The Walking Traveler
1/1
There once was a terrible village that robbed passengers from their goods. They swindled travelers and lived off cheated money and goods. But one day, someone walked through that very village and changed things. It was a traveler whose journey was unknown.
There was a quick breeze that swept the sand off the traveler’s feet. His dark and weary hands covered his droopy eyes as he continued to walk alone through the tiny grains of brown sand. He sighed heavily as his aching back begged him to stop somewhere nearby to rest, but the traveler had not seen any town in his map. The wrinkles around the map formed waves and groves due to old and abused paper that he had been carrying for days.
Looking up into the horizon, he noticed a cloud of birds flying towards what appeared to be a small village. The gates of the village were tied together with run down wood that seemed ready to fall apart. The tin roof houses were made of mud bricks that looked sturdy enough for a sand storm.
The traveler walked through the deserted streets, hoping to bump into a native villager who could help him find with a place to rest. His body was ready to go numb for exhaustion. The wind picked up again, and the traveler had no choice but to run along the side of the curve. Beneath the tin roof covered by webs of rope to kept it all together.
"Excuse me, sir..." whispered a gravel voice. The traveler could not help but jump a little inside as a skinny old man appeared from behind, “I don't have any money, and I am very sick, would you please lend me some money, I will pay you back..."
The traveler looked at the dying old man with a sad smile as he reached into his pocket and gave him what he had. The old man thanked the traveler and left. The traveler looked around for a place to stay before regretting not having asked the sick man.
The traveler continued back onto the road and browsed around, finding an hotel that seemed abandoned.
"Can I help you?" asked the hotel keeper as the traveler walked inside.
"Yes, I was wondering if I could spend the night here..." The traveler replied.
"You may, but it would cost you $90...”The hotel keeper grinned. The hotel was in poor condition, and would be no doubt any more than $30 per night. However the naive traveler nodded and reached into his pocket, only to pull out the inner cloth of his pants for he had given all his money to the sick old man.
"I don't have any money..."The traveler began and at that instant, the hotel keeper's face changed, "But I can pay you with something else..."
"What can you possibly have with such value? You're clothes don't look like you have any class at all!" The keeper complained. The traveler smiled again and held out his wrist.
"Oh my!" The hotel keeper exclaimed. The travel wore a watch with a sliver rim and delicate detailed design.
"It doesn't work, however, I know it still posses much value," The traveler explained, "Will this do?"
The hotel keeper cleared his throat before he rolled his eyes and accepted the watch as payment.
The traveler walked into his room and looked around, wondering about the village. There was no one to be seen walking through the streets, and he found that quite odd. Flopping dead onto his bed, he heard a knock on his room. As he rose up to answer the door he stumbled over a pile of newspaper that was hiding beneath his bed. The knocking continued. Ignoring the stack of papers, he reached the door and answered. In front of the traveler stood a young women and a child who were poor and dressed in torn clothing.
"Do you have a blanket that we can use?" she questioned. The traveler looked around the room but there was nothing to be seen. He took his coat and clothes and offered them to the women. She took them and left without a word. Smiling, the traveler went back to bed, but was too cold to sleep and to ashamed to stay in the hotel without any garment but his boxers. So he grabbed his only item left that he had - his map and decided it was time to leave.
As the traveler was about to reach the end of the small village, he found himself a dog that was lying on the side of the road. The poor animal seemed to be having a heat stroke and there was no one around to help. The tin roofs could not offer enough shade for the poor creature. The traveler looked at the dog and smiled kindly as he took his map and placed it over the dog, creating shade for it. The traveler was never seen again. The traveler was the first person who gave and gave and gave until he had nothing left. This was what changed the hearts of the villagers and therefore, the village no longer cheated people that walked into their territory.
There was a quick breeze that swept the sand off the traveler’s feet. His dark and weary hands covered his droopy eyes as he continued to walk alone through the tiny grains of brown sand. He sighed heavily as his aching back begged him to stop somewhere nearby to rest, but the traveler had not seen any town in his map. The wrinkles around the map formed waves and groves due to old and abused paper that he had been carrying for days.
Looking up into the horizon, he noticed a cloud of birds flying towards what appeared to be a small village. The gates of the village were tied together with run down wood that seemed ready to fall apart. The tin roof houses were made of mud bricks that looked sturdy enough for a sand storm.
The traveler walked through the deserted streets, hoping to bump into a native villager who could help him find with a place to rest. His body was ready to go numb for exhaustion. The wind picked up again, and the traveler had no choice but to run along the side of the curve. Beneath the tin roof covered by webs of rope to kept it all together.
"Excuse me, sir..." whispered a gravel voice. The traveler could not help but jump a little inside as a skinny old man appeared from behind, “I don't have any money, and I am very sick, would you please lend me some money, I will pay you back..."
The traveler looked at the dying old man with a sad smile as he reached into his pocket and gave him what he had. The old man thanked the traveler and left. The traveler looked around for a place to stay before regretting not having asked the sick man.
The traveler continued back onto the road and browsed around, finding an hotel that seemed abandoned.
"Can I help you?" asked the hotel keeper as the traveler walked inside.
"Yes, I was wondering if I could spend the night here..." The traveler replied.
"You may, but it would cost you $90...”The hotel keeper grinned. The hotel was in poor condition, and would be no doubt any more than $30 per night. However the naive traveler nodded and reached into his pocket, only to pull out the inner cloth of his pants for he had given all his money to the sick old man.
"I don't have any money..."The traveler began and at that instant, the hotel keeper's face changed, "But I can pay you with something else..."
"What can you possibly have with such value? You're clothes don't look like you have any class at all!" The keeper complained. The traveler smiled again and held out his wrist.
"Oh my!" The hotel keeper exclaimed. The travel wore a watch with a sliver rim and delicate detailed design.
"It doesn't work, however, I know it still posses much value," The traveler explained, "Will this do?"
The hotel keeper cleared his throat before he rolled his eyes and accepted the watch as payment.
The traveler walked into his room and looked around, wondering about the village. There was no one to be seen walking through the streets, and he found that quite odd. Flopping dead onto his bed, he heard a knock on his room. As he rose up to answer the door he stumbled over a pile of newspaper that was hiding beneath his bed. The knocking continued. Ignoring the stack of papers, he reached the door and answered. In front of the traveler stood a young women and a child who were poor and dressed in torn clothing.
"Do you have a blanket that we can use?" she questioned. The traveler looked around the room but there was nothing to be seen. He took his coat and clothes and offered them to the women. She took them and left without a word. Smiling, the traveler went back to bed, but was too cold to sleep and to ashamed to stay in the hotel without any garment but his boxers. So he grabbed his only item left that he had - his map and decided it was time to leave.
As the traveler was about to reach the end of the small village, he found himself a dog that was lying on the side of the road. The poor animal seemed to be having a heat stroke and there was no one around to help. The tin roofs could not offer enough shade for the poor creature. The traveler looked at the dog and smiled kindly as he took his map and placed it over the dog, creating shade for it. The traveler was never seen again. The traveler was the first person who gave and gave and gave until he had nothing left. This was what changed the hearts of the villagers and therefore, the village no longer cheated people that walked into their territory.