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a parable
farfromglorified
Posts: 5,696
From Tom Robbins' Still Life with Woodpecker, a story told by one redheaded cheerleader, Leigh Cheri, to one imprisoned outlaw, Bernard.
She picked up the phone and spoke into it bravely...
“Once upon a time, a long time ago, when it was still of some use to wish for the thing one wanted, there lived a king whose daughters all were beautiful, but the youngest was so lovely that the sun itself, who had seen so much and forgotten so little, simply marveled each time it shone on her face.
“This daughter had a favorite plaything, a golden ball, that she loved dearly. When the days were hot, she would go out into the dark forest near the palace and spend many an hour tossing and catching her golden ball in the shade of a leafy tree. There was a spring in the forest, and usually the princess played near the brink of the spring so that when her play made her thirsty she might take a cool drink.
“Now it happened one day that the golden ball, instead of falling back into the maiden’s little hands, dropped to the ground and bounced into the spring. The princess followed the ball with her eyes as it sank, but the spring was very deep, and it soon sank out of sight. The bottom of the spring could not be seen. Thereupon she began to cry, and she wailed louder and louder as if her little heart were broken.
“While she was lamenting in this way, she heard a throaty voice call to her. ‘Hey now, king’s daughter, what is the matter? I’ve never heard anyone cry so hard.’
“She looked around to see where the voice came from, but all she saw was a frog, holding its fat, ugly head out of the water. ‘Oh, it’s you, you old
croaker,’ she said. Well, if you must know, I’m crying because my wonderful golden ball has fallen into the spring and has sunk so deeply I’ll never get it out.’
“‘Relax, don’t cry. I think I can be of some assistance. What will you give me if I can recover your toy for you?’
“‘Oh, anything, anything. Whatever you’d like most, dear frog. My fine clothes, my pearls, my carriage, even the bejeweled crown I wear.’
“The frog replied, ‘I have no use whatsoever for your clothes or your pearls or even your crown, but I’ll tell you what. If you will care for me and let me be your playmate and companion, let me sit beside you at your little table, eat from your little plate, drink from your little cup, and sleep in your little bed beside you, if you will promise me that, then I will dive straight down and bring back your golden ball.’
“The princess stopped weeping immediately. ‘Of course,’ she said. ‘Of course. I promise you anything you want if you’ll only bring back the ball.’ But she thought, ‘What nonsense that silly creature talks. As if he could do anything but swim and croak with the other frogs, as if he could possibly be anyone’s companion!’
“The frog, however, as soon as he heard the promise, drew his green head under the water and sank down out of sight in the spring. After what seemed like a long while, he surfaced with a splash, the golden ball in his wide mouth. He threw the ball onto the grass.
“Needless to say, the king’s daughter was overjoyed to have her ball back. She scooped it up, and tossing it and catching it, she ran off with it toward the palace.
“‘Stop, stop!’ cried the frog. ‘Pick me up, too. I can’t run as fast as you.’
“His pleas were futile, however, for croak as he might, she paid no attention. She hurried on home and before long, forgot completely about the poor
frog, who was left, presumably, to go on living in the spring.
“The next day, as the princess was sitting at table with the king and all the court, having a fine dinner, there came a pitter-patter up the marble stairs, and then there came a knocking at the door and a voice crying, ‘King’s youngest daughter, let me in!’
“Naturally, the princess went to the door to see who it might be, but when she found the frog sitting there, panting, she slammed the door in his face and returned to her meal, feeling quite uneasy.
“Noticing that she was acting a bit strange and that her heart was beating quickly, the king said, “‘My child, what are you afraid of? Was there a giant at the door wanting to take you away?’
“‘No,’ answered she. ‘No giant, just a nasty frog.’
“‘Really? And what does the frog want?’ asked the king.
“Tears began spilling out of the youngest daughter’s eyes. She broke down and told her father everything that had happened the previous day at the spring. When she had finished, she added, ‘And now he is here, outside the door, and he wants to come in to me.’
“Then they all heard the frog knocking again, and crying out:
King’s youngest daughter,
Open to me!
By the deep spring water
What promised you me?
“‘That which you have promised you must always honor and perform,’ said the king sternly. ‘Go at once and let him in.’
“So she went and opened the door. The frog hopped in, following at her heels until she reached her chair. Then he looked up at her and said, ‘Lift me
up to sit by you.’ But she delayed lifting him up until the king ordered her to.
“No sooner was the frog in the chair than he demanded to get up on the table, where he sat, looking about hungrily. ‘Push your plate a little nearer so that we can eat together,’ he said.
