In a world where marriage means death, can a praying mantis have a happy ending?
Riz needed no one in his life except his best friend, Big Al, and Uncle Qasim. And he especially did not need any of those annoying, pesky, fatal she-mantises.
Until Dua came into his life.
When Mother Nature steps in to ruin Riz’s life and happy ending, Riz and Big Al are thrust into an extraordinary adventure, running for their lives from an enemy who knows them too well and will never give up.
If they manage to survive this adventure, could they find the answer to the most mysterious question of it all:
Can a praying mantis have a happy ending?
In a world where marriage means death, can a praying mantis have a happy ending?
Riz needed no one in his life except his best friend, Big Al, and Uncle Qasim. And he especially did not need any of those annoying, pesky, fatal she-mantises.
Until Dua came into his life.
When Mother Nature steps in to ruin Riz’s life and happy ending, Riz and Big Al are thrust into an extraordinary adventure, running for their lives from an enemy who knows them too well and will never give up.
If they manage to survive this adventure, could they find the answer to the most mysterious question of it all:
Can a praying mantis have a happy ending?
Chapter 1
Riz often wondered where his mother was.
And why didn’t he have brothers or sisters when most of his classmates had over a hundred?
Unlike other mantis children, Riz also wondered where his father was. Why did Riz live with Uncle Qasim, his father’s brother, instead of with his mother like the other nymphs?
He felt lonely when he walked to kindergarten, seeing the other nymphs coming to school. They formed a cluster around their mothers, pushing and shoving, clambering over each other to get her attention. To Riz’s imaginative mind, it seemed like the mothers were wearing beautiful gowns with slender green bodices and brown skirts made of nymphs ballooning around their hind legs. They looked so lovely, especially when they smiled gently down at their children. Riz felt a strange lump growing in his throat, a longing stirring in his stomach. Would his mother look at him like that if she were here?
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Riz clutched Uncle Qasim’s tibia tighter and looked up at him for reassurance. He didn’t find any there.
Uncle Qasim was too busy glowering at the mothers with a Hate so ferocious it was barely contained. Riz tugged at his tibia, forcing Uncle Qasim to look down at him. The force of the hate-filled stare, now focused on Riz, took his breath away. Riz gasped, pulling his tibia away, snapping Uncle Qasim out of his thoughts.
"What is it, Riz?" Uncle Qasim asked with a guilty smile.
"The school entrance is that way, Uncle Qasim." Riz pointed to the open doorway, where the school teachers were welcoming the students.
"Oh, yes. Yes, of course. Let’s go." Uncle Qasim changed his direction, leading Riz to the entrance.
"Uncle Qasim, why are you so angry?" Riz asked hesitantly.
"Angry? I’m not angry at you," Uncle Qasim replied, confused.
"Not at me. Why were you looking so mad at all the moms there?" Riz pressed further.
"No, not at all. Why would I be mad at the mothers? I don’t even know them. I just had the sun in my eyes. That’s what you saw. Now, let’s hurry. You don’t want to be late." Uncle Qasim resolutely changed the topic.
"Why did Uncle Qasim lie to me?" Riz wondered as he walked to his classroom. "And why does he hate those moms?"
So many questions. And just like with every vital question Riz had asked before, Uncle Qasim had refused to answer.
Chapter 2
His loneliness did not recede in class. The other nymphs weren’t mean to Riz. Yet, having dozens of brothers and sisters, most didn’t need to look outside the family for a friend.
Today, Mrs. Prarthana was teaching about yet another predator that nymphs needed to look out for.
“Not that it matters,” Riz grumbled to himself. “Uncle Qasu never lets me go anywhere alone.”
“Remember, nymphs, appearances are often deceiving. In the fight for survival, we can’t afford to let our guard down,” Mrs. Prarthana lectured.
“And none is more deceiving in appearance than the chameleon.” Mrs. Prarthana drew a quick picture of a lizard-like creature with a scraggly ridge on its back.
“Don’t be deceived by the chameleon’s slow speed. You may think you can outrun it when you see how slowly it moves. But it has a secret weapon that you won’t see coming. Not till it’s too late for you.” Mrs. Prarthana added a long vine-like structure coming from the chameleon’s mouth to the sketch. It stretched far out, almost twice the length of the creature’s body. “This is the tongue of the chameleon.”
Several students gasped at this reveal. Some students moved uneasily in their seats.
“Good...I’m glad to see you taking the chameleon more seriously now. But the length of his tongue is not all that’s scary,” warned Mrs. Prarthana.
Something hissed past Riz’s face. Startled, he jumped away, only to see the whip already lax by Mrs. Prarthana’s side. Strange. He hadn’t noticed Mrs. Prarthana holding it before.
He watched in horrified fascination while shrieks rang around the classroom as Mrs. Prarthana’s whip whizzed again and again by other students. Finally, exhausted, Mrs. Prarthana let the whip fall lifeless to the ground.
