma
12B Sunjudri St.
New Delhi, India

Dear Pantra,

How are you? We are very well, thank you. I have been in this country one 
week. They have the most strange ways they do. In my stop in New York a man 
told me to carry his bags to the curb, then gave me $20. There a large black 
man asked me if I was Bandarawali. I was most surprised that he knew my name 
and I said yes. He said that he was my curbside dispatcher and that he was 
waiting for me and that I had to take this man to a place called Queens. 
I was already afraid of him, so I obeyed. After asking much direction I 
got to Queens. The man cursed me then gave me $50. When I got back, the 
large black man was very angry at me and told me that I disguised myself 
as the real Bandarawali who was supposed to be the taxi driver. Then he 
took my $50. To this day I do not know the meaning of all that.
I am now writing to you from the Magic Kingdom in Orlando Florida. I am 
so happy the elders chose this site for the Mitra Jawaher Festival. It 
is the most suitable site I think. There are much greenery, water,  
exquisite buildings and many happy people. All of the Parthi sects are 
present here. The Juli, Bandi, and Hare Krishna sects are most colorfully 
dressed in orange and yellow and they sing and chant many joyous songs. 
With everyone gathered at the foot of the Magic Mountain, the Bandi elder 
started the ceremony by pouring sacred milk, honey, many flowers and 
incense in the river that flows from the Magic Mountain where rafts 
plunge from falls with people screaming in them. Many people gathered 
to watch and some stood with us and took pictures with us. Some asked 
us to sign our name on to pieces of paper they carried. I was puzzled 
by that.
The Pangra sect had brought their live stock, many goats and chickens 
and cows. They had several sacred white cows which gave us milk and 
urine for the Baptal ceremony and dance. 
We then finished with all of us chanting the Panarwala hymns on the 
way out. On our way out, at the gates of the Magic Kingdom the Bol Po Pa 
shaman sacrificed a goat. Then many police and other officials came and 
were most puzzled. Then representatives from an organization called ASPCA 
arrived and where most hostile. We tried to appease them by giving them 
the head of the goat and it's blood. But they would take no portions nor 
drink blood. Instead they were most rude, they pressed us against the wall 
and took the whole goat, leaving us none to sanctify our heads with. We 
said things like "give us some portions, give us some blood, we need to 
put the blood on our faces and heads", but they would hear non of it and 
rudely drove away.
Yes dear Pantra, it was a most incomplete ending to a magnificent festival. 
I hope it will be better next year where we shall have the festival in a 
place called the Sea World.

Jawallala Bandarawali

