A 21st Century Fairy Tale

Once upon a time in a shining country with mighty buildings set high on a hill, dwelled many noble people. They had dreams and rules to protect those dreams. Some were very rich and that was good. The peasants did not envy them but rather admired them.  What godly and gifted people these must be who ruled the shining land. How fortunate that the peasants had such golden creatures ruling them.

Sometime the peasants – who worked very hard in the Golden Men’s fields and workshops, making many magical things – overheard bits of conversations among these noblemen. As the Golden Men dreamed of someday having even more, the peasants listened intently. Later in their tiny homes they compared conversations and slowly began to understand how the Golden Ones worked their magic.

The peasants made a plan with their families. They would work harder, eat a little less and slowly get a few coins to make magic like the Golden Ones did. Their pittances might add up over time – that was  one of the magical mutterings they’d picked up – and their children could learn to read. Perhaps they’d even have a bit left for their old age and could avoid dying in the dank airless workhouse.

After all, they’d heard the magic masters and wizards speak of such things.

Carefully, the peasants guarded their coins over months, then years. They were pleased to see that indeed with careful tending the pile increased! How fortunate they were to learn from the Golden Ones and their wizards.

Slowly, the peasants collected even more scraps from the magic men. It certainly seemed true that the Golden ones, year after year, built bigger houses, threw more lavish festivals and imported stronger horses to pull even larger carriages.

Among themselves, the peasants only occasionally muttered that their work day seemed longer and they were asked to work faster. They didn’t mind, really, because now they had almost a half teacup of coins. Thoughts of future rewards crowded out their occasional discontent. Their wives and children happily gave up the extra candle that the workers were now required to supply so they could work at night, too. Everyone shared in the hard work and sacrifice, knowing someday it would all be worthwhile.

Meanwhile, the festivals were held more often. The Golden Ones entertained other Golden Ones from faraway places. More peasant women were called from their homes and given the privilege of preparing the feasts and the great halls. Such wonders they had never dreamed existed! Sometimes they brought along their children to help bring more wood for the many fireplaces or to snare more partridges from the fields. After the great festival, the peasant families were pleased to add the extra coin to the teacup.

They also shared stories and marveled at the abundance, the fineness they had been privileged to behold. Most of all they were amazed at the warmth and light in such grand rooms. They shared and savored bits of information they had accumulated as they tended the fires and served the meals. So many Golden Ones together and such wisdom.

Slowly the peansants deciphered the exotic new words: interest, mortgage, equity, markets, annuities. Such incantation. No wonder the Golden Ones were so rich. They understood alchemy! They could produce more riches from mere words.

Years went by. More festivals were held. But the Golden Ones were becoming bored and restless. They didn’t need more treasure; they had more than even they could spend. They had destroyed the forest to build their great halls.  And after years of intense Hunting competitions, the Golden Ones had destroyed all the large, exciting animals, so hunting wasn’t fun anymore. Neither was fishing. When the Great Rains came the brooks where the trout lived were demolished. So even fishing was no longer amusing.

To make their lives even more miserable, the Golden Ones were beginning to overhear their workers grumbling and wondered how the peasants could be so thankless. What else would these miserable creatures do if they didn’t work sixteen hours each day? And why were they so stingy with that one silly candle they were required to bring? What on earth could those women and children be doing that would require a candle?

After many glasses of mead and no hope of pleasant diversion, one of the Golden Ones proposed that they spy on the peasants. What fun! No one had ever seen where these creatures lived and it might be amusing.

So, they hit upon a plan. They would snare a rabbit, take it to the nearest hovel and offer it to the woman. As they visited, they would have a chance to survey peasant life and see what could possibly be going on with these wretched people. One of the young Lords asked timidly, “Isn’t that against the rules?” But he was silenced by roars of laughter.

Naturally, the peasant woman was terrified when she pulled back the deer hide that kept out the weather and saw Golden Ones on her path. What could she or her family have done to provoke a visit? But they calmed her with hearty greetings and held high the rabbit they had brought.

They pushed the moldy hide away, entered the single room then stood crowded and uncertain what to do or say next. One small room for all these people. But look how clever they were! The small fire pit with that hollow log pipe overhead to let in light and air! Those stumps shaved smooth and used as both seating and tables. Those clothes that could be worn during the day or slept upon at night. How wonderful to rule over such clever people. And look at those chiseled and worn burls serving so admirably as bowls.

But what was that in the corner? A teacup? Upon questioning the peasant woman, they were surprised to hear that each peasant family had owned one for generations, a dim reminder of better days. But the true surprise came when they spotted the coins! What was this? Peasants with coins! How could this be?

