The Phoenix

The little boy had gone to the old story teller on the hill again. He loved the stories the old man had to say. Sometimes he would tell of wars fought, sometimes he would speak of the adventures of the Greeks.

But, the boy’s favourite story was the one about the Phoenix

The Phoenix was a bird of splendid beauty, and it was also magical. It had the power to heal people with its tears. It could transport you easily across time and space. The phoenix was the bird of the nobles and the aristocrats. People were in awe of the bird. It’s most important trait was that it was immortal and would burn in a bright flame when the time for it’s death came; and be reborn from the ashes.

Thus, spoke the old man of the Phoenix.

Here below, I have constructed a diorama of what the boy thought the story actually meant. It is the boy’s opinion that the Phoenix teaches us something. It burns up in flame, but always rises from it’s ashes. Maybe the burning is synonymous with the hardships life has thrown at us and the rising from the ashes in nothing but our strength egging us on to master the difficulties. Perhaps what the phoenix means is “never give up, no matter what happens”.

I liked what the boy said. And you, dear reader?  

The Bilge Master