The Stallion, The Mare, The Farmer, The Thief, and The Flies.

“Of Myth and Men”

We live in horrible times – all the fables of the past relate to strong, hard peoples who ate from the sweat of their brow and spent half their lives marching around stabbing Persians to death. What, therefore, have they to do with us? Kick over any rock and what scuttles out from underneath will be no more pale, no whiter and display no softer a belly than our disgusting civilisation. We have been made soft by convenience, and the old fables and parables no longer apply. Not only are most people unable to interpret them correctly, we have pretty successfully established a way of life that would make many of the teachings of Aesop, Confucius, Hesiod, and their ilk fairly detrimental.

A new fable for a new age? Very well. One will be needed to direct the raging and shallow seas of a youthful soul and to guide the placid and shallow seas of the elderly soul. But only one. Only one thing drives them onwards.

THE FABLE OF THE STALLION, THE MARE, THE FARMER, THE THIEF, AND THE FLIES.

Stallion stood before a pond, proudly gazing at his reflection. He was in the height of his youth, strong and proud in his bearing. Was not the whole of creation his to roam in? Could he not at his whim carry himself throughout creation, and today be in Greece and tomorrow Libya and the day after be among the Ethiopians? Or alternately roam the lands of the frozen North and turn to visit the Emperor of China? Thereby was he happy and content. Often the Farmer would come out to his field, hoping to catch him unawares and bear him away to labour on the nearby farm, but Stallion was far too quick to be captured and led the Farmer on many merry chases. The Stallion would let Farmer almost catch up to him and be away with effortless speed, leaving Farmer puffing, red faced and cursing in his wake.

In the course of one of these chases, Stallion encountered Mare, and they fell in love. They left the meadow and Farmer behind – gone were the days of merry chases and pond gazing. Stallion had something far greater to look into – Mare’s eyes, which seemed to reflect his very soul. What use now did Stallion have for Greece, Libya, Ethiopia, the North and China? So he set these places aside also and sired a family. Thereby was he happy and content.

Farmer observed that Stallion had found a mate, and lit upon a plan that was far easier than chasing the family down. Instead, he simply constructed a stables on his farm and went inside to wait for his scheme to bear fruit.

Mare saw that the stables were constructed and very fine, and day after day she came down to look upon them and saw them unoccupied. There was fresh, warm hay and clean water and a roof to keep the rain off of her young ones’ heads. She thought it was a terrible shame that such a dwelling should go unoccupied, and went unto Stallion and spake to that effect. Stallion was fully aware that this was some plot by Farmer, but he could not argue with Mare, who simply took the foals with her into the stables. What choice did Stallion have to follow? And he was not surprised when he heard the lock on the gate click behind him, and he beheld Farmer’s gloating face.

“See how I have made this fine dwelling for you! But now you must work for your keep!”. Thus spake Farmer. And Stallion was harnessed to the mill days, and at night he was paid with a full belly, a roof over his head, and the contentment of Mare and his foals. Thereby was he content.

And so it went on for many years, and Farmer grew rich from the work of Stallion, who himself became wealthy in the fashion of horses, as he was fed well enough and his children grew strong. But came one day to the farm a merchant, who wanted to buy the foals. Stallion reared up and inspired dread in the heart of the merchant, who was worried that the foals would be of bad temperament also. Therefore the merchant did not take away the foals, but Farmer flogged Stallion mercilessly for his efforts.

From this day forth, Stallion was unruly and would not work for Farmer. He was beaten all day long and barely fed at night. He was despondent and haggard, far from the proud Stallion that Mare had wed. She was becoming unhappy herself. Stallion begged Farmer to let him leave, but Farmer would not, having gone to all the trouble to have caught him in the first instance.

One night, a Thief entered the farm. Stallion was fast asleep after a hard day’s whipping but Mare spied the fellow and beckoned him over and asked him to let them out. In return the Mare and foals would serve Thief. Thief did as he was bid and took the Mare and foals, but seeing no worth in Stallion left him behind.

The next day Stallion arose to find his life gone. Wracked with grief and unable to work, the shock that almost killed him was followed with a beating that did. The Flies laid maggots in his corpse.