At first the Peasant woman was embarrassed by what must seem a pittance to the Golden Ones. But they seemed so genuinely impressed, she relaxed and explained how they had accumulated the coins over their lifetime.

Hurriedly, for now the Golden Ones had new fun to plan, they handed over the rabbit and strode toward the great houses on the hill.

“Well, well” said Lord Gainmoyre. “Its appears our peasants have become untrustworthy and devious.” The mutterings from Lords Allmyne and Noneferthee showed their discomfort with the new discovery.  “Peasants with coins” they mumbled in an effort to comprehend.

“Well, lads, let’s not become too bleak,” Lord Allmyne finally declared. “Afterall, we are the Lords of all. We were just discussing how tiresome life was without castles to plan or exciting prey to hunt or trout to catch. Perhaps we can turn our skills to new sources for amusement.” The others, still contemplating peasants with coins, were slow to apprehend his suggestion and just stared at him blankly.

Since no one in the great hall seemed the least interested in his proposal, Lord Allmyne realized he must lay things out more clearly for his stupefied peers.

“It’s like this, lads. We have nothing else to amuse ourselves with but peasants. We have reached a moment when we must face difficult truths. Let’s buck up and rally round and go forth from here.”

Lord Noneferthee slowly focused on old Lord Allmyne’s face and listlessly asked, “Whatever are you speaking of?” Lord Gaynmore said nothing, but at least lifted his head to the conversation and quit muttering.

“Let us each devise contests to see which of us can get the peasants to work harder for less while we take what they have stored in those silly teacups. It could be fun. And the one who manages to take the most shall be declared the winner and will take possession of all the horses of all the other Great Ones.” Lord Allmyne paused to let this sink in. One of the younger Lords again asked, “Isn’t gaming with the peasant’s money against the rules?” This time no one gave him so much as a glance.

Now with the possibilities of great gain – and great loss – all the others suddenly seemed alert and their eyes took on the brightness not seen since the long ago hunts. Gaming with real people, well, almost people but one couldn’t be choosy. Certainly they were as clever as the exciting animals had been.

Lord Noneferthee, always impulsive, sprang for the challenge. He had no idea how he would manage but he had always come up with something before and trusted his skills. “I’m in,” he announced. With his acceptance, there was nothing for the others to do but accept. To everyone’s surprise, Lord Gaynmore revealed that he had actually been thinking along these lines since the faraway time when he had met a traveler from an antique land who told of Banquettes. He slowly began to explain.

“I will offer to keep the peasant’s money safe for them and add a pittance every year.” The others were stupefied. How on earth was this a game to get their goods? But he ignored their puzzled looks and continued. “As I will then have control over their money, I will lend some small part of it back to them.” Sensing that this only added to the confusion, he continued. “I will charge them more for letting them use their own money than I am paying them.” Now the other lords were truly baffled. This made no sense; even peasants could not be counted on to be so stupid. However they were in no mood to argue. Just then, Lord Noneferthee jumped in with his quickly hatched plan.

“I will offer to take their money and send it to distant lands where it will be used to make more money. The peasants like magic and all I have to do is promise them great riches when they are old, if they will not give thought to their coins for many years but just trust me to make them as wealthy as I have made myself.”

When all eyes turned to Allmyne, he was not completely prepared to offer a plan, but he was growing uncomfortable under their taunting eyes. “Okay. Here’s my game. I will lend them more coins than they have and tempt them because my way will help them have more in less time. I will give them a large sum tomorrow which will so bedazzle them, they will never wonder at my largess. In a few seasons, I will ask them to pay back much more than I offered. They, of course, will not be able to do so because I will have reduced their hours and their wages while requiring them to bring two candles, not one.” The other Lords looked truly shocked. Even they could not have imagined such a grand scheme, but then, Allmyne had taken more time. When would they learn to follow his example.

A date was chosen and plans were made. They would have to be careful not to arouse the peasants’ suspicions. They had known for some time that the peasants were eavesdropping so they would use that now against them. And they would have to send that pesky young Lord to a faraway land on a secret quest.

They planned the largest festival ever. It would require all the peasants to leave the fields and workshops and bring all their wives and children. This created a great stir of anticipation among the peasants. They loved sharing in the holiday spirit even if it did mean more work. Just to stand on the sidelines of such a bright and lively occasion was worth a great deal to them.

After months of careful preparations, the guests began arriving. Since they had come from such faraway places, they would stay longer and they brought far more exotic things. The peasants were dazzled.

The month long feasting and gaming, dancing and music began. Some visitors explained new games and described new inventions and new ways of producing those inventions. The Lords were  impressed. The peasants heard and were impressed.