“Reluctantly, she did it, and the frog feasted heartily, although for her part, every morsel seemed to stick in her throat.
“‘I’m stuffed,’ said the frog at last. ‘And I’m tired. You must carry me to your room and make ready your silken bed so that we can lie down and sleep.’
“The princess began to fret and moan and cry and complain. She didn’t want that cold, creepy frog in her pretty, clean bed. The king became angry with her. ‘You made a promise in a time of need,’ he said. ‘Now, as unpleasant as it might be, you must honor it.’
“Making a terrible face, she picked up the frog and carried him upstairs, where she placed him on some soiled linen in a corner. Then she slipped into bed. Before she could fall asleep, however, the frog came pitter-patter up to her bedside. ‘Let me in with you or I will tell your father,’ he said.
“She had had enough. Flying into a rage, she grabbed the frog. ‘Get out of my life, you slimy frog!’ she shouted. With all her strength, she threw him against the wall.
“When he fell to the floor, he was no longer a frog. He had become a prince with kind eyes and a beautiful smile. The frog prince took her hand and told her how a vengeful witch had bound him by her spells and how the princess alone, in her innocent beauty, could have released him. Then he asked her to marry him, which, with her father’s consent, she did. And they went off to the prince’s country, where they became king and queen and lived happily ever after.”
As the story ended, the way that even that unhappy fartre Sartre knows that stories ought to end, a guard strode up to Bernard and tapped him on the shoulder, signaling him to return to his cell. Bernard appeared to be lost in thought. He continued to stare at Leigh Cheri, smiling all the while, and ignoring the guard. The guard gripped him by the collar — which wasn’t black — and yanked him to his feet. It was too much for Leigh-Cheri. Shrieking, she sprang up and flattened herself against the window, as if she spread herself thin enough she could squish through the loose-knit silicone molecules the way that mayonnaise squishes through the holes in Swiss cheese. Bernard elbowed the guard in the jaw and seized the telephone. He was going to speak to her! Quickly, she picked up the phone on her side of the glass and jammed it against her ear. A whistle had been blown, more guards were rushing up, and she realized that he would be able to get out only a word or two. “Yes, sweetheart, yes?”
“Whatever happened to the golden ball?” asked Bernard.
That’s what he said. "Whatever happened to the golden ball?" Argggg! And then they wrestled him from the room.
-Tom Robbins, 1980
She picked up the phone and spoke into it bravely...
“Once upon a time, a long time ago, when it was still of some use to wish for the thing one wanted, there lived a king whose daughters all were beautiful, but the youngest was so lovely that the sun itself, who had seen so much and forgotten so little, simply marveled each time it shone on her face.
“This daughter had a favorite plaything, a golden ball, that she loved dearly. When the days were hot, she would go out into the dark forest near the palace and spend many an hour tossing and catching her golden ball in the shade of a leafy tree. There was a spring in the forest, and usually the princess played near the brink of the spring so that when her play made her thirsty she might take a cool drink.
“Now it happened one day that the golden ball, instead of falling back into the maiden’s little hands, dropped to the ground and bounced into the spring. The princess followed the ball with her eyes as it sank, but the spring was very deep, and it soon sank out of sight. The bottom of the spring could not be seen. Thereupon she began to cry, and she wailed louder and louder as if her little heart were broken.
“While she was lamenting in this way, she heard a throaty voice call to her. ‘Hey now, king’s daughter, what is the matter? I’ve never heard anyone cry so hard.’
“She looked around to see where the voice came from, but all she saw was a frog, holding its fat, ugly head out of the water. ‘Oh, it’s you, you old
croaker,’ she said. Well, if you must know, I’m crying because my wonderful golden ball has fallen into the spring and has sunk so deeply I’ll never get it out.’
“‘Relax, don’t cry. I think I can be of some assistance. What will you give me if I can recover your toy for you?’
“‘Oh, anything, anything. Whatever you’d like most, dear frog. My fine clothes, my pearls, my carriage, even the bejeweled crown I wear.’
“The frog replied, ‘I have no use whatsoever for your clothes or your pearls or even your crown, but I’ll tell you what. If you will care for me and let me be your playmate and companion, let me sit beside you at your little table, eat from your little plate, drink from your little cup, and sleep in your little bed beside you, if you will promise me that, then I will dive straight down and bring back your golden ball.’
“The princess stopped weeping immediately. ‘Of course,’ she said. ‘Of course. I promise you anything you want if you’ll only bring back the ball.’ But she thought, ‘What nonsense that silly creature talks. As if he could do anything but swim and croak with the other frogs, as if he could possibly be anyone’s companion!’
