A Goatherd and A Sage

Once, in a land not so far away, and in a time not so long ago, there was a simple goatherd. Every day, he tended to the goats. He brought the goats out for a nibble on the grass, and the nibbling of it would go on for quite some time. There wasnt a limit on how much the goats could nibble, so the goatherd usually just waited until it was sunset before he brought all the goats home. "Hey there, Mr. Goat! It's time to go home!" he would hie, and the goats would respond, "U-weh!" and placidly plod behind him, to where "home" was. (It was always in the same place: The olde farme where all the other farm folk stayed.)

He became a goatherd for many years. He first began as a child, when the goats were about as tall as he. Then he grew, and he saw the great many sunrises and sunsets, and the green undulating hills, lost in their serenity, and sometimes also in the serenity of the goat's eye. Life went on at a goat's nibbling pace. It was one mouthful of grass after another.

Before long, our goatherd was a young man of seventeen. He came to the age where instead of tending to goats and grass, he became distracted by the gay laughter of the passing girls. The peasant girls would milk the cows and sell the milk in the marketplace, and often times would pass by the goatherd on the hill. The goatherd was used to seeing these peasant girls, but as time went on they caught his eye more and more often. It was not before long that he fell in love with one of the lovely maidens that frequently passed his way...

The goatherd felt the pangs for a life that he knew eluded him. The life where he was whole, and he had security. He wondered to himself if a lovely beauteous maiden would even glance his way. In time, he took leave from his employer in order to get his questions answered. It was a choice that he had to make. He knew that he would stay awake for many nights if the answers eluded him.

The brave goatherd sought for a sage that could answer him, high and low. He trudged the muddy paths and crossed the greening fields, town after town and village after village. Finally, he heard of a man who was very wise, and he decided to visit this man. This wise man was perched, high atop a hill.

The goatherd had many questions as he climbed up the hill. Like, why was the man perched so high atop the hill? Wasn't it better for everyone if he had lived together with the rest of the people? Could he not then spread his wisdom to everyone? Nevertheless, our goatherd climbed bravely onward.

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The Sage sat atop a hill.
The Sage sat on a mat.
The Sage was under a tree.
The Sage was sleeping.
But, The Sage was sleeping Upright.
And, it was Day.
The birds were chirping.
The wind was blowing.
The leaves were flying.
The goatherd wondered if he could get a word in sideways.
After all, if The Sage was sleeping...
He tried his luck nevertheless.

"Ahem," said the goatherd.
"Cheep cheep," replied the birds.
And The Sage kept his eyes closed.

"O Master!" cried out the goatherd.
And The Sage sneezed, "Ah choom!"
And kept His eyes fairly tightly closed.

Our goatherd was fairly certain by now.
"Master, I have trodden up this hill to see you..."

The Sage awoke.
"You are seeing me now, aren't you?"
His eyes had a twinkle in them.

It was as good a start as you were going to get.

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Someday, I hope that this little number will get somewhere.
It's been bogged down with all the tremendous pressures that I have had.
Happy New Year, World..
1.1.2006