Fables, Dreams, and Reality...That's Life: An Anthology of Short Stories and Poems Book #2

TO YOU THAT CRY FOR YOUR DEAD

Sent by my good friend Carla, right after my husband died

If you love me, do not cry!

If you know the immense secret of the sky where now I live, if you could see and hear what I hear and see these horizons without end and this light that goes through you, you wouldn’t cry if you love me.

Now I am absorbed in the enchantment of God, in his whole beauty.

Things from the past are small, and worth nothing comparing to this.

I only have my love for you, a tenderness that I have never known before.

We have loved each other and know each other, but that time was limited and fast.

I live in a serene and happy world waiting for your coming to me, in your internal battle think of this as a beautiful house, where there is no death, and where we can be together, in the most pure and intense love, to the fountain of joy and love that will never end.

DON’T CRY IF YOU REALLY LOVE ME.

Original Version:

A Te Che Piangi I Tuoi Morti

Se mi ami non piangere ! Se conoscessi il mistero immenso del cielo dove ora vivo ; se potessi vedere e sentire quello che io sento e vedo in questi orizzonti senza fine e in questa luce che tutto investe e penetra, non piangeresti se mi ami !

Sono ormai assorbito dall’incanto di Dio, dalle sue espressioni di sconfinata bellezza. Le cose di un tempo sono cosi piccole e meschine al confronto ! Mi e’ rimasto l’affetto per te, una tenerezza che non ho mai conosciuto! Ci siamo amati e conosciuti nel tempo ; ma tutto era allora cosi fugace e limitato !

Io vivo nella serena e gioiosa attesa del tuo arrivo fra noi ; tu pensami cosi ; nelle tue battaglie pensa a questa meravigliosa casa, dove non esiste la morte, e dove ci disseteremo insieme, nel trasporto piu’ puro e piu ‘ intenso, alla fonte inestinguibile della gioia e dall ‘amore !

Non piangere piu’ se veramente mi ami !

When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.

Perhaps the stars in the sky are loved ones letting you know they are near, by guiding us through the night.

A LONELY WOMAN

Mary was very tired. She was tired of her existence. She had no one to love her, no one to care for her. Many times she will not eat.

To live was a chore. She would walk with dark thoughts and talked to herself.

Why am I living? I’m sick, tired, and old. Can’t do anything right. Days are long, nights even longer. Time goes by really slowly. When the wind blows, the branches move, you think the tree is also moving. But it is not, it is fixed in the ground. You think time is going by, but it is not. You think new days will come, but the wonderful days are gone, now you have a wall of uncertainty. Only roots in your sorrow.

Mary arrived at the well, looked down at the dark and inviting shining water. It looked like a big eye reflecting her image and her unhappiness.

She talked to the image.

Yeah, right, it is easy for you to live in the shadow. The sun does not make fun of you. You don’t see or hear babies crying and birds dying. I would like to jump in this well.

The woman suddenly turned around. An old man had touched her shoulder. A strange old man bending over and was thin. His face was full of wrinkles. Mary looked in his eyes. They seemed like two sun’s rays.

The old man said, I know why you would like to jump in the well. Your life is terrible, and you would like to just disappear. But life is God’s gift, terrible but beautiful at the same time. It is not important that you are tired. You must keep going. Feel the stones and the thorns in your feet, feel the wind, the rain, the mud and the snow, the cold and the hot. You see, I am old but I keep on walking and don’t complain. I know soon or later God will give me rest and I will suffer no more.

Mary felt, miraculously calm.

How did you know about my desperation? she asked the old man.

Inside me, my friend speaks to me, the friend that someday will give you peace and rest. You can see him by looking in my eyes.

Mary looked at the old man’s eyes and saw an image.

I don’t understand, she was trembling, I don’t understand.

Jesus is my friend. I am John, the apostle. My body is being destroyed but still lives. I have walked around the world for centuries. And the people that look in my eyes are saved. You are saved.

The man started walking away. He did not leave any shadows, or footprints, nor noise.

