…The Two Kingdoms..a parable..

"I really love the way stories, like songs, can carry a message so strong, so loud and clear it rings in your ears and echos in the mind.

Here's another one. I hope you feel this like I do!

With love...

…The Two Kingdoms..a parable..

Once there were two kingdoms divided by a long and very high mountain ridge.
In one Kingdom lived a population of young, ferocious Warriors who defeated and conquered other nations. Although this kingdom consisted of a proud and mighty society, their constant and continued conflicts in war resulted in life spans where no one survived past the age of thirty.

On the other side of the mountain, in another Kingdom, a society of childless Elders lived in quiet and reverent peace, planting and cultivating crops while tending herds of sheep, goats and cattle.

Separated by such a vast mountainous region of barren rock and snow, the two Kingdoms knew very little of one another with only the handed down tales and shabby rumors passed along by wayward traveler’s as their only source of awareness.

One year, a great drought fell upon the Kingdom of young Warriors, devastating most of their crops and livestock. As the bitter cold of winter fell upon the Warrior kingdom, they began to burn everything to keep warm while killing what livestock remained for food. Eventually the youthful Warriors found themselves surrounded by the walls of suspicion and resentment. As the teeth of the famine dug deeper into their bellies, the shadow of chaos and desperation appeared even darker in the eyes of the young Warriors, as it hovered above their heads like the steel blades used in battles.

A meeting was held among the leaders to decide whether or not to attack the kingdom of Elders. Not knowing what to expect and having never actually seen an Elder, there was uncertainty that there would be enough Warriors strong enough to fight. It was eventually decided that an emissary would be sent bringing the finest sword and shield as a symbol of strength to hopefully intimidate the Elders into submission thereby avoiding a battle they might not win.

Passing through the kingdom of the Elders one day, another wayward traveler told of the great famine that had fallen upon the warrior kingdom. He told of how he barely escaped from the nearly barbaric behavior of the soldiers and of hearing a rumor that a Warrior would be sent to investigate the strength and resources of the kingdom.

Fearing that the daily plumes of burning earth could possibly be the warnings of an attack, the Elders gathered in council to debate whether or not to send food and supplies to the starving Warriors before the arrival of their emissary, in the hope that it would prevent him from crossing the mountain into their kingdom.

Also fearing the unknown ways of the Warrior kingdom and having never seen a Warrior, the Elders thought it best to send their own emissary to discover the reality of this unseen peril, with food and supplies that would convince the Warriors they posed no threat and only wished to live in peace.

Five days and nights eventually brought the two emissaries to the top of the mountain ridge. The emissary from the Warrior kingdom gazed with amazement at the acres of bountiful crops and wildlife that stretched as far as his tearful eyes could see. Weak and exhausted, the emissary slowly descended into the lush valley toward the Lodge of the Councils. Collapsing at the door of the Lodge of the Councils, the Warrior emissary was quickly taken in and cared for with food, medicine and fresh clothing.

Meanwhile, not far from where his fellow emissary stood, the Elder emissary looked down into the barren valley of burned wood, cold stone houses and metal monuments of war. The emissary wept as he looked back at his kingdom, before slowly walking down the side of the mountain into the scorched hell that lay before him. In spite of arriving at the Great Hall of Heroes with food and supplies, the Elder emissary was questioned and, in spite of his offerings, was taken prisoner.

Overwhelmed by the offers of kindness and generosity, the Warrior emissary could hardly speak when asked about the actual conditions of his kingdom. Eventually, the Warrior emissary told the Elders of his nation and the terrible event that had left them at the edge of total devastation. He confessed that his fellow Warriors had considered attacking the Elders in the hope of finding enough resources to keep their people alive, but feared that the Elders would be too strong in their resistance and kill what was left of the Warrior kingdom. The Elders informed the Warrior emissary that they were the only ones left after suffering the cost of a Great War years before, that took the lives of all of their young. For the next several days, the Warrior emissary lived and studied the ways of the Elders and upon his departure was given a document declaring an everlasting peace between the two kingdoms and a book that told the history of the Elders.

Upon the Warrior emissary’s return to the Warrior kingdom, it was learned that the Elder emissary had been taken prisoner. After informing the Warrior Council of his experience with the Elders, the Elder emissary was immediately released and offered escort back to his kingdom. Instead, the Elder informed the warriors that the return trip would be too difficult and if possible preferred to stay and teach the young warriors the culture and traditions of his people.

As the harsh winter slowly gave way to the warmth of Spring, the Warriors began to reap the benefits of the Elder emissary’s teachings as crops returned for a bountiful harvest and weapons used to kill and conquer were re-tooled to farm the land and build new shelters for livestock.

At the end of the first harvest, with the Warriors once again strong and healthy, the leaders of the kingdom asked the Elder emissary in what why could they repay him for the great lessons and service for saving their people. The Elder looked toward the mountain and replied,“You could build a road connecting our two kingdoms.”

The young Warrior’s immediately began to build The Great Road, linking the two kingdoms and before the first snow of the next winter, members of the Elder Kingdom and the Warrior Nation were crossing the mountain ridge exchanging new ideas while discovering the treasures of the past.

May we always remember and keep the generational link between the young and old that forms the eternal circle of life.

Alicia

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