Enter into the mind of the Imaginist!
Thursday, December 28, 2017
Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Fairy Tale Spotlight: The Hero
I was having a conversation recently about the true definition of a hero. I think the word has been greatly diminished over history. This is not a good thing. I don't like platitudes. In fact, nobody likes platitudes. I'm not sure why we bother with them as much as we do.
Originally a hero was someone who was favored by the gods. Yes, we are going back to ancient polytheistic lore, but you can just as easily say favored by The God as well. If you do not want to believe in a god, then you can simply say a human greater than 99% of the people of Earth. Whatever the case, that person is better than you are. Get over it.
This ancient definition implies that the hero does not have to be good. He can be evil as well. He must simply stand above the general rabble. The modern interpretation explicitly requires the hero to be a paragon of justice and good will. It is extremely rare for modern works of fiction to promote evil heroes. In anti-hero stories, we may root for the main character, but we choose not to revere him. As to the latter, I'm unsure why.
One bold exception in modern fiction would be the video game series called "Fable." I am primarily speaking about the first game in the series, but the other ones kept up the same continuity. The first game, however, establishes clearly that a hero is merely someone who stands above the general sort of human in the world. Even if you choose to play an evil character, you are still revered and admired. Women will still fawn over you and men will respect you. You may form animus against the law abiding types, but that is neither here nor there. Paragon heroes have the same relationship against evil forces. This game got it right.
Being one favored by the gods would mean that they have acquired superhuman abilities while still being only human. What I mean by this is that they still can only do what any human can do, but they do it so well that literally no one can match their prowess. Not even a little. In military terms, the hero would be a one-man-army who could take out hundreds of the enemy all by himself. Audie Murphy is a great example of this.
Our modern interpretation of a hero is far less interesting. We have reduced the term to be used for anyone who struggles through a tough time. We give the name hero to cancer sufferers or people who die unceremoniously during a war. We literally just throw the word out as if it had little meaning. Originally the word was intended for 1% of the earth's population. Now we just call everybody a hero. The word is entirely inert at this point. It has no real meaning other than a person who tries.
This, my friends, is very silly.
The human race is a democratically inept entity. As a group, we are ridiculous dreamers who try to turn mere concepts into reality because it makes us feel better. As a species, we tend to rip our own guts out and rationalize why that makes us better people. How wonderful it is to have one great person to point at us and say, "Don't do that. You'll hurt yourself."
The human race needs leadership. And it isn't always the one you think it is. It isn't always going to be the one you choose. It could even be a villain that makes all the difference. My point is that the one in charge should be the embodiment of the ancient definition of a hero. They are the ones who move us and inspire us to fly forward into the future. Without heroes, we grow stagnant... and insane.
And if I might make something perfectly clear, the best hero of all is one who can live their entire life without making one single mistake. This man is the one who should be our king. Not president. King. His name is Jesus Christ. Although filled with compassion, he is not really all that kind. He tells it like it is and treats those who belittle his decisions with indifference. This man may have died, but he came right back, didn't he? Here is a fairy tale that speaks volumes of what a hero truly is. A man who could defy death even after dying. A king of kings. A hero of heroes. I would happily see him on the throne and spend my life in his service.
So, what did you think? Did you like my blog? Did you hate it? I want to hear what's on your mind. You can either comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Originally a hero was someone who was favored by the gods. Yes, we are going back to ancient polytheistic lore, but you can just as easily say favored by The God as well. If you do not want to believe in a god, then you can simply say a human greater than 99% of the people of Earth. Whatever the case, that person is better than you are. Get over it.
This ancient definition implies that the hero does not have to be good. He can be evil as well. He must simply stand above the general rabble. The modern interpretation explicitly requires the hero to be a paragon of justice and good will. It is extremely rare for modern works of fiction to promote evil heroes. In anti-hero stories, we may root for the main character, but we choose not to revere him. As to the latter, I'm unsure why.
