Once upon a time there was a Great King who
was very rich. He had everything he wanted and whatever he desired. He
possessed splendid, vast green fields; lush, dark
forests; wide
blue rivers; plenty of plump sheep; and gold too numerous to
mention. He had heaps and bags and brimming trunks full of gold. On top of
that, he was surrounded by an extensive and lavish royal
household.
The Great King lived a happy life in peace and serenity for centuries, content
with the extent of his empire. Peace and order reigned in every corner of the
realm, as the king enacted laws, issued proclamations, and dispensed justice to
everybody’s satisfaction. It is anyone’s
guess nowadays how it came to be so, but among his people, there were no objections to
anything.
guess nowadays how it came to be so, but among his people, there were no objections to
anything.
Once upon a time, the Great King
decided to take a look around his immense and
prosperous empire. There were many people, perhaps over a hundred in attendence,
escorting him from one place to another. His people hailed him as Your Royal Majesty,
and everywhere he visited, he was greeted by bowing and scraping subjects on all sides.
prosperous empire. There were many people, perhaps over a hundred in attendence,
escorting him from one place to another. His people hailed him as Your Royal Majesty,
and everywhere he visited, he was greeted by bowing and scraping subjects on all sides.
How shall I say? Wherever he went on his journey throughout the empire,
the Great King was
pleased with everything he saw. He had never imagined how very far away lay the borders of
his kingdom or how wealthy his empire truly was.
pleased with everything he saw. He had never imagined how very far away lay the borders of
his kingdom or how wealthy his empire truly was.
Nevertheless, a terrible misfotrunate
occurred as a result of this royal tour!
It so happened that the Great King caught sight of the fields beyond his borders.
The fields and forests that he saw there appeared larger, lusher, and greener.
The rivers he found wider and bluer, the plentiful sheep appeared plumper, and
the gold seemed to glitter more brilliantly than his own. Even the royal household
there seemed more extensive and lavish.This awe-inspiring sight aroused a sudden
and irresistable desire to occupy, to possess.
It so happened that the Great King caught sight of the fields beyond his borders.
The fields and forests that he saw there appeared larger, lusher, and greener.
The rivers he found wider and bluer, the plentiful sheep appeared plumper, and
the gold seemed to glitter more brilliantly than his own. Even the royal household
there seemed more extensive and lavish.This awe-inspiring sight aroused a sudden
and irresistable desire to occupy, to possess.
Right there and then, he
decided to obtain (or rather seize) all that he could see beyond
the border. This royal decision was the cause of all the hostilities that were to come
in the centuries that followed. Many times he was beseeched to give up his rapacious
intentions, but all requests were made in vain. The Great King could command, and – what is
more – he went to every length to seize the goods and treasure that he longed to have.
In Latin, there is a saying: In vino veritas. However, in the Great King’s language,
"in wine, truth” sounded more like "Might makes right!” Those in power create
the border. This royal decision was the cause of all the hostilities that were to come
in the centuries that followed. Many times he was beseeched to give up his rapacious
intentions, but all requests were made in vain. The Great King could command, and – what is
more – he went to every length to seize the goods and treasure that he longed to have.
In Latin, there is a saying: In vino veritas. However, in the Great King’s language,
"in wine, truth” sounded more like "Might makes right!” Those in power create
the truth, and this Truth has been on the side of Power ever since.
Soon, the
Great King was marching in, invading his neighbor’s land. The
treasury was
emptied, and the foreign realm was looted. Still, all these offenses were justified by
newly-enacted laws, put in place by the new Power. Thus, a new history began.
The new Truth was written and recorded in a new language. The King was hailed
as the Sun King. His massive carriage now set out on its way, toiling through the mud,
its wheels creaking along one harsh century after another.
emptied, and the foreign realm was looted. Still, all these offenses were justified by
newly-enacted laws, put in place by the new Power. Thus, a new history began.
The new Truth was written and recorded in a new language. The King was hailed
as the Sun King. His massive carriage now set out on its way, toiling through the mud,
its wheels creaking along one harsh century after another.
After all this time, one is barely able to
determine what fields, forests, rivers, and
sheep have been seized. The plundered treasure was tossed into the Sun King’s
enormous treasure chest, which no one could ever find.
sheep have been seized. The plundered treasure was tossed into the Sun King’s
enormous treasure chest, which no one could ever find.
Hence, there was
no hope that the treasure would ever find its way back to its rightful
heirs,
back into the ancestral treasure chest of its people.
back into the ancestral treasure chest of its people.
With the passage of time, the Sun King’s
gold crown gradually began to fade.
Why or why not, we cannot tell, but once upon a time, strange new rumblings were heard
in the royal court – grumblings that became harsher, more troublesome and angrier than ever.
There was a rumour that the Sun King would be called to account. His truth was denied,
and not so very long after that, his majestic head was chopped off. He was beheaded in such
a frenzy that his blood-stained gold crown was hurled to the very border of his former
empire. Several tried to catch the crown, of course, and many lost their heads for it, just as
the Great King had.
Still others were cleverer and managed to grab hold of the Power for a time. Hence,
new power made new laws and so on. They created their own new Truth again and
again. All the wealth that the headless Sun King had seized – the fields, forests, rivers,
sheep, and plundered treasure – all were retained.
Why or why not, we cannot tell, but once upon a time, strange new rumblings were heard
in the royal court – grumblings that became harsher, more troublesome and angrier than ever.
There was a rumour that the Sun King would be called to account. His truth was denied,
and not so very long after that, his majestic head was chopped off. He was beheaded in such
a frenzy that his blood-stained gold crown was hurled to the very border of his former
empire. Several tried to catch the crown, of course, and many lost their heads for it, just as
the Great King had.
Still others were cleverer and managed to grab hold of the Power for a time. Hence,
new power made new laws and so on. They created their own new Truth again and
again. All the wealth that the headless Sun King had seized – the fields, forests, rivers,
sheep, and plundered treasure – all were retained.
Each succeeding Power thought that they could prevent the rightful
heirs from
reclaiming their ancestral wealth forever, and so they fabricated, constructing
strange theories from time to time, to prove what they held to be right – their Truth – in
ever more sophisticated ways.
reclaiming their ancestral wealth forever, and so they fabricated, constructing
strange theories from time to time, to prove what they held to be right – their Truth – in
ever more sophisticated ways.
….. but they will never
succeed, because the Spirit of the Ancestors haunts them.
Memory of the Great Past is gathering strength, and the wealth cries out to be returned to its
rightful heirs. Hands are outstrecthed, even today, because they never forget! – no matter how
many gloomy centuries roll by.
Memory of the Great Past is gathering strength, and the wealth cries out to be returned to its
rightful heirs. Hands are outstrecthed, even today, because they never forget! – no matter how
many gloomy centuries roll by.
Someday the heirs will
reclaim their rightful heritage, surely, once and for all. Thereafter,
the fields will be greener; the forests will be lusher and darker. The rivers will be more
blue, and the plentiful sheep plumper. The treasure will return once more to the ancestral
treasure chest of its people, and the ancient royal houshold will resound again with joy, as
it had centuries before.
the fields will be greener; the forests will be lusher and darker. The rivers will be more
blue, and the plentiful sheep plumper. The treasure will return once more to the ancestral
treasure chest of its people, and the ancient royal houshold will resound again with joy, as
it had centuries before.
If all these events come to pass at last,
then (and only then) will my story come to an end.
Only then will there be peace and serenity in the
European land.
THE END