The Fox and the Desert

Through the brisk morning air chased the fox, his prey the hare. Against his better judgement, the hare led his pursuer into the desert, away from the forest which would have given him many places to hide. At noon the Fox broke, sick with hunger but seeing the impossible task that was outrunning the Hare.

Keeping a safe distance, the Hare said to the Fox, "Here we are, miles from our homes in the bitter reaches of an alien land. Band together, we must, or we will never see our families again." The Fox agreed to this truce, and replied "There, in the distance, I see an oasis. Let us travel that way and drink now, for we may hardly see a drop 'fore we find home." "Nay," said the Hare. "The wind blows in the opposite direction, from the coast and our home. This is how it has always blown, and thus we should travel that way in haste." The Fox did not trust the Hare, though,  and said in turn "a Harish trick of logic, you shall not use to fool me. I see water in my direction, but I see no wind, nor any coast in yours. Prove to mine eyes what you suggest, and I will join you that way."

The Hare could not prove his point to the Fox's eyes, so they agreed to part ways; the Fox moving toward the oasis, the Hare traveling against the wind. After a long while, the Hare came to a large dune. Looking back, he saw the Fox drinking sand in the far distance, no oasis in sight. To this he said, "Woe to he that believe in err' that sight be the only sense to which truth bears itself, for he will end his days chasing mirages." And the Fox did end his days that way.

The Duelling Hares

There was a set of Hares, equal in physical prowess in every way. They tested each other endlessly, but neither could best the other. "Fine, let us race to see who is the fastest, as that is the truest test of a hare in the real world" said one to the other, and the other agreed.

So they set to training night and day, and in this regard they were not equal. The first hare set to memorizing the route until he knew it perfectly. He ran the course until every turn and root was memorized. The second hare took to practicing on multiple routes, learning to surprise himself with jumping over various sized roots, and run turns with various degrees.

On the day of the race, the second hare hoped desperately for a flood to render the planned course useless, but none came. The first hare beat him easily, as he was familiar with the course. "Ha" said the first hare, "we may be equal in strength, but i am superior in brains!"

At that moment a fox came barreling through the wood, seeking out a hare for dinner. The fox chased the hares, and the second escaped as he was used to new terrain, where the other was not. As the fox chewed the first hare, the second looked on and said, "he who is limited to the false structure of schoolyard lessons is eaten whole by the variety of reality"

The Song of the Nightingale

There was a Nightingale that sung her song to the creatures of the wood as they hid their offspring from the stalkers that lurk in the night. She sung in the hopes that her soft melody would ease the burden of these poor animals, but always she was overlooked. The Loon was the talk of the wood, with her odd calls that would make the young rabbits giggle. It was the fashion of the age, and the Loon basked in vogue.

Though the Nightingale was jealous of the Loon, still she sang her tune in the hopes that one day the art that gave her so much joy might be noticed. Each night she could be heard by all, and yet she was met by not but passive scorn. "Your melody is sweet, but look to the Loon! Take note her style and make copy that you may share in her popularity," the Wise Owl advised. But the Nightingale stayed true to her soul, and sang on in her own fashion.

There were a few that gathered to her, for they saw the truth; that the Nightingale sang in harmony with the universe. But there would ne'er be fame for her, as the stalkers of the night were drawn by her voice too, and she was eaten to the dismay of no one.

Then a strange thing happened. As the creatures laid down their heads to sleep, their minds were unsettled. Something was amiss. They had not their Nightingale to sing them to sleep amid the dread of night. Soon, they made their voices heard. "Bring to us the like of the Nightingale, again," they cried to the Loon, and she did her best to oblige. But the Loon could not bring back the song that was missed, as she had not the voice, nor was she accustomed to the nocturne. And so it was that the creatures grew tired of the Loon's quirk. In her stead, they sang the song of the Nightingale in their hearts long after she was gone, and forever was she remembered as the fairest of the songbirds.

The Tiger and the Wolf

           There was a great commotion in the woods one day, the Tiger and the Wolf in mortal combat. The destruction was great and terrifying to all the animals. The Humans, being the newfound rulers of the jungle, were tasked with correcting the situation so that it would not happen again.

            They devised a wooden cage for the beasts, and set off capturing two specimens. “If the Wolf and Tiger are to get along, we must place them close together, that they may learn to love each other,” they said, and placed a Wolf and Tiger in the cage. For a moment all was well, and then the two beasts promptly took to ripping each other to shreds.

