Perusina and Perusino: The Sun Gate
Chapter 1: A Museum Without Fries. Perusina and Perusino are visiting an Inca exhibition at the Japanisches Palais in Dresden with their class. At first, it all seems like a perfectly normal school trip. Then Kusi appears, a mischievous dwarf llama, who eats museum signs and leads the children directly to the first forbidden gate.
A School Trip That Starts Out Boring
Perusino knew even before they entered that this school trip would be difficult.
The Japanisches Palais in Dresden didn't look like a place where you were allowed to run, laugh, climb, or eat fries. It looked like a place where adults whispered and children constantly heard phrases like:
"Don't touch."
"Don't run."
"Perusino, take that out of your mouth immediately."
Perusino stopped on the sidewalk and crossed his arms. "I find museums boring," he said.
Perusina looked at him sideways. "You find everything boring that doesn't have wheels, buttons, or chocolate."
"That's not true," Perusino said. "I also find things exciting that explode."
"Museums don't explode."
"Then that's exactly my problem."
Gold, Knots, and a Suspicious Sound
Frau Menzel and the whole class were waiting at the entrance. She had a list in her hand and that look teachers get when they want to stay friendly, but are already sighing very loudly internally.
"Children," said Frau Menzel, "today we are visiting a very special exhibition. It's about the Inca."
Perusina immediately sat up straight. "The Inca lived in South America. They had large cities, temples, roads in the mountains, and quipus. Those were knotted strings."
Perusino stared at her. "You secretly memorized the museum beforehand."
"No," said Perusina. "I read."
"That's almost the same."
It was cool in the museum. Golden discs, colorful fabrics, small figures, clay bowls, and mysterious knots lay in the display cases.
Perusina stopped in front of every display case. Perusino didn't stop in front of any display case.
Frau Menzel was just about to explain something about an ancient sun festival when Perusino heard a sound.
"Mpf."
"Mpf-mpf."
Kusi Eats the Hint
The sound came from a display case. Perusino slowly turned his head.
Between two old clay pots stood a tiny llama.
It was hardly bigger than a dachshund, but much fluffier. It had dark button eyes, a cheeky snout, and was chewing on a small white sign.
The sign had probably once read: Please do not touch. Now it only read: Please do no...
Perusino blinked. Then he whispered, "Perusina."
"What?"
"There's a llama."
"There are many llama depictions here."
"No," said Perusino. "A real llama."
Perusina stepped next to him. At the same moment, the little llama raised its head, looked at the two children, and burped softly against the glass pane.
Perusino grinned. "This is the best museum in the world."
Something Glows Behind the Statue
The llama grabbed the rest of the sign, wiggled its rear end and disappeared behind a large Inca statue at the end of the room.
Perusino already took a step forward. Perusina grabbed his arm.
"No."
"Yes."
"We're not allowed behind the barrier."
"I'm not going behind the barrier."
"You already have one foot over it."
Perusino looked at his shoe. "This foot makes its own decisions."
Then they heard it again. "Mäh." It came from behind the statue. But it sounded more like: Come on, you slow human children.
"The llama needs help," said Perusino.
"The llama eats museum signs," said Perusina. "Maybe the museum needs help."
Before Perusina could hold him back again, Perusino slipped behind the statue. Of course, she followed him. Perusino unsupervised was about as safe as a mixer without a lid.
The Tunnel Under the Museum
Behind the statue was a narrow crack in the wall. Golden light came from the crack.
"This isn't normal," said Perusina.
"Finally," said Perusino.
Behind it, a narrow staircase led down. The steps were made of old stone. Symbols glowed on the walls, as if someone had painted small suns into the rock.
A sun. A moon. A feather. A paw. A snake. A lightning bolt.
Perusina stopped and looked closely. "That's a sequence," she whispered.
"Or a wall that couldn't decide," said Perusino.
At the bottom, the stairs ended in a tunnel. The floor was crisscrossed with golden lines. They ran crisscross, as if someone had knotted a huge net of light.
Kusi stood in the middle of the tunnel. He was chewing on a museum map.
"Hey!" shouted Perusina. "We still need that!"
The llama looked at them. Then it swallowed.
"It ate the exit," said Perusino.
The First Gate Opens
Suddenly, the wall in front of them began to tremble. At first, only a small point glowed. Then it became a circle. Then a golden gate opened in the middle of the stone.
It was round like a sun. Warm like a summer day. And it hummed as if a hundred bees were secretly practicing a song.
"We're leaving now," said Perusina.
"We're just looking," said Perusino.
"No."
"Just for a moment."
"Touch it with your eyes."
At that moment, Kusi nudged him from behind. Perusino stumbled. His hand touched the golden gate.
For a breath, everything was silent. Then a ray of light shot through the tunnel. Up in Dresden, the windows brightened. The dome of the Frauenkirche glittered, as if someone had poured liquid gold over it.
And a second sun appeared in the sky. Then a third.
Perusina grabbed Perusino's arm. "What have you done?"
Perusino swallowed. Then he pointed at Kusi. "Well, technically, it was the llama."
Kusi burped. From the darkness of the tunnel came a scratchy voice: "Finally. The first gate is open."
And above Dresden, three suns began to burn.
More Peru on the WhatsApp Channel
New content about Peru, Inca history, culture, children's pages, and travel destinations regularly appears on the PeruMagazin WhatsApp Channel.
Follow PeruMagazin