《The Thoughts of a Stone》


 Teaching a stone to think

    Oberon was in one of his moods. Which always meant trouble for Puck. The hobgoblin huffed through the grove in twilight, his harsh breaths a sharp contrast to precise movements. Puck had one thing on his mind: ¡°What has Oberon done now?¡±


    Puck approached the center of the grove, making the signs and steps to avoid the countless traps and curses that awaited those who approached Oberon¡¯s throne unwary. His eyes contained the measured fear of someone dancing with a familiar death, with carefree steps. Golden light from the setting sun struck the reflecting pond beside Oberon¡¯s throne and flashed on a bespeckled gem in the Fairy King¡¯s hand. ¡°What is it, my lord? What have you wrought now?¡±


    ¡°A simple thing, for a simple Puck,¡± Oberon muttered, his eye staring intently at his servant''s foot, staring as it moved toward the ground.


    Puck pulled the foot back, going into a bow. Oberon sighed, and returned his eye to the gem.


    ¡°It is a simple thing, my simple Puck. I took a stone, and made it think.¡±


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    ¡°The thoughts of a stone are simple, indeed.¡±


    ¡°And so I learned, and so I lost interest.¡±


    ¡°You seemed intent upon the stone as I arrived, my Lord.¡±


    ¡°Of course, good Puck, your astute observation was the same as my own." He paused, seeming to think that explanation enough. After a long moment, he continued, "The thought we shared was that a thinking stone is well and good, yet it is still a stone having the thoughts of a stone.¡±


    ¡°What have you done, my Lord?¡±


    ¡°Well, silly Puck, I thought the thoughts of a King of the Fae, and walked through my mushroom garden, and came to a simple conclusion: a stone that thought the thoughts of a man would be much more interesting than a stone that thought the thoughts of a stone.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, my Lord, it is so, but the thoughts of a man are the thoughts of a man because it is a man, and the thoughts of a stone are the thoughts of a stone because it is a stone.¡±


    ¡°And that, my friendly Puck, is why I had to mar this pretty rock. I have taken what was one, and turned it into ten thousand stones, and together those stones have bound the thoughts of a man.¡±


    "A stone that thinks the thoughts of a man is a thing to behold, indeed.¡±


    Oberon scowled. ¡°Of course, it doesn''t think the thoughts of a man, Puck, teaching a stone to think the thoughts of a man, even a stone as magnificent as my stone of stones, would be impossible. I have taken what makes a man¡¯s thoughts, and bound them to the stone.¡±


    ¡°And what do you will?¡±