A NEW GENESIS
Once upon a time, in a far place,nestled in a nook of a sleepy mountain in the never forgotten land, lived an elf,as thousands of others. It was not a troll or an Irish elf. It couldn’t think or believe in anything. It didn’t believe in the Sun or God. Whenever it needed help, it didn’t go to any kind of church, and there wasn’t any sacred place with an altar to pray.
The mountain was full of all kinds of different elves, each speaking a different language , so they couldn’t communicate in any way. The language they spoke was revealed to them at the moment of their birth.
No mother gave birth to them, they were created the way worms are, after rain, growing in the morning mist and formed with a thousand different faces, colours and builds. All of them were short, not taller than grass, not shorter than the pebbles which were found by the bank of a small rivulet flowing in the deep valley surrounded by tall figs, pines,oaks and a myriad of colourful flowers and herbs.
At the foot of the mountain there was a village where people lived, as people live everywhere in the world, totally unaware of the existence of their tiny neighbours, as the elves always changed colour as a chameleon does whenever a person was present.
For them people were no different to any other animal, bird or insect which would kill them or eat them, or just step accidentally on them. They were driven by the instict of survival and the only noble feeling they had , was that of elation. They couldn’t describe it, as their languages were limited to the basic vocabulary to speak to flowers, herbs and the big roots, which spread like spines on the forest floor. Only these could listen to them and only these would respond by moving their leaves and stems. Only roots could change colour since they couldn’t move and warn them in case of danger.
Whenever they saw one another they had a feeling of connection without exactly knowing the reason, since their appearance was so different , yet similar to the eyes of the other inhabitants of the mountain.
Since the rain and the morning mist were their source of their nourishment , they exclaimed with joy, and as the rainbow appeared in the sky , a mystical music was heard from the mountain , composed by their thousands of voices, making people feel afraid of the mountain.
People believe in whatever they see , or in whatever they think will control their souls after death, and they are completely unprepared for what there is in between , so it was beyond their abilities to understand the source of this heavenly music.
Life has its turns, though, even for our little friends. So, their life was interrupted abruptly one day, when torrents of rain fell on the mountain. The little rivulet bacame a big river , and mud covered everything.
The flowers drowned and disappeared into the soft soil. The elves found shelter in the thickest roots of the trees and they started to climb as high as they could.
The rain lasted for days, for endless dark days and nights the rain filled every inch of their land , and for the first time they felt a new feeling surging through them. We, people, call it, fear.
It was so strange, since water was their mother, but now the newborn elves were dying, even before they had time to take their first breath, in the mud suffocated in the guts of their own womb, the Earth. For the first time in their history, they managed to stand side by side . So many of them !!
In the shadows of the forests they were obliged to stand on the roots, climbing, day by day higher on the trees trying to save their lives. Then as suddenly as it had started it stopped.
The rainbow gloriously appeared in the sky. Never before was the music louder, never before was the feeling of elation greater, never before had they had a chance to look at one another so clearly, never before had they the opportunity to see how many they were.
Never before was there no flowers to understand them, to answer them back in a form of a language, never before had they felt a new feeling LONELINESS.
Never before had they seen their home from so high as a whole. They saw the river, the slopes of the mountain, the village in the distance. A whole new world appeared in front of their eyes. Never before had i occurred to them that the world was something more than the neighbouring flowers, that there was life a step away from the muddy bank. It was the first time they saw the sky so clearly in its splendor , and never before had they seen a rainbow in its magnificence.
The first thought was created in their tiny minds while looking around , he who is standing next to me, must be feeling the same as me. And for the first time they needed to express themselves in the same language.
The roots were changing colours so quickly so as to respond to all of them, but when they felt the same thing - loneliness, fear,elation, and courteousness, they all had the same colour. So they understood that this meant the same for everyone. It was the first code for them, it was an evasive but definite way to put the cornerstone of their first conscious language.
THE VILLAGE - DAY 1.
The flood didn’t only change elves’ lives, but also the villagers who lived in the nearby village. It destroyed their crops, demolished their barns, and washed away the fences that mapped out their properties. As they hadn’t marked their animals, when the rain finally stopped, nobody knew which animal belonged to whom , because they had all muddled up while they were trying to escape the mud and save their lives.
It was the first time, since they could remember, that they weren’t at all impressed by the music, which followed the rainbow,even though it was more melodious and louder than ever. They were soaked, miserable and totally confused when they came out of their half destroyed houses to see what the flood had done to their village.
Amazed , they saw mud everywhere. Their gardens had vanished, their fields had totally disappeared. Instead there was a lake!
Their animals scattered on every small dry patch of the ground. They were bewildered,and they didn’t know what they should do first. Not even their leader or their priest had a good idea to propose. Actually, their leader suggested to them that they should collect a sum of money, as extra taxes. The priest on the other hand, urged them to gather all together to pray for their salvation from the flood. However, looking around at this unspeakable catastrophe neither of these proposals seemed appropriate. So, they gathered on the top of the nearest hill and decided to start with the basics.
