THE HERMIT AND THE WISHING WELL

Once upon a time, when the land was free
There lived by the river, in an old oak tree,
A crazy old hermit who spent his time
Making up riddles and speaking in rhymes.
Now, people knew of him from miles around,
They thought him wise and his mind sound,
So they would seek him for sober advice
On how to find love and the meaning of life.
So, he would give them some whimsical verse,
And they would leave him with a bulging purse;
Thus, the hermit had a reason for spending his time
Making up riddles and speaking in rhymes.
Well, this transaction went on for a while,
And soon the hermit was living in style;
Telling off the wall fortunes and destinies
From his penthouse office in the old oak tree.
Until one day, hidden in a small dale,
A man discovered a wishing well.
He tossed in a coin and his wish came true,
Now he’s living it up in Honolulu.
It didn’t take long for the word to spread
And folks started going to the well instead,
Because it spoke no rhymes and charged small fees;
Unlike the hermit in his old oak tree.
So, Into the well they tossed their gold,
Voicing their wishes and dreams so bold;
Using it’s magic to fulfill their needs,
Padding their wallets with unending greed.
Then came the end, when the well went dry,
And all the folk did wail and cry.
Their fortunes and dreams soon were all shattered;
without the well, wishes no longer mattered.
They found themselves back, right where they started;
Light in the pockets and all broken hearted.
It wasn’t long after, they returned to the tree;
The hermit just smiled and doubled his fee.
You see, he alone missed not the well,
Nor all the fortunes it had for sale;
For he had made a wish and it came true,
Now, the well was dry and his wealth renewed.
The moral of this story, it’s not hard to see,
Its really quite simple, clear as can be;
The hermit knew then, if asked he would tell:
Don’t throw hard earned money into a damned well!

Written by ERIC W. JOHNSON

COPYRIGHT 2011
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED