Parable #2 Humility.

Looking for gold, an elf walked into a cave.

“Who are you?” asked a voice from the dark.

The elf stretched up to his full two feet, three inches of height. “I am Gristlenose
Fragrantbaker,” he said. “I am an elf of the highest order. Who dares address me from the
shadows? Come out and reveal yourself.”

Into the light padded a lion. “I am King of the Beasts,” the lion said. “Welcome to my
lair.”

Gristlenose marveled at the animal. The lion’s muscles played under a flawless coat. His
teeth were ivory daggers and his tongue a velvet red blanket. His golden mane had none
of the burrs or tangles like the fur of other animals but rather was clean and groomed. His
eyes were large and carnivorous.

Gristlenose considered this development. “Greetings good king,” he said. “It seems as if I
have made a wrong turn so I’ll just be going back the way I came now.” He turned to
leave.

“Hold up there friend,” said the lion. “It seems as now that you are here, I will need to eat
you.”

The elf stopped in his tracks, “Is that absolutely necessary? Can’t I just walk away and
we forget I was ever here?”

“I’m afraid not. It comes with the title you see. If word got out that the King of the Beasts
let an elf of the highest order leave his den without so much as removing a leg or
devouring a rack of ribs I would lose the respect of my subjects. The kingdom would be
thrown into chaos.”

“I see,” said Gristlenose. “I wouldn’t want that to happen.” At that moment he gave
serious thought to darting back towards the entrance but recalled cats possessed a strong
chase instinct. That would surely result in his being pounced on by those huge paws.
“Isn’t there something we can do?”

“Well,” said the lion. “If you were not the highest order sort of elf I could make a case for
not eating you. Kings must have the best after all. Perhaps you made a mistake and meant
to say you are a common elf.”

“Never,” said Gristlenose. “My grandfather was the slayer of Black Wolf. My father
served in the court of Whistlewood the Smart. My mother’s skin was pure, white snow. I
am top pedigree and lineage. I am capable and admired by my peers and others, including
pixies and starburst creatures of the meadow.”

“Oh my,” said the Lion. “You ARE important. I suppose I must eat you and right away.”
He stepped closer so as to be looking down upon the elf. “Would you like me to gobble
you down quickly or would you like to run around and struggle a bit first?” He swiveled
his jaws wide, ready to bite down on Gristlenose’s head.

“Wait.” cried Gristlenose, in as controlled a tone as possible, which was not very, given
the circumstance. “I have something important you should know first.”

“And what is that?” said the lion.

The elf pulled his hand out from where it had been hidden behind his back. “I have this
magic stick.”

The stick was a twig. A leaf poked out one end.

The lion dropped his head to examine the twig. It looked and smelled like an ordinary
twig that might have fallen off the birchwood tree that stood just outside his cave. He
stepped back and began to chuckle.

“Hah,” said Gristlenose. “This stick is a weapon of unimaginable power.”

The lion’s chuckle slid down and became a lion belly laugh.

Gristlenose pointed the twig at the Lion. “I may transform you into a squirrel or a rabbit
or any manner of stupid creature.”

The Lion collapsed in a fit of laughter. “Oh my, oh my, the little man with his big stick,
hahahaha.”

“Then your Kingdom would surely be thrown into chaos,” cried Gristlenose.

The lion rolled onto his back and pounded his paws on the ground. “You might poke me
with your stick, bahahahahaha.”

“No one will be ruled by a rabbit,” called Gristlenose, “or a badger, or a fox, or a slimy,
little gardener snake.”

Lion tears of laughter poured out and collected in puddles.

“I’m warning you,” said Gristlenose.

Finally, the lion regained his composure. Mopping up his eyes with a paw, he stood once
again over Gristlenose. “All this comedy has given me an appetite.” He slid his claws out
of their sheaths and bared his teeth.

Gristlenose backed into the wall.

“I’ll make it quick,” the lion said as he gathered himself to pounce.

Gristlenose stuck the twig out at the lion’s chest. “Reithrodontomys Megalotis,” he cried.

The lion leaped… and landed at Gristlenose feet. But the lion was lion no more. He had
been transformed into a golden haired mouse.

The mouse, who used to be a lion, examined his mouse paws and mouse tail. He looked
up to where Gristlenose towered over him. “I have decided,” he squeaked, “that you can
just walk away and we can forget you were here.”

“No,” said the elf. “I insist upon staying for dinner. I might like to sit down to pan fried
mouse leg or maybe braised rack of mouse!” He raised his boot to stomp but the mouse
darted through his legs and out the cave.

Gristlenose chased after him. “Wait up great king,” he called. “Your subjects need your
courage.”

The mouse ran away from the cave, over a bridge and through a thornberry patch. The
thorns cut Gristlenose and the vines wrenched the magic stick from his grasp but did not
slow the elf.

At last, at the entrance of a cave much like the one where they had began, the mouse’s
legs could take no more. He collapsed in exhaution.

Gristlenose stepped forward and picked up the mouse. Glaring victoriously, he held him
overhead. “I am Gristlenose,” he announced. “Eater of Kings!” And with that he dropped
the mouse down his throat.

Just then a furry head of a grizzly bear poked out of the cave. “Elf,” said the bear, “with a
title like that you must be important.”