Mary approached the well. She saw her image but also another image; the one that she had seen in the apostle’ eyes. She felt light, happy and continued her voyage, looking up in the sky.

CHAPTER 1 A PERFECT THIEF

Once upon a time in Las Vegas, there was a man, who was a very good thief. One day, since he had become so rich, he wanted to show to everyone how good he was in his job so he decided to rob a house, the building itself.

Every day he would steal a piece of furniture or a household electrical appliance and place it in the basement. When the basement became full, he started placing them in the garage. When the garage became full and he had stolen all the household electrical appliances, and furniture, he decided to steal the roof tiles and stones. He placed them everywhere, under the bed, drawers, and wardrobes. But when everything was taken, the house was still there, with holes, no roof, empty, so the thief proved he was not that great because something still remained of the house.

CHAPTER 2THE GOOD FLAMINGO

In the Gulf of Mexico lived a flamingo, whose name was Pretty. He always wore a white overall and wore glasses. He was a doctor. Every morning he took care and helped all the animals that lived in the Yucatán Peninsula. In the evening, when he would return home, he would create in the orange sky, with his overall, the streets of the little white clothing, where all the migratory birds tired or wounded during their flight will take care of their wounds and go on their voyage.

He took care of all his patients on the so small cloud in the Gulf of Mexico… ….

One night, suddenly, a humming bird arrived at his place. He was sad and hurt. Pretty visited the little bird and noticed that he had many red spots inside his body. The flamingo was without words; he took the tail of the wise comet and placed it in his patient’s beak. The red spots disappeared and the little humming bird was able to return to his voyage to the Yucatan.

CHAPTER 3 GREED IS THE FATHER OF ALL EVIL

Once upon a time in a village near the great forest, lived a man by the name Aabid.

He married a woman named Cemal and had two children. Aabid in order to live, he would hunt for snakes in the great forest and sell the skins to a shoe maker, so that shoes and purses could be made.

From this sale, he received not very much, so his family lived in poverty.

Every morning Aabid will leave the house to go in the forest and would spend all day placing traps for the snakes. He would check the area and go only in places where he knew the snakes might hide.

In a very good day he will bring home so many skins, but there were more bad days when he would come home with an empty basket and his wife would be very angry with him.

For two weeks, he came home empty-handed and his wife was very sad.

What have you done for two weeks? she screamed. You go every day to the bar to drink beer and you lie to me saying that you went to work.

I’m trying, he said. I check the traps every day. I am even going in dark places, very dangerous places, but nothing. Maybe tomorrow I’ll be lucky.

You always say tomorrow, that tomorrow will be a better day. So for now on I’ll feed you only depending on what you bring home. More luck, more food.

That night he only had a very small meal, he was so hungry, that he couldn’t go to sleep and his stomach hurt. The next day, he tried to come home at least with one skin, but nothing.

His wife screamed at him and didn’t feed him.

The next morning Aabid woke up very early and while he was walking in the forest, he was praying to God, to help him bring home some snake skins. All day, he walked in the forest, but nothing.

At dawn, he started walking home. He was very hungry, tired and scared of what his wife will say. Suddenly, he saw the biggest snake that he had never seen, at the base of a tree. It was a python that had just eaten an antelope and was so full that he couldn’t easily move.

Aabid kneeled and prayed God.

In two weeks, I have not drunk any beer and for two days my wife has not fed me. This snake will provide me a lot of beer and food. Thank you God, this is your gift to me.

Aabid took an arrow and aimed it to the python’s head. But he backed off when he heard the python talk.

You can kill me, or you can spare my life. Let me live and I’ll repay you by giving you a lot of money and make you very rich.

Aabid stopped his arrow and said.

I’ll not kill you if you give me a lot of money and I become rich. But where is the money?

The python opened his mouth and a red egg came out.

Listen, said the python, This is a magic egg. The egg will fall in front of you and will show you the way to the money. You follow the egg whenever he goes. He will take you to a cavern. He will roll in an angle of the cavern and there you will find a sack full of money. Take only one bag and then tell the egg, ‘return to the powerful python’. The egg will roll again and he will bring you back to me.

