the fence

Once upon a time, in a beautiful village, there, where the houses came to an end, was an open space where children used to play. Next to this space rose a fence which, as the story goes, separated the village from the fields.

Throughout their early youth, children played at this space but, it would seem, they never were aware of the fence itself and the fields that lay beyond it.

Until one day one child thought of going to the fields. He approached the fence, looked at it again and again and said to himself: "Wow, wow, wow, how high this fence is. Will I be able to cross it"?.
He remained there for quite some time wondering, while in his eyes the fence grew higher and higher.
"Leave it for now" he said. "I will cross it tomorrow".

After his daily play the child went to the fence many a times and always postponed to cross it and go to the fields. Until one day he felt so desperate that he kept repeating, "Wow, wow, wow, I will never be able to go to the fields" and run sobbing to his home.

"What happened my child"? , asked the mother, and the child told her of his wish to go to the fields and the very high fence, he could not cross. His mother was sad but admired him and said: "Never mind, when you grow older, you will be able to do it".

However, later in the night he heard his mother say with sorrow to his father "Our child is unworthy. The moment a difficulty arises in his life, he starts crying and gives up". And the child felt unworthy.

Time passed and then another child thought of going to the fields. He looked at the fence and said "wow, wow, wow, this fence is very high and difficult to cross" As soon as he said that, the fence grew taller and the stones bigger in his eyes.

The child looked again at the fence assessing it and suddenly he jumped grabbed the stones with his hands, but, he was not able to cross it. He tried another time and another time and finally he succeeded. He looked at his hands and knees and saw they were bleeding. He glanced at the fields, the wide space, the freedom, and hurried back to the fence and again with great difficulty he crossed it back to his home.

His mother saw him and started yelling: "What happened to you, my child. Come, let me clean your wounds". While taking care of him she asked what went wrong and the child told her of the very high fence, the big stones, and his wish to go to the fields. "Well, never mind" she said.

However later he heard his mother tell his father: "Our child is worthy. When he wants to do something, no difficulties can stop him". And the child felt proud and worthy. But, also sad because his hands and knees were hurting.

Time passed again and here was another child who also wanted to go to the fields. He looked at the fence and said "This fence is very low. I will give it a jump and I will find myself on the other side" and as he was looking at the fence, thinking of what he had said, the fence grew lower and the stones smaller in his eyes.

The child took another look, and, feeling light, he jumped the fence and found himself on the other side, amid the fields, the wide space and freedom. Singing he went here and there, through the fields, and saw the brook rolling, the bird nests in the shrubs and the bushes, the fish in the river and tasted the blackberries that hang from the trees, just a few to make him feel their juicy beauty, and he said to himself. "Time to go home".

A long time passed and another child thought of going to the fields. He looked around and saw the fence, as well as a pathway near it. Singing, he followed the path and reached the fields, the wide space and freedom. And after he promenaded himself up to the river, and saw the nests in the bushes and the shrubs, he saw the fish in the water, he went to the thatch by the brook and chose a strong reed, which he cut with a pointed stone, took it with him and went home.

When his mother saw him she said: "Dinner is ready father has returned. Come quickly so that we can all eat together". The child washed his hands, combed his hair and quietly sat at the table. Then his father asked: "Where did you find the reed" and the child told him of his walk to the river and all the things he saw. He then told them that he wanted to learn fishing and asked his father for a string and a hook and his father said he would give him all that. He also asked his mother to give him dry bread for bait and she said she would give him all that and a basket for the fish.

They then, as was their habit, sat and said how was their day and the child listened with interest.

Nobody thought anything about the fence neither wondered whether their child was worthy, lucky or anything else. They all felt serene and happy in their home.