"Just try. You might be surprised!" said Afareen.

Name

A Bonfire for Jim

By Colleen Messina
Habib stared at the flame of his
Bunsen burner. It swirled blue and
gold and purple like a whirling
gypsy skirt. He needed to finish his
freshman chemistry experiment, but
the shooting shaft of flame made
him pause.
Habib loved fire. It was the
symbol of Ahura Mazda, the one
god!
"Does Zoro like the flame?" said Jim with a sneer. Jim and Habib
were lab partners. They were opposites in every way. Jim was
red-haired and blue-eyed. Habib had matching brown hair and eyes.
Jim was exuberant. Habib was shy. Jim often made fun of Habib's
religion.
"Fire is nothing to laugh at," said Habib. "Let's finish our work."
Later, at home, Habib told his mother that Jim made him feel
stupid. Afareen's brown eyes looked thoughtful.
"Habib, perhaps Jim makes fun of what he does not understand. I
think that if he understood something about our faith, he might not
laugh at you anymore," Afareen said.
"No way," said Habib with a frown. "Jim would never listen to
me!"
"Let's remember the Zoroastrian ideal of 'good thoughts, good
words, and good deeds.' What good deed could we do to help Jim
understand you better? What if we invited him over for No Ruz?"
she said.
"MOM!" Habib whined. "He wouldn't come to our house!"

Habib thought about their spring festival on the way to school the
next day. No Ruz meant new day, or New Year. It was a six-day
celebration of the spring equinox. All Parsis clean their homes to
prepare for this holiday. Since Habib lived in India, he was called a
Parsi. Others of his faith around the world were called Zoroastrians.
Habib looked forward to their special No Ruz meal. Habib loved the
hot noodle soup and the sweets. Garlicky roast lamb was his favorite
dish. On the last night of the festival, they made a bonfire and
jumped over the flames to purify themselves for the new year.
Habib kept thinking about No Ruz as he went up the chipped
concrete steps of the high school, worn from hundreds of weary
students trudging up the mountain of higher education. Maybe Jim
wouldn't even be here today, he thought. How would he explain that
fire symbolized God to him? Habib's face flushed hot, as though he
had just jumped over the bonfire himself. He doubted that Jim would
accept an invitation. Then he saw Jim walking towards him in the
dim hallway.
"Hi, Jim," Habib found his tongue. And to his surprise, Jim
smiled!
That was all the encouragement Habib needed. Out of his mouth
came the dreaded invitation. Out came a flood of words describing
their feast. He told Jim about Ahura Mazda, the one god. He told
him about how much fun it was to jump over the bonfire at night.
Then, he stopped talking. Would Jim think he was crazy?
Jim's mouth was open. His blue eyes looked like pale islands in a
sea of red freckles.
"Cool! I'll come!" Jim said.
After school, Habib ran all the way home. He helped his family
prepare for the special meal. He spread the clean, white linen cloth
on their table. He brought out a copy of the Gathas, their sacred
book. He placed it on the table. Then, he added sandalwood to their
afarganyu, a silver, metal fire vase. He lit it carefully. Soon, the
spicy sweet smell of incense filled the room. His sister brought out
the other symbolic items: vinegar for patience, coins for wealth,
greens for rebirth, and apples for health. The savory smell of roast
lamb and Persian noodle soup filled the air.
When Jim arrived, Habib introduced him to the family. They

A Bonfire for Jim

Name

went to the table, and Habib explained what everything meant. Jim
didn't say much, but his eyes were thoughtful. Then the family
enjoyed a delectable meal. The juicy lamb made Habib's mouth
water. Jim liked the Persian noodle soup as he listened to the stories
about Zarathustra, the founder of Zoroastrianism. Soon, everyone
felt full and happy inside. Outside, a drapery of darkness fell softly.
Crickets chirped, and the golden sun disappeared.
After dinner, they went outside to light the No Ruz bonfire.
Habib's father had made a stack of clean logs, and he had stuffed
newspapers around the base of the pile. As he lit the papers, the dry
wood burned quickly. Soon, the smell of pine and smoke filled the
air. A sheath of orange flames leaped up and eagerly licked the
purple sky like a toddler eating a popsicle. When the fire burned
evenly, the best part of the festival began!
Habib's father jumped over the flames first. Each member of the
family followed him. Jim jumped last. Even though the flames
weren't high, Jim managed to land right on a chunk of hot,
smoldering wood.
"Look out!" said Habib as he pulled Jim away from the edge of
the bonfire.
It was too late! Habib looked horrified when he saw that the
shape Jim's expensive Adidas shoe had changed. The edge of his
sneaker sole now looked like a white roll of melted marshmallow
fluff. Jim would never forgive him!
But Jim wasn't mad. He was laughing!
"I will never forget your bonfire. Thanks for inviting me! I'm
sorry I made fun of you. It's no ruse that No Ruz is a great time!" Jim
joked.

Questions
1. Which god does fire symbolize to Habib's family?
A. Buddha
B. Jesus Christ
C. Ahura Mazda
D. Krishna
2. Why did Jim make fun of Habib's faith?
A. He had nothing else to do.
B. He was a mean boy.
C. He didn't understand it.
D. He thought his own religion was better.
3. How many days does the No Ruz festival last?
A. one
B. six
C. four
D. two
4. Which term best describes the Zoroastrian belief in the one
god, Ahura Mazda?
A. pantheistic
B. dualistic
C. monotheistic
D. polytheistic
5. No Ruz is celebrated during which season?
A. summer
B. winter
C. fall
D. spring
6. When Jim's sneaker sole looked like a "roll of marshmallow
fluff," what literary device was being used?
A. antonym
B. metaphor
C. exaggeration
D. simile

Habib had to overcome his hurt feelings to invite Jim over. Describe a
situation where you overcame some negative feelings in order to do
something constructive. How did you feel afterward?

Name

7. Why did Habib's family jump over a bonfire?

A. They wanted to melt their sneakers.
B. It was fun.
C. They were daring.
D. They wanted to purify themselves for the new year.
8. What is a ruse?
A. a goddess
B. a holiday
C. a ploy
D. a desert

If someone made fun of your beliefs, how would you handle it?