“I deliberately missed you with my whip,” she panted, taking deep breaths through her spiracles. “The chameleon won’t be so kind.
“Don’t expect to outrun the terrible speed of its tongue. You can’t. My whip was just a mere glimpse of that speed.
“And that’s just one of its tricks.” Mrs. Prarthana quickly colored the chameleon green. Then red. Then brown. And then yellow with black stripes.
“The chameleon can change colors. It can blend into its surroundings, so you won’t even know it’s there. Until it’s too late.” With these ominous words, the whip lashed out one final time.
The class sat in stunned silence.
“Mrs. Prarthana?” A girl nymph named Dua hesitantly raised her foreleg.
“Yes, Dua?”
“Mrs. Prarthana, then what do we do? Should we give up? If we’re going to die in any case?”
“No, not at all,” answered Mrs. Prarthana, surprised that Dua drew such a contrary conclusion from her flamboyant presentation.
“The chameleon does have one weakness. Its brain, unlike the lightning-fast speed of its tongue, runs slow. The chameleon’s slow reactions are your friend.
“When you first see a chameleon, if you’re lucky enough to do so, then stop. Stop immediately. Do not draw attention to yourself with any movement. Don’t. Even. Breathe.
“Slowly, very slowly, back away into the nearest bush, as far as you can.” Mrs. Prarthana’s voice dropped as if sharing a secret. “Keep your eyes on the chameleon so you know its every move.
“Don’t make any noise. Once you’re sure the chameleon can’t see you, quietly exit the bush from the other side. And then…” Mrs. Prarthana paused for dramatic effect.
The class waited, their eyes locked on Mrs. Prarthana as the silence drew out. Mrs. Prarthana smirked, happy to have a captive audience.
“And then…RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!”
“But what happens if we don’t see the chameleon in time?” asked Riz, clearly not impressed by this strategy.
“Well, then you’ll be dead. And you can’t care much then, can you?” Mrs. Prarthana snickered at her inappropriate joke.
“Harrumph.” Seeing the stony stares of the children, she hastily cleared her throat. “Well, there are still a few escape routes, in that case.
“If the chameleon hasn’t attacked you yet, or if he attacks and misses, you still have a chance. Look at the direction the chameleon is facing. And then quickly jump in the direction perpendicular to it. This way, the chameleon will need to change its orientation to attack you.
“Try to jump several times in different directions to confuse him. Aim for the area behind and away from him. Don’t jump back in front of him by mistake.
“Once the chameleon has lost sight of you, jump into the nearest bush. Be extremely quiet. Back further in until you come out the other side. And then, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!
“If you run into a chameleon in a group, don’t think you can fight it. It can kill hundreds of us in seconds, even us adults. Remember all the tricks I’ve taught you. And scatter in different directions. That will confuse him and force him to choose between you. But remember to move behind him. Do not, under any circumstances, linger in his line of vision.”
And with this last warning, the bell rang.
Chapter 3
“You’re quiet today,” Uncle Qasim commented as Riz moved around the food on his dinner leaf without eating. “Did something happen in school today?”
“No, nothing much,” Riz answered listlessly. “The usual classes.”
“You love cockroach eggs. But you haven’t touched a bite today. Seriously, what’s wrong?” Uncle Qasim pressed further.
“Uncle Qasu, what happened today in the morning?” Riz hesitated and then asked. “Why did you look at the moms in school that way? With so much hatred?”
“Riz, I told you. I had the sun in my eyes. I don’t even know those mothers. How can I hate them?”
“Uncle Qasim, I’m not blind. I know what I saw. Tell me what happened!” Riz cried out.
“Does it have something to do with my parents? What happened to them? Why do I live with you and not them? Why do all the other nymphs have moms and not me? Tell me!” Riz’s pent-up questions tumbled out, the sobs just a breath away.
“Riz, I’ve told you. Nothing happened today. Those shemantises have nothing to do with your parents. Your father and mother are both dead. That’s why you live with me. You know that already,” Uncle Qasim replied calmly, deliberately.
“You never answer any of my questions! When will you stop treating me like a nymph? I have the right to know!” Riz’s voice rose in frustration.
“I’ll stop treating you like a nymph when you stop behaving like one. I’ve told you all there is to tell. Now finish your food! You can’t go to your leaf till you finish every bite,” Uncle Qasim said sternly.
Riz lapsed into a sullen silence.
“So, what did you learn in school today?” Uncle Qasim tried to restore peace after a few moments.
“The usual. Nothing interesting.” Riz was not in the mood to talk anymore.
“Come on. You spent the entire day in school. You must have learned something worthwhile. Which predator did you cover in Defense Against the Dark Ones?” Uncle Qasim persisted.
“Well...that was kinda interesting,” Riz admitted unwillingly. “It was this lizard-like creature called a chameleon.
