Week 12 Story: The Great Oasis

Turtle That Wouldn't Stop Talking: Wikipedia

   It was a couple of months ago when I first heard of the great Oasis. Merchants and journalists running up and down the street yelling "Have you heard the news? A great oasis exists deep in the desert, so no weary traveler will ever run out of water." My name is John, but some call me the Wise Merchant. I don't believe I am wise, but I know know more now than when I first became a merchant. I have been stolen from, lied to, and betrayed by some of my closest friends. I have learned from these mistakes and that's why some people may consider me wise. When I heard the news I was excited. Knowing that I did not need as much water meant that I cut the costs of traveling by not having as many wagons, not buying as many oxen, and needing less people to travel with and pay. However, after thinking about the news for a couple days, I began to get skeptical. 

     I began to think, "who are those merchants? I have never seen them before. Did they come from the desert or perhaps another city? Why are they so well dressed and clean after just coming from another land?" And it is true, their clothes were made of white silk and their hair was neatly brushed as if they had planned to make the announcement. I had also never seen these merchants before. I do not know everyone in this city, but I believe I should have recognized at least one! After some thought, I decided I should keep the wagons, and the oxen, and the personnel. 

     I was supposed to leave for another city to sell my goods a day after the announcement was made, but I came across another merchant leaving the same day. I decided to let him go first so there would be a nice path made for my travels. I watched as he brought less water than necessary, less oxen than before, and less men to keep guard. I am writing this journal as I am traveling through the desert, and I have seen some very unsettling things. I have seen wagons with no one in them, dead oxen with mouths as dry as the desert, and worst of all, the water jugs of the merchant leaving before me dry as a bone. I am thankful I decided to keep all of my supplies. The great oasis may be just ahead or on a different path, but one thing is for sure. Those telling about the great oasis had malicious intentions. I will not look for this oasis, but I will keep traveling to my destination because there is nothing out here but sand and the wagons of those that believed the silk clad merchants and journalists.

Authors note:

I made this story off of the Jakata Tales The Wise and Foolish Merchant. In the original story, a demon convinced the foolish merchant to give up all of his water in the middle of the desert because he told them that there was a spring up ahead. There was no spring and the demon took the foolish merchant and all of his men. The same demon went up to the wise merchant, but the wise merchant did not believe him and so the wise merchant and his men were safe. I changed the story to make it so the journalists and merchants yelling about the great oasis were the demons. The story still includes the part where the more foolish merchant dies because I felt that it was an interesting part of the original. 

Bibliography:

Author: Ellen C. Babbit

Title: Jataka Tales

Source: Blog Spot

Author: Wikipedia

Title: Jataka Tales

Source: Wikipedia