Recipes and Operating Procedures

What's the standard operating procedure here, Grandpa Bhratya?  Simgha inquired.

Do we

A. coax the tree first

B. cut a splinter then

C. catch the girl and nail her

?

Or do we

A1. catch the girl

B1. coax the tree then

C1. cut the splinter to nail her

?

Or

A2. coax the tree

B2. catch the girl

C2. cut the splinter to nail her

?

That depends on you, Simgha.

Whaddya mean depends on me? Grandpa Bhratya, you're the expert here.

She likes you. In fact, evidences point towards that she loves you. You should be able to persuade her to return to sit under the angsana tree. First, we have to assure her that she should be here under conditions which my son would never be present or be aware of.

Grandpa, we could cast a spell on the angsana tree so that it would mask her presence.

I am glad you know that Puteri but the problem lies between her itinerary to the angsana tree. Your uncle would be able to pick her scent. We have to coax the angsana tree again.

Again? What do you mean by again?

We have to coax the tree twice. Once, to shed us a branch of leaves and second, then shed us a splinter.

That's a lot of coaxing grandpa.

Yes, I realise that. A splinter is just a prick of its blood. However, a whole branch of leaves would require a lot of negotiation.

Negotiation? You don't mean to say that we have to somehow communicate with the tree and find out its terms for a contract.

Yes, a contract.

We could offer to plant twelve of its offsprings over various vicinities, grandpa.

True, Puteri. However, normally, only one in twelve angsana pods would successfully germinate.

That would be 144 plantings. Simple. I could just collect 144 pods and plant them all over the place!

Your skill with numbers is astounding, Simgha. But, it's just not that simple.

Why not? One offspring tree from twelve pods. Therefore, twelve offspring trees would be from twelve times of twelve pods which requires us 144 pods.

You need further undertanding of the requirements and situation. I said normally, only one in twelve pods would germinate. There is a chance that all twelve pods would germinate.

Alright, at the most extreme case, we would have another 144 trees fluorishing all over the island. What's the problem?