THE NESS MAN,
or,
HOW TO HEAL
Dreamed 1994/4/13 by Chris Wayan
A multiracial land--dozens of peoples, only a minority human-shaped. The beings are all blurry to me, as if sketched in, cartoon style, though I hear them very clearly.
By a pool in a flowery glade, a big slate-colored shadowy Centaur says "Gather round. I have a tale and a riddle." The Centaur's known as a wise storyteller, so children and a few grownups gather, of many kinds, both flesh and spirit, including fauns, dryads, a baby dragon, even one unicorn colt. The black colt, oddly enough, is wearing galoshes. He pauses to stomp in a puddle, enjoying the splash...
The tale is strange. It's about a Busy Ness Man, a species that live in a world where there's only one kind of people. At least they think so! A scary tale, filled with danger, as the busy Ness Man fights office demons and tax monsters, seeking a treasure. The tale stops with him in crisis, tired and ill from doing things he doesn't really love, and working harder at it to overcome his fatigue...
The Teller halts here, and poses a riddle: "If you're tired and ill, what heals you?"
"Well" says a tree-girl, "you don't work and work. You rest and drink clean water and breathe sweet air."
"You get someone to pet you and love you. Praise and petting and making love, that makes you feel good. Feeling good makes you well." says a faun boy.
"You have an exciting adventure, seeking your true heart's desire. Then you'll forget about being sick." says the little dragon girl.
"You eat magic herbs and ask the healing spirits and..." the unicorn colt pauses and kicks a puddle with galosh number three. "But which of us has guessed the riddle? We can't all be right. And what did the busy Ness Man REALLY do? Did he get well?"
"No one knows," says the storyteller. "His story is still happening. But as far as the riddle goes... ALL of you are right. For the answer to my riddle is that there's more than one answer to my riddle."
I wake up sick: a bit of a sore throat last night, but now it's a definite infection.
Well? Will I live a busy life, a computer artist at conventions?
What'll it be, push or heal? So far I've been depriving myself of what even small kids know is essential for healing--
Love and praise, petting and sex, rest and stretching, clean air and water, hope and adventure, and the quest for my true heart's desire. |
The Busy Ness Man | |
---|---|
Summer. A pool in a flowering glade;
Is he dreaming or is he dead?
"Well!" says a dryad,
"No!" pipes a shaggy-leg
Little dragon girl hisses "No!
(dryad) "Rest, drink, breathe and dream."
(dryad) "No way, it's rest, root, breathe and be."
|
Who is right? Who is wrong?
(Centaur)"You build a common plan.
Black unicorn colt in galoshes splashes up to say
"Is it not true that each illness hath a different cure?
Here the unicorn leapt away,
(Centaur) "All of you have guessed my riddle:
(All) "Dreaming us as we dream of him,
|
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