woof woof
From
George Pope@1:153/757.2 to
All on Mon May 24 11:16:50 2021
Hey, everytbody!
Anyone here besides Daryl Stout & myself?
I'm going to try to recall these from memory. . .
A man ewas traveling long &fasr to see the world. He was up a tall mountain
in t he Himalayas, seeking ultimate wisdom fro the gurus who lived up there.
He took refuge at a cabin, as a guest. After a sumptuous meal of yak mutton stew, he laid down on the austere straw-covered cot to sleep, but a haunting humming like melody teased his mind. He asked his host what the words beingchanted were, & was told only the shamans of the sapphire stone were allowed to know.
The traveller begged & begged, but always got the answer, "You're not a
shaman of the sapphire stone."
Finally, he could stand it no longer & asked his hosdt to help him become
such a shamnan, as he MUST know the words that echoed so sdtrongly in his
heart & mind.
Hisd host was secretly a recruiter, so began the training regimen
immediately.
No straw on his bed & he could only eat & drink a single cup of broth a day.
Every dawn he had to get up & run a mile uphill, then crawl back on his
belly.
After a month of this austerity, he begged to know the secret words, but was told, "You are not a shaman of the sapphire stone."
He renewed his efforts to be brought in, continuing the previous regimen, but now he had only half a cup of broth a day & had to run up 2 miles of
mountain, crzwling back.
After 6 months he was given a yellow belt for his super itchy yak-hair robe
He asked if this meant he had passed & become worthy to know the secret
chant.
"You are not a shaman of the sapphire stone."
Another 6 months, but now he had to walk across 100 metres of burning coals every night before his 3 hours of sleep on a cold hard plank.
Another 6 months, but now he could only have the half cup of broth every
second day, & only allowed 1.5 hours of sleep each night.
Still the mystery haunted him & he begged to know the answer, figuring he
MUST have completed the training & initiation by now.
His host slowely replied, "You are not a member of the shamans of the
sapphire stone."
He continued his training, which only got harder by the month. . .
Finally, when he weighed only 45 pounds of lean skin & gristle, he was dunked three times in a pool of yak urine, & proclaimed to be a shaman of the
sapphire stone. . .
His host led him to the secret chambers, deep in the mountain, following a winding ever upwards path, until they found a cave only 15 inches high &
wide. He crawled in after his host, & they crawled for 18 hours up, down, left, right, forward, & some times back in his original direction. . .
Finally they burst into a chamber made of pure sapphire & glowing like the noonday sun. He shaded his eyes from the painful blue glare.
\
Ther chief shaman presented him with a sacred scroll containing the text of
the secret chant. He had MADE IT!
In glee he awaited that night's chanting time.
At midnight he joined the circle of shamans & began walking around the
pulsing central sapphire that seemed to be somehow alive & not only crystal.
As he began chanting the second line of the chant with his brethrebn, an unearthly glow escaped the centre sapphire & engulfed our curious traveler. Immediately he became all-knowing & immortal.
Do you want to know what that secret scroll said?
Sorry, I can't tell you; you're not a shaman of the sapphire stone.
Your friend,
<+]:{)}
Cyberpope, Bishop of ROM
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* Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757.2)