One bold exception in modern fiction would be the video game series called "Fable." I am primarily speaking about the first game in the series, but the other ones kept up the same continuity. The first game, however, establishes clearly that a hero is merely someone who stands above the general sort of human in the world. Even if you choose to play an evil character, you are still revered and admired. Women will still fawn over you and men will respect you. You may form animus against the law abiding types, but that is neither here nor there. Paragon heroes have the same relationship against evil forces. This game got it right.
Being one favored by the gods would mean that they have acquired superhuman abilities while still being only human. What I mean by this is that they still can only do what any human can do, but they do it so well that literally no one can match their prowess. Not even a little. In military terms, the hero would be a one-man-army who could take out hundreds of the enemy all by himself. Audie Murphy is a great example of this.
Our modern interpretation of a hero is far less interesting. We have reduced the term to be used for anyone who struggles through a tough time. We give the name hero to cancer sufferers or people who die unceremoniously during a war. We literally just throw the word out as if it had little meaning. Originally the word was intended for 1% of the earth's population. Now we just call everybody a hero. The word is entirely inert at this point. It has no real meaning other than a person who tries.
This, my friends, is very silly.
The human race is a democratically inept entity. As a group, we are ridiculous dreamers who try to turn mere concepts into reality because it makes us feel better. As a species, we tend to rip our own guts out and rationalize why that makes us better people. How wonderful it is to have one great person to point at us and say, "Don't do that. You'll hurt yourself."
The human race needs leadership. And it isn't always the one you think it is. It isn't always going to be the one you choose. It could even be a villain that makes all the difference. My point is that the one in charge should be the embodiment of the ancient definition of a hero. They are the ones who move us and inspire us to fly forward into the future. Without heroes, we grow stagnant... and insane.
And if I might make something perfectly clear, the best hero of all is one who can live their entire life without making one single mistake. This man is the one who should be our king. Not president. King. His name is Jesus Christ. Although filled with compassion, he is not really all that kind. He tells it like it is and treats those who belittle his decisions with indifference. This man may have died, but he came right back, didn't he? Here is a fairy tale that speaks volumes of what a hero truly is. A man who could defy death even after dying. A king of kings. A hero of heroes. I would happily see him on the throne and spend my life in his service.
So, what did you think? Did you like my blog? Did you hate it? I want to hear what's on your mind. You can either comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Fairy Tale Spotlight: Santa Clause
Naturally I had to do something for Christmas, and Santa Clause seemed like the perfect fairy tale character to tackle. I mean... I don't have another blog to do till after the big day. I do want to warn my readers that this is not going to be a very jolly blog, but rather it will be just as deep and speculative as all of them have been. The reason for this is that the character of Santa Clause has an interesting history.
The character of Santa Clause is steeped in real fairy tale lore. Basically he was a real man and not a good person at all. Santa Clause was originally a character from the Bible named Nimrod. He perpetuated a unGodly religion after the Great Flood. If you understand what that flood was for, you will see how incredibly stupid this action of his was.
It is entirely possible this Nimrod was a wizard. He certainly dressed like one. Apparently if you burn a certain log on a particular night, a tree would appear in your home which was a good sign from this man. We call this the Yule log now. The lights were also a part of his ceremonies.
Nimrod also married his own mother Semiramis, and when he died, she kept his legacy going. This has all the signs of an otherworldly creature such as a demon. He was a sociopath that did whatever he thought was necessary to complete his goals.
Now, here is a problem I have with the promotion of this lore. If you Google websites about the connection between Nimrod and Santa Clause, you will find a lot of people encouraging you to denounce Santa Clause for the evil person he truly is. They want you to take down your lights. They want you to remove your tree (because apparently it is whispering evil thoughts to you somehow). You must entirely reduce Christmas back to the birth of Christ and nothing else. I want to go on the record and say that these people are rubbish. They are about as stupid as Nimrod himself.
Yes, I believe Nimrod was real and that the Santa Clause push is likely some sort of evil revival of the man. The thing is that I don't really care. I don't think God does either. People sometimes get into this superstitious state whenever they find connections in things. They falsely suspect that they can be evil unknowingly. Santa Clause does not have to be Nimrod! He can be some fat fairy man that laughs and gives us presents! What the heck is wrong with that?!
