The Stonecutter

Originally posted to Shrubbery, 4 June 2004

A long time ago there was a stonecutter. The people of the village depended on him for stone for their houses and gardens. He was good at his job but it was hard work, and many times as he worked away with his chisel he'd wish he was anything but what he was.

One day as he chiselled at a stone, the sun was beating down so bright and so hot that the stonecutter cried out, "oh, how I wish I was the sun. I would shine down brightly until everyone would see that I was the most powerful thing in the universe. Then I would be happy."

Well, it just so happened that his guiding spirit had been watching and listening. It agreed to grant the stonecutter his desire, and the next thing he knew the stonecutter was the sun. He shone down on the people of the village to let them know it was time to work. He shone on the crops to make them grow. He warmed the whole earth with his light and gloried in his power.

Then one day a cloud drifted over in front of the sun. Try as he might, the sun couldn't make his light penetrate that cloud. The sun cried out, "oh, how I wish I was a cloud. I would travel wherever I wanted to and shade out the sun until everyone would see that I was the most powerful thing in the universe. Then I would be happy."

The guiding spirit heard the sun's wish, and the next thing he knew the sun was a cloud. He drifted happily through the sky, casting his shade wherever he desired. He danced with the wind and gloried in his power.

Then one day the cloud was joined by other clouds until they became a big, dark mass. Water started falling out of the cloud and joining the river below. The rushing river took the cloud water away as fast as it fell. Seeing this, the cloud cried, "oh, how I wish I was the river. I would travel over all the lands sweeping everything before me until everyone would see that I was the most powerful thing in the universe. Then I would be happy."

The guiding spirit heard the cloud's wish, and the next thing he knew the cloud was a river. He rushed headlong over the lands, carving steep banks and carrying along anything he fancied. He roared to the skies and gloried in his power.

Then one day he saw his path blocked by an enormous boulder. The rock caught up the water and made it double back on itself, causing the land to flood. Feeling this, the river cried, "oh, how I wish I was the boulder. I'd stand immobile and block anything coming my way until everyone would see that I was the most powerful thing in the universe. Then I would be happy."

The guiding spirit heard the river's wish, and the next thing he knew the river was a boulder. He stood gravely, impervious to sun, wind or rain. He laughed at the elements and gloried in his power.

Then one day he felt himself cracking and breaking apart. The boulder was shocked and cried out, "oh, how I wish I could be the thing that cracks a boulder. I would certainly, without a doubt, be the most powerful thing in the universe. Then I would be happy."

The guiding spirit heard the boulder's wish, and the next thing he knew the boulder...

Was a stonecutter.