“And it has this super-fast tongue that just whips out of nowhere.” Riz was now excited by the subject. “And it can change colors, so you won’t even know it’s there. And Mrs. Prarthana says it can kill dozens of us in seconds...
“Uncle Qasu, what’s wrong?” Riz asked, noticing his uncle’s pale face.
“I...umm...I don’t feel very well, Riz. I’m just going to go up to my leaf, OK? Why don’t you finish your food and then go to your leaf? It’s getting late. Good night.” Uncle Qasim slowly got up and walked away, his mind miles away.
“Hmm...That was weird,” Riz thought, gazing at his uncle’s retreating back. “It’s only ten minutes after sunset. What happened? Did I say something wrong?”
Riz finished his dinner, cleaning up after himself. He slowly climbed up the trunk of the tree to his leaf. He passed his uncle’s leaf on the way. Uncle Qasim appeared to be asleep, his eyes unfocused. Riz stood still for a few seconds, observing him. For a second, Uncle Qasim’s eyes focused, unfocusing as soon as he saw Riz standing there.
“Uncle Qasu, are you awake?”
Uncle Qasim yawned and turned on his side, away from Riz, persisting in his charade.
“Uncle Qasu, are you feeling better now?”
Uncle Qasim continued to pretend to sleep, exaggerating his breathing.
“OK. I just wanted to make sure you’re OK. I’m going up to my leaf now. See you in the morning. Good night.”
“Good night,” Uncle Qasim replied involuntarily as Riz turned away. Riz paused in his steps. He chuckled, pleased to have caught his uncle out. He continued climbing the trunk to his leaf.
“Riz?” Uncle Qasim called after him.
“Yes, Uncle Qasim?” Riz came instantly back.
His uncle was sitting up, all pretense of sleep gone. He looked a little tense. As if he’d come to a momentous decision and didn’t know how to follow through.
Riz took a deep breath and climbed onto his uncle’s leaf, sitting before him. He knew something vitally important was about to happen.
“Riz, I’ve been thinking,” Uncle Qasim began.
“Yes, Uncle?” Riz prodded gently, afraid to say anything that might change his uncle’s mind.
“Riz, I think you’re right,” Uncle Qasim continued after a long pause. “I have been treating you like a nymph. God knows, if you’re old enough to learn about chameleons, you’ve grown up much faster than I thought.
“So.” Uncle Qasim took a deep breath and let it out. “I’ve come to a decision. I will tell you about your parents. You have the right to know. And I think you’re old enough to handle the truth. So, when you come back from school tomorrow, I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”
Riz couldn’t believe his ear. He decided to push his luck a little further.
“Uncle Qasu, I’m ready to hear the truth now. Let’s not wait till tomorrow,” he cajoled.
“I don’t know, Riz. It’s a lot to throw at you today. It’ll change everything you know about the world. I don’t know if I can do that to you today.”
“Uncle, I promise I can handle it. Please, please tell me right now.” Riz didn’t want to risk his uncle changing his mind tomorrow.
“OK.” Uncle Qasim relented after a heavy pause. “If you’re sure?”
Riz nodded.
Nida Farid’s The Extraordinary Life of Riz: A Praying Mantis’ Quest for a Happy Ending has all the usual charms of your typical anthropomorphic fantasy tale, and it also adds an unexpected horror to the beautiful twist—an exercise of imagination that gently defies what you are supposed to expect. The very first chapter is already a bit unsettling. You realize that the story is about mantids. Riz, the main protagonist, has often wondered where his mother and father were and why he has no siblings. Living with his Uncle Qasim, who is good at evading questions about family, didn’t help. School is similarly unsettling, with lessons about predator evasion where the core idea is to run for their lives. Somehow, Riz’s inquisitive nature manages to force an admission from his uncle about the truth of their family—something to do with murders during weddings among their kind. It is what nature intended, and Riz, at the right time, would have to undergo the same fate. Over time, Riz falls in love with Dua. At their wedding, he knows he can’t afford to go soft. He loves Dua so much, and he can only hope to find a way for them to live together without him getting cannibalized.
I can say that Farid has written an existential fantasy that appeals to both teens and adults. There are jokes here that grownups will easily get. Sure, kids can read it, but ideally in a read-along with a parent for guidance. Riz’s exodus to different places becomes an enormous canvas of adventure, experience, lessons, and friendship. Hats off for the ingenuity of the plot. You can think of it as A Bug’s Life chock-full of Woody Allen’s neuroses. Farid manages to convey color, form, and movement through words alone, making the story a true delight for anyone who loves reading allegorical tales. There is something dreamlike and scary about The Extraordinary Life of Riz, something that prompts you to ponder the complexity of human relationships. Fantasy tales have long enlisted insects, fish, birds, and mammals to convey relevant messages, and this plot carries the idea so well that it’s easy to care about mantises as much as you care about puppies and kittens. It behooves you to visit your garden and get to know the tiny creatures that live there. This is a great read that I highly recommend.