The Wooden Promise: A Tale of a Carpenter and the Cosmos
Once upon a time, in a small village on the outskirts of a dense forest, there lived an old and wise carpenter named Alfred. He was well-known in his community for his exceptional craft and his kind-heart. However, amongst all his qualities, his love for a mysterious tree in the forest was the most noticeable. He respected the tree as it had asked him for a promise, the wooden promise that he would never cut it down.
On a moonlit night, as the wind whispered through the trees, Alfred heard a distinct voice from the forest. Intrigued, he followed the sound and ended up at his beloved tree. The majestic tree shimmered with eerie light and a peculiarly glowing box emerged from within its heartwood.
The box was emblazoned with the words ‘The Keeper’ in a language that humankind couldn't comprehend, yet somehow, Alfred did. He hesitantly opened the box, revealing a hammer and chisel like no other. Crafted with the utmost care, their handles were made from the very same wood as the tree, and their gleaming heads were fashioned from a metal so pure, it could only be stardust. This box and its contents represented a revelation and, in itself, a prophecy.
As Alfred touched these tools, he felt an extraordinary surge of energy pulsating through his veins. The tree voiced its secret, that it was a sacred entity planted by divine star travellers eons ago. The tools were meant for a chosen one, a caretaker, who was destined to craft a relic from the celestial wood of the tree that would forge a bond between humanity and the cosmos.
Unsure yet excited, Alfred took upon the role. The days turned into nights, and nights were lost in the rhythm of the chisel against the wood as the mysterious form took shape. A year passed, and a beautiful wooden sceptre manifested.
The moment Alfred finished, the tree demanded him to speak ‘Release’ in its ancient language. He complied, and they watched in awe as the sceptre started floating, shining starlight. It radiated an aura that felt like the cosmos contained within the sphere. As the stars in the night sky aligned, forming a path, a pure beam of light shot from the sceptre.
The people were in awe as they witnessed a celestial form descend from the skies. The star travellers had returned. They honoured Alfred for completing what they started millennia before and fulfilling the prophecy. As a token of gratitude, they passed down their knowledge to him, enabling humanity to harness new ways of living and understand the cosmos better.
Alfred returned to his village, transformed into a bridge between his people and the star travellers. As promised, the tree continued to flourish, embodying the new kinship between two diverse forms of life created in the heart of the universe. The village thrived, growing into a city that remained the epicentre of cosmic knowledge, while the world slowly transitioned into a haven where technology was built on the roots of nature.
Through the wooden promise and its fulfilment, Alfred’s village and ultimately the entire world benefited. He showed that with faith, respect for nature, and perseverance, individuals can unlock cosmic love in the heart of a carpenter, in the soul of a tree, or perhaps, in the spirit of a simple village next to a dense forest. Thus, it remains to show that promises are not merely words but profound truths wrapped in silent vows.