THE GROVE OF
CURIOSITIES
By Lou
Antonelli
There was a
time between the grandeur of Rome and the knowledge of
the Renaissance when kingdoms were ruled by faith--and
sometimes holy magic.
It was in one
of these kingdoms that the three First Men of the King
gathered in the Great Hall to hear the petition of a
poor youth. "You have neither lineage nor family nor
gold," said the King's Trusted Counsel. "You should not
even become an apprentice squire."
“You have
ambition for one naught but a shepherd,” said The Elder.
"Yet there are
ways that the enterprising may enter the service of the
King," said the Wise Man. "There is a certain trial
that may be availed of, but it is difficult and deadly,"
the Wise Man said.
The young man
sucked in his breath. "Yes," said The Elder. "To try
that you are truly worthy.”
The three men
looked down at the young man, who looked both worried
and determined.
The young man
paused and looked at them steadily. "And yet?"
The Elder
leaned towards the Wise Man. "The young man shakes but
holds his ground. He would make a good Knight, if he
passes the trial."
The King's
Trusted Counsel arose. "We have previously discussed
your petition amongst ourselves," he said. "We feel
that despite your low station in life you might be made
of the true stuff that Knights are made of."
"There is a
grove you should walk in," said The Elder. "It is
enchanted and within it are the tests you should meet to
prove your worthiness.”
"There are four
tests within, and you should pass all of them to reach
your goal," said the Wise Man. "And become a Knight in
training. But should you fail, you will die."
The King’s Wise
Counsel looked at the young man. "Do you accept?"
The young man
thought hard and clenched his fists by his side. "Yes, I
understand I must prove myself to become even a squire,"
he said. "Give me this trial, and with my own hands and
by the grace of God I will prove myself worthy."
The Elder rose
from his chair. "Come with me then," he said. "And I
will take you to there.”
###
In all the
years he had wandered the countryside as a youth, he never
knew what lay behind these walls on the outskirts of the
castle. He had heard passing comments over the years
from adults who said what lay inside was older than the
kingdom and went back to the days of Rome and the dead
gods.
No one knew
what lay within, except that it was called The Grove of
Curiosities.
As they walked
up to the wall The Elder reached deep into his purse and
pulled out a heavy and rusted key. He drew aside some
shrubbery, exposing a heavy, wooden door.
In all the
years he had passed this way the young man had no
inkling there was a door there.
The elder took
the key and turned it slowly and heavily in the lock.
“You will have neither sword nor dagger,” he said. “For
you are not a Knight.”
“I understand,”
said the young man. There was a loud "clack" and
the door
went ajar.
He gestured for
the young man to step forward. “This is the entrance to
the Garden of Curiosities you heard about," he said.
"Inside you will find the tests that will test thy
fitness to enter into the service of the King and become
a true Knight of the realm," he said.
The young man
peered, but could not see inside.
"Today you will
be true or false, said The Elder. “If by sunset you do
not come we will know that you have failed. “We will
bury you with the bones of your family.”
"I thank you,"
said the young man. "I will be true to my task."
"Now enter,
then, and may God be with you."
The Elder
bolted the door behind the young man. A profusion of
well-attended blooms greeted him at the start of the
path. Across the flower garden the grove began. The
young man put his hand on his belt, tucked his hat in
the small of his back, and started.
As he walked
along he soon came upon a statue of a Knight holding a
sword aloft upright hanging between the fingers of his
outstretched arm. The young man saw that it was a real
sword and not part of the statue. He looked around to
see what else he should take notice of and saw at the
foot of the statue what appeared to be the stone
figure of a dead cat.
He looked back
at the statue and was spellbound by the beauty of the
sword. He peered and he noticed what seemed to be an
inscription on the hilt. He raised himself up and lifted
the sword up from between the fingers of the
outstretched hand of the Knight’s statue. He took the
sword down and held it by its full length looking at the
inscription. Before he had an opportunity to make it
out, he heard a sound behind him.
He turned and
saw the living image of the statue standing before him
in plate and mail, as if alive and breathing. The
warrior’s eyes flashed as he drew his sword.
The young man
still held the sword in his hands. The blood rushed to
his head and his first thought was to raise the sword.
He thought
again, and remembered he was not a Knight and not true
to wield such a sword. Then he looked down at the figure
of the dead cat at the foot of the statue.
"I should not
have taken this," he thought. He half turned and --
still keeping an eye on the living knight – he hung
the sword back on the hand of the statute.
The knight
vanished with not even so much as a puff of dust.
The young man
knew his first trial was passed.
He continued
along and deeper into the grove, and after some time he
came upon another statue. It looked as if it had been
taken from the wall of a heathen temple. A voluptuous
figure of a pagan goddess rested up against a tall,
rectangular slab.
It was
obviously an idol of lust, and the young man could not
take his eyes from the curves and smoothness of the
figure. In a moment he realized two tawny arms covered
with tinkling jewelry were entwining themselves about
his neck.
A sweet voice
whispered in his ear. "Come and lie with me," said the
Goddess. "And you will know pleasures unknown to man
since the gates of Eden closed behind Adam and Eve."