When Festival Month ended and all the guests had departed and all the Great Halls were put right, the peasants gathered along the river to enjoy their free afternoon. In these short hours they compared notes and discussed all they had been privileged to learn. Some decided to approach their Lord and ask that he keep their money safe for them and give them back a little more someday.

Others decided such a timid method was foolish; they had already waited years and all they had to show for it was a teacup full of coins. They would follow a bolder path and would seek out their Lord to make their coins grow into heaps of gold with whatever method he thought best. Afterall, look how the Lords lived and never worked. Surely they were wise. An old peasant woman tried to remind them of the Bad Times when their families had lost everything but a teacup, but no one heard her.

In a few short weeks, all the teacups were empty but the peasants seemed more cheerful than ever. They worked harder than they imagined they could, relieved of the need to squeeze out a coin or two each month.

Years passed and the peasants began to wonder just how many coins they had accumulated. Afterall, the Lords were again building even grander castles and having larger festivals. They had ordered new towers built so they could enjoy the new games they had learned.

When the Peasants finally asked how many coins they now owned they were told, “We know what we are doing. Do not disturb us.” But that made the peasants worry. Some had started missing the comfort of counting their coins and wanted them back. Some grew bold and went together to the Hill. The Lords for the first time looked worried. But Noneferthee stepped forward to address the crowd below: “If you try to get your coins now, everyone will lose. You have to be patient and understand how our system works. If you take your coins back, your old age money will vanish, too, and your children and old people will be forced to live in the river caves again. Your houses will become our houses if we have to give up all the coins to all the peasants at once. Did you not read the decree that Lord Allmyne sent out when you let him give you money for your miserable hovels?”

The silence that fell over the peasants was profound. It took long hours before they could understand just what they were being told and they had to work this new idea in with all the wizardry they had learned. They also were disturbed when they thought about just how well the Golden Ones seemed to be doing since collecting the Peasants’ coins. Why had they not noticed before? Could the Golden Ones truly be that evil?

The silence endured. The peasants still worked but their days were more somber than ever. They no longer had the teacup of coins to reward them at the end of the day. In fact, they had hidden the teacups, now just a bitter reminder of their foolishness. They had no hope of ever seeing their former lives; most were too old to ever make those coins again especially since their work days were now shorter and their pay had been reduced.

One day in late November, they were all told to go home early. The days of rain made field work impossible and since no goods could be transported there was no need to produce anything in the workshop. Getting up and down the trails had become too perilous for the draft animals and the swollen rivers meant that there would be weeks of delay.

The peasants gathered once again beside the river where just a few short years before they had made such bold and glorious plans and dreamed of comforts for themselves. How foolish that all seemed now. Huddled around the single small fire they shared now that their wood allotments had been reduced, they sighed and looked into the distance. Slowly, they became aware of a muffled rumble up the valley, though no lightning foretold thunder. It sounded more like distant drums, though no festivals were planned. Then they noticed sounds of cracking and crashing along with the rumbles. They reached for their wives and children instinctively. But even then it was too late. The wall of water released from the mountains was upon them in seconds. Huge boulders smashed some to death instantly while the rest were swept along with other debris, down the valley and out to sea.

The sun rose bright and clear as if mocking the scene of utter and total destruction. The Lords looked through their windows at the valley below. No hovels remained. No peasants remained. The silence was terrifying. The stillness was even worse.

About mid-morning Allmyne ventured the question none of the others dared ask: “Who will work in the fields and workshops now? Who will prepare for the festivals? Who will serve us and clean for us? Who will supply our firewood and tend our stables?”

After much thought, Noneferthee brightened. “Let’s summon our friends from faraway and have them send their peasants. What we offer them here will seem ever so much better than what they have known.” The other Lords quickly agreed and the mood lightened only to be shattered when they realized the messengers had all been washed away and the pigeons had been killed and eaten in a moment of drunkenness at the last festival.

Then they began to notice other things they hadn’t needed to attend to until now. Roads were gone, ships were wrecked. Indeed the kingdom was in total disrepair after long years of merrymaking. No one would come to save them and they could not escape to save themselves. Their world had been washed away with the peasants, the exciting beasts, the forest, the hovels with the teacups and coins.

As the bleakness set in again, this time permanently, the truth of their isolation settled over them. They pulled their heavy chairs to the windows to catch what little warmth the day provided, knowing the cold, dark night would arrive soon enough. And night would be a relief from the wretched, ruined landscape they could not escape and could not ignore. The last words heard in the Great Hall came at sunset, as one of the Golden Women wailed, “Better to be with those that we destroy, than in destruction dwell in doubtful joy.”