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November 14th, 2001, 12:30 PM
My wife looked in the mirror yesterday and told me she didn't recognize herself anymore, she has aged well but it brought to mind a story I wrote long ago. I hope it enlightens some of you.
Many long years ago, in a place far from here was a land that enjoyed peace. The leader of this kingdom maintained that peace by having his warriors regularly ride throughout the land. Now one of these warriors was a young man just 18. As he had been commanded every day he arose early and rode slowly through the countryside and woods in the area of his home. One day while riding in a deep wood he heard the laughing sound of a wood nymph. He caught glimpses of her following along through the trees near him as he rode. She would point at him and laugh as she did. Now he had no time for the annoying acts of these little folk of the forest and had heard that dealing with them often led to sad endings so he continued on. Each day as he made his rounds she would be there waiting for him in the forest, and each day he feigned dis-interest in her.
Now this went on for years, the warrior grew older yet still the nymph waited for him each day pointing and laughing. Finally after years of this the warrior decided that he would discover why the wood nymph found him so amusing. As she did every day he found her waiting for him, only this time instead of merely riding on he turned and rode directly to the nymph perched like a bird on the limb of a large tree. "Why do you laugh at me each day as I ride through," he asked? The nymph laughing said, "because man is so funny." "And what is it about us you find so amusing," he asked. The nymph stood up and pointing to him said, "you, and your kind have a strange magic, one which you neither know of nor control. It only works on the possessor and no one else. We find this extremely amusing." "What is this magic then which you think I possess," the warrior then asked. "Why the ability to be invisible of course," she answered.
With a smirk the warrior said, "I cannot make myself invisible nymph." "Yes you can, she replied, come with me I shall show you." Curious the warrior followed. Soon they arrived at a small slow moving stream. The nymph pointed down at the water, "see here is your magic." The warrior dismounted and looked into the water. "I see nothing," he said. "Look again man, tell me what you see," the nymph commanded. The warrior looked again. "I see nothing but my own reflection in the water, the face of a warrior," was his answer. "Yes powerful magic isn't it," the nymph said. "Foolish nymph there is no magic here," he said. "Would you like me to rid you of this magic you possess," she asked? Seeing no harm in losing a power which he didn't have the warrior agreed. There was a great flash of light and then all was as before. "There, it is done. Now look in the water warrior," she ordered. Amused the warrior bent over to see his reflection again. What he saw shocked him, he stumbled back, falling as he did.
Shrieking he yelled at the nymph, "what have you done to me? I am old now, my hair has greyed, what has happened to the powerful muscles in my arms. Why have you done this to me?" "I changed you not one bit man, answered the nymph. What you see is as you are. It is how others see you. Your magic hides from you the ability to see yourself as others do. You do not see the years go by, the youth fade and the greying that comes with it." "No, give it back to me, make me as I was," he ordered. "Once done it cannot be changed," she answered.
Slowly the warrior crawled back over to the water. He looked in again. He was old now, old as he remembered his father had once been. Lines in his face, hair thinner, streaked with grey. The tunic he wore once tight over strong muscle hung a little slacker now. Yet slowly the realization came to him that he had somehow known this all along. "Man," the wood nymph called. Turning back to her he said "yes." There is however a gift you receive for giving up your strange magic. Now that you can see yourself as others see you a new power will come to you. It is called wisdom. Many want this power few ever possess it. Only by throwing off the strange magic of man can you get this thing called wisdom. Use it well," and saying this the nymph disappeared.
Jag
Many long years ago, in a place far from here was a land that enjoyed peace. The leader of this kingdom maintained that peace by having his warriors regularly ride throughout the land. Now one of these warriors was a young man just 18. As he had been commanded every day he arose early and rode slowly through the countryside and woods in the area of his home. One day while riding in a deep wood he heard the laughing sound of a wood nymph. He caught glimpses of her following along through the trees near him as he rode. She would point at him and laugh as she did. Now he had no time for the annoying acts of these little folk of the forest and had heard that dealing with them often led to sad endings so he continued on. Each day as he made his rounds she would be there waiting for him in the forest, and each day he feigned dis-interest in her.
Now this went on for years, the warrior grew older yet still the nymph waited for him each day pointing and laughing. Finally after years of this the warrior decided that he would discover why the wood nymph found him so amusing. As she did every day he found her waiting for him, only this time instead of merely riding on he turned and rode directly to the nymph perched like a bird on the limb of a large tree. "Why do you laugh at me each day as I ride through," he asked? The nymph laughing said, "because man is so funny." "And what is it about us you find so amusing," he asked. The nymph stood up and pointing to him said, "you, and your kind have a strange magic, one which you neither know of nor control. It only works on the possessor and no one else. We find this extremely amusing." "What is this magic then which you think I possess," the warrior then asked. "Why the ability to be invisible of course," she answered.
With a smirk the warrior said, "I cannot make myself invisible nymph." "Yes you can, she replied, come with me I shall show you." Curious the warrior followed. Soon they arrived at a small slow moving stream. The nymph pointed down at the water, "see here is your magic." The warrior dismounted and looked into the water. "I see nothing," he said. "Look again man, tell me what you see," the nymph commanded. The warrior looked again. "I see nothing but my own reflection in the water, the face of a warrior," was his answer. "Yes powerful magic isn't it," the nymph said. "Foolish nymph there is no magic here," he said. "Would you like me to rid you of this magic you possess," she asked? Seeing no harm in losing a power which he didn't have the warrior agreed. There was a great flash of light and then all was as before. "There, it is done. Now look in the water warrior," she ordered. Amused the warrior bent over to see his reflection again. What he saw shocked him, he stumbled back, falling as he did.
Shrieking he yelled at the nymph, "what have you done to me? I am old now, my hair has greyed, what has happened to the powerful muscles in my arms. Why have you done this to me?" "I changed you not one bit man, answered the nymph. What you see is as you are. It is how others see you. Your magic hides from you the ability to see yourself as others do. You do not see the years go by, the youth fade and the greying that comes with it." "No, give it back to me, make me as I was," he ordered. "Once done it cannot be changed," she answered.
Slowly the warrior crawled back over to the water. He looked in again. He was old now, old as he remembered his father had once been. Lines in his face, hair thinner, streaked with grey. The tunic he wore once tight over strong muscle hung a little slacker now. Yet slowly the realization came to him that he had somehow known this all along. "Man," the wood nymph called. Turning back to her he said "yes." There is however a gift you receive for giving up your strange magic. Now that you can see yourself as others see you a new power will come to you. It is called wisdom. Many want this power few ever possess it. Only by throwing off the strange magic of man can you get this thing called wisdom. Use it well," and saying this the nymph disappeared.
Jag