Aesop’s Fables
Are you ready for a cliché? Here we go: When I were a lad…
I loved nothing more than playing knock a door run, smashing windows, climbing trees and eating glue. But sometimes there would be days when I really couldn’t be bothered with nicking stuff from Shopping Giant or getting chased by the security guards at Woolworths.
It could get tiresome being a scallywag!
When I needed downtime, I’d find sanctuary in a book and get lost in existential spirals over talking foxes with strong moral opinions. Yes I’m talking about Aesop’s Fables. I absolutely loved them and I devoured those stories about animals doing shady stuff and those lessons hidden in metaphors was just enough to help shape my mind into thinking like a mentalist.
What if I could trick people into discovering deep truths by telling them weird stories about goats and frogs? I thought.
Here I am: Years later, a grown man with a blog, a pack of ESP cards and a ridiculous amount of metaphorical baggage!
A tale of two wizards
The floating town of Whispering Grove is a peculiar little patch of land that hovers somewhere between logic and legend. It’s a place where the sun comes up sideways and thoughts float on puddles of phoenix fire.
It is also home to Thimblewick and Merlinor, two wizarding friends.
Thimblewick is known for quiet spells, thoughtful hexes and a particular fondness for dancing elf’s… if you know what I mean?
Merlinor wears robes of thunder, his spells involve fogweaving, brimstone and fire breathing dragons.
The two had been magical companions for some time and they often debated illusions, swapped runes, and they had even co created a levitating llama that recited Shakespeare… Those were good times.
But then came the disagreement!
Merlinor had crafted a new spell: The echo of eternal enchantment.
It was a dramatic piece involving memory projection, spirit bells
and a finale that made the moon flash purple.
He performed it with pride and couldn’t wait to show it to
The Council Of Conjuring Kaleidoscopic Sailors.
He expected nothing short of admiration and nods of approval.
And rightly so, it was after all a fantastic spell.
Later that evening whilst enjoying a nice cup of memorysilk tea,
Merlinor asked Thimblewick:
Well? Be honest my friend, what did you think?
Thimblewick spoke earnestly: It was intriguing but the spirit bell felt a bit flat and the reveal didn’t land how I expected.
Merlinor blinked, he smiled a long, slightly crooked smile.
Oh well, not everyone gets it!
And with that he summoned a cloud of sage scented mist
and vanished from the conversation.
It wasn’t long before Merlinor sent an enchanted parchment bird message to Thimblewick which read:
Thimblewick: The keeper of the old ways,
may your spells continue to whisper while others dare to roar!
Thimblewick smiled, but he knew deep down that something felt off.
The message wasn’t cruel, just slightly hostile.
This wasn’t the first time they’d disagreed on something, most famously was when Thimblewick said he saw a SnarklePig one Sunday afternoon down by the Mumblemurk river, but Merlinor argued that SnarklePig’s only come out every third Thursday when the moon hiccups.
But all that was in the past and the two wizards had been good friends ever since the Grindlewax incident but that’s a fable for another day!
In the days that followed, Thimblewick thought a lot about how he could have handled the situation differently he was puzzled, he thought his advice was good but now he wondered if he should perhaps replace his honesty with praise when dealing with people, maybe that’s what they want to hear?
But then wouldn’t I just become another voice
in an already over crowded echo chamber?
The Search Of Self Initiated Justice
Feeling disturbed by the shift in tone,
Thimblewick travelled to the library of unspoken things.
It’s a place where forgotten truths wander like fog, floorboards remember your birthday and books rearrange themselves based on the phases of the moon.
Whilst there, he found the scroll of subtle discord, it was beautifully written in invisible ink and only readable through the lens of honest reflection.
Thimblewick read the scroll and was surprised by it’s wisdom.
Sometimes when disagreement stings, one cloaks hurt in politeness.
Passive magic is still magic.
A smile can hex, if cast just right.
Thimblewick went to the field of mild regret in search of
The Order Of Judgemental Frogs
He met with them and quickly learnt that it wasn’t so much his feedback that was the problem, rather it was his delivery. The frogs informed him that when he speaks before thinking, it sounds like he has cake for brains!
He missed his friend and he remembered how he and Merlinor had a shared love of aubergine farming, the long nights of spellcraft and laughter.
Their mutual respect had been built on a tower of smoke and sincerity.
Was it now crumbling down? Or just hiding?
The Reconciliation
One evening beneath a moon that blinked twice before rising,
Merlinor sent an enchanted parchment bird with a message:
Thimblewick, It is not my intention to start a feud with you, you are my friend and a feud will benefit no one. Besides I’m a better dancer!
Thimblewick replied: My friend, I was wrong to criticise you so rudely, it was not my intention to offend you, I spoke with what I thought was honesty but on reflection I should have been a little more empathic to your situation as it must have been terribly stressful attempting to enchant a spirit bell whilst flashing the moon purple and yet you still did it!
Merlinor enquired about Thimblewick’s prized aubergine
There was silence, then laughter.
Together, they summoned a small storm and let it pass between them
with just enough thunder to clear the air.
The Moral
Because all wizards love a good moral and I love Aesop’s Fables!
Disagreements are inevitable when bright minds spark.
But most importantly is what follows the silence.
The strongest friendships aren’t built on endless agreement.
They’re built on honesty, the courage to say I disagree and the grace to listen with an open mind.
Final thoughts from the floating towers of Aesop
If you ever feel the temperature shift in a friendship,
if the compliments start feeling coded
and the smiles are wrapped in mystery.
Don’t panic. But don’t ignore it.
Sometimes, the bravest spell isn’t a fireball, it’s a quiet, awkward conversation with someone you care about.
Thimblewick realised he should choose his words more wisely.
Merlinor realised he should listen with an open mind.
Even the best wizards sometimes mix a little ego in the brew.
And that’s okay, as long as we learn how to stir it out!
