The Mountain That Had It All

By Judith Bakkensen

 

Mighty W sat on the top of his mountain surrounded by men who loved their jobs.  The throne was balanced on the backs of the men who disagreed with him.  He was happy.  He had all he needed. 

 

The people came to him, please, Mighty W, my sons and daughters cannot find work and they are getting too large for our houses.  Mighty W's friends came crying, I am having to drink from my own ponds, there is not enough water, they might go dry.  Mighty W squinted his eyes and looked into the far-off distance.  Don't they have plenty of water in the Sultan's Bay.  "Why, yes, Mighty W," his friends shouted, " they have too much water and they don't know how to use it nearly as well as we do."

 

Mighty W made a decree,  "All sons and daughters who cannot find work must go and haul water for my friends."

 

He looked around.  Everyone seemed busy hauling water or cheering the water gatherers.  One day the people came and said,  "Mighty W, I have no work and my children are starving and dying of thirst."  Mighty W asked all his advisors,  "Is this a problem I should worry about?  They said, Oh, no, Mighty W."  The men under the throne made grunting noises. 

 

Mighty W made a decree,  "All people who are hungry and thirsty should worry about who is loving who and stop it immediately.  And if you are not busy hauling water, stay out of my sight, I don't want to see you."

 

The people burrowed deeper into the mountain to stay out of sight.  Mighty W looked around and didn't see enough people.  He sent his advisors into the caves to find out what everyone was doing."

 

The people saw Mighty W's men and burrowed deeper into the mountians.  They put thick walls at their entrances and drank water from the sides of their caves. 

 

Mighty W's friends built larger ponds and higher walls all over the mountain.  The water carriers carried their buckets to an assigned pond and poured the water in.  They were punished if they drank any.

 

A wise women came to the mountain.  She slipped past the water carriers and the advisors.  She knocked on the thick walls on the mountains.  Everyone was afraid to hear her words.  She began singing.  The song rang through the mountain.  "Come out, Come out.  Leave this mountain of plenty.  Come into the sun and see your world.  Sultan Bay is dry.  The Earth is starving.  The water carriers are dying.  Mighty W's friends are splashing in their pools.  Come and See."