            Seeing their failure, the Humans came up with a new idea. “Ah, the problem is their teeth, and their claws,” they theorized. So they caught two more specimens, and defanged and declawed them both. Placing them in the cage, the Wolf and the Tiger hit and gnawed at each other but, being unable to inflict any real damage, they quickly gave up and became docile. “Success!” the humans cried, and released the two into the wild. Unfortunately, the two beasts were unable to catch their prey or defend themselves, and within a few days they were both dead from starvation.

            This puzzled the Humans, who did not know what to try next. One of them theorized “perhaps the best way to tame a Tiger is to turn it into a kitten.” Thus, the Humans took to domesticating the Tigers and Wolves, and cats and dogs came into existence. But they could not tame them all, and still the Humans pondered, as the forest creatures watched in hope.
            So it was that they went to the Wolf, and asked him, "Why do you fight so ferociously with the tiger? What has he done to you to deserve your scorn?" The Wolf replied, "Nothing, he is a gentlemen of highest esteem in my eyes. It is not that he has done me wrong, but that he might do me wrong. It is therefore in my interest to strike first so to gain the upper hand." The same was said by the Tiger when asked why he fought.

This, at long last, brought one of the Humans to his senses. He said to the others “Perhaps it is the case that the Tiger and the Wolf must mix of their own accord, or not at all.” So the Humans agreed to never meddle in the affairs of the wild beasts again, and the forest remained in turmoil for the foreseeable future. 

The Wolf and the Gossiping Hen

It was by unhappy chance that the Grey Wolf was lounging one day near where the Hen and the Cock were having their squabble. “All day you strut about the roost, and I know you have eyes for the other Hens,” the Hen said in jealousy. “That is no more than my common way, what Cocks as I do.” Enraged by this response, the Hen struck first, plucking at the Cock with her beak. But it was the Cock that took the day with ferocity. He took to plucking her and scratching at her with his feet, sending her away in fright. The Wolf, wishing to stay out of this unpleasant business, decided to take his lounging elsewhere.

            Knowing that the animals of the forest would take sides, the Hen took to spreading her side of the story with great vigor. As it passed from one animal to the other, the story grew and grew. Some time later the Grey Wolf was approached by the gossiping Squirrel, who took to rousing him. He said “Wolf, have you heard what was done upon the red Hen? It was the Cock! He plucked at the Hen as she helplessly tried to save her eggs from his terror!” He went on, “You, as the great strength of the forest, must act against the Cock so to restore the Hen’s honor!” The Wolf, having had seen the altercation and knowing that neither party was deserving of his sympathy, said, “Nay, brother Squirrel, I will have none of this game.”

            Hearing this response, the Squirrel informed the animals of the Wolf’s decision. “He takes the side of the Cock! What a brute he is, and always has been!” The animals took to the Wolf, and soon he too was hated as much as the Cock himself. They gathered round him, and the red Hen came forth to say, “If you side with those who are strong, then we who are strong together side against you! Be away from the forest, for we no longer wish your company!” And so the Grey Wolf obliged.

            He turned from the forest, and said as he left, “Better to spend my days alone, for there is no room for reason when creatures give credence to the word of gossiping hens.”

A Cinematic Treatment: The Visions of Robert Schumann

There was once a great composer of classical music, married to a famous pianist who adored his work. Roberta and Clara were their names, Schumann. Here were two of a kind that believed in a more mature ideal of God, one that underlines nature and the universe as principle. In science Robert found his inspiration, and in Clara he found his muse. He used his music to sing the exaltation of his beautiful wife, and the God that he saw working through her fingers. As he would write, his soul would present him with beautiful melodies, which he knew to be from God by the look of love on the faces of his audience, as Clara played on the piano.

It came to pass that another young composer, Johannes Brahms, came to stay and study with Robert in order to learn his craft. Upon hearing the notes that sprung forth, Robert immediately recognized that some day Brahms would outdo him musically, and the subtlest of jealousy took hold. This was solidified when Clara saw the same in the young composer, that Brahms was to be the most important of men in the world of music.

As Robert slept one night, he was awoken by a noise in the garden. A melody played to his ears more beautiful than any he had heard prior. At first Robert was jealous, thinking that it was Brahms who composed this magnificent melody, but it was not Brahms that he found in the garden.

Here is the actually melody that he heard that night in the garden.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4Xq7OALKdM

Instead of Brahms, he found his musical idol, Franz Schubert, playing to him in the darkness. He had a violin upon his shoulder, and every note that he played set Robert's ears on fire. Chills ran down the composer's spine, perhaps because the utter beauty of the melody, or perhaps because Franz Schubert, the man he saw in front of him, had been dead for many years.

