Perusina, Perusino and Tupac: The Path to the Next Inca

It was a new school day in the land of the Incas, and Perusina, Perusino, and Tupac were excitedly strolling down the mountain path to school, as always. They had a huge stack of assignments in their bags, most of them about the current Inca, Lloque Yupanqui – Tupac's father. But today, something very special was on the timetable.

“Do you know what we're learning today?” Perusino asked curiously, glancing at Tupac.

Tupac shrugged and grinned. “No idea, but I hope we're not doing another quipu knot class today. Last time Perusina made so many knots that even the messengers accidentally sent 'Llama King' to my dad!”

“Oh, that was a real adventure!” Perusina exclaimed with a laugh. “Maybe today we'll learn how to become an Inca!”

“Become an Inca?” Perusino asked skeptically, frowning. “And how would that work? Do you have to eat a lot for that? Or fight? Or maybe be particularly good at quipu?”

“Maybe all at once?” Perusina giggled, rolling her eyes.

But before Tupac could say anything, they heard the loud drumming of the Inca guards. A huge, magnificent golden eagle hung above the school entrance – the symbol of the Inca. Tupaq Amaru, their teacher, was already waiting and waved the three friends over.

“Today is a special day,” Tupaq Amaru began seriously. “You have now heard about the first three Inca rulers. The wise Manco Cápac, the determined Sinchi Roca, and the just Lloque Yupanqui. But today begins the preparation for the next Inca. And the next Inca…” – he paused dramatically and looked at Tupac – “…will one day be Tupac.”

Perusino giggled and nudged Tupac in the side. “You? The next Inca? I can hardly imagine you with a crown – or a serious face!”

“Hey! I can do that!” Tupac scrunched up his face and tried to look like a mighty king. But he couldn't help but laugh and pulled a face that almost made Perusina and Perusino fall off their chairs.

“An Inca must be capable of many things,” Tupaq Amaru continued, eyeing the three sternly. “He must love the land, protect the people, and always care for the well-being of the community. But that also includes courage, strength, and… the art of prophecy.”

“Prophecy?” Perusina asked, confused. “That sounds like reading stars!”

Tupaq Amaru nodded. “The next Inca must be able to recognize dangers and make decisions that protect the people. Today, we're going to have a prophecy ceremony.”

The ceremony took place in the grand temple, and the three friends were already excited as they entered. Candles burned everywhere, and the light flickered mysteriously on the ancient stones. The priests placed a golden headdress on Tupac and spoke quiet prayers. It was quiet and solemn – or would have been, if Perusino hadn't suddenly tripped over his own feet and accidentally knocked over a large drum.

“Oops!” he muttered, as the drum's echo reverberated through the temple.

“Perusino!” Perusina whispered, laughing, “you can't touch anything without it making a racket!”

Tupac tried to remain serious, but a laugh quickly spread across his face. “So much for a quiet ceremony,” he whispered.

Tupaq Amaru cleared his throat sternly, but the ceremony continued. “Now, Tupac,” he said solemnly, “we will give you prophecy training. You will learn to read the signs of nature.”

“Read signs? Like a secret agent?” Tupac asked enthusiastically.

“Something like that,” Tupaq Amaru replied. “And today we're starting with the celestial signs.”

The priests led the three to a mountaintop from which they could observe the stars perfectly. “Up there is the Thunder Star,” Tupaq Amaru explained, pointing to the sky. “When this star shines particularly brightly, it means a great danger is approaching.”

“A danger?” Perusina whispered excitedly. “Like a giant llama stealing carrots?”

“Or an eagle snatching our provisions?” Perusino added, giggling.

Tupac shook his head. “I think it's more about things like earthquakes or strong storms.”

Just as he said that, they heard a loud crash. Perusino looked around in alarm. “What was that? Was that the prophecy?”

But it was just a large, fallen branch. Nevertheless, the three decided they should be better prepared if a real danger came. “We could make our own prophecies!” Perusino exclaimed. “Maybe I'll prophesy that there will be an earthquake tomorrow!”

“And I prophesy that there will be a great llama race!” Perusina added.

Tupac laughed. “And I prophesy that tomorrow in class you two will still know nothing about prophecies!”

The next day, Tupaq Amaru came to school and spoke of an upcoming festival where the people would honor the Inca rulers. He said that this would be an important opportunity to practice prophecies and show what they had learned.

“Aha, so my prophecy was right!” Perusino exclaimed triumphantly. “I said something big was going to happen!”

Tupac shook his head. “The festival isn't a danger, Perusino! You just got lucky.”

“Well,” Perusina said mischievously, “at least we know now that our prophecies sometimes come true, even if just a little bit.”

And so the three ended their first lesson on prophecies, not quite as wise as Tupaq Amaru had hoped, but with plenty of fun and a newfound enthusiasm for what the future would bring – for soon Tupac himself would have to learn what it means to be a true Inca.

"Sleep, my child, in Peru, Llamas resting, clouds in view. The moon shines bright on mountain and dale, Dream sweet dreams in starlight's trail. 🌙✨"