He turned
around and backed off from her clutches, bumping into
the base of the statue.
She advanced on
him. "You can still complete your journey," she said.
"You have yet time, so lie with me a while."
He looked at
her and realized that once joined he would never leave
her side.
Now not only
did the blood rush to his head, but his body ached. He
threw his hands up and stopped his ears. Then he
realized he must stop the vision of her.
He looked away
from her and towards the path, and then turning his body
in that direction, closed his eyes and ran blindly away.
He stopped when
he tripped over the root of a tree close by the path.
He got to his knees and looked back. He saw neither the
statue nor the pagan goddess.
"Now, that
was surely a test," he said.
He rose to his
feet and continued on. After a longer time he came to a
low plinth and upon it sat a large marble chest. He saw
the metal lid had a simple latch and he opened it.
It was full of
gold coins.
The chest was
engraved with the figures of peacocks and eagles. He
realized that they seemed to be singing to him, a sweet,0-pp-[=[
soft song.
"Come take a
few and put them in your pocket, who would know and none
can tell."
His gaze ran
across the pile of gold. There was more gold in the
first layer atop the pile then he'd ever hope to see his
lifetime. Surely he could take a few pieces and continue
on his way.
His eyes
narrowed, but then he thought.
"Surely this is
the simplest test of all," he said to himself.
He reached in,
took a handful of the gold coins and flung them down.
They landed on
their sides and rolled off like cartwheels in different
directions as they disappeared into the grove, falling
into holes and under roots. The young man laughed.
"This is a lesson anyone can understand," he said.
"Such is the fleeting of the riches of the world."
He continued
down the path. This time nothing came into view for
what seemed like hours, and he had opportunity to think
about what lessons he had learned.
The first he
thought was the lesson of knowledge -- not to seek
knowledge needlessly or foolishly. For indeed, curiosity
had killed the cat.
The second was
to remind himself not to be distracted by the pleasures
of the flesh, no matter how alluring. The third was not
to be distracted by the lust for wealth, the most common
sin of all, for even the ignorant and impotent may yet
be greedy.
He began to
wonder now about what trial would await him at the end
of the path.
The sun was
almost set by the time the grove opened and there in a
small clearing he saw the figures of his mother and
father and younger sister –- who had all died of the
plague some years ago –- gathered around a fire. He
gasped and rushed forward.
As he did, he
saw a Knight -- the same knight had confronted him at the
first statue -- advancing towards them from the other
direction.
Then he also
saw a pagan goddess. She looked like the goddess of lust
he had seen earlier, but this time she appeared as the
Goddess of Death and had six arms, all brandishing
swords.
He saw they
meant to strike down his family.
He rushed
forward and clasped his mother to see if she was real.
"My son," she said. "Where have you been?"
She was as warm
and solid as he remembered as a child. The Goddess of
Death raised a sword.
He blocked the
blow with his forearm and his hand flew off. Another
five swords came down and mortally wounded him. He fell
to the ground and his blood rushed across dark, green
grass.
"So this is
death," he thought. "And yet I am content."
###
When he awoke
he saw he was in the castle and the three First Men of
the King stood by his bed. He raised his head on his
pillow.
"Am I not
dead?"
"No, you were
as dead, but you are yet alive now," said the King's
Wise Counsel.
The young man
looked at The Elder and the Wise Man. "You said should I
fail my trial I would die."
"You did not
fail," said The Elder. "You triumphed."
The Wise Man
took the young man by his shoulders and helped him sit
up.
“You easily
passed the first three tests,” said The Elder. “In the
first, you learned not to seek woe. In the second, you
learned that sometimes woe seeks you. In the third, you
learned that sometimes you must cast away woe.”
“But I failed
my last test. I had neither sword nor patience, and
foolishly tried to stop death from taking those who were
already dead."
"Those whom you
love are never truly dead so long as they live in your
heart," said The Elder. "Although you know in your mind
they are dead, they are alive to you in your heart,
which proves your heart is good.”
"Although you
know no book, you proved yourself wise and of sound mind
by easily passing the first three trials," said the
King's Wise Counsel. "With the last test, you proved
your heart."
“You showed by
trying to save them that you know that there are some
things worth dying for," said The Elder, as he handed
the young man a sword in its scabbard, “and some fights
are gladly joined -- even when there is no hope of worldly
reward.”
The Wise Man
handed him a belt, and then the King's Wise Counsel
stepped forward and gave him a clean tunic. "It is
true," he said, "that you will not be a squire."
The young man
looked at them in wonder.
"Then I should
be a knight?" he asked.
All three men
nodded.
The Elder
reached into his purse and pulled out the key to the
door of the Grove of Curiosities. "You have now become
the gatekeeper," he said. "It is in your trust. Now
when we sit in council and judge the petition of one
such as you, you will be the one to take them to the
door."
He pressed the
key into the young Knight’s hand. "For I was as young as
you are when I passed the same test many years ago."
The young
knight asked "Am I the first in that many years to walk
in the Grove of Curiosities?"
"No, my son,"
said the King's Wise Counsel. "But you are the first in
those many years to pass the test."
The knight and
the three lords went forth together in the service of
the King.
-The End-
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