Twenty Fables in Search of a Moral: 16-20

The Mice Galaxies

Fable Sixteen: Birth 

The castle was getting crowded.  After Derek had come, there had been appropriately small celebration, as only the two of them lived in the vast and spacious rooms.  Mouse taught Derek how to fetch the water, how to carry the cup, how to walk so as not to spill even a drop.  Derek kept drinking the water, however, and this concerned the mouse greatly.  On one amazing day, hundreds of old people showed up in the banquet hall, surrounded by leaping, happy mice.  The mice kept saying, “We saved them!  We saved them!”  Derek herded each old person to the cup.  He would proffer the cup, and when the old person would drink (for they were all so thirsty) they would become young, sleek mice, leaping into the air for the joy of living.  Those who could not walk were given the water anyway, and there was joy all around.  Except for one quiet mouse, who watched her world change.

Fable Seventeen:  Change

Rabbit and Tortoise lived together playing cribbage by the lake for many years.  After Rabbit’s timely and well-appointed death, Tortoise gave up cribbage and began frequenting the bowling alley instead, joining a winning league named the Sunspots. He dazzled the onlookers with his slow and steady approach to the lane.  No one was surprised when he was featured on “Bowling with the Stars.”  When asked why he had the name “Rabbit” embroidered on the back of his bowling shirt, he said, “I carry my love with me wherever I go.”

Fable Eighteen:  Death

She squeezed her eyes shut and held her breath.  One, one thousand, two, one thousand—eventually she did breathe and open her eyes to see them sitting around her.  “I’m not dead yet,” she said, irritably. 

“It’s ok, Grandma, we’re here with you.  We love you.  You’re free to go whenever the time is right.” 

Why couldn’t she just close her eyes and be done with it?  She had done everything the right way for 84 years.  Her way.  Now it wasn’t working, and they were all LOOKING at her.  “I wish you would just leave.  Leave me alone!” 

They stood and wiped their eyes.  She was right.  It was time to leave her now.  One by one they faded into the background, and she was left alone, on a quiet bed, in a quiet room, in a very private part of heaven.

artwork by SK Dapoz

Fable Nineteen:  Going Home

Dolphins, who are in constant communications with every other dolphin on the planet, all came to understand that Janet was one of their friends.  As she grew older, she often dreamt underwater dreams, and she loved her shower more and more.  She took a degree in marine biology and finally found herself on a boat in the Caribbean surrounded by a pod of dolphins.  After swimming with them day after day she decided she could no longer live among humans and, much to the consternation of her co-workers, she dove off the side of the boat and was never seen again.

artwork by SK Dapoz

Fable Twenty: Going home

Everywhere she went she saw beauty.  It was in front of her and behind her.  It was above her head and below her feet.  It ran around her like small mice at play, and it swam in every drop of water like many dolphins.  The tree ahead of her was beautiful and sang of remembrance.  “Oh yes,” she said.  “It’s all coming back to me now.”  Holding the cup up to the sky she sang a song of praise, and then drank deeply of the clear water that was always there, always to the very rim.