Saturday, Jan. 24, 2004 - 5:12 pm
Um... I'm sorry.
This relationship just isn't working for me.
I'm at www.dailypreciousness.org now. So change that bookmark.
I have no words. My pockets have holes. The words have fallen from them, puddling on the pavement.
Yo soy bibliotecario. Hay una biblioteca aqui? I need to record a remake of the pet shop boys song, bilingual, featuring this bit of re-writing. I think that would make the weekend a bit brighter.
I'm in a funk. There's no way around it. I never knew I'd miss somebody this much. It's not pretty.
On a happy note, Ms. Yeskoo, a mom of two adorable daughters at school, came by just to say "hi" and tell me how much both her girls enjoy library visits. Emily is in a wheelchair and is mildly retarded. But she loves to listen to my stories. To ring in the new year Jan. 22nd, I told them a great Chinese folktale about a monkey who saw the moon deep within a well.
"Oh no, the moon has fallen into the well," he exclaimed. So along with a dozen friends, they form a monkey chain and lower themselves into the well.
The oldest monkey hold onto an overhanging tree branch. The youngest, smallest monkey, who first noticed the moon, is at the bottom.
Deep down, in the dark round well, the youngest monkey tries to scoop up the moon. But all he gets is a handful of water. The rippling water shatters the bright, pearl light of the moon into a million pieces. “Ai, I’ve broken the moon!” he yells. The monkeys in the chain above him scold him and complain of weight, as their arms and tails grow sore.
He tries again to scoop up the moon, which reforms in the pitch black water of the well. This time he reaches for it quite gingerly, slinking down and scooping up… only water again! Once more, the moon shatters as the water ripples from his touch. “I’ve broken it again, Ai! What terrible luck.” The monkeys above, now straining from his weight moan and complain. The oldest monkey, at the top, rolls his eyes with contempt. In doing so, he happens to see the new moon, soaring directly above him in the sky. But it is different than it was last night. “Ah! Look,” he says, pointing. “There’s a new moon in the sky. Someone must have thrown the old moon into the well.” And when he pointed up, he let go of the monkeys below him – his newfound knowledge cost the monkeys their mission to get the moon out of the well. The youngest monkey falls in and drowns, never once attaining his goal.
Moral: ignorance is bliss.
***
Emily loved that story. And it made me sad that even a mentally challenged girl like her can go home and tell her Mom that she likes her new librarian.
