Parables

“…there is also certainty in the matter that one of us shall live while the other dies, or else we shall reach a stalemate. There is no certainty, from my standpoint, in what lies beyond, or even why a stalemate should occur; this is what I wish to uncover. Greater knowledge makes me a greater warrior.”
The ogre smiled. “Youth, I am an eater of hearts, lest you forget. I know all the secrets that have been uncovered by other warriors.”
The Princess of Five Weapons snarled. “You learned our secrets?”
The ogre stood back, his heavy fist fell to the ground like a boulder. “Yes. It is…necessary for me to…acquire more knowledge. This is why I require your heart, youth, and the hearts of those like you.” The ogre looked almost ashamed. “I don’t wish your forgiveness, or your understanding. Stand and fight.” The ogre heaved out his chest once more and moved to blow.
The Princess saw the ogre’s weakness, however. “Would you take what is mine like a thief?”
The ogre was taken aback once more. “Well. Of course I would! This is my role as an ogre! Your role as a human underling is to give me what I wish!”
The Princess leaned on a nearby branch and grinned a little. “Come now ogre. You must know, from all of the hearts you’ve devoured, that it is immoral and unethical to steal and to kill.”
The ogre was visibly fumbling over this though. He sat down and let both his fist fall slack to his sides. In that instant the Princess struck him in his own heart, which she removed, and later devoured for good measure.

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He tried the key, and fortunately it fitted. Then he turned the lock once, the lid popped open, and in the chest the boy saw… absolutely nothing.

Frowning, the boy flipped the chest and shook it in hopes of hearing a soft thud of something hitting the ground. When the boy was satisfied that nothing to be found inside the chest, he closed it. As he tucked it under his arm, he returned to his fire until only small embers remained. He was instantly torn when he noticed the wood pile. He simply could not carry both his chest and the wood back to the house. Both were essential.

If his older sister had occupanied him, she would have declared it an impossibility that the wood would fit in the small chest now in his hands. He refused to leave either the wood or the box behind. Taking one of the smaller pieces, he let it half hang out. After grabbing another and returning to the chest on the frozen earth, he found it empty. His eyes darted around. He was alone. He placed another piece as he had the last and watched. The chest swallowed seemed to swallow, leaving behind its velvety lining.

Excitement coursed through him and for a moment he forgot about the cold. He had a magical chest. His excitement paused when he scoffed at his brother for telling him that there was no such thing as magic. Content with his findings, the boy piled the rest of the wood inside and smiled when they disappeared.

His trip back to the house was easier than he had anticipated. The chest was as light as it had been when he found it.

Reaching the door to the small, but somewhat cozy house, he knew he could not keep this chest a secret. His siblings were on him as soon as he opened the door, waiting to help him with the wood at their mother’s command.

“What have you got there?” his brother asked, reaching for the chest.

The boy opened the box and the children looked inside. Empty. The boy felt around the bottom, remembering that he had not discovered how to get anything out.

“I put the wood in here I swear.”

“Jimmy’s gone mad!” his sister giggled behind him.

The box was on the ground and the boy sat perched before it, trying to force his hand further. His siblings giggled and teased behind him until the chest shook slightly. It swallowed, and their kid brother was gone.

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Princess Parable Cont. … this was fun to do.

“Why should I be afraid? For in life, death is absolutely certain. What’s more … to lose one’s life in conflict against evil, will only make one stronger.”
“Foolish girl.” replied the ogre. There is no strength in dying. The ogre advanced on the princess once more.
The Princess stood her ground. She parried his blows but did not fight him with anything more than her words. “There is no honour in brutality” she said. The ogre laughed at this and toyed with her a while, enjoying her struggle. The Princess grew tired but she did not retreat. “You have killed countless travellers but how many warriors have you felled?”
“I have killed plenty of warriors.” insisted the ogre.
“Perhaps you have but I am still not afraid of you.” She said.
The ogre roared but the Princess stood firm.
The ogre gnashed his teeth and jabbed his claws toward her.
The Princess yawned.
The ogre was enraged and yelled “Fear me you ridiculous girl.” but the Princess grew bored and said so.
“If you aren’t going to hurry up and destroy me, I will be off to other things. I have weapons to replace and friends to visit and I’m actually quite unwilling to stand here while you procrastinate over my demise.”
Her words were stronger than any weapon she could have used on the beast. His shoulders drooped, his face grew solemn and defeated.
“Now, now, no need to look so glum. There will be plenty of others to kill, that is if you choose to continue on with such a cowardly pastime as maiming and murdering.”
The ogre seemed confused and completely dejected to learn that he was in fact a coward; not a fearsome savage.
The princess took a few tentative steps away from him. The ogre did not advance on her, instead he began to shuffle slowly off in the opposite direction. He stopped though, and turned slowly back towards the princess. “What’s an ogre to do besides terrify and kill? He wondered hopelessly?”
The princess continued to move stealthily away from him but called back while still within earshot. “You must wander.” she said. “You must wander and search and strive to find a better way.” And though she disappeared into the trees, her words lingered with the ogre forever.

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