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Divine Wine - Fable
A long time ago, only three gods inhabited the Earth. These gods were few and the Earth was quite large, so in their boredom, they decided to create animals conceived by their own imagination. The god of water created fish, sharks, and whales. The god of land created lions, zebras, and elephants. The god of air created small birds, eagles, and bats. And so on until the Earth was filled with animals of all different shapes and sizes. They left their creations to their own devices, and watching from afar, the gods were pleased to see that there was balance in the world, harmony, as each animal protected their kin and lived peacefully.
The gods were so satisfied with the animals they had created that one day they decided to invite a handful of them to their palace in order to host a great celebration. All of the representatives were delighted by the invitation, and their enthusiasm and curiosity was fueled when they saw the grand palace built from materials they had never even seen before. The god of land received them, among them a dog, a mouse, a lion, a turtle, a hawk, and a crocodile chosen mostly by chance. The god of land introduced them to the rare fruit that only the gods ate, as well as their wine, and invited the animals to help themselves. However, he warned them to consume only in moderation, for although just a few bites and a few sips would make them powerful, if they ate too much their mind would become clouded.
The animals found this warning rather vague, and their mind was mostly filled with excitement as they danced and laughed, relishing the harmonious music of the like they had never heard before. A whole week they spent in celebration, and when it was over, the gods prompted the animals to take a hefty portion of their own food and wine. They wanted all the animals on Earth to experience what they had, saying that they deserved it, so the animals took as much divine goods as they could carry and left the palace. They were elated, and couldn’t wait to tell the others about their adventure. And although each one of them had meant it when they promised to distribute the food and wine among everyone when they got home, they couldn’t help themselves, and on their way back they started eating the food the gods had given them.
They only ate meager amounts at first, but the fruit was so rich and sweet, and the wine so strong yet so smooth, that they quickly devoured most of what the gods had given them before returning with the other animals. When they arrived, they clearly were no longer like the rest. They were stronger, faster, and smarter than the others. But their thoughts had also been tainted with ambition and even malice. These animals persuaded the members of their own kin to fight for land, in order to rule over the rest. The gods soon realized what had happened.
“Some of them have become too powerful even for us to control,” the god of water said. “Our creation has been corrupted, only chaos and destruction can follow.”
“Indeed. We should have left them as they were. Times were simpler, but they had all they needed and were happier.” Answered the god of land. “Now they will fight until there’s nothing left to fight about.”
Sebastián Rincón
Victor Zamora
