Croatian Tales of Long Ago - Ogar

No one really knew where those two came from. Nor when they came. After he was killed, the body of the giant Svitogor became the holy grounds of the city of gods. And the only two passages to and from the city were barricaded by the two equally gargantuan guts complimented with thick slabs of flesh for shoulders and superimposed with most formidable snouts. In addition to their gigantic stature, the two creatures – Ogar and Zagar they call themselves – also share a foul temper. Humans particularly irk them. Always begging for something, wanting something, demanding something with their jittery arms and razor-edged voices. So relentless, so pushy, so full of their own smallness. Oh, what a pleasure Ogar and Zagar felt in trampling them. It was the only reason why they welcomed human vermin disturbing them in their watch.

Not to sound partial, especially not to the likes and preferences of these two, but one can easily get irritated upon realizing that humans visited the doors Ogar and Zagar guard FOR MILLENNIA without realizing that these two were never awake at the same time. Because. Even. Giants. Sleep. Given that he guards the morning gates, Ogar is awake during the day, when those gates are open. For gods at least. At the same time, Zagar sleeps preparing for the night shift as the evening gates open after Zora sings her lullaby to the Earth. And while the gates are closed? Their guardians peacefully snore, probably dreaming of dancing over dozens of men and women while they crackle and crunch under their feet.

One is tempted to consider the described schedule as a very half-assed job. But, since no one realized how the system works for as long as Ogar and Zagar have been here, hey, maybe it is not as flawed as it seems. As if! One transgression is enough that all the sudden everybody is up in arms and another Stribor’s forest happens.

Why am I saying all of this? Why, of course, because the transgression occurred. Just the other day I saw with my own eyes a petite blond boy and a correspondingly small dog finding their way around Ogar’s mountain of a belly. Well, the boy decided to take the more prudent route around. The dog, headstrong as these small beasties can be, went straight over. I swear, it was like watching a cartoon. The boy, of course, was trying to summon the dog by whispering at him. What a futile attempt it was, next to Ogar’s snoring the dog would not be able to hear him even if he wanted to. Instead, he merrily bounced over Ogar’s jingling belly and then… ou yea, he made his mark at the very top. Losing his balance during a particularly profound snore, he then rolled off the top to land just in front of the gates. And just like that, the pair of them strolled into the city of gods, boy with wide, wide eyes and dog with his nose to the ground thoroughly sniffing every blade of grass.