One New Year’s eve,  Lopa was at her grandpa’s house.
She was so bored because everyone was too busy getting ready for the New Year festival to play with her. She tried to pull her younger sister, Lil’ Reu’s hair but Lil’ Reu just ignored Lopa and kept wiping plates that Aunties washed. After fifth time Lopa tried to distract her, Reu told mom about it and Lopa was finally sent to the grandpa’s attic.

The attic was dark and dusty. So quiet that Lopa could hear mom and aunties singing and the clutter of dishes from the kitchen.  That’s when Lopa felt someone was watching her from the dark corner of the attic.
It was big and hairy, and had two short horns. It was a stuffed Chicken-buffalo’s head, lying on top of a pile of old books. Chicken-buffalos were very popular to hunt, and Lopa’s grandpa was one of the best hunters. The small black glass eyes reflected the faint light coming through the half-closed shade on the window, and seemed like they were staring at Lopa calmly.

She slowly walked over the head, and touched the black coarse hair. Of course Lopa knew that there was a good chance that the stuffed chicken-buffalo’s head would not answer her. When her hand touched the head, Lopa thought she heard a slight sigh.  It happened so quickly that Lopa could not remember exactly how, but the next moment she was standing in the attic wearing a chicken-buffalo head.
First Lopa was confused, she tried to pull the chicken-buffalo head off of her. But the head was stuck to Lopa’s head really tight as if it was always there. Lopa finally gave up on trying rip her head off and sat down on an old trunk. All of a sudden, she started feeling ticklish and funny, and felt like dancing around. So she did.
She busted opened the locked attic door with super power that she did not know she had, and ran down the stairs. The whole time she was humming the melody of “Revenge of the Monster Toaster”.

Everyone was working cheerfully in the kitchen.  Lopa jumped in and took mom’s arms, and spun her around. “Revenge of the Monster Toaster” echoed louder and louder in the kitchen. Everyone stopped laughing and singing, and started screaming. They were running around in the kitchen, some tried to squeeze themselves in the oven, dish shelf or anywhere to hids, some were swinging knives and a rolling pin.

"No, no no. It’s me."

Lopa tried to yell, but the heavy growling sound came out of the mouth instead.  People kept screaming and running. Then, Lopa’s grandpa ran in the kitchen with a rifle. It did not take long for Lopa to notice he was aiming her head. Well, Chicken-buffalo head on Lopa’s head, to be exact.

Lopa ran out of the house. She ran, ran more, and kept running. It was getting dark already in the woods. Lopa finally stopped when she reached Muddy Pond at the end of the woods.  She was tired and scared. She kneeled down and leaned over the pond to drink some water, and Lopa saw in the reflection that many, many stars shining over the big chicken-buffalo head, looking at her with glass eyes.

The night of New Year’s eve was here. Everyone was supposed to be in a warm dining room, enjoying the feast and wine.  Lopa found a little squirrel hole in an old oak tree, crawled in to keep herself warm. She fell asleep, while listening to her stomach growl…

"Lopa, Lopa!"

Lopa was woken up with banging on a door.  Someone was calling her name. As she thought “wait, was there a door on the squirrel hole?” she found herself lying on a floor holding the chicken-buffalo head in the grandpa’s attic.
"It’s almost midnight, Lopa. We’ll have to start the count down coconut dance!"
It was Lil’ Reu. Lopa sat up on a floor, and thought about something for a moment. Her eyes sparkled with naughty grin. Lopa picked up the chicken-buffalo head from the floor, and slowly put it over her head…

Happy New Ox Year everyone!