darkwall
Well-known member
Does anyone feel like continuing this? It could be fun.
...
Once upon a time there was a man with a goat. All over the canyon he walked, and whenever he met someone he would ask, "Would you like to buy this goat? It has magical powers." People always thought he was mad, or a drunkard: "Old man," they would say, "If the goat has magical powers, then why are you barefoot and in rags, charred in the sun and drenched by the rain? Go home, old man, and let's have no more of your trickery."
My grandfather said that once he saw him, a small tattered thing moving lightly as a leaf down the red slope of the canyon, the goat following behind him on a string. This sighting, however, was nothing compared to his friend Olujimi, who once met him and talked with him. The little man asked him, "Would you like to buy this goat? It has magical powers."
Olujimi, who was a joker, and saw the opportunity for a laugh, asked him how much the goat was. "Two dollars," the man replied. "Old man," said Olujimi smilingly, "That is a lot to ask for such an ancient goat, even if it does have magical powers."
"It is enough to get me back to my old country."
"I thought you might be from another country. Here in this land we sell things in markets, not canyons. Where is this country of yours?"
"On the other coast." The old man rubbed his head as he talked and squinted at the sun, as if he was impatient to get back to that other part of the world and did not want to be late. Dust, Olujimi noted, had gathered near his eyelids, which were like a giraffe's, long and heavy, hiding twin pools of darkness that seemed to have dried up in his head, leaving rings.
"That is a long way to travel to sell a goat," said Olujimi sympathetically.
"I had a beautiful daughter there, and I should like to get back to her."
Olujimi stroked his chin, and said, "Why did you leave her? Was she a flirt?"
"No, she was never a trouble to me."
"Then - did she snub a fine marriage prospect?"
"No, it was that she refused to leave me. You see, I had done a terrible crime, and so I bought myself this magical goat."
Olujimi smiled, and he dropped down onto his haunches, as he always did when he sensed a fine story. The old man, to oblige him, dropped onto one knee and bowed his grizzled head under the heat of the sun as he spoke.
"Is the goat much of a problem solver?"
"Stranger, there you have it. The goat absorbs sins: but with those sins absolved you get the sins of the past owners of the goat upon you. Only when another person buys the goat - not takes, mind you - do you cease suffering, and spend the rest of your days with your soul as clear as a child's."
"And when does the goat go free?"
"I think that when all the sins gathered in the hairs on its body are too great, its owner dies, and it can die, also."
Olujimi laughed, although he felt a chill as he did so.
"Did you say there are sins in its hairs? Then why not shave the goat?"
The old man looked at Olujimi, a little pityingly. As they looked into each other's eyes for the first time, Olujimi saw that there was almost a contempt for him, masked within a mind refined by suffering, wherein there was no space for such thoughts.
"Because they will always be there in the end. When the rains are over, do the seas turn to dust? Run your hands through its coat, now."
As Olujimi ran his hands over the animal's fur, he felt a rush of dark feelings, that gave off an allure to him, like rainbows in oil tars. The one he remembered afterwards, that he told to my grandfather, was of a man, crouching in darkness, looking at Olujimi through his fingers with blood glistening in the moonlight.
Olujimi withdrew, and stood for a while at some distance, trying to pull himself together, as he later described it to my grandfather. At last he said:
"Old man, I wish to hear of your crime. And if I judge that your sins are less than my own, then I shall take this goat from you."
And with that, the old man began to speak.
...
Once upon a time there was a man with a goat. All over the canyon he walked, and whenever he met someone he would ask, "Would you like to buy this goat? It has magical powers." People always thought he was mad, or a drunkard: "Old man," they would say, "If the goat has magical powers, then why are you barefoot and in rags, charred in the sun and drenched by the rain? Go home, old man, and let's have no more of your trickery."
My grandfather said that once he saw him, a small tattered thing moving lightly as a leaf down the red slope of the canyon, the goat following behind him on a string. This sighting, however, was nothing compared to his friend Olujimi, who once met him and talked with him. The little man asked him, "Would you like to buy this goat? It has magical powers."
Olujimi, who was a joker, and saw the opportunity for a laugh, asked him how much the goat was. "Two dollars," the man replied. "Old man," said Olujimi smilingly, "That is a lot to ask for such an ancient goat, even if it does have magical powers."
"It is enough to get me back to my old country."
"I thought you might be from another country. Here in this land we sell things in markets, not canyons. Where is this country of yours?"
"On the other coast." The old man rubbed his head as he talked and squinted at the sun, as if he was impatient to get back to that other part of the world and did not want to be late. Dust, Olujimi noted, had gathered near his eyelids, which were like a giraffe's, long and heavy, hiding twin pools of darkness that seemed to have dried up in his head, leaving rings.
"That is a long way to travel to sell a goat," said Olujimi sympathetically.
"I had a beautiful daughter there, and I should like to get back to her."
Olujimi stroked his chin, and said, "Why did you leave her? Was she a flirt?"
"No, she was never a trouble to me."
"Then - did she snub a fine marriage prospect?"
"No, it was that she refused to leave me. You see, I had done a terrible crime, and so I bought myself this magical goat."
Olujimi smiled, and he dropped down onto his haunches, as he always did when he sensed a fine story. The old man, to oblige him, dropped onto one knee and bowed his grizzled head under the heat of the sun as he spoke.
"Is the goat much of a problem solver?"
"Stranger, there you have it. The goat absorbs sins: but with those sins absolved you get the sins of the past owners of the goat upon you. Only when another person buys the goat - not takes, mind you - do you cease suffering, and spend the rest of your days with your soul as clear as a child's."
"And when does the goat go free?"
"I think that when all the sins gathered in the hairs on its body are too great, its owner dies, and it can die, also."
Olujimi laughed, although he felt a chill as he did so.
"Did you say there are sins in its hairs? Then why not shave the goat?"
The old man looked at Olujimi, a little pityingly. As they looked into each other's eyes for the first time, Olujimi saw that there was almost a contempt for him, masked within a mind refined by suffering, wherein there was no space for such thoughts.
"Because they will always be there in the end. When the rains are over, do the seas turn to dust? Run your hands through its coat, now."
As Olujimi ran his hands over the animal's fur, he felt a rush of dark feelings, that gave off an allure to him, like rainbows in oil tars. The one he remembered afterwards, that he told to my grandfather, was of a man, crouching in darkness, looking at Olujimi through his fingers with blood glistening in the moonlight.
Olujimi withdrew, and stood for a while at some distance, trying to pull himself together, as he later described it to my grandfather. At last he said:
"Old man, I wish to hear of your crime. And if I judge that your sins are less than my own, then I shall take this goat from you."
And with that, the old man began to speak.
