Legend Of Braille

[NTE_Killer4life 52]

((I have always imagined how Braille would have been invented ever since I have seen blind men and women in a medieval fantasy setting so I decided to write a creative story involving Dwarves being the inventors of Braille. I hope some people will enjoy the story, I enjoyed writing it. ))

 

 

 

The Legend of Braille

 

 

Long ago, in the deep halls of a Dwarven Kingdom lived a dwarf, Sloin Sandbeard.

He was a noble of his kingdom but never toiled away in the mines or the smithies. Instead of backbreaking labor Sloin chose a relaxing life of reading books in the great library, a vast collection of books written by Dwarven scholars or some "Found" in other nations. Sloin would never finish his food or ale at mealtimes for his greed for knowledge engulfed his mind. All he did throughout his life was read, read, read. Sloin’s Grandson Ralin worried for him.

 

Many years passed, only one shelf left in the great library that Sloin did not read yet. His frail hands touched the leather covering of the first of the last shelf. He sat upon an old wicker chair in his personal room, and opened the book. Sloin mumbled the words to himself as he read the very thick book. But as hours pass he felt his eyes growing slightly blurry, the words becoming unreadable

 

Ralin is asleep in his grandfather's room while he was reading, but he was woken by an old and frail cry of deep sorrow in the Ancient Dwarven language.  "MY EYES...MY PRECIOUS EYES!!!"

 

Sloin had his head buried in the book, sobbing loudly.  "I cannot see...I cannot...read!" Ralin took a deep breath but was suddenly gripped by his grandfather's burly hands, and they dug into his shoulders.  "M-my grandson…is that you? Please oh please...read to me.... read. I beg of you!" He sobbed upon his shoulder for quite a while.

Ralin pitied him greatly and patted his back and his young voice soothed him.  "I-I...will think of something, my grandfather...I swear it...just rest."

Ralin put Sloin to bed and tucked him under the covers, holding back tears.

 

For the next few days, Ralin observed Sloin. He wandered around the halls of the kingdom, feeling and identifying everything he could, even some dwarves. An idea hit Ralin like an iron war hammer.

 

He sprinted down the halls as fast as his legs could carry him and bolted into the library. He looked all around the library and found a solitary book upon the highest shelf. His arms slowly pulled him up each shelf, looking up at the dusty old book. He later arrived at the shelf that held the book. His thick fingers gripped the small book as he slipped, falling down 3 shelves and catching himself at the last shelf.

 

Ralin dusted the cover of the book off, coating his right hand in a thin layer of dust. The title of the book was, "Simple shapes for Dwarven kids." His wobbly legs carried him over to a table as he opened the book, the thick yellow pages with black inked words stared up at him. For many months he studied the shapes within the book. Squares, L shapes, little dot, big dots, and more. Ralin created indents in the paper and assigned each shape to a letter in the common alphabet. He ran his fingers over each indent in the alphabet with his eyes closed, memorizing each letter.

He mumbled to himself in the candlelight, illuminating his face with shadows.  "My grandfather told me once of an old blind dwarf named Braille Ironeye...he created an old child's story..."Love is not blind" …to honor him…I shall name this invention…Braille" He made an extra copy of the alphabet list and sent a Dwarf Scholar to deliver the list to his grandfather so Sloin may study it.

Excited about his new invention he gathered his research and original alphabet list and began to copy one of his grandfather's favorite books. After many moons passed he had succeeded, giving the finished product to his grandfather.

Tears of absolute joy welled up in Sloin's eyes as his fingers brushed the pages. "My grandson.... you have given me the greatest gift imaginable.... able to read while blind in the eyes..." His wrinkled hands caressed Ralin's face.

 

From that day forth, word spread about Ralin's invention, many copies of braille alphabets were made by the Dwarven Scholars, only distributed to those who came to the dwarves in need of the braille. Sometimes they were requested to make books for them as well and did so, not without being paid of course.

[~ Fiend ~ 611]

https://www.lordofthecraft.net/topic/81236-seed-writing/

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

And I probably wasn't even the first to do it, either.

But yeah, it's been "invented" several times. Nice idea, though.

and fiend realized after the fact this was a story, and not lore

[NTE_Killer4life 52]

Yeah. I just like writing Dwarven stories. So why not? ^3^

[~ Fiend ~ 611]

Yeah. I just like writing Dwarven stories. So why not? ^3^

 

More power to ya.

I'd change the name, though.

Look at the second paragraph here.

Edit: I know you used a guy named Brail, my implication is that seemed a bit clunky and forced.

[NTE_Killer4life 52]

 

More power to ya.

I'd change the name, though.

Look at the second paragraph here.

Edit: I know you used a guy named Brail, my implication is that seemed a bit clunky and forced.

 

kk fixed it :P

[~ Fiend ~ 611]

kk fixed it :P

 

I more meant that it seemed forced to insert a way to name it after the real life thing, not that the slight misspelling was off.

Also, rather than using the [D], a more common notation I've seen in stories for a language the reader doesn't speak is italics.

"You have given me the greatest gift imaginable," the old dwarf said in their ancient tongue.

Last of my notes, as it were. Keep on writing. ^^

[Knox213 10]

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