It is getting dark, said Aabid, I’ll be probably not being able to see the egg and I will get lost.

You will not get lost, said the python. When it will get dark, the egg will shine like a star.

Thank you, python, he said.

The red magic egg started rolling and Aabid followed it. Like the python said as soon as it got dark, the egg started shining like a star and her light showed the way.

It rolled, rolled and Aabid followed it in places that he had never seen before.

The red magic egg kept rolling and he followed it.

After a long travel in the forest, he found himself in a very rocky area. Between these rocks there was a cavern and the egg rolled inside.

Aabid followed it in the cavern and then the egg stopped in a corner of the cavern. He saw many bags full of money, like the python had said.

He only took one bag and told the magic egg, Return to the powerful python.

The egg returned to the same place from where he had departed. When he arrived at the python’ tree, Aabid thanked him.

The python swallowed the red egg and said, When you finish all the money and you need more, come back to me. This tree is my house, look for it and I’ll give you more money.

Aabid thanked him and the python thanked him for saving his life.

Aabid went home to show his wife all the money. He kept thinking how happy his wife will be, and he was dreaming on how to use the money. Cemal was waiting for him.

She said, You’re late. I’m warning you. I’ll not give you anything to eat if your basket is empty, you can sleep outside.

She had a whip in her hand while she was talking.

I don’t have snake’s skin, I have something better.

How could that be? asked Cemal.

Aabid opened the bag and showed her all the money. Cemal looked at the silver coins and started jumping with joy.

You’ve really worked hard today, we are rich. But how many skins did you sell?

Aabid told her the whole story, about the python, the magic egg, and the cavern and so on.

His wife screamed, you idiot, there were so many bags full of money, why did you take only one.

Only one, because that is what the python told me to do.

You should have taken all. We would be the richest people in the village. Go back to the cavern and take the rest of the money.

But the python said I should go back only when we have used all this money.

No, tomorrow you will go back to the cavern and take the rest. I want to be the richest person in the village.

The next morning, Cemal woke him up and told him to go.

He found the python where he had left him.

You need my help? the python said.

Yes, I need more money.

You have already used up all the money?

No, but my wife said we will be really rich if I got all the money.

Don’t listen to your wife, listen to me. Use all this money first, only when it is all gone, then you can come back to me and I’ll give you more.

I want more money now, or I’ll kill you.

Don’t kill me. Aren’t you happy with the money that I have given you? Have pity on me; come back when all the money is gone.

Aabid took the arrow and hit the Python. The arrow penetrated his body. He prepared another arrow and pointed to the python’s head.

Give me the egg that will take me to the cavern.

The python raised his head, his eyes tearful, and slowly he said.

You are mean and ungrateful. Take the arrow out of my body, mend my wounds and I’ll give you the egg. But remember a bad deed will cause another bad deed.

Aabid did not listen; he took the arrow out, put some medicine on the wound. The python opened his mouth and the red egg came out. The egg started rolling and Aabid followed it. Finally, it arrived at the cavern. He entered and took has many bags that he could carry and than thought, I know now how to get to the cavern; I don’t need this egg, anymore.

He picked up the egg, and threw it against the rocks and the egg broke.

As soon as he did this, he heard a loud noise behind him, he saw rocks falling and closing the entrance to the cavern. He got scared and started running towards town. The bags were heavy. It was late and he was tired.

When he arrived at the front door, it was locked. He called his wife.

Cemal, Cemal, open the door. See what I have brought home, we are very rich. Open quickly.

But no one answered.

He kept calling his wife but realized no one was inside.

So he kicked the door down. His wife and children laid dead on the floor. He threw the bag down, and noticed that the coins had changed into stones. He was upset, only the python could help him. He ran to the python for help. But when he got there, the python was also dead. He had broken the egg and that had caused everyone to die.

Greed is the father of all evil.

