The Dragon and the Two Seeds
Long ago, on a tall mountain, lived one of the last of the wise dragons. Every day, this wise dragon would leave its cave and head down the mountain to a particular clearing about halfway down the mountain.
There, people from around the land could come and ask the dragon questions,
and she would give them her wisdom. From time-to-time people would even stay on the mountain and train as an apprentice of the wise dragon.
One morning, when the wise dragon arrived at the clearing,
a young maiden dressed in a flowing white robe was there, holding the
hand of a scared young child. The wise dragon spoke in her softest, friendliest voice and asked the maiden, “What can I do for you this fine morning?”
The maiden replied, “I am not the one in need of guidance today, great dragon. It is my son Kaheal who has a question.” With that, she guided the small boy to step
forward, never letting go of his hand.
The wise dragon waited for the boy to gather enough courage to speak in her presence. Finally, he spoke with a shaky, timid voice. “Tomorrow is my first day at the sacred learning house, and I have heard horrible tales of the tricks the older boys play on the new children. I do not want to go. My mother says that all good children go to school to learn a trade, but is there not another path I can take without being tortured by the older apprentices?”
The dragon thought long and hard about the boy’s question and finally decided how she would respond. “Of course, you have a choice. Even not making a choice is still a choice, my child. Your question is not really about your path in life. Your question is more about you being afraid to go start your training at the learning house. I cannot tell you whether or not going to school is right for you, but I can tell you a story that might help you make up your mind. Would you like that?
The small boy, now less afraid, said, “Yes, please.”
The wise dragon laid down, so her head was closer to the boy’s height, and began to tell her story. “Long ago, in the valley below, lived a farmer who planted two corn seeds. As the seeds sat underground, it was warm and comfortable. One morning, the first of the two seeds spoke to the other, saying, “It is so nice here in the soil. f I reach my stalk up above the ground and spread my leaves, the sun may be too bright, and I may burn. Or the rain may not come, and I will wither and die. Or if the rain does come, it may be too much, and I may be washed away. It is safer if I just stay here in the ground.”
The second seed said, “But we must grow. It is what we are meant to do. If we do not grow, we will never produce corn and never be enjoyed by the farmer.”
The first thought about what the second had said and cried out in fear, “If I grow and make corn it will be eaten by bugs, and I will be useless to anyone.”
Over the next few days, the second seed reached its roots down into the earth and sent its stalk up to find the sun, but the first seed was too afraid to grow and was too comfortable in the warm soil, so it did not grow.
The dragon then asked the child, “Do you know what happened next?”
The child, with excited eyes, answered, “No, what happened?”
The dragon continued, “A few days later, the farmer’s chickens got loose,
and while scratching the ground looking for food, dug up the first seed and
gobbled it up. But when they scratched at the second plant, its roots were strong,
and even though they pecked at the second brave seed,
it had grown to be a plant, and soon healed from the pecking.”
“So, remember, my child, never be too afraid to grow and learn, or you will be eaten up by life. Do you understand, child?”
The small boy looked up and said, “I think so?”
By then, many more people had shown up and were waiting for their turn to ask the wise dragon a question. So, the mother smiled and took the young boy away. But as they were leaving, the wise dragon heard the young boy tell his mother. “I think, I’ll go to the learning house tomorrow!”
THE END
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