Kerrin Gaile

A long time ago there was a farmer named Sadim. Sadim was from a common family. His father had been a farmer just like his father before him and his father before him and so on...you get the picture...and now Sadim owned the farm his ancestors had built with their hands...Sadim was also a common man himself. Common in the sense that he enjoyed the simple life of the farmer. He fed the animals, he watered the crops, and he enjoyed the caresses of the soil on his fingers

Now, Sadim lived a few days away from town, that is if you travel with a fast horse, and it worried him that more and more houses were being built around his farm. Trees were cut down and rich soil was being hardened so houses could be built upon it.

This worried Sadim a great deal because he could see nature around him diminish and also because his own possibilities of expansion diminished. This wasn't a conscious thought of course...well at least not one he wanted to recognize...but conscious or not it was one of the reasons he did what he did....

You see, deep inside Sadim a small flame was burning. It was still a tiny flame, like the light from a match. But even a match can burn down a forest if the flame is given the proper environment to evolve in. The flame inside Sadim was called ambition.

Early one morning, Sadim decided that he would make a journey to the Capital to seek audience with the King. Sadim knew that it would be difficult for him to speak his case but he felt he was well prepared. He would speak of the nescessity of nature, the purpose of symbioses, and the humility everyone needed to show in order for all to survive.

He met the King and his advisors and spoke his case but none of them were persuaded by his words. There was no way a simple farmer could be wiser than the King, and certainly not smarter than his advisors. At least that's what the advisors said.

Sadim left the castle in a sad mood. He wandered aimlessly through the streets of the city for days until he finally came to the temple of Silvanus. Here he felt at peace and so he stayed, meditating and praying. Finally, after many days, his prayers were answered. A little honey bee landed on his hand and stung him. Strangely it didn't hurt but soon after he felt a warm sensation in his hand. The heat spread from his hand throughout his entire body and filled his head. He felt stronger than ever and felt how his head was filled with ideas as to how he was going to get the attention of the King. He was going to adress the people of the city instead and through them open the King's eyes.

Sadim went to one of the market places in town and started talking. He felt the words flow from his mind to his mouth with a speed and strength he had never witnessed before, and he also saw how people stopped to listen. After a while a large group of people had gathered around him, and among them were two of the King's advisors. They were astonished and immediately sympathised with Sadim. They took him to the King's castle so that His Majesty could once more hear Sadim's views.

This time Sadim's audience with the King went completely different. The King and the advisors took him seriously and listened with great interest to what he had to say. When they asked for suggestions to what could be done he gave them many wise answers, and both he and the King were surprised by his knowledge. Sadim was hired as the King's personal advisor and their relationship became very close. Soon, the King never made a decision without first consulting Sadim.

Years went by and Sadim was married. He spent his gift from Silvanus with great wisdom but felt that somehow it wasn't enough. What he had wasn't enough, what he wanted wasn't accomplished. The country was richer than ever before, there had been peace longer than ever before and everyone was of the opinion that Sadim should be the next King since the old King hadn't been blessed with an heir. And so it happened when the old King died that Sadim swore he would make the country even richer. Secretly he swore that he would be even mightier.

It wasn't long before Sadim declared war on another country. And another one and another one. He was so rich and powerful that no one could defeat him, so he kept on until his kingdom was ten times the original size. And still he wanted more. But wars are expensive and soon taxes had to be raised. The people of the land were forced to pay more to Sadim but even that wasn't enough. Forests were cut down and silver and gold mines were emptied so Sadim could win his wars. In the end he had to stop because he had no more coin, and it was probably the best thing he could do since his land was stripped of anything of value and also everyone had forgotten why the wars had started in the first place.