When I walk around my block, I am privileged to see all these beautiful lights. It annoys me to think that some superstitious and falsely enlightened people out there can see these lights and be disgusted at what they truly represent. The way I see it: we took the lore of an evil entity and turned it into something beautiful and fun!
Not to mention, we have also a ton of fiction based on this character. There were two stories written by my favorite author L. Frank Baum. There are also a number of movies that hand out the legend in multiple ways. Santa Clause has always fascinated us and inspired us to come up with new stories. It has all the fairy tale aspects we can imagine. Let's name a few:
1. He lives in the North Pole with a number of elves. (Not quite walking distance.)
2. The elves make toys all year long to be given to children on Christmas. (Fay familiars.)
3. He has a flying sleigh pulled by reindeer. (How pagan is that?!)
4. Despite the fact that he is amazingly fat, he still drops down people's chimneys to deliver the presents. (Wizard anyone?)
There is nothing wrong with any of this. They are the building blocks of great fiction. Don't let any of it go to waste.
Thank you for reading my blog. If you enjoyed it or otherwise, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. Merry Christmas!
The character of Santa Clause is steeped in real fairy tale lore. Basically he was a real man and not a good person at all. Santa Clause was originally a character from the Bible named Nimrod. He perpetuated a unGodly religion after the Great Flood. If you understand what that flood was for, you will see how incredibly stupid this action of his was.
It is entirely possible this Nimrod was a wizard. He certainly dressed like one. Apparently if you burn a certain log on a particular night, a tree would appear in your home which was a good sign from this man. We call this the Yule log now. The lights were also a part of his ceremonies.
Nimrod also married his own mother Semiramis, and when he died, she kept his legacy going. This has all the signs of an otherworldly creature such as a demon. He was a sociopath that did whatever he thought was necessary to complete his goals.
Now, here is a problem I have with the promotion of this lore. If you Google websites about the connection between Nimrod and Santa Clause, you will find a lot of people encouraging you to denounce Santa Clause for the evil person he truly is. They want you to take down your lights. They want you to remove your tree (because apparently it is whispering evil thoughts to you somehow). You must entirely reduce Christmas back to the birth of Christ and nothing else. I want to go on the record and say that these people are rubbish. They are about as stupid as Nimrod himself.
Yes, I believe Nimrod was real and that the Santa Clause push is likely some sort of evil revival of the man. The thing is that I don't really care. I don't think God does either. People sometimes get into this superstitious state whenever they find connections in things. They falsely suspect that they can be evil unknowingly. Santa Clause does not have to be Nimrod! He can be some fat fairy man that laughs and gives us presents! What the heck is wrong with that?!
When I walk around my block, I am privileged to see all these beautiful lights. It annoys me to think that some superstitious and falsely enlightened people out there can see these lights and be disgusted at what they truly represent. The way I see it: we took the lore of an evil entity and turned it into something beautiful and fun!
Not to mention, we have also a ton of fiction based on this character. There were two stories written by my favorite author L. Frank Baum. There are also a number of movies that hand out the legend in multiple ways. Santa Clause has always fascinated us and inspired us to come up with new stories. It has all the fairy tale aspects we can imagine. Let's name a few:
1. He lives in the North Pole with a number of elves. (Not quite walking distance.)
2. The elves make toys all year long to be given to children on Christmas. (Fay familiars.)
3. He has a flying sleigh pulled by reindeer. (How pagan is that?!)
4. Despite the fact that he is amazingly fat, he still drops down people's chimneys to deliver the presents. (Wizard anyone?)
There is nothing wrong with any of this. They are the building blocks of great fiction. Don't let any of it go to waste.
Thank you for reading my blog. If you enjoyed it or otherwise, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 14, 2017
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Fairy Tale Spotlight: Impossible Things
I'm just going to come out with it. Earlier this year, I came to the bizarre conclusion (whether I am right or wrong) that Anubis was real and was, in fact, an anthropomorphic canine. Now, I have not actually seen this with my eyes, and I don't have a very large bucket of proof to give you. Needless to say, I am not expecting anyone to believe me. Nevertheless, my belief in this phenomenon had a profound effect on how I view the world around me.
