| Board : | |
| Author : | |
| Subject : | |
| Date : | |
|
Drip, drop. The young boy shook of his ragged, rain covered cloak and removed his hat as he trudged into the Library. He waved to the Librarian as he looked around at all the texts, the books and parchments, that were all very well preserved. The boy enjoyed coming to the Library. Everyday after he had finished his chores, he would walk over to the Library to read through another text. Rain, sun, sleet, or snow the boy would return each day to spend the evening reading. As many children played outside, practising with wooden swords or pretending to be heroes on an adventure, the boy was in the Library learning. He poured over texts that contained Economics, Politics, Mathematics. Yes, the boy wanted to learn everything. However, on rainy days such as this, the boy enjoyed delving into different books, lighter novels that still allowed him to learn, but to ease his mind from tedious study. Today the boy traveled deeper into the catacombs of the library. He then decided on a text, a very old book covered in dust and spiderwebs. The title of the of the book was 'The Golden Rule'. As he began to read the novel, he was amazed by the depth it presented on equality, trust, friendship, courage and wealth. The book captivated him, taught him values that he could build upon, and lessons that no amount of study could have provided. Each day, the boy would return to the Library, pull the book out from the farthest shelves, and resume his reading. Another rainy day came as the boy splish-sploshed through the streets on his way to the Library. His high spirits of further venture into the book could not be dampened by the foul weather. He shook off his cloak and looked into the Library he was so fond of, though...it was not the same. His panicked gaze scowered the shelves. Where all the well kept texts, books and parchments were, there was nothing. Every shelf was clear, and there was no one around. He slowly sank to his knees on the floor and began to sob. Everything he had enjoyed over the past years had dissapeared almost overnight. He laid on the ground and began to cry louder. 'This can't be happening...' were his last thoughts as he cried himself to sleep. He awoke the next day to footsteps. As he sat up and wiped his tear dried eyes, he turned to see the Librarian standing above him smiling. She picked him up, brushed off his shoulders and laughed softly. The boy could not bring himself to look up at her, ashamed and saddened, he stared at her feet. His gaze was broken by a frail, but strong hand, holding out a book. The book he had been reading! The Libararian had seen the boy return everyday, smiling happily as he waved to her each afternoon before he would sit down and read the book. The Library had lost its funding, and the Land lord had sold the property. The Librarian had hidden the book aside when the men came to move all the texts from the Library. Tears running down his face, he grasped her in a tight embrace. The boy left the Library and ran home with that same boyish grin. His parents would be furious that he had skipped out on his daily chores, but he did not care about that. Many years have passed since that day. The boy had ventured into the world to follow his dreams, and has returned a successful and knowledgable man. Returning to the same Library he had spent most of his childhood in, he found it turned into a Restaraunt. Although it was after closing hours he could hear the 'swish swish' of a broom inside. The old man who ran the Restaraunt told him that the Librarian had passed away, and where he could find her grave. The next day the boy rode to the burial sight, he leapt off his horse and removed a tattered, beaten book from his bag. The golden writing on the spine still shining, spelled the words, 'The Golden Rule'. He placed the book ontop of the earth infront of her tombstone. This book had lead to everything to make him the man he was today. It had been his greatest treasure of all... Hinoyu | |