Now came a time of much sorrow and poverty. People starved and fought among themselves, and many were beginning to lose faith in Sadim. Sadim himself didn't know what to do and decided to take a journey to clear his mind. So he went on his way and when he had travelled for a few days he suddenly came to a place he felt he should recognize. He followed a path through the forest for some time and suddenly came to a clearing. It was a beautiful spring day and a light rain fell from the sky. Under and between the tall oak trees the forest was vibrant with life. Right at his feet two mice played catch. How long he stood there Sadim did not know, seconds, hours, years? All he knew was that he had returned home.

You see, Sadim had rediscovered his old farm. The farm he left behind when he went to speak with the King many years ago. The farm that was the first place he had made sure to save from destruction, the place that was more or less the only untouched piece of land in the whole kingdom. In the middle of the large clearing was a small house with two small fields on either side and in front was a garden where wild woodbine and roses grew side by side with huge elder bushes. The house itself was in good shape and from the chimney came white smoke. Sadim gathered his thoughts and went to the front door and knocked on it.

There was no reply.

He knocked a bit harder and this time the door opened on well oiled hinges. Sadim went in.

In a corner of the house he saw an old man. He was sitting in a rocking chair, smoking a pipe. "It was about time too," the old man said to a little racoon sitting in his lap. "We have been waiting a long time indeed, yes we have".

Sadim looked at the hermit with disbelief in his eyes and said, "Who are you and what is this lack of respect you show me? Do you not recognize me as your King?"

The old man chuckled and said to himself, "I am a handful of dust, just like you. King, duke, peasant, carrot...we come from the same place and eventually we will go to the same place." He looked at Sadim, "But let's put the disputes aside and talk for a while...share words."

They sat at a small table and started talking about this and that. As they ate, Sadim slowly started to tell the hermit about his problems. The hermit asked him what he needed and Sadim thought about this for some time. "If I could just rebuild the land and keep the citizens happy then I would have accomplished my goal." The hermit asked him how he would do that and Sadim said, halfways as a funny remark, that if he was able to turn things into silver he would accomplish this.

The hermit asked seriously, "And if this was granted to you, you are sure that you could make your subjects love and adore you? If you believe so, I would be able to grant you this but only if you are sure you will use your gift wisely." Dumbfounded, the King made no second thought and agreed to it, as who could resist the temptation to have all you touched turn to one of the most precious metals!

The hermit gave Sadim a strange ingot. It shone with an inner light and was found in the shape of a perfect sphere. Upon seeing it, the King's heart flared with greed for it. When he took it in his hands, the sphere melted and spread over his hands and dissappeared into his skin. Baffled by this he stood and ran to his horse as quickly as he could. He didn't turn around a single time and therefore he did not see the little racoon that left the house immediately after him.

When Sadim came home he immediately ordered that all the trash in the land should be brought to his castle. He changed it into pure silver and used it to rebuild the land. After a few years, he was more powerful than ever. But power can do strange things to those who possess it if they're not careful. Thoughts of war, bigger treasures, and exaggerated luxury soon filled his head and it wasn't long before he was worse than ever. Wars went on, his treasury got bigger and almost all of the castle was turned to silver.

But Sadim was losing control. He didn't see it himself but sometimes he inadvertently turned something to silver, and more and more often the things he touched just turned to silver by themselves. The realization came one morning when he woke and found his pillow had turned to silver. Horrified, he got out of bed and got dressed. He decided to go see one of his advisors and on the way he took an apple, but it too was changed immediately. Horrified, he ran out into the hall where everything he touched was turned into silver. He found his wife and in an act of sheer panic he grabbed her by the arm, and as he watched her eyes turn to silver he lost his mind.

Filled with a burning rage, Sadim mounted his horse. The harness turned to silver immediately but he didn't even notice it. He started riding, through days and nights, sun and rain...and when the horse fell, blood gushing from its nose and hooves...he continued on foot until he came to the clearing. Here he started looking for the hermit...but you see...in his rage and desperation he didn't see that everything he touched on the way turned to silver. The woodbine, the roses, the door, and the table he threw across the room. He went back into the garden but the hermit was nowhere to be found. In a final, terrifying act of rage he slammed his fist into a tree...and it turned into silver.