I realized that, more often then not, people in this world have difficulty believing in anything but the official line of the year. If you see it on the news or if its touted by experts, those things are considered believable and everything else should be shunned as either the chaotic imagination of some writer or the ancient superstitions of a much more primitive people. But I am more than happy to accuse modern man of being the same as those in the past.
Imagine, if you will, if the TV came on and your lord Anubis appeared on the screen. It was not CGI. There was an actual live dog speaking to you on national television. And this is perfectly normal too. He did this occasionally so that his followers would understand where he is coming from. And perhaps you would like to know where he is coming from since he has the authority to end your life at a command. He is your better, after all.
What's all this about freedom and justice? What is a republic? What do we need representation for when we have a talking dog with the power of life and death to command us? You see, in this reality, Anubis does not seem like such an impossible thing. However, the concepts of which we take so seriously today might seem impossible to those worshiping the jackal.
Time has a tenancy to change opinions and society tends to flow wherever the wind takes it. We don't believe in talking canine abominations anymore. Why? Because we'd look pretty silly, wouldn't we? No one on TV ever talks about it unless it is in the context of a false mythology. Well, they are on TV so they MUST know what they are talking about. Anubis now falls under the classification of an impossible thing, and we are not encouraged to ever believe in something that is impossible. My only question is: why the hell not?
One of the biggest crippling drawbacks of humanity is that when anything wonderful or amazing happens, everyone always question its validity. Sometimes these happenings can entirely go unnoticed because of this tendency. Now, what if this impossible thing was bad and could be thwarted by a group effort?
"Oh, no!" says some fellow. "The king has grown a pair of red wings and doctors say two horns are on the way! We are ruled by the devil!"
"Oh, don't be silly," says an expert. "These things can be easily explained with science. Birth defects are common and unfortunate things that should not be belittled by superstitious drivel."
"Oh, yes. I see your point," says most everybody. "And I suppose those maladies could be helped with a bit of make-up in the right spots. Oh, how sorry we feel for him."
Honestly, I am more sorry for the people who just gave their souls up for an over-the-top representation of Beelzebub. Even so, if it had been Anubis walking around, people would compliment him on his costume. We, as a people, have difficulties believing in impossible things. We are, day by day, told of their nonexistence. We live our lives dreaming of them. However, we have come to the conclusion that they are nothing more than fantasy and fiction and believing in them would qualify us to be admitted.
As to the latter, I don't want you to believe that. Of course, you have the freedom to think what you want about anything. Nevertheless, I do not think much of a culture's future if they do not have the capability in believing in impossible things. You may find it surprising that this belief is actually the cornerstone of human progress. Let's go back in time.
It is the year 1145, an entirely obligatory number, mind you. You are with a friend on a clear night looking up at the moon. "Do you think we'll ever go up there?" asks your friend.
"How in the world would you?" you belligerently reply. "There is no ladder long enough. Many have tried and did not even get close. What a silly thing to ask."
"Guess I'm just an idiot," says your friend. And sadly, many might have thought him to be an idiot for asking.
Happily, we did go through a period in the 60's where we all went a bit loony and actually gave it a shot. Would you believe it? We actually walked on the moon.
"But no," says some fellow. "That was all shot on a stage, you see."
"Now wait one bloody second," says I. "We actually manage to believe in impossible things and then do the impossible, and you still found a way to turn it into rubbish?" Bet you didn't see that one coming.
My point in all this is that what we call impossible is often really just implausible. And implausible doesn't really mean anything at all until its been tried with enough gumption to see if it bears fruit. Every era has its own little box that everyone tries to put us in, and if we ever try to crawl out of it, everyone swarms against you to try and put you back in your place. What is so wrong about crawling out of that silly box? I mean look at it! It's bloody small! I can barely fit into it! Human beings were never meant to live in those things! What an awful thing to live in this world only to guided by the official line!