“The frog, however, as soon as he heard the promise, drew his green head under the water and sank down out of sight in the spring. After what seemed like a long while, he surfaced with a splash, the golden ball in his wide mouth. He threw the ball onto the grass.
“Needless to say, the king’s daughter was overjoyed to have her ball back. She scooped it up, and tossing it and catching it, she ran off with it toward the palace.
“‘Stop, stop!’ cried the frog. ‘Pick me up, too. I can’t run as fast as you.’
“His pleas were futile, however, for croak as he might, she paid no attention. She hurried on home and before long, forgot completely about the poor
frog, who was left, presumably, to go on living in the spring.
“The next day, as the princess was sitting at table with the king and all the court, having a fine dinner, there came a pitter-patter up the marble stairs, and then there came a knocking at the door and a voice crying, ‘King’s youngest daughter, let me in!’
“Naturally, the princess went to the door to see who it might be, but when she found the frog sitting there, panting, she slammed the door in his face and returned to her meal, feeling quite uneasy.
“Noticing that she was acting a bit strange and that her heart was beating quickly, the king said, “‘My child, what are you afraid of? Was there a giant at the door wanting to take you away?’
“‘No,’ answered she. ‘No giant, just a nasty frog.’
“‘Really? And what does the frog want?’ asked the king.
“Tears began spilling out of the youngest daughter’s eyes. She broke down and told her father everything that had happened the previous day at the spring. When she had finished, she added, ‘And now he is here, outside the door, and he wants to come in to me.’
“Then they all heard the frog knocking again, and crying out:
King’s youngest daughter,
Open to me!
By the deep spring water
What promised you me?
“‘That which you have promised you must always honor and perform,’ said the king sternly. ‘Go at once and let him in.’
“So she went and opened the door. The frog hopped in, following at her heels until she reached her chair. Then he looked up at her and said, ‘Lift me
up to sit by you.’ But she delayed lifting him up until the king ordered her to.
“No sooner was the frog in the chair than he demanded to get up on the table, where he sat, looking about hungrily. ‘Push your plate a little nearer so that we can eat together,’ he said.
“Reluctantly, she did it, and the frog feasted heartily, although for her part, every morsel seemed to stick in her throat.
“‘I’m stuffed,’ said the frog at last. ‘And I’m tired. You must carry me to your room and make ready your silken bed so that we can lie down and sleep.’
“The princess began to fret and moan and cry and complain. She didn’t want that cold, creepy frog in her pretty, clean bed. The king became angry with her. ‘You made a promise in a time of need,’ he said. ‘Now, as unpleasant as it might be, you must honor it.’
“Making a terrible face, she picked up the frog and carried him upstairs, where she placed him on some soiled linen in a corner. Then she slipped into bed. Before she could fall asleep, however, the frog came pitter-patter up to her bedside. ‘Let me in with you or I will tell your father,’ he said.
“She had had enough. Flying into a rage, she grabbed the frog. ‘Get out of my life, you slimy frog!’ she shouted. With all her strength, she threw him against the wall.
“When he fell to the floor, he was no longer a frog. He had become a prince with kind eyes and a beautiful smile. The frog prince took her hand and told her how a vengeful witch had bound him by her spells and how the princess alone, in her innocent beauty, could have released him. Then he asked her to marry him, which, with her father’s consent, she did. And they went off to the prince’s country, where they became king and queen and lived happily ever after.”
As the story ended, the way that even that unhappy fartre Sartre knows that stories ought to end, a guard strode up to Bernard and tapped him on the shoulder, signaling him to return to his cell. Bernard appeared to be lost in thought. He continued to stare at Leigh Cheri, smiling all the while, and ignoring the guard. The guard gripped him by the collar — which wasn’t black — and yanked him to his feet. It was too much for Leigh-Cheri. Shrieking, she sprang up and flattened herself against the window, as if she spread herself thin enough she could squish through the loose-knit silicone molecules the way that mayonnaise squishes through the holes in Swiss cheese. Bernard elbowed the guard in the jaw and seized the telephone. He was going to speak to her! Quickly, she picked up the phone on her side of the glass and jammed it against her ear. A whistle had been blown, more guards were rushing up, and she realized that he would be able to get out only a word or two. “Yes, sweetheart, yes?”
“Whatever happened to the golden ball?” asked Bernard.
That’s what he said. "Whatever happened to the golden ball?" Argggg! And then they wrestled him from the room.
-Tom Robbins, 1980
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