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In the dawn time the first tribe wandered all over the wide lands, seeing all the magical things there were in those days. They saw the mountain that smokes, the land that walks and the grass that grows on the sea. When they had finished walking all over the wide lands they stopped to talk about all they had seen. As the old woman who remembers talked they recalled all they had seen. They laughed and cried and sat in silence as they thought about the magical things. The lame man who made things built pictures in the flames and the pretty girl who danced followed the beat with her body, recreating their whole journey. Then the little boy who asks questions said 'Why does the smoking mountain smoke? Why does the land walk? And how does the grass grow on the sea?' All of the first tribe listened to him, but nobody could answer his questions. The next morning the first tribe went to the path and asked it, 'O path, that travels up and down the land, who are the wisest of animals? Who can tell us why the smoking mountain smokes, why the land walks and how the grass grows on the sea?' And the path replied, 'Follow me to the north, to the hills where the fire blossom grows. There you will find Brother Hare and Grandfather Tortoise. They are the wisest of animals.' So the first tribe travelled north and came to the hills where the fire blossom grows. There they found Brother Hare and Grandfather Tortoise, and they asked them, 'O Brother Hare, O Grandfather Tortoise, why does the smoking mountain smoke?' Before Grandfather Tortoise could speak Brother Hare answered, 'It smokes because the mountain spirit is angry. He is in love with the sky spirits but even from the top of the mountain he cannot reach them. So he burns with anger and smoke pours from the top of his head. And that is why the smoking mountain smokes.' Then Grandfather Tortoise said, 'I have visited the smoking mountain and I believe it smokes because the rocks in the under lands are on fire. They seethe and boil like the seas and come rushing up the inside of the mountain, and the smoke comes out of the mountain’s top. And that is why the smoking mountain smokes.' Then the first tribe asked, 'O Brother Hare, O Grandfather Tortoise, why does the land walk?' Before Grandfather Tortoise could speak Brother Hare answered, 'It walks because the sea spirits are pushing it. They are jealous of the land and push it around whenever they can, to show that they are stronger. And that is why the land walks.' Then Grandfather Tortoise said, 'I have visited the walking lands and I believe that the land and the sea floor are one, and they sail over the watery rocks of the under lands together, but we see only the land walking. And that is why the land walks.' Then the first tribe asked, 'O Brother Hare, O Grandfather Tortoise, how does the grass grow on the sea?' Before Grandfather Tortoise could speak Brother Hare answered, 'It grows because the jealous sea spirits stole some grass and used their magic to make the grass strange, so it can live without the land. And that is how the grass grows on the sea.' Then Grandfather Tortoise said, 'I have not visited the grass that grows upon the sea, and without visiting the sea where the grass grows I cannot tell you how it grows. I will have to think about it before I answer.' Then the first tribe said, 'O Brother Hare, you have told us how the grass grows on the sea when Grandfather Tortoise could not. You truly are the wisest of animals.' And the old woman who remembers said, 'I shall listen to all you say and remember it and so shall all my children and grandchildren, o wisest of animals.' And the first tribe carried Bother Hare off with them to listen to what he had to say. Only the little boy who asks questions stayed with Grandfather Tortoise. And Grandfather Tortoise asked, 'O little boy who asks questions, why have you stayed with me?' And the little boy who asks questions said, 'O Grandfather Tortoise, has Brother Hare ever visited the mountain that smokes, the land that walks or the grass that grows on the sea?' And Grandfather Tortoise shook his head and said 'No.' 'Then how can he give answers, that make no sense, if he does not know the truth?' said the little boy who asks questions. And Grandfather Tortoise shook his head and said, 'It is all too easy to make an answer that makes no sense, rather than look for one that does.' 'Then,' said the little boy who asks questions, 'why do people listen to him if his answers make no sense?' 'Because,' said Grandfather Tortoise, 'people prefer an answer they can understand, even if it makes no sense, to one they cannot understand but which is the truth.' The little boy who asks questions was quiet and said nothing for many hours. Then he said to Grandfather Tortoise, 'O Grandfather Tortoise, how can I learn to think like you?' And Grandfather Tortoise smiled and said, 'O little boy, you ask questions. That is the best way to start.' |
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Clare Maguire > 6dec2002 > The Face of The Future |
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