Thank you for reading my blog. What did you think? Liked it? Hated it? Wanted to print it out just so you could burn it? Whatever the case, you can still comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. Peace.
I realized that, more often then not, people in this world have difficulty believing in anything but the official line of the year. If you see it on the news or if its touted by experts, those things are considered believable and everything else should be shunned as either the chaotic imagination of some writer or the ancient superstitions of a much more primitive people. But I am more than happy to accuse modern man of being the same as those in the past.
Imagine, if you will, if the TV came on and your lord Anubis appeared on the screen. It was not CGI. There was an actual live dog speaking to you on national television. And this is perfectly normal too. He did this occasionally so that his followers would understand where he is coming from. And perhaps you would like to know where he is coming from since he has the authority to end your life at a command. He is your better, after all.
What's all this about freedom and justice? What is a republic? What do we need representation for when we have a talking dog with the power of life and death to command us? You see, in this reality, Anubis does not seem like such an impossible thing. However, the concepts of which we take so seriously today might seem impossible to those worshiping the jackal.
Time has a tenancy to change opinions and society tends to flow wherever the wind takes it. We don't believe in talking canine abominations anymore. Why? Because we'd look pretty silly, wouldn't we? No one on TV ever talks about it unless it is in the context of a false mythology. Well, they are on TV so they MUST know what they are talking about. Anubis now falls under the classification of an impossible thing, and we are not encouraged to ever believe in something that is impossible. My only question is: why the hell not?
One of the biggest crippling drawbacks of humanity is that when anything wonderful or amazing happens, everyone always question its validity. Sometimes these happenings can entirely go unnoticed because of this tendency. Now, what if this impossible thing was bad and could be thwarted by a group effort?
"Oh, no!" says some fellow. "The king has grown a pair of red wings and doctors say two horns are on the way! We are ruled by the devil!"
"Oh, don't be silly," says an expert. "These things can be easily explained with science. Birth defects are common and unfortunate things that should not be belittled by superstitious drivel."
"Oh, yes. I see your point," says most everybody. "And I suppose those maladies could be helped with a bit of make-up in the right spots. Oh, how sorry we feel for him."
Honestly, I am more sorry for the people who just gave their souls up for an over-the-top representation of Beelzebub. Even so, if it had been Anubis walking around, people would compliment him on his costume. We, as a people, have difficulties believing in impossible things. We are, day by day, told of their nonexistence. We live our lives dreaming of them. However, we have come to the conclusion that they are nothing more than fantasy and fiction and believing in them would qualify us to be admitted.
As to the latter, I don't want you to believe that. Of course, you have the freedom to think what you want about anything. Nevertheless, I do not think much of a culture's future if they do not have the capability in believing in impossible things. You may find it surprising that this belief is actually the cornerstone of human progress. Let's go back in time.
It is the year 1145, an entirely obligatory number, mind you. You are with a friend on a clear night looking up at the moon. "Do you think we'll ever go up there?" asks your friend.
"How in the world would you?" you belligerently reply. "There is no ladder long enough. Many have tried and did not even get close. What a silly thing to ask."
"Guess I'm just an idiot," says your friend. And sadly, many might have thought him to be an idiot for asking.
Happily, we did go through a period in the 60's where we all went a bit loony and actually gave it a shot. Would you believe it? We actually walked on the moon.
"But no," says some fellow. "That was all shot on a stage, you see."
"Now wait one bloody second," says I. "We actually manage to believe in impossible things and then do the impossible, and you still found a way to turn it into rubbish?" Bet you didn't see that one coming.
My point in all this is that what we call impossible is often really just implausible. And implausible doesn't really mean anything at all until its been tried with enough gumption to see if it bears fruit. Every era has its own little box that everyone tries to put us in, and if we ever try to crawl out of it, everyone swarms against you to try and put you back in your place. What is so wrong about crawling out of that silly box? I mean look at it! It's bloody small! I can barely fit into it! Human beings were never meant to live in those things! What an awful thing to live in this world only to guided by the official line!
