The Myth of the stranded wheel
It was one of those delicious days when the sun lit up the soul. I was skipping along on my favorite path, when I chanced upon a something in the road before me. So of course I stopped to make sure it wasn’t an endangered species.
Well! One poke told me I should be wary. I heard a sharp squeaky growl and felt a nip on my toe. I knew then it had to be an omen; you do not get stopped with a nip on the road for no reason at all. Growl wobbled over to the edge of the path, and of course I had to follow.
We were at a clearing in the underbrush guarded by a low pile of nature-hewn rocks. I reached down to carry Growl, who gave me a parting nip on the finger and disappeared in a tiny whoosh. Nevertheless, I picked my way over the rocky pile and fell into a divided world. I wanted to go right with all my might, where the colors were tipped and burnished with life, yet there I was inexorably heading towards the left-most shadow lands.
Deeper and deeper I journeyed, and there in the darkest shadow, I saw two lighter circles. I was pinned to the spot with trepidatio. I crept up closer, and they blinked! Almost at once I heard the low vibrations of a voice.
“What you are carrying with you?” said this dark grey sort of horse like thing with eyes.
“Well I… I do have a canteen and that old sketch of a water wheel I always carry for no reason at all,” I said.
“Let me see it,” said Grey.
Transfixed by a blink, I pulled it out of my pocket. Grey trotted closer and sniffed it carefully.
“This is not a water wheel my lady,” said Grey. “This is what we have been searching for! This is the living map of the Magic Wheel of Fortune. We cannot find it, because it isn’t seeable. It is invisible without a beating heart and a map.”
I turned over the sketch, and I began to see the silver strands of a map emerge from the darkened paper.
Side by side we walked into the unlit forest, and there it was! That very wheel, tied down by earthy vines and stuck in the moss of time. Grey whispered close to my ear. “We too are lashed and bound to this accidental destiny. We are trapped without the turn of the wheel.”
I looked up into the huge stone rim where the map now pointed. There I saw a jagged hole and what a size it was!
“You are the bearer of the map, My Lady,” said Grey. “The magic wheel is injured, and it must feel the beat of your heart to heal.”
“But If I set it free it will crush me before I can escape! Besides, I cannot reach it,” I whined.
“I will help you," said Grey. “You can climb on my back and grab hold of a spoke.”
“But you will be crushed as well!”
“Perhaps I can run faster than you,” said Grey.
The thing is, I was afraid. I leaned against Grey’s flank, and I thought I would cry: but then I just got on.
Slowly we edged closer until Grey came to a halt directly below the deadly rim. I stood up carefully, and tried to grab a spoke, but I stumbled! Grasping for a hand hold, I touched the edge of the jagged hole, and in an instant it sucked me up and tore me away from Grey.
“Help me!” I cried, dangling over the fetid swamp.
And then I felt the slow rumble and thud of a pulse.
It was alive! Struck dumb in its pounding grip, I felt the wheel begin to turn.
“Help! Help me! Let me go!” I wailed, and my hand begin to slip away. Down I fell into the swampy ground beneath the wheel.
I made my peace with life as best I could and closed my eyes. I felt my life pull out of me as if it was yanked from the center of my chest. I took a final look at this forlorn Earthly swamp and bid the world farewell. I was startled then by a whooshy growl, and I began to feel the soft touch of a muzzle against my cheek. I lifted up my head and there was Grey, holding the center of my sweater in his teeth.
We watched together as Magic Wheel began to lift, snapping away the moss and clinging vines. It was glowing now from an inner light and carved with animals and runes, olives and sheep, red apples, wheat, and weighing scales. Up she flew, already weaving and spinning fortunes, leaving peace to fill the empty places.
Well! One poke told me I should be wary. I heard a sharp squeaky growl and felt a nip on my toe. I knew then it had to be an omen; you do not get stopped with a nip on the road for no reason at all. Growl wobbled over to the edge of the path, and of course I had to follow.
We were at a clearing in the underbrush guarded by a low pile of nature-hewn rocks. I reached down to carry Growl, who gave me a parting nip on the finger and disappeared in a tiny whoosh. Nevertheless, I picked my way over the rocky pile and fell into a divided world. I wanted to go right with all my might, where the colors were tipped and burnished with life, yet there I was inexorably heading towards the left-most shadow lands.
Deeper and deeper I journeyed, and there in the darkest shadow, I saw two lighter circles. I was pinned to the spot with trepidatio. I crept up closer, and they blinked! Almost at once I heard the low vibrations of a voice.
“What you are carrying with you?” said this dark grey sort of horse like thing with eyes.
“Well I… I do have a canteen and that old sketch of a water wheel I always carry for no reason at all,” I said.
“Let me see it,” said Grey.
Transfixed by a blink, I pulled it out of my pocket. Grey trotted closer and sniffed it carefully.
“This is not a water wheel my lady,” said Grey. “This is what we have been searching for! This is the living map of the Magic Wheel of Fortune. We cannot find it, because it isn’t seeable. It is invisible without a beating heart and a map.”
I turned over the sketch, and I began to see the silver strands of a map emerge from the darkened paper.
Side by side we walked into the unlit forest, and there it was! That very wheel, tied down by earthy vines and stuck in the moss of time. Grey whispered close to my ear. “We too are lashed and bound to this accidental destiny. We are trapped without the turn of the wheel.”
I looked up into the huge stone rim where the map now pointed. There I saw a jagged hole and what a size it was!
“You are the bearer of the map, My Lady,” said Grey. “The magic wheel is injured, and it must feel the beat of your heart to heal.”
“But If I set it free it will crush me before I can escape! Besides, I cannot reach it,” I whined.
“I will help you," said Grey. “You can climb on my back and grab hold of a spoke.”
“But you will be crushed as well!”
“Perhaps I can run faster than you,” said Grey.
The thing is, I was afraid. I leaned against Grey’s flank, and I thought I would cry: but then I just got on.
Slowly we edged closer until Grey came to a halt directly below the deadly rim. I stood up carefully, and tried to grab a spoke, but I stumbled! Grasping for a hand hold, I touched the edge of the jagged hole, and in an instant it sucked me up and tore me away from Grey.
“Help me!” I cried, dangling over the fetid swamp.
And then I felt the slow rumble and thud of a pulse.
It was alive! Struck dumb in its pounding grip, I felt the wheel begin to turn.
“Help! Help me! Let me go!” I wailed, and my hand begin to slip away. Down I fell into the swampy ground beneath the wheel.
I made my peace with life as best I could and closed my eyes. I felt my life pull out of me as if it was yanked from the center of my chest. I took a final look at this forlorn Earthly swamp and bid the world farewell. I was startled then by a whooshy growl, and I began to feel the soft touch of a muzzle against my cheek. I lifted up my head and there was Grey, holding the center of my sweater in his teeth.
We watched together as Magic Wheel began to lift, snapping away the moss and clinging vines. It was glowing now from an inner light and carved with animals and runes, olives and sheep, red apples, wheat, and weighing scales. Up she flew, already weaving and spinning fortunes, leaving peace to fill the empty places.
Comments