In the early age of the world, the sky changed in unsettling ways. The sun lost its steady gold and turned a pale, watching white, as if it no longer approved of the land below. Later it deepened into a burning red, and strange fire fell from the heavens—streaks of light that struck mountains and plains like warnings written in flame.
The earth itself began to respond. The ground shook in deep, rolling earthquakes that cracked riverbeds and shifted hills from their ancient places. Rivers forgot their paths and spilled across the land. From the distant coasts, great tsunamis surged inland, swallowing fields and villages, returning them to the sea.
It was said that Heaven had become unbalanced, and so Earth could no longer remain still.
The floods did not stop. Waters rose and spread until valleys became lakes and roads became submerged channels. People fled to high ground, but even the hills were not safe, for the land itself continued to tremble and reshape beneath them.
At first, the people tried to fight the waters directly. They built walls and barriers, but the floods broke through again and again. The skyfire continued to flicker above them in the red-tinged heavens, as if the world were still being warned while it continued to fall apart.
In this time of chaos lived Great Yu, a man who did not argue with the heavens or curse the waters. He listened instead to the shape of the land and the behavior of the rivers. He saw that the problem was not only the rising water, but the broken paths of the earth itself.
While others built higher walls, Yu chose a different task. He walked the world, following the flooded valleys and the trembling ground. He observed where the waters wanted to go, even as earthquakes shifted the land beneath his feet and distant waves continued to rise from the oceans.
Great Yu began to guide the waters rather than resist them. He cut channels through the land so the floods could move instead of overwhelm. He opened paths for rivers so they could return to their natural courses. Where the earth had been shattered by shaking and where tsunamis had erased the coasts, he shaped new routes for balance to return.
The sky above slowly changed as he worked. The red of the sun faded. The strange fire in the heavens grew less frequent, as though the warning had been received and the chaos was beginning to settle.
At last, the waters began to withdraw. Rivers stayed within their channels. The land stopped trembling so violently. The world, though changed, was no longer breaking apart.
Great Yu did not build an ark or escape the flood. Instead, he learned its logic and taught the earth to hold it.
The fable of Great Yu teaches this:
When the sun changes colour, when fire falls from the sky, when earthquakes and tsunamis reshape the world, the challenge is not always to flee or to survive by separation. Sometimes the task is to understand the flow of destruction itself, and to reshape the world so that what overflows can become order again.
Monday, 6 November 2023
The Fable of Great Yu and the Wandering Waters
Wednesday, 4 October 2023
Free Fantasy Magazine releases first issue
Download a copy of the free PDF version by visiting the Peasant Magazine website, or order the 8x11 magazine of Peasant Magazine via Amazon for $4.99 USD.
Tuesday, 18 July 2023
The Fable of Edward de Gale and the Big Bad Baritone Singer
Once upon a melodious time, in the vibrant city of Harmonia, there lived a talented pianist named Edward de Gale. Edward possessed a remarkable gift that allowed him to weave enchanting melodies and evoke profound emotions through his music. He was renowned for his captivating performances and his ability to connect deeply with his audience.
Now, in the same city, there was a Big Bad Baritone Singer. This singer had a deep, resonant voice that could command attention and instill fear in the hearts of those who heard it. The Big Bad Baritone Singer, jealous of Edward's musical prowess and popularity, sought to challenge him and prove his own superiority.
One day, the Big Bad Baritone Singer issued a challenge to Edward, demanding a musical showdown. The stage was set, and the townspeople eagerly gathered to witness this epic musical battle. The air was filled with anticipation as the two artists prepared to showcase their talents.
Edward sat at the grand piano, his fingers poised on the keys, while the Big Bad Baritone Singer stood tall, his chest puffed out, ready to unleash his powerful voice. The crowd hushed in anticipation, awaiting the clash of melodies and harmonies.
As the battle commenced, the Big Bad Baritone Singer unleashed his thunderous voice, filling the air with a booming sound that reverberated through the concert hall. The sheer force of his voice seemed to overpower the room, causing the audience to tremble in awe.
But Edward, with his quick wit and musical genius, had a secret weapon. As the Big Bad Baritone Singer bellowed, Edward's fingers danced across the piano keys, creating a counterpoint to the singer's booming voice. He carefully selected chords and melodies that harmonized and blended seamlessly, transforming the vocal power of the Big Bad Baritone Singer into a mesmerizing symphony.
Edward's music enveloped the concert hall, weaving around the powerful voice of his adversary. The melodies and harmonies interwove, creating an enchanting tapestry that resonated with the hearts and souls of the audience. It was a musical dialogue, a battle of sounds and emotions, where Edward's music spoke with eloquence and grace.
As the performance reached its crescendo, the power of Edward's music began to shine through. The Big Bad Baritone Singer, overcome by the beauty of the melodies, was humbled by the artistry and talent displayed before him. His voice softened, blending harmoniously with Edward's piano, creating a magical fusion of sound.
In that moment, the Big Bad Baritone Singer realized the true power of music—how it could transcend rivalry and create harmony where there was once discord. The battle had transformed into a duet, where two contrasting forces merged to create something far more beautiful than they could have achieved alone.
From that day forward, Edward de Gale and the Big Bad Baritone Singer became partners, bringing their unique talents together to create unforgettable musical experiences for the people of Harmonia. They toured the world, spreading joy, and demonstrating the power of music to unite even the most unlikely of companions.
And so, the fable of Edward de Gale and the Big Bad Baritone Singer serves as a timeless reminder that music possesses the ability to bridge divides, heal wounds, and transform adversaries into collaborators, all through the magical language of melody and harmony.
