~+~ The Foolish Traveler ~+~

[CupCwakez 125]

*On your travels down a road, you discover a book in the grass to the side of where you stand.*

 

The Foolish Traveler

 

 

Once there was a foolish traveler who had finally gotten the courage to go out and explore the world and its many wonders, off and away from his parents fancy home. On his journey, he passed through an ominous looking alleyway as a shortcut to the other side of some cold stone buildings. There, huddled up into a ball was an old beggar man with a long, thick, tangled gray beard. As the traveler approached the man, a hand grabbed onto his pant leg preventing him from continuing onward down the alley. “Please sir, I ain't got a coin to my name! Spare some change for a poor old man like myself?” pleaded the bearded man.

 

“Of course I will! Take all my coins so that you may live and be happy!” The generous traveler proclaimed, loosening and handing the man his entire coin bag from his leather belt.

 

“Oh thank you young sir!” thanked the shocked beggar man.

 

As the traveler smiled and turned from the old beggar man walking out of the alleyway, the man stood with the coin bag, jumping it in his hand to feel the weight of it. Suddenly, the man transformed into a beautiful, young sorceress with a sparkly blue dress and long, shimmery golden hair. She released a laugh in an ethereal sounding voice “Foolish traveler..” and left the alleyway.

 

The traveler continued out of the city after some time, walking long down a dirt road. He came across an abandoned looking Inn that was practically falling apart from its rotting wooden supports. However, the traveler was tired and needed a place to rest his head for night was soon approaching. “Hello?” the traveler called out, opening the shabby wooden door into the Inn.

“Who goes!?” A creaking old voice replied within the darkness of the Inn.

“I have traveled long and require a place to stay for the night! This was the only building around for miles so it seems! Might I stay?”

 

“You wot’?” the host of the creaky voice came out from behind the kitchen area of the Inn, wearing nothing but a loin cloth.

“Might I stay the night here? I haven't a coin to my name, but I can give you my clothes in exchange?” the traveler asked politely seeing that the frail man had no clothes on his back.

The old man looked him over from head to toe, inspecting the travelers finely stitched clothes, clearly from a family with plenty of gold.

“Fancy garbs you've got…alright tis a trade! There be a room upstairs to your right.” the old man creaked, scratching his back.

 

The traveler gladly gave him his clothes, happy to help the old man who promptly put them on his sickly body. After the exchange, the traveler  headed up the rickety staircase and into the room to his left, sliding beneath the moth ridden bed sheets for a nights rest. As the traveler drifted off to sleep, downstairs the old creaking man transformed into the golden haired sorceress who chuckled once more “Foolish traveler.” and left the Inn in the dead of the night, carrying his clothes off.

When morning came, the traveler awoke shocked to see the man gone. He figured that he had left to go and find a job or something of the sort and smiled at the thought that he had helped yet another person. But the traveler felt slightly embarrassed seeing as he wore nothing but his undergarments now. “The woods I shall travel to. I do not know what I would do if one were to see me like this!” he said bashfully, heading out of the rickety Inn and off into the dense forest hoping he would not get too terrible lost within.

 

The forest was dark with only some light from the sun peeking through the leaves to light his way. The ground was soft and moist from morning dew, covered in roots, moss and clover. The further he drew into the deep darkness of the woods, the more lost he got. Suddenly from within the trees, a low growl was heard, followed by another, and another, and another, and another. The five growls began to approach the traveler. Frightened, he grabbed a large stick which had fallen from one of the trees. The growls came into the dim lighting of the sun which peaked through to reveal that it was a pack of five gray wolfs. “Give us your body so that we may feast and thrive within this dark wood!” grumbled the alpha wolf, the largest of the five.

 

“Well… alright.” the overly generous traveler agreed, “You may have it, but please spare my head so that if anyone finds it they will know what happened to me!”

The wolves growled in agreement “Yes, yes!” and took his body quickly and dragging it away back into the darkness.
 

Oddly, the traveler felt no pain and was not dead within these woods, which the traveler thought was odd and he simply stared off into the distance wondering what was to become of him if he was not dead. Just then, a figure emerged as quickly as the wolves had left. It was the gorgeous golden haired sorceress who had tricked him so many times before. “You have given away your coins, your clothes, and everything else on you but your head. Why?” the sorceress asked in her ethereal voice.

“What is most valuable to me is the happiness and joy of others! If they are not happy, then I am not happy.” the foolish traveler stated with a frown, fearing that his time on this world has come to an end.

“Some may consider you a foolish traveler, but foolish is what you are not. You are selfless with a heart of love, one that many in all the realms lack.” her beautiful face eased like the flow of a constant river into a smile “I shall grant you the power to continue to aid those who need it. You shall guard my woodland realm for eternity.”

The traveler smiled, a tear of joy in his eye “All I ever wanted was to help. Thank you.”
 

Raising both of her arms, magic flowed from her hands entering the traveler's head becoming a seed from which a gargantuan tree grew which could move its arms and roots if it ever found need to move and defend the forest. It grew higher and thicker than any trees the lands have ever seen within the center of the enchanted forest. There the traveler would forever stay, providing shelter to creatures in his branches and within his thick impermeable roots. His wish granted, he stayed there, protecting the forest for all eternity to come.

 

(( So this is a children's story/fable I wrote because bored and decided to share. Hope you enjoyed~ ))

[ToenailTickler 290]

A lazy mali'ame mumbles "Too long..." he yawns heavily "Didn't read..." shuts his eyes falling asleep.

[spqrSancus 175]

Hecate promptly punches Halser in the shoulder. "Silly you. Now read, it'll do some good for you."

 

She grins, before sticking her tongue out at him.

[Birdwhisperer 1174]

Moved to the Great Library. It shall be sorted into appropriate category shortly.