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andru235
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One sunny day, a lighthearted Fool strolled along a hilly path, whistling a merry tune. A long wooden pole was slung over his shoulder and attached to it was a cloth bundle which carried his life’s possessions.
“What a marvelous afternoon!” he exclaimed to no one in particular, pausing to appreciate the lovely countryside.
Soon the trees parted and the path led to a small clearing, ending abruptly at the edge of a treacherous cliff. But the Fool was undaunted and kept at his swift pace, steadily approaching the sheer drop.
“Your folly is most curious,” a voice boomed. “Have you no fear of death?”
Just as one leg dangled over the side of the cliff, the Fool hesitated.
“Who dares to interrupt my errand?” he demanded impatiently.
“I dare,” the bright yellow sun replied.
“Well then,” the Fool considered, “I seek the fourteen treasures of the world and I am told that a man who strays from his path is lost.”
“That may well be true,” spoke the sun, “but I fear that you are already lost. Take this map as my gift. It will aid you in your quest.”
And in a flash of light, an aged parchment appeared at his feet.
“At last! A path to follow!” cried the Fool, happily taking the map.
“Perhaps,” the sun murmured, “yet things are never as simple as they may seem.”
But the Fool had already run back down the hill and did not hear the sun’s parting words.
He rested by the side of a dirt road and carefully unrolled the parchment. A sudden breeze whispered through the rushes. A gale whistled through the trees.
--cliff johnson
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050508
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