But it didn't stop there. Not until there were no more leaves touching each other, not until there were no more connecting roots. Not until the whole forest around the house had turned into pure silver.

At that moment the earth trembled and the skies opened. A rainstorm, more powerful than ever seen before, struck Sadim to the ground and held him there. A voice, deeper than any horn ever heard, and sharper than any sword ever seen, boomed and said...

I gave you two chances. First I gave you the power to speak your case and then the power to save your land. You misused both chances not only because you were ambitious, but also because you couldn't get enough. You forgot the symbioses you spoke so warmly about. You became a parasite. A greedy parasite. Now pay for your sins.

Sadim looked up from the ground and felt tears running from his eyes. They were warm, and as he touched them he instantly turned into a silver statue. Silvanus reached down and touched a tree and everything, except Sadim, was returned to its natural state. He took the silver tears Sadim had shed and placed them in the sky, making them shine the brightest so everyone could look at them and marvel at nature's beauty.

And Sadim...well he remained a silver statue. And, if you travel through those woods today and come to the clearing, you can still see the little house, the two mice playing catch...and a silver statue of a man on his knees, hands touching his face. And every once in a while...at least so it's said...a silver tear runs from one of the statue's eyes.

So, why have some of us been granted this gift? I am not sure but I think it is because we are to be reminded about the foolishness and ignorance of Sadim and remember that every time we take something from the natural realm and change it for our own benefit, that thing will be lost. It is up to us to decide whether it's worth it or not.

Let me tell you a story so you can understand what it is I believe in. Once an old man came to a pond and was delighted with what he saw. The pond was rich with animal life and there was plenty of vegetation. He grew especially fond of the ducks in the lake and he studied their behavior with great joy. But one thing troubled him.

A fox came now and then and took a duck so he decided to chase the fox away. He did so with success and was pleased with his result. But after a while he wasn't satisfied because the ducks would walk away from the pond to eat and the fox would get them again.

So he built a fence around the pond and was satisfied to see that the ducks were safe. But still ducks would get out flying over the fence so he decided that he would break their wings so they couldn't leave. Now he could keep the ducks safe from harm so they could concentrate on their lives and he could keep on watching them undisturbed.

After a while the vegetation started to dissapear so he had to move outside the fence to get grass for them and he did so because he felt he needed to take care of them and little by little the ducks grew in number untill the pond was filled with them. Every time a duck was born he would brake its wings and fetch grass for it. And he was pleased with himself for he felt he did good.

One day when he was picking flowers outside the fence he saw two foxes fighting. One killed the other and as he observed the winner he saw it eat the other fox untill only the skeleton was left. He felt shocked and outraged and hurried back inside the fence but when he came in he noticed things he had never seen before.

Ducks with unusually tall necks, ducks walking on their toes, blind ducks and ducks eating their young. He noticed that there were no fish in the pond anymore and that the earth was black and dead. He walked out into the pond with the grass but because the ducks were hungry they went out to him and took everything they could, including him. He turned and ran and as he jumped over the fence he heard the quacking and screaming of ducks eating themselves and each other in their last feeble attempt to survive.

Now, were his actions good? Were they true? I think we can agree that it was an attempt to do good but because of his lack of enlightenment he failed to complete his mission. To save the ducks. He felt like a God when he built the fence and chased the fox away but he was less than human when he ran.

He showed no respect for the animals and plants around him, he never stopped and questioned his own actions and he sure didn't have any inner balance when he ran. His lack of seeing things in a greater perspective and in long terms made him blind to what was going on around him and he ended up destroying his surroundings.

We can all agree that he was not a symbiont. For those of you who don't know what symbioses and symbionts are let me try to explain. Symbioses is, in short, when two organisms live in close physical association and their interaction creates mutual benefits. A symbiont is an organism living in symbioses.

