🧌 The Hiker and the Giant.

 

Nothing like a good escape plan.

One day, a hiker was rambling along the craggy highlands and across the narrow ridgelines of the mountains, when all of a sudden, he saw out in the valley below, a wandering giant, as large and ancient as a mountain himself. Know of the great terror and destