Story -

the old man on the mountain (part I)

the old man on the mountain (part I)

Chapter 1.

The old man's beard was long and white, and so was his hair. He wore a long roughly woven cloak with a hood, which he occasionally drew over his head, if the sunlight became too bright. He had been on the top of the mountain for a long time; the mountain itself had been there considerably longer.

He sat on the top of the mountain under the shade of some tall pine trees, in a hollow on top of two huge gray rocks. The one was slightly smaller than the other, and provided him with a good footrest. From his high vantage point on top of the rocks on the clearing, he could see all the valleys that surrounded the mountain. He could see the smoke
from the various scattered settlements and farms in the distance, and closer to the mountain; he could see the rows and rows of rooftops from the houses in the village.

He sat all day, everyday, day in and day out, staring over the beautiful valleys, into the distance, where the sky was blue, and sometimes black with clouds, in the distance. The wind blew gently through his white beard, and he would then caress it carefully in
thought, as he pondered the mysteries of life.

He lived alone and was seldom bothered by men, except when they came to ask him advice, him being wise and old, and on top of the mountain at that. No, he was seldom disturbed in the peace and tranquility that surrounded him, and he passed his days contemplating the beautiful nature and animals, and so gained great insight into the meaning of earthly existence.

He questioned the wind, and the wind gave answer. He pondered the stars, and the stars revealed their secrets. The deer and the birds grazed peacefully next to his throne of rocks, and became tame to his hand and his ways. He understood the beauty of the blooming of the flowers in the spring, and the shedding of trees' leaves during the
fall.He understood the greatest mystery of all; love, peace and harmony.

And that is why the men of the village came to him for guidance and advice in their lives. They venerated his mighty wisdom and grasp over life. It was customary for a man of the village to venture up the slopes of the great mountain, to its summit, in order to have an
audience with the sage. The custom required that a man must go to the old man of the mountain for advice three times during his life, once as a young man, once during middle age, and one final time on his own old day.

As the men came to him, he listened to them, and gave them advice. His words were always clear and true, and no man would dare to ignore his advice. His instructions were always strictly adhered to by the men of the village, and never was his words ignored.

The spring was followed by summer, and summer was followed by fall, which in turn was followed by winter, and that turned again to spring, and so on endlessly. But on the top of the mountain, the climate was mild, and it was always spring. The flowers among the rocks and stones were always in bloom. The green grass ebbed and flowed in a continual stream of rhythm in the wind.

The birds sang and never flew south, for here was eternal life in abundance. An eternal cycle of life, death and rebirth. The air was fair up there, as the green grass grew, and the flowers bloomed among the pine trees swaying in the wind. The old man sat as if he was dreaming, but he was not, his thoughts were omnipresent and alert to every small influence on the ether of existence.

And if by times he was dreaming, then his dreams were strong, like the stars strewn out in the heavens above, thoughts streamed in light through the dark subconscious of his mind. He knew more about life than a man needed to know, and what is more important, he understood that knowledge which he possessed.

So as the life and labor of the villagers bellow in the valley turned around the changing of the seasons, his did not. His life was just one long stream of wisdom and bliss, in the solitude of the mountaintop. That is why they venerated him, and that is why the men went to seek his advice. He was the old man on top of the mountain, and that said it
all.

The mountain was always green at the top where the birds sang, and the wise man sat on the rocks, and occasionally a young man from the village ventured up the steep slopes of the mountain to hear the white bearded sage's instruction for the first time.

Chapter 2.

The young man was in his twentieth summer when he climbed up the steep mountain to go and see the old man for the first time.

The morning was bright and clear, and the mountain air tasted fresh in his mouth and nostrils. The climb was steep and hard; as there were no footpaths up the mountain, save for the tracks left by the wild animals.

But he was young, and his legs were strong and willing. His lungs pumped fresh air through his blood, and his young heart was strong. He never labored during the journey. He climbed up the mountain with ease, and did not even once stop to rest, as he was eager to hear the old man's wise words.

He would have to undertake this journey again twice more in his life, when guidance was needed. Over twenty summers he would again be on this route to see the old man, an then twenty summers from there onwards, when he was old, to get his final directions in the journey of life. But now he was young, and he was on his way to hear the words of the master for the first time. He moved faster at the thought, and soon he reached the last rise.

In the distance above he could see the pine grove on the summit where the old man sat on the gray rocks. His young, powerful legs carried him swiftly upwards through the tall green grass, as he walked among the red, blue and purple flowers. Soon he arrived in the clearing, and took a moment to survey the world from this height, before greeting the old
man cordially.

"Hello old man." Said he.
"Good day young man." Said the white bearded sage.
"I have come to ask guidance in my youth." Said the young man.
"What do you want from life?" ask the old man.
"To be happy." Replied the young man.
"Then you must go from here and do as I say; go and find yourself a beautiful young maiden from your village, marry her and have two children. Find a good job and settle down in your family life. This will give you purpose and fulfillment in your life and make you happy.  In twenty years from now, if you have done what I have said, return
unto this place and I shall give you further instruction." Said the wise old man.

"Thank you old man, I shall go and do as you have instructed, and will return unto you when the time is right." Promised the young man.

His return journey was a pleasant one, and his heart abounded with joy at the advice the old man had given him. He could not have hoped for better direction and meaning in his life. He would go and do as the old man had instructed, and he was promised, this would make him happy.

He walked down the deer path leading to the lower hills below, and soon found a familiar cow path that led down to the dirt road to the village. He was almost home, and the sun was just beginning to go down.

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