I just read The Story of Wong Pao and the Minstrel from Kai Lung's Golden Hours. Here is my response...
I, in a time past, often dreamt of a fog-covered world, seen from above, with little peaks peaking out from the clouds. On these mountaintops were men and women - hands raised and waving to each other. Each had a golden band around their brow, with a chain leading back down into the mists. They fascinated me. I would ponder for hours on how they reached such heights. I even wanted to be one of them, waving to others on these high levels. Once, I even got a gold band placed upon my brow, and I started climbing. But something on my back kept me from gaining my balance, and I would constantly slide down the mountain. Eventually, by virtue of my stubborn ego and pride, I poked my nose above the clouds for the first time. And it stank and was cold. I was dismayed. How could these people stand to stay? I tried to run down the mountain, to flee. But my band had a golden chain like the rest, and at the other end of the chain was a multitude of people, people who I had not noticed, who comprised the mountain. They would pull my chain and yank me back as I tried to flee. Now the climbing became an imperative, if I stopped, the people poked me with sticks. If I tried to take the golden band off, the people would howl and become a raging mob with fire ready to burn me. I was dying from all the burns and holes in me. Then, a day came, an explosion that was beyond comprehension. It rocked the mountain. It knocked me from my feet and into a pool of water that refreshed my wounds. Water, that once stilled, showed my reflection. And I saw what I had forgotten. I had wings. The reason for my bad balance climbing. I took the golden bands off and I flew. And noticed what I had missed the first time of my dream - that the people chained to the mountains were waving, not to each other, but to me and the others like me, who were flying. -- Joseph Franklyn McElroy Cor[porat]e [Per]form[ance] Art[ist]� Take the survey they are all talking about... http://www.electrichands.com/genius2000 Electric Hands, Inc 212.255.4527 www.electrichands.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------------------------- This mail sent through IMP: http://horde.org/imp/
