Water

Just a little story I wrote, with both my fellow thinkers Levan, and Visa in mind. I hope you enjoy it! *Grins*

There were once three brothers, all alike, but yet very different. They were tall and slender, with faces neither fair nor foul to gaze upon. Men of principles they were, well versed, and eloquent. From dawn till dusk, they spoke of the world, the heavens, and the darkest depths. The eldest, was fair of skin, and deep in thought. The second was quick of temper, but light of heart. The youngest was kind in nature, but impetuous. Their father was an elderly man, both kind and wise, yet strict and demanding. He loved his sons equally, though wayward they were at times. They lived together in a village far away, where few ever ventured, but all that came were welcomed.

One day at the height of a dry season, their father, the village elder, set before them a task.

"My sons, six months now, has the spring that fed our fields gone dry. Go forth to see what may be done, lest our crops wither, and us with it also."   

Thus they set forth into the mountains high above.

At the long journey's end, they arrived at the valley from which the spring began. There they found to their dismay, the valley submerged in a lake formed by great rocks blocking the valley mouth. 

"What has caused this to happen?" Pondered the eldest.
"What can we do? These boulders are large and heavy!" Cried the second.
"Yet such suffering shall be caused, if this unnatural dam remain." Lamented the the third.

"Something must be done!" Exclaimed the second, "With explosives, I shall breach a hole in the rock, and the dam shall be broken!"

The eldest warned "No! For in that blast, we shall perish, and all loose rocks be dislodged in an avalanche, and the valley be rent!"

"Then we shall gather our neighbours, and move these rocks, that the water may once again flow free!" Suggested the youngest eagerly.

The eldest deep of thought, cried "But if we were to move the stones, thus will the water pent up be released, we shall be drowned and the fields below flooded!"

Thus confounded, they stood in thought, till a voice rang from above. "Oi! You there, why do you seek to destroy that which my people have built?"

"That which you have built, causes my people great suffering!" the second son called out heatedly to the stranger.

"Peace brother, what right do we have to call this water our own?" Asked the eldest, and the wisest of the brothers.

"Our plight, as mentioned by my excitable brother troubles us deeply. Is there no way we can reach an accord?" Inquired the eldest of the stranger.

"No, this water we claim as our own, and we will suffer no fools who try to harm our dam." Replied the stranger.

Troubled, by the stranger's hostile reply, the eldest remained silent.

"I shall gather our brethren and make war upon these folk!" Declared the second son with fiery eyes.

"Why resort to violence brother? Surely they'd listen to us if we but reasoned." Pleaded the gentlest, and the last of the brothers.

"Pray, how would one reason with those who are unreasonable?" Shot back the angry brother.

"Who are you, to say that they are unreasonable, when you are not given privy to their councils? Is the one who threatens violence reasonable?" Mused the eldest.

"Then let us bring our people here, for if we may not bring this water to them, perhaps we can bring them to the water. Surely the sight of our plight would move the hearts of the people above." Spoke the youngest with great certainty.

"Do you claim to speak for our people now? Would you decide where they would live? Are you certain that they'd follow you, or that the people above would not be indfferent to our need?" Enquired the eldest.

Forty days, they stood bickering as such, as the stranger looked on in bemusement.

When two month had passed, since they left their village, there came a lone traveller. Ragged, and exhausted was he, when he approached the trio. They gave a great cry upon seeing him, for they recognised him as kinsman, and were alarmed to see him in such a sorry state.

"Your father sent me in search of you. I have come far, in fear of returning empty handed." Said the man.

Thus, they learned with grief, that many in their village had perished, when the people could coax neither leaf nor grain from the parched land. But, in their direst hour, the people stumbled upon a water hole, saving them from certain death.

This glad but bitter tidings, wrung at the brothers' hearts. For their task was yet unaccomplished, and they departed in great shame, shaking their fists at the stranger on the cliffs.

When at last they reached their father's halls. They hung their heads in shame, as he stood before them.

"That you've returned gladdens my heart, that which has passed has passed. But, remember this my sons 'That which lives has life, as that which is dead has none.'

Thus they lived happily ever after.

~The End~

Author's Note

What do you think is the moral of my story? Or would it just be gibberish to you? I had an idea, that I found hard to express, so I chose to tell it through a story. Feel free to criticise. Pardon if it's not well written, or the story seems incoherent. I'm not a very good writer. :D I thank any one who has bothered to read through the entire thing.

Reviews

[Christoph Poe]

I thoroughly enjoyed this actually! The writing could use a bit of work here and there, but overall, it's very solid. It's written like a folklore legend of some kind, which means all you have to do is tell us a story and nothing more. It's basically beautiful.

A moral of the story? I can imagine one, because it's almost like I've been in those situations where the worst is supposed to happen, but it doesn't. There is a hint where violence may have been the better answer. The father even hinted at it again once they have returned, but if they resorted to violence it would have been so pointless.

Overall thought: beautifully contradicting.

Thank you for sharing, and I look forward to more.
--Christoph Poe

98/100

[Sean]

Thank you very much for your kind review Christoph! I'm glad you liked it.
I had written it, with the themes of thought versus action, obstinancy, selfishness, and self importance. That life is filled with contradictions.

Thank you again for your encouragement! I shall try to write more!