Well there was no symbioses there. What was it then? I can tell you with just a few words. He was a parasite. He fed on his surroundings thereby gaining personal benefits. It doesn't matter that he meant good. That's no excuse. He was no better than those who deliberately try to destroy nature. He was a parasite. Nothing more and nothing less. Because that's what parasites do. They live on other organisms, just like symbionts do, but their goal is so much different and the benefits are never mutual.

We have a choice. All of us, all of mankind. We can either choose to be symbionts or we can choose to be parasites. No matter what we choose it will affect us in the long run. And Silvanus won't just let us exploit the natural world as we see fit. We are a part of the land. We live on the land. It is our choice how long.

If we don't take care and strive to uphold the balance in the natural world we will bring disaster upon ourselves. The earth will not take it and it will roar at us. The sky will eventually break and the seas will cleanse the disease from the land. We will have invited our own destruction inside the very walls of our homes. The walls we built to protect ourselves.

Don't let it come to that. Accept your place in the natural cycle. Help maintaining the ecosystem for our common benefit. The peasant planting his fields knows what is nescessary to survive. So should we. Let us not try and act like Gods in an attempt to do what is best for us but let us work together to maintain the natural balance that is nescessary to survive. Let us accept our place in the cycle.

Many years ago two brothers were born into this realm. They were twins and in appearance as similar as two drops of water. Kaar and Barain were their names and only their parents could tell them apart.

When they were kids they enjoyed exploring the forest around their village and more often than not they came back with bruised knees and dirt all over them...but they always had a glow in their eyes.

Now as I said they were totally alike in appearance. However, as they grew older they started to drift apart. They still looked the same but deep inside of them things started to happen.

Kaar was a quiet man. He only had a few friends and rarely spoke to anyone he didn't know. He helped his father and mother in the fields and in the house and whenever there wasn't need for him he went into the forest. He could stay there all day long and when he returned he often had beautiful gifts with him. Sometimes he brought skins or herbs that he gave to those who needed it.

Barain, however, was quite the opposite. Loud, always bragging, kind to those who were more powerful than him and mean to those who were weak. Barain also hunted in the forest but when he came back the trophies were much different than the ones Kaar found. Heads of birds, feet of rabbits, unusually large amounts of skins that he just sold or displayed and then threw away. Sometimes he also caused trouble in the village and if possible he blamed Kaar.

In the village a lot of farmers had lost their chickens and the word was that a fox had taken them. One day Barain said to Kaar that he had found something pretty in the forest and wanted to take him there. Kaar reluctantly agreed since he didn't want to disappoint his brother. Also he was curious to see what it might be.

The two brothers traveled most of the day and late in the afternoon they came to a hill. In the hill there was a small foxhole. Barain smiled and said: "Let's wait here". Kaar agreed and sat down. After a few hours a fox appeared and went into the hole.

The skin of the fox is very pretty. It shines brightly red and the white spots give it a unique contrast. Kaar just sat there with his mouth open as the fox passed in front of him, the setting sun glistening in it's fur, making the fox appear to be on fire. Barain poked his brother and whispered, "That's the one who's been stealing the chickens".

Kaar and Barain decided that they would drive the fox away. Kaar was of the opinion that it could easily find other grounds of hunting and therefore there would be no need of killing it and Barain agreed with a grin on his face. They found the second exit of the hole, built a fire in front of it and watched as the smoke went into the hole.

The fox quickly came out and as Kaar got himself ready to chase it away he suddenly heard a whistling sound. He saw the fox fall over and as he turned he saw Barain standing with a crossbow and an ugly grin on his face. "Might as well make the most of it," he said. Kaar was suddenly filled with anger and he leaped towards Barain who, without hesitating, knocked Kaar to the ground.

Kaar woke many hours later. Beside him was the corpse of the fox, partly skinned. He decided to see if he could find Barain and ran until he came back to the village. But Barain was nowhere to be found. He went back into the forest and in the early morning he returned to the hill.

