Thursday, June 12, 2008

Wise Simon

Saying for the Day: Would that there were an award for people who come to understand the concept of enough. Good enough. Successful enough. Thin enough. Rich enough. Socially responsible enough. When you have self-respect, you have enough. ~Gail Sheehy

It’s the time you have all been dreading.
It is time you wished would never come but didn’t do enough good deeds to get a wish.
It is time for another elf tale.
Once upon a time in a little English village there was born to two lovely people a little boy. They had waited for this baby and prayed for this baby for a long time. They named him after his Father Simon Whitlsworth and his grandfather Hessica Pemberthy. Simon Hesica Whitlsworth was a cute and very lovable baby.
They were overjoyed.
But as time went on, though they loved him as much as any parent could love a child it became obvious that he was a little slow. In fact he was what today’s politically correct people might call intellectually challenged and physically challenged as well.
By the time he started school which was a year after most children started he had made a little progress but not much. He was always the worst student in the class. He always lost at any game they played on the playground.
Soon the other children nicknamed him Simple Simon, a nickname that stuck. They meant it as an insult. He took it as a compliment. He looked it up in the dictionary and saw that it meant “ uncomplicated” and that was him. So he rather liked being called Simple Simon.
Soon everyone in the village referred to him by that title, even his friends.
As time went on everybody came to love Simple Simon. He was one of the nicest , kindest, most helpful, people around. He might be a little slow at getting a task done but he always finished what he started. People knew that if they needed somebody to help them they could count on him.
One day, just after Simple Simon helped Mrs. Gesier pack up her chickens to take to the fair , he was walking down the road and
Simple Simon met a pieman,
Going to the fair.
Said Simple Simon to the pieman,
"Let me taste your ware."
Said the pieman unto Simon,
"Show me first your penny."
Said Simple Simon to the pieman,
"Indeed I have not any."
Poor Simple Simon. He really wanted a piece of berry pie. He could taste it. He could imagine what it was like. He just loved pie.
It was at that moment that the little man in the green suit with the curly toed shoes came up to him. He told him that he was giving him one wish because he had done so many good deeds.
Simple Simon didn’t even think but said “ I wish for a big piece of fresh berry pie.”
The elf said “ As you have wished so shall it be.”
There was a flash of light and the elf disappeared .
When Simple Simon looked up the pieman was coming back toward him. Are you Simple Simon he asked. Simple Simon said he was.
“A nice lady wants you to have this big piece of berry pie for all the help you gave her”. The pieman said as he handed Simple Simon a great big piece of berry pie.
Now you may think that what Simple Simon did was stupid.
You may think he wasted a wish.
But consider:
1. He was happy with his life as it was. The wish didn’t disturb it.
2. The wish did not backfire as many do.
3. He got to eat that great big piece of berry pie.
Perhaps, he wasn’t so simple after all.
Simple Simon met an elf.,
Who told him why.
Said Simple Simon to the elf,
"Let me have some pie."
Said the elf unto Simon,
"Your wish is my command."
Said Simple Simon to the elf,
"Isn‘t my life grand!"

#### News from Pigeon Falls-The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal. Sergeant Horatio Oliver York of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrived on the milk train this morning. A friend of his, Jose, had informed him about Willie seeing a whale in the Lake of the Loons. The RCMP was investigating similar sightings on Kootenay Lake in British Columbia. He suspects both sightings may be a hoax but they may be related so he came to talk to Willie. The old lady that says she saw the whale on Kootenay Lake gets all hysterical when he tries to talk to her. She is either a great actress or she really saw something. Eino assured him that if he can find Willlie sober he won’t get hysterical. But Willie is the town drunk and sometimes sees things that aren’t there. More than likely it is all a coincidence not an elaborate hoax.
The problem this morning is nobody knows where Willie is. Usually at this time in the morning he is having a drink or two down at the Fly Inn but he isn’t there. He isn’t at his room in the boarding house , and nobody has seen him all morning. Eino assured the sergeant that he will get thirsty and come in.
In the meantime Eino arranged for the sergeant to meet two of the kids that say they saw the whale. But they are not sure what they saw and it was very dark. It might have been something else. The sergeant pointed out that in the dark you could easily pass off a fake whale and makes him think it might be a hoax.
The sergeant went on to say that” they make very good special effect creatures today that look like the real thing. You know like the mechanical rabbit you have greeting people coming in on the train. It looks real except for the pink sweater.”
Can the sergeant be right? Is our great white rabbit a great white hoax? If so who is running it and why? Are they also running a fake whale? Will the truth now come out? What will Mrs. Trumble think to find out her demon rabbit is a mechanical doll? Is Tommy UK involved in all of this?

Today's Link-June Cleaver Nirvana- - A small problem with gum and medicine
It was a lazy day. It rained off and on all day. I didn't sleep well last nighjt so I was tired all day. In the morning I brought my Elf Tales sidebar up to date. It now has 19 elf tales. Todays will be 20 when I add it.In the afternoon I read the new Popular Science magazine. It had a number of interesting articles. I watched some television. I blogged a little. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

9 Comments:

Blogger Melli said...

Oooo! A self contained ONE DAY elf story! Is that so we have a chance to finish reading it in case something should happen to us? I think I might like being "simple" ... but darn if I don't mess it up by complicating things!

I didn't know the train would let the horse on! Why didn't the RCMP just RIDE in? Or is he disguised as an UNmounted Officer? Is he even really an officer? How do we KNOW he's not an imposter? How DARE he accuse the White Rabbit of being MECHANICAL!

5:48 AM  
Blogger Bill ~ {The Old Fart} said...

Good story - a wonderful imagination you have to be able to come up with a new Elf's Tale each week.

6:18 AM  
Blogger Janets Planet said...

So where has Tommy UK been whenever the whale has been spotted? OR for that matter, whenever the White Rabbit has been spotted?

6:38 AM  
Blogger juliana said...

simple simpn is a happy guy. many would wish for who knows what which, eventually, would make them equally miserable, and simon was perfectly happy getting what he wanted most at the moment :)
isn't that what life is about?

9:10 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I still want someone to give me the thin enough award, I really do.

9:33 AM  
Blogger Dragonstar said...

Isn't it tricky, bringing in the Mounties? Does he know about the dragons? He might want to become a dragon-rider.

Wise Simon had the right idea. He wished for something that satisfied him, and he doesn't tear himself apart wanting impossible things. We could learn from him.

10:08 AM  
Blogger Lori's Minute said...

If I had one wish, I would probably wish for food, too....a nice steak dinner, with fries, a salad and a brandy alexander for dessert.

10:35 AM  
Blogger Texasholly said...

I was enjoying the simple Simon story when I noticed you linked to me! What a sweetie. Thanks so much.

I agree with lori's minute...a wish for good food is probably never wasted.

12:14 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am content without wishes. Things too easily acquired are usually regarded with scant appreciation and squandered anyway.

7:52 PM  

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