Thank you for reading my blog. What did you think? Liked it? Hated it? Wanted to print it out just so you could burn it? Whatever the case, you can still comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. Peace.
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
Labby the Rat
There was literally no better way to promote this book. I promise.
Share with your friends!
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
Fairy Tale Spotlight: The Star-Money
If someone were to ask me which set of fairy tales have inspired me the most, I would likely begin citing the works of L. Frank Baum (Oz) or Garry Kilworth (Welkin Weasels). However, a close third will always be the works of Grimm. There is a treasure trove of wonderful stories hidden in this massive collection. I have read all of them, and I think a good portion of these spotlights will cover them.
Sets of Grimm stories will often follow a certain pattern and relay to the reader a particular moral. Although a bit too long to be called fables, many of them still seem to feel like fables. "The Star-Money" is a good example of a fable-like Grimm story. It is still brief, taking up only about a page. (True fables usually only run a paragraph.)
Here is the synopsis:
A young girl who is not named in the story becomes an orphan after her mother and father die. She was not a wealthy girl and soon finds herself without a home or a bed to sleep on. Her only possessions are the clothes on her back and a bit of bread in hand. The story notes that the only reason she had bread was because someone, having pity on her, gave it to her. It is also noted that this girl is good and pious and, although forsaken by the world, goes forth into the open country trusting in God.
Along her journey, she comes across an poor man who is very hungry. Although hungry herself, she gives the man her bread and asks God to bless him. Further on, she encounters a child who has a cold. The girl gives the child her hood in hopes that it may benefit him. Not long after that, a similar event occurs with another child, and so the girl gives that one her frock.
The girl then enters into a dark forest as it becomes night. She encounters a third child who begs for a shirt. The problem here is that, if the girl gives up her shirt, she will be naked which is indecent behavior even for a beggar such as herself. However, she rationalizes that no one will see her with it being so dark and thusly parts with her shirt anyways.
At this point, the girl has nothing at all and is left naked in the middle of the night. Suddenly, some stars fall from the sky and land at her feet. She finds them and sees they have been transformed into pieces of money. A moment after she realizes this, she soon discovers that she is wearing a new shirt made of the finest linen. The girl takes up the money and is rich all the days of her life. So ends the tale.
This story somewhat reminds me of the book of Job from the Bible. The difference here is that the girl's problems seem circumstantial rather than purposely laid upon her. Nevertheless, her integrity as a human being is tested and ultimately she is proven an honorable person and thereafter rewarded for it.
Now, I have a few concerns that I want you to consider. You will noticed that she had an unusual number of encounters of people wishing to take some very precious items from her. The children all seemed to be begging, but the poor man seemed to passively catch the girl's attention. My suspicion is that the girl was visited by a supernatural entity (perhaps related to God) in the form of a child. This entity targeted the girl after she had a very real encounter with the poor man. This was to see how far she would go.
Another theory is simply that the poor man and the three children were one and the same. If this is the case then I also suspect that the child's parents may have dropped dead from the same entity. This, of course, would put the morality of the entity into question. I greatly lean towards the former explanation of a chance encounter with a legitimate poor man.
The stars turning into money is fascinating. It is a very visible description. Anyone can imagine stars falling to one's feet and becoming money. There is also the grand moment of realizing she is dressed in fine clothing a moment after seeing the money. This is especially lovely because she realizes that her deeds have led to great reward. She basically got what she deserved which is something that does not often happen in a cynical world. Fairy tales often break the rules of cynicism and reward people for being genuinely good. And we can learn from this.
My greatest pleasure of this story is simply that she was ultimately taken care of for who she was and not what she was. Keep in mind that she was tested even though she was a beggar. This means that if she had failed the test, she would have been left a beggar and likely died as a result of it. Some may find that cruel, but being homeless and unloved does not make a person worthy of great things. A rich man can be just as good or evil as a homeless man. God would not have spared his judgement on the girl simply based on her social standing. Social standing is meaningless to God. He expects people to be good no matter who they are and "The Star-Money" is a good way of showing this truth.