As he sat there pondering what to do when a pack of young foxes came up to him. Kaar realized that they were the children of the fox his brother had killed. He sat there for a moment and watched them stumbling over each other before he realized what he had to do.

He stayed with the foxes for weeks, trying to fill the role of the mother he had helped kill. He was filled with grief and anger at himself for not realizing his brother's intentions...but he tried his best to make sure the foxes learned to hunt and gather for themselves. After half a year the foxes were big enough to take care of themselves. During this time he had spoken to no one and had not seen the face of a mortal person.

He decided to head home to tell his parents what had happened. He cried a lot and apologized to his parents for what he had done. They were of course happy to see him and when he told him of what had happened his mother hugged him and showered him with kisses: "May the preserver of the wilds bless you in eternity", she said. His father beamed brightly and said, "Your actions will prove your worth. I am sure of it."

That night Kaar woke to the sound of something sniffing in his room. He opened his eyes and stared right into the eyes of a fox, sitting on his chest. The fox looked at him and for a second he saw something in its eyes. It licked him on the nose, jumped out the window and ran back into the forest.

When he woke the next morning he decided to go look for his brother again. He searched the woods for many days before he found him. He was in awful shape. Dirty and smelly, he was sitting in the far end of a cave, his legs curled up under him. Kaar tried to talk to him but the only response he got was mumbling. It was obvious that Barain had gone insane and when Kaar looked closely at him he saw bite marks on his body. Kaar looked around the cave and suddenly noticed that the ceiling was filled with bats.

Kaar tried to get Barain on his feet but Barain kicked and screamed. It became obvious that Barain wouldn't leave so Kaar went out into the daylight to clear his thoughts.

Out in the open he saw the fox again, sitting on the ground. This time the fox spoke to him: "He got lost in the forest trying to find his way back. After many days he found this cavern and he's been here ever since. You cannot get him out. He doesn't see what is needed for him to do. You did and were rewarded properly. So is he. One day he might repent but I doubt it. And until then he is stuck in that cave. He fears the bats although they never hurt him. He kills one of them occasionally but never eats them. Instead he eats their excrements and bites himself and convinces himself that it is the work of the bats."

Kaar started crying as he realized there was nothing to do. If Barain couldn't see his errors and repent he would be stuck forever. As he turned and walked away he heard the fox in his mind: "This is the way it is. Eventually we all suffer the consequences of our actions. Symbiants are rewarded and parasites pay." Kaar turned to look but the fox was gone. All that was left was the cave and the sounds of his brother screaming in panic.

The beauty of the land is an exquisite sight to behold. Something to be cherished and respected, not ignored and destroyed. One of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen is the rainbow. Such vibrant colors splashed across the skies!

I had a dream once, about the creation of the rainbow and something else that was created. As Silvanus was creating the rainbow, giving it beauty and strength, He gave pause to think about how and when it should be seen. As He pondered this, He left the rainbow unattended. Seeing the rainbow, many animals of the forest approached it with caution, unsure of what it was and whether or not it would harm them.

Upon realizing that no harm would become them, they touched it and found the rainbow had substance. Those that were very curious began to climb the rainbow, prancing about and having fun at the new discovery. However, Silvanus left His new creation unfinished, a gap at the crest of the rainbow. The animals were in too much delight to notice until it was too late, falling off the rainbow and their momentum carrying them into the sky. Many went flying while those on the ground still contemplated dancing on the rainbow.

When Silvanus returned, He saw what had transpired. First, He thought about what to do with the animals in the sky. Smiling, He decided to use the bright, free spirit of the animals to give them life in the heavens. Transforming their bright spirit into a corporeal form, the animals were given substance of stars, to shine brightly forever. Then Silvanus turned to the rainbow, and finished the creation. He then gave the rainbow translucent properties so it was only something to behold through sight.

Since then, the stars have always shone with happiness and the rainbow has been seen after storms as a thing of further beauty.