Social Short Story – Natural Beauty
Photo credit: ameenullah from morguefile.com
The dawn sun rose above the rolling hills, its brilliant demeanour illuminating the trees and landscape for many miles. The moon still hovered in the sky, refusing to give up its airy domain. The clouds moved like sheep grazing in the blue sky, the wind pushing it along as if to help it. Many creatures beneath woke and began to start just another day, yet many others slept for it was not their time yet in the sunlight. The evergreens and the oaks stood bright as if accepting the light, and they stood tall and majestic, unwavering even in the wind.
It was then that a man, no different from any other man, walked upon the beaten path, created by thousands like him. He walked with a straight and true gait, but held his head low as if he was nothing compared to Mother Nature and her handiwork. He arrived upon a small clearing and stood there, breathing in the fresh air along with the faint scent of pine, his eyes closed. He was dressed in a brown robe with the hood pulled up, and this rustled in the wind, giving him the image of a distant yet familiar entity.
He sat down on a nearby boulder, mold and mildew growing on it, giving it an earthly feeling. His eyes opened, revealing a steely blue look, but if one looked closer one would see that beneath that cover was a set of eyes as benevolent as the trees and animals of the forest. He looked down and gazed upon a colony of ants making their way along the ground, pausing every few seconds to bring vital supplies back to their home.
The man slowly jumped off the rock, walking again on the path, walking among the birches, redwoods, oaks, and many other types of trees. Sometimes he would stop and feel a tree with his hand, closing his eyes as if diagnosing the soul and spirit inside. Sometime later on after he got off the boulder, he arrived upon a sparking waterfall, the sound of rushing water assaulting his sense of hearing. He could see a pool of spring water collecting at the bottom, and he causally advanced towards it. Once at the edge he looked down and saw a myriad of bright colors, but upon closer inspection saw different types of fish, all different colors. Many types of algae rested on the underwater rocks, barnacles could be seen almost anywhere you looked, and a few crabs scuttled about, looking for food, danger, or perhaps just walking aimlessly about.
He sat down upon the edge and noticed a sea of pebbles bordering the rim, some as rough as sandpaper, with others as smooth as the surface of the pool next to it. He picked a random one up and felt it with his hands, feeling the rock as it slid about in his hands, and set it back down. He was about to get back up when he heard hooves and turned around to see a young doe. The doe lazily trotted towards the pool, and bent down to take a refreshing sip. The doe’s ears swiveled to hear for danger, and yet did not rise when it noticed that the man was a mere foot away.
After drinking, it stood up and its hazel brown eyes turned to look at the strange being sitting at the water’s edge. Its small nose twitched as it caught the human scent, but it still just stood there, sensing no danger from him. The man walked towards it, the doe noting that the man walked with extreme caution. He then touched the doe’s head, and it nuzzled against his body. His warm eyes gazed into the doe’s brown eyes, and he saw the compassionate soul that resided inside the doe’s body, and he let it go free. The doe bounded away, and the man closed his eyes and for one more time, thought about how Nature was the world’s greatest artist. Then he walked away, content that the beauty of the world would be here for another day.
He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of Nature.
-Socrates
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