A few women agreed to look after the children up to ten years old. Some others willingly agreed to be responsible for all the housework and gathering of whatever was edible, to feed the hungry people of the stricken village. Older boys and girls were sent to collect the animals, and the rest of men and women of the village. even the oldest who could stand on their feet , started to clean up the roads and lanes, taking wood and stones out from the yards which had rolled down from the mountain.
The priest went aside from the assembly and started praying by himself while the leader was shouting orders, trying to convince them that all this organization was his idea, but for the first time in the village’s history, nobody listened to him.
THE NEXT DAY - DAY 2
A bright sun was rising in the sky, giving a promise of better days. The sky was light blue and there was not even a cloud to cast a shadow on the suffering land. Under its golden light everything seemed possible, and the people felt an unexpected feeling of happiness to fill them. It was like they weren’t the same anymore. All the negative feelings they had when they first saw what had happened, now they had decided what had to be done , disappeared, and new ones came to replace them. They felt full of energy and goodwill to fix everything. Not only as it was before , but even better. Nobody argued about anything. There was no need. Everybody did their share, and as everybody knew each other , they did not have any questions about their abilities. The woman, who took care of the small children spoke lovingly to all of them,even to the one who had stolen her freshly baked bread from the stove! The women who were cooking didn’t have any choice but to cook the same food for everyone. The men who were fixing the fences decided not to, as they were living in the countryside, and there was a lot of space for everyone. Instead they decided to plant flowers around every house. They were so proud of themselves and so tired that when the day came to its end and the sun hid behind the mountain, they went to bed happier and more fulfilled than ever before.
The next day was better , as the Earth had drunk the water and it wasn't thirsty anymore. After they had gathered the animals, they divided then between the families according to the their members. Some of them were a little disappointed but still, didn’t say anything. There was such a beautiful atmosphere of love and friendship, and everyone was working so hard, that these extra animals, were a kind of payment for all their efforts. Their life became better after the tragedy and they decided that they didn’t really need their leader anymore. Whatever problem there was, they could talk about it in the assembly, and if they still couldn’t find a solution, they could ask the elders’ opinion, as they were experienced, and as everybody knows, experience is the best teacher.
DAY THREE.
The third day the villagers went out to their fields . The young boys took the animals to find pastour, and some others were cleaning and cooking and doing all the housework. Those who were responsible for the children, decided to take them for an excursion up to the mountain, they had always been afraid of it and its music, but with all this commotion their fear had been replaced by curiosity. So curious as they were, they prepared to discover the origin of the music.
The children, as all children, hadn’t understood exactly the tremendous changes that had occured in their lives. They started their hike with a feeling of excitement. The children were as lively as children are, just setting off for a trip. They were chattering and chirping like birds. They flocked up the hills, covering the slopes, driving themselves slowly, slowly, nearer and nearer to the place where the little elves lived. Next to their forest there was a meadow, surrounded by lush vegetation. It was just like a huge green tablecloth waiting for them to have their picnic. The children had to be very careful while they continued their hike, as there were still places where the mud was thick and there was a danger of getting stuck. Small animals and frogs were heard behind the bushes, from the tops of trees, from behind their trunks and all around them.
Life was manifesting its existence. The children were very happy, and didn’t feel at all exhausted from their long hike under the blistering sun. They were so amazed that they started running and playing all around it.
THE MEETING
Our little friends were still on the trees and the roots, fidgeting, uncertain of what to do. Those who were on the higher levels,saw the children playing in the meddow, and one by one decided to move forward to this place, which was the only one available to get some rest and continue their life on a new basis.
Look! Look! A charming young boy shouted to his friends. Look there! - At the edge of the bushes, can’t you see them? - They are so strange! Short! Colourful ! : Look , Look!-
But he didn’t manage to finish his sentence. The elves disappeared before their eyes , taking the colour of the plants around them.
- But I saw them! The little boy cried anxiously. All the children spread out in the meadow and started to search for them. Of course, they didn’t find anything, and started mocking their friend. The little boy described what he had seen. Hundreds of tiny creatures, looking like people in a way, having their bodies covered with leaves.
- And what about the music? Insisted the boy. - They probably make it. Can’t you see? They probably believe in the Sun or the Sky, that’s why they pray and sing when the rainbow is in the Sky!
The others didn’t stay around to listen to him anymore. They continued their games, but he stayed there , collecting stones, making a mark of where he first saw these mysterious elves. In the afternoon, after having played all day, they grudgingly started their trip back to the village. Tired but happy, walking slowly and sleepily , dragged themselves to their homes.
Everyone slept, the moment their heads touched their pillows! Except the boy, when his mother went to kiss him goodnight he was still awake, thinking over and over again , of the moment he saw the creature. -They must be elves- was his last thought, as his eyelids got heavier and heavier and then a dream followed, when he dreamed again of this precious moment. Even in his dreams he continued thinking as if he was awake , and decided to go again, alone, to solve the mystery.
FOURTH DAY. THE ELVES
When they saw the boy, the elves changed colour and disappeared from their eyes, but one realized the reason of their changing. He had already experienced this feeling before , and now he connected it with his
