"Some time ago, perhaps before you were even born, a young girl was
walking in her garden. She may have been called Mary - that's what most
of the stories say. Mary was a little bit taller than the other girls
her age and had brownish crinkly hair. She was quite thin, because she
didn't always have exactly enough to eat. She liked honey and whistling
and the colour blue and finding out."
This is the story of Mary, a young girl born in a beautiful city full of
rose gardens and fluttering kites. When she is still very small, Mary
meets Lanmo, a shining golden snake, who becomes her very best friend.
The snake visits Mary many times, he sees her city change, become sadder
as bombs drop and war creeps in. He sees Mary and her family leave their
home, he sees her grow up and he sees her fall in love. But Lanmo knows
that the day will come when he can no longer visit Mary, when his
destiny will break them apart, and he wonders whether having a friend
can possibly be worth the pain of knowing you will lose them.
