Week 1 Story: Lessons from the Silver Man

Deep in the heart of the Eastwoods, where weeping, willowy trees can barely be seen through the dense fog, is a petite, wooden cottage paved with cobblestone. Inside the cold, mysterious, and barren cottages lives the silver haired man. The sound of the creaking old chair echoing off the walls signaled the beginning of the elderly man’s daily routine- his only routine. Every day for hours, the silver haired man wrapped in luxurious linens leans back with eyes closed, humming the tune to inaudible music. 

 An Old Man Asleep by the
 Fire painting by Rembrandt

This  is the only image that replays in the mind of the villagers that inhabit Westwood, a town at the edge of the swamp that intersects both Westwood and Eastwood. All other talk concerning the silver haired man is hushed. Only the curious and adventurous villagers dare to cross the swamp and peak into the dust collecting window of the silver-haired man, but foreigners peering into window is the greatest extent in which the villagers will excavate to learn more about this legend. A legend? Yes, the silver-haired man is known to be enlightened. Every four years, men and women in the Eastwood village reproduce children that intellectually, emotionally, and physically advanced; however, there are only a few, meaning two to three that possess this divergence from the monotony of the rest of the village. At the peak of adolescence these children are tasked to visit and learn to hone their skill from the enlightened.

Image Information to Left: Cottage in the Woods

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The fourth year of nature’s gifting was upon the village. This was the year that a family in Eastwood would bare a divergent child or children. Following the fourth year, the prophecy was revealed. A small family in a small thatched roof home at the edge of Eastwood, sagging by the bank of the swamp received the blessing of two advanced and gifted boys. The village was envious as the recipients of the 

enlightened infants contributed least to the village and mingled less often with other families. The parents were overjoyed and sheltered their children as much as possible by isolating them from the rest of the village.

The adolescence age was finally upon the two boys, Belo and Javi. It was on their fourteenth birthday that Belo and Javi awoke from a dream that drew them to a cottage in the woods. Without a single idea as to why they were driven to a random cottage, both Belo and Javi, that night, traversed through the swamps and the dark woods to find the cobblestone drive. The minute both young men planted their feet on the hardened stone pathway, their tests and training began. From the cottage, the silver-haired man, hunched over, immediately gave them their first task with the rhyme; "skillful though you may be, bring me what fills thee." Dramatic emphasis was place on the words thee as the silver haired man pointed to the cottage. Both Javi and Belo stood confused, but they used their analytical skills and ventured far to find answers. Two days later, both boys returned tattered, bruised, and filled with anger. On their journey, they lost sight of the task and focused on measuring and comparing their abilities to each other. Furthermore, the silver-haired man greeted their return with these words," Treacherous and awful. Both of you have wronged me. I find this punishment fit; you shall see." Immediately, Javi and Belo dropped dead.

Author's Note:

This story was inspired by an Indian Fable, The Wise Man and His Two Pupils. The original fable focused on the lesson that tow pupils of a wise, older man taught the pupils. The pupils had the same task to find an item that would fill his dark room. Each pupil returned with items that filled the room; however, one pupil excelled over the other by bringing back a more reliable source, light. The wise man wanted the children to know the proper way to provide good means to an end. My story was influenced by the idea of a "wise or elderly man." I used the term silver haired as a representation of wisdom

Bibliography. "The Wise Men and His Two Pupils" from Indian Fables by Ramaswami Raju. Indian Fables Source