CHAPTER 4 A LITTLE GIRL WISE FOR HER AGE

In the Russian steppe there was a small village where everyone took care of horses.

It was September and there was a market going on in the main city. Two brothers, one rich and one poor, went to the market.

The rich one was riding a stallion, the poor one an old horse. In the evening, they both stopped at a barn and tied the horses outside before going to sleep. What a surprise! In the morning, instead of two horses there was a third one. The new one was a colt, born during the night.

Dimitri, the rich brother said: It is mine. He is the son of my Arabian horse.

Ivan, the poor brother said: I think he is mine. He belongs to my old horse.

The two brothers started to fight, they decided to go to the city and ask the judge. They were still fighting when they arrived at the Court. It was a special day, because the Czar was actually the judge.

The Czar was judging in favor of the poor brother, when unfortunately Ivan winked. The Czar was insulted and decided to punish him because of his lack of respect.

After listening to the stories, he said it was difficult, almost impossible to say to whom the colt belonged to.

He wanted to have fun, and so he said: "I cannot decide to whom it should go, so I’ll reward the one that can resolve these four riddles.

What is the fastest thing in the world?

Which is the biggest one in the world?

Which one is the softest?

Which is the most precious?"

The Czar ordered them to come back to the palace in a week with the answers.

Dimitri started working on the answers while he was leaving the court. While he was going home, he realized that no one could help him.

He remembered that his neighbor (who he had helped many times) could perhaps give him ideas. So he went to her with the puzzles and she said: the fastest thing in the world is my husband’s horse. The biggest one is my pig. I haven’t ever seen an animal so big. The softest one is my bed cover that I have made for my bed using duck plumage. All my friends are so jealous. The most precious thing in the world is my grandson who is three months old. He is the most beautiful thing in the world. I wouldn’t give him up for all the gold in the world. He is so precious.

Dimitri didn’t trust these answers, but he knew he had to tell the Czar something. He knew if he didn’t, he would be punished.

Also Ivan, who was a widower, went back to his little house where he lived with his young daughter. The girl was only seven years old, and very often alone, so she was quite smart for her age. The poor man confided in her because like his brother he did not know the answers.

The little girl sat in silence for a moment and said: Tell the Czar that the fastest thing in the world is the cold wind of the north in the winter time. The biggest one is our land that feeds men and animals, the soft one is the caress of a baby; and the most precious one is honesty.

The day came when the two brothers went to the Czar. The Czar was curious to hear what they had to say. When it was Ivan turn, he thought seriously that the answers of the poor man were quite true especially honesty being the precious one.

The Czar knew that it had not done right with the poor brother. But he did not want to say that he had been wrong so he said: Who gave you the answers?

Ivan answered: My little girl.

The Czar was annoyed: You should be thankful to have a smart daughter. You can have the colt that your brother wants, and 100 gold coins but you must return in a week with your daughter. If she is so smart, she should come to me neither naked nor dressed, neither walking nor riding a horse; neither with gifts nor without gifts. If she does this, you will be rewarded; otherwise your head will be cut off.

Ivan desperate went home, but his daughter said: Tomorrow take a rabbit and a partridge with you, both alive. You will have the colt and the 100 gold coins. Leave it to me.

Ivan followed his daughter advice. He had no idea why, but he had faith in the daughter’s wisdom.

The day he went to the palace, the room was full of people. The little girl arrived wearing fishing net, riding the rabbit and a partridge in her hand. She was neither naked nor dressed, on foot or riding, she said: No gifts, no empty hand.

At these words, the girl let the partridge go. The Czar tried to catch it but it ran away.

All the demands had been met.

The Czar admired the little girl and said: Your father is poor, why he needs the colt.

We live off the rabbit, that live in the river and fish that live in the trees.

Ah, so you ever heard about the rabbit in the river and the fishes in the trees.

The little girl said: Who has ever heard of a stallion having a colt?

The Czar and his court start laughing. Ivan was given the colt and the money and the Czar said: Only in my reign, a girl so smart could have been born.