On one final note, I believe the entity testing the girl was an angel. The angel was sent by God with specific instructions. The instructions were carried out simply and perfectly. But you may disagree. I'd like to hear what you think on the matter. I welcome discussion.
Thank you for reading my blog! Liked it? Hated it? You can tell me what you think in the comment section below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. Thanks!
Sets of Grimm stories will often follow a certain pattern and relay to the reader a particular moral. Although a bit too long to be called fables, many of them still seem to feel like fables. "The Star-Money" is a good example of a fable-like Grimm story. It is still brief, taking up only about a page. (True fables usually only run a paragraph.)
Here is the synopsis:
A young girl who is not named in the story becomes an orphan after her mother and father die. She was not a wealthy girl and soon finds herself without a home or a bed to sleep on. Her only possessions are the clothes on her back and a bit of bread in hand. The story notes that the only reason she had bread was because someone, having pity on her, gave it to her. It is also noted that this girl is good and pious and, although forsaken by the world, goes forth into the open country trusting in God.
Along her journey, she comes across an poor man who is very hungry. Although hungry herself, she gives the man her bread and asks God to bless him. Further on, she encounters a child who has a cold. The girl gives the child her hood in hopes that it may benefit him. Not long after that, a similar event occurs with another child, and so the girl gives that one her frock.
The girl then enters into a dark forest as it becomes night. She encounters a third child who begs for a shirt. The problem here is that, if the girl gives up her shirt, she will be naked which is indecent behavior even for a beggar such as herself. However, she rationalizes that no one will see her with it being so dark and thusly parts with her shirt anyways.
At this point, the girl has nothing at all and is left naked in the middle of the night. Suddenly, some stars fall from the sky and land at her feet. She finds them and sees they have been transformed into pieces of money. A moment after she realizes this, she soon discovers that she is wearing a new shirt made of the finest linen. The girl takes up the money and is rich all the days of her life. So ends the tale.
This story somewhat reminds me of the book of Job from the Bible. The difference here is that the girl's problems seem circumstantial rather than purposely laid upon her. Nevertheless, her integrity as a human being is tested and ultimately she is proven an honorable person and thereafter rewarded for it.
Now, I have a few concerns that I want you to consider. You will noticed that she had an unusual number of encounters of people wishing to take some very precious items from her. The children all seemed to be begging, but the poor man seemed to passively catch the girl's attention. My suspicion is that the girl was visited by a supernatural entity (perhaps related to God) in the form of a child. This entity targeted the girl after she had a very real encounter with the poor man. This was to see how far she would go.
Another theory is simply that the poor man and the three children were one and the same. If this is the case then I also suspect that the child's parents may have dropped dead from the same entity. This, of course, would put the morality of the entity into question. I greatly lean towards the former explanation of a chance encounter with a legitimate poor man.
The stars turning into money is fascinating. It is a very visible description. Anyone can imagine stars falling to one's feet and becoming money. There is also the grand moment of realizing she is dressed in fine clothing a moment after seeing the money. This is especially lovely because she realizes that her deeds have led to great reward. She basically got what she deserved which is something that does not often happen in a cynical world. Fairy tales often break the rules of cynicism and reward people for being genuinely good. And we can learn from this.
My greatest pleasure of this story is simply that she was ultimately taken care of for who she was and not what she was. Keep in mind that she was tested even though she was a beggar. This means that if she had failed the test, she would have been left a beggar and likely died as a result of it. Some may find that cruel, but being homeless and unloved does not make a person worthy of great things. A rich man can be just as good or evil as a homeless man. God would not have spared his judgement on the girl simply based on her social standing. Social standing is meaningless to God. He expects people to be good no matter who they are and "The Star-Money" is a good way of showing this truth.
On one final note, I believe the entity testing the girl was an angel. The angel was sent by God with specific instructions. The instructions were carried out simply and perfectly. But you may disagree. I'd like to hear what you think on the matter. I welcome discussion.
Thank you for reading my blog! Liked it? Hated it? You can tell me what you think in the comment section below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. Thanks!
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