Once Upon A Time...

there was a lowly serf who worked for an evil master.  Every day the
master would say "go serf, and take all the stones out of the field and
put them on the hill".  The lowly serf didn't want to do this for he knew
that every night the rocks would just roll down into the field again.  He
could never explain this to his master for then he would get severly
beaten for his insolence.  So this is how it was for years upon years.  
The serf would carry the rocks to the top of the hill and at night they
would roll back down.  One afternoon after he had just brought the last of
stones up to the top the serf heard a small rumbling a short distance
away. He went over to it and found a rabbit pushing his way out from under
the rocks. "rabbit" he asked, "what are you doing under this pile of
stones?"  "I am coming out of my hole which someone has buried once again"
he replied.  "Every night when I come out of my hole, the stones from the
field have been moved on to my home".  "It has been I who have been
covering your home with these stones" said the serf and he told of his
evil master who assigns him his daily task.  "For your sake and mine we
must remedy this problem for I am getting too old to move the stones every
evening and I suspect you are getting too old to be putting them there
during the day" exclaimed the rabbit and they put forth a plan to liberate
both of them.  The next day when the serf was told to move the stones from
the field to the top of the hill he did so, but in just a certain way so
that if one stone on the bottom was moved, all the stones that were piled
up would roll down the hill in a thundering crash.  At the end of the day
when he had moved all the stones he ran to get his master and called to
him "Master, Master, I have spyed a plump tender rabbit for you under one
of the rocks on the hill.  He is too fast for me, but I'm sure with your
speed and cunning you could catch him for a wonderful feast".  With haste
the serf led the master to the foot of the hill where he had been working
all day and pointed up; "there, in front of the rock, see him?"  The evil
master quickly climbed up the rocks as the rabbit darted into a crevice
not far from the keystone of the entire pile.  The master called back down
"I have chased him into a hole where he can't get out but it is too far
for me to reach in for him".  "Perhaps if you move some stones you could
get a better reach" called back the serf who was now moving slightly away
from the hill.  The master reached for the one stone that was holding back
all the rest and with a mighty rumble they rolled over him and buried him
deep underneath.  With that, the rabbit lived out the rest of his days
with ease in his home inside the hill and the serf enjoyed the rest of his
life with which he used to do whatever he pleased.  The End.

The Moral:
often our demise 
comes as a surprise
in front of our eyes
while chasing a prize

at the end of the day
when our dues are paid
our happiness came
from the choices we made

"The Serf and the Rabbit" by Peter Andrew Cowan 7/15/99 3:20am