Here was a man whose understanding of God is defined entirely by nature and science, and yet before his eyes stands not only a ghost, but a ghost of his most treasured idol. He could not believe his eyes! Still, he took every note down that Schubert played, and in the morning set to composing his latest work. He secluded himself, dedicating his time entirely to this masterpiece. So much was his dedication, that Clara was forced to spend most of her time in the company of Brahms, who was staying with them as Robert's apprentice.

Concerned by this bout of isolation, Clara followed Robert into the garden one night. There, she saw him composing and was much relieved. Strange though, she heard also her husband speak. He spoke to the air in front of him, and referred to the person he spoke to as Franz. This concerned her deeply, and she went to the doctor at once.

When the doctor arrived and explained why he was there, Robert flew into a rage. He had kept his relationship with the apparition a secret from all. How dare Clara sneak about behind his back like this! He accused his wife of infidelity with Brahms, and cast Brahms from his home.

The doctor explained to Clara that there was a good chance that Schumann was suffering from an illness of the mind, but she would not believe that. Schumann's music had touched the hearts and souls of too many for this apparition to be untrue. If Schumann said that Franz Schubert was singing God's word to him from the dead, then that was what was happening.

After a time, Robert calmed himself, and called Brahms back to stay with him and Clara. For a while, things were as they should have been, but this did not last. Robert began to have another vision, one that gave him no melodies, and set him to grave fear. It was a small black creature that followed him about wherever he went, hiding in the shadows. It would yell obnoxiously as Robert listened to Brahms' music, and stare at him from the darkness in the dead of night. He tried his best to ignore the creature, but it attacked him one night during a long period of isolation. Robert went screaming through the house, brandishing a knife. As Clara went to calm her husband, he swiped at her with the knife, cutting the palm of her hand.

It was then that Robert realized that he truly was mentally ill. He went to the doctor to see what could be done, and the doctor gave him medicine which made him ill. Unable to compose, the creature still following him, again Robert flew into a rage. He attacked Brahms this time, accusing him again of sleeping with his beloved Clara. Coming to his sense, Robert realized that he was endangering those he loved with his actions, and he threw himself from a bridge in the dead of winter.

Robert was fished out of the river, and brought home. He asked to be placed into an asylum for the mentally insane, where his symptoms only increased. Day and night he was struck with fear, and the creature grew in his mind. Some time later Clara came to see him, but he could not speak, for the terror was too great. She said her final goodbye, and days later he died.

Clara and Brahms were present for the autopsy, where the surgeons discovered a mass in Robert's skull. The Doctor had seen such a mass in the skulls of other patients who had similar visions. He informed Clara that it was his opinion that the mass was the cause of Schumann hearing melodies, and seeing visions of angels and demons. Clara faced a great dilemma. She would not believe that the music of the man she had dedicated her life to was the result of the tumor which had killed him. She knew that Schumann's music was the voice of God, and yet it could not be, for how could god be this vile, toxic tumor which had killed her beloved husband?

To earn some money for Robert's funeral, Clara performed a benefit concert, playing Robert's music for many royals. As she played, she looked to the faces of the audience. Joy, sorrow, love; these were the expressions they had as she played for them Robert's tunes. And then she came to know the truth, that it was not because of Robert's disease that he had been the instrument of God, but in spite of it.

Dark Fables for Modernity: The Ant Queen and the Blue Birds

There once was an Ant Queen whose empire encompassed many miles. Her armies were massive, and her workers numbered in the millions. She built for herself a great ant hill that reached far into the air; the greatest achievement of any kind in all the forest's history.

            Looking down upon it, the Blue Birds became jealous of its height. They saw it as a threat. They said, “Only we are to dominate the heights. What right do ants have to be this high in the air?” And thus they took to spreading hatred among the animals for the Ant Queen. “Look, this Ant Queen seeks to control all the forest. She would have her armies do away with us all if it suited her. A fortress of that height is unnatural, and must be torn down.”

            And so many of the Animals went to war with the Ants, and a battle was fought to save the forest from the supposed threat. In the end, the animals succeeded in dethroning the queen, and the great ant hill was demolished.

            Before its demise, the ant hill had an unexpected effect upon one of the more curious creatures in the forest. The Humans, who hunted and gathered in the land, looked down upon it, and one of them had an idea. “What if we were to make such a fortresses for ourselves? Then we would not have to sleep in the cold rain all night.” The Humans took to the trees; cutting them down, and constructing crude homes out of them. The Blue Birds, having had their homes cut down by the Humans, squawked in dismay “What have you done? You were not supposed to take the Ants as examples!” To which the Humans responded “Perhaps it is better to ignore your foe, than lead others to him who might join in his cause.”