There Are Rivers in the Sky

by Elif Shafak

“I wish we had a huge ship,” says Narin. “Then we could take all the animals and plants with us and sail away.” “Like Baba Noah,” says Grandma. “He built an ark and invited his family and friends on board. He brought two of every animal, and he did not forget to take pistachios so they could grow into trees someday. And when the flood rose, the ship drifted away. They rode the waves for a long time, until the timbers scraped dry land. With a bone-jarring jolt they stopped at the peak of a mountain—Sinjar.” “Where is Mount Sinjar?” “It’s in Iraq. When we travel to Nineveh with your father, before you’re baptized in the holy Valley of Lalish, I can tell you more about it.” Narin beams. “Listen, that was not all,” says Grandma. “When the ship crashed into the mountaintop, a hole opened up in the hull. Floodwaters poured in. They were all going to die—humans, animals and plants. But then, out of nowhere, a black snake appeared! It coiled and coiled like a thick rope, plugging the breach. Thanks to the serpent, everyone was saved. For this reason, we Yazidis respect serpents and depict them at the entrance of sacred buildings. In our village, we also remember the great Shahmaran—‘the Snake Queen.’ She has a woman’s head and a snake’s body.” “How can something be both human and animal at the same time?” “Oh, it’s possible. We aren’t that different. All over Mesopotamia there were hybrid creatures once upon a time. In fact, my grandmother Leila saw one in her youth. It was a gian...