See Also:
Wednesday, 24 May 2023
The Most Popular Fables in English Literature
Ever wondered what the most popular fables are? Well, we've done our research and determined that, insofar as English literature goes, these are most popular English fables. (We won't comment on other languages. But we might do a future post on that subject.)
"The Tortoise and the Hare": This classic fable teaches us the importance of perseverance and steady progress. It tells the story of a slow but determined tortoise who wins a race against a swift but overconfident hare.
"The Lion and the Mouse": In this fable, a tiny mouse demonstrates the power of kindness and gratitude. After being spared by a lion, the mouse later helps free the lion from a trap, showing that even small acts of kindness can have significant consequences.
"The Boy Who Cried Wolf": A cautionary tale about the consequences of lying, this fable follows a young shepherd boy who repeatedly tricks the villagers into thinking there's a wolf attacking his flock. When a real wolf appears and the boy cries for help, no one believes him, and the moral of the story emphasizes the importance of honesty.
"The Ant and the Grasshopper": This fable contrasts the industriousness of the ant with the laziness of the grasshopper. As the ant diligently prepares for winter, the grasshopper wastes time and faces hardship when food becomes scarce. The moral underscores the value of hard work and planning for the future.
"The Fox and the Grapes": A fox's desire for unreachable grapes leads to a display of sour grapes, as it convinces itself that the grapes were probably sour anyway. This fable cautions against making excuses when we are unable to attain something we desire, highlighting the danger of sour grapes attitudes.
"The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs": This fable revolves around a farmer who discovers a goose that lays golden eggs. In his greed for quick wealth, the farmer kills the goose, only to find that there are no more golden eggs. The moral of the story warns against sacrificing long-term benefits for short-term gains.
"The Boy and the Filberts": A young boy puts his hand into a jar filled with filberts (hazelnuts) but grabs too many to withdraw his hand. Instead of letting go of some to free his hand, he remains trapped until he learns the virtue of moderation. This fable teaches the importance of self-control and avoiding greed.
"The Wind and the Sun": In this fable, the wind and the sun compete to see who can remove a traveler's coat. The wind uses force, but the more gentle and warm sun succeeds by persuasion. The story emphasizes the power of kindness and gentleness over force and aggression.
"The Dog and Its Reflection": A dog carrying a bone across a bridge sees its reflection in the water below and assumes the other dog has a larger bone. In its greed to have both bones, it drops the bone it had, only to realize it was merely a reflection. This fable warns against being greedy and losing what one already has.
"The Boy Who Became a Star": A lesser-known fable, it tells the story of a young boy who wished to become a star. Through determination and hard work, he becomes a renowned astronomer, teaching us that dreams can be achieved with persistence and dedication.
Summary:
These popular fables in English literature impart valuable moral lessons through imaginative storytelling. Whether it's about perseverance, honesty, hard work, moderation, or kindness, these fables continue to resonate with readers of all ages, teaching timeless lessons that are still relevant in today's world.
Want to read more "modern fables"? Check out Charles Moffat's Fables set in the fictional kingdom of Korovia. After all, why should we just accept the fables of the past when we can continue making new fables?
Wednesday, 8 March 2023
The Fable of the Great Flood of the Popol Vuh
In the first attempts of creation, the gods shaped the world many times, trying to make beings who could speak their names and remember their makers.
But the early people were not as the gods had hoped. They forgot the sky. They forgot the earth. They did not give thanks, nor did they remember the balance of things.
And so the world began to change in warning.
The Changing Sun and the Broken Sky
First, the sun lost its steady gold. It turned a pale, watching white, as if it no longer approved of what it saw. Then it deepened into a burning red, and the sky itself began to tremble with strange fire—flashes that fell from above like burning messages the world could not read.
The earth answered with shaking. Mountains groaned. The ground shifted beneath cities of wood and stone. Rivers spilled from their banks as if they no longer recognized their paths.
And from the far oceans came great waves—tsunamis that rolled inland and erased whole stretches of land, carrying the memory of the old world back into the deep.
The gods said the creation was not yet right.
The First Great Flood
Then came the rain.
It did not stop.
It fell as if the sky had opened all at once, and the world beneath it could no longer hold its shape. The waters rose over forests and valleys, over homes and fields, until only the highest places remained.
Above the flood, the red sun faded into a dim, uncertain glow, and the skyfire flickered less often, as though even the heavens were growing quiet after their warning had been spoken.
The Failed People
The first humans tried to survive, but they were not rooted in wisdom. Some climbed, some fled, some called out to the gods—but they had forgotten how to remember the gods in return.
They were swept away by the rising waters or broken by the shaking earth beneath them.
The gods watched, and said only this:
“They were not made correctly. They did not see, nor speak, nor remember.”
And so the flood continued until nothing remained of them.
The Water and the Aftermath
When the rains finally ceased, the world was silent and changed.
The sun returned, no longer red or white, but pale like something newly born. The waters withdrew slowly, revealing a land washed clean of the earlier attempt at life.
No great cities remained. No false people remained.
Only earth, water, sky—and waiting.
The Lesson of the Fable
Then the gods tried again, shaping new beings who would understand what had been lost: memory, gratitude, and balance with the world.
And so the fable of the Popol Vuh teaches this:
When the sun changes colour, when fire falls from the sky, when the earth shakes and the seas rise beyond their limits, it is not random destruction—it is correction.
And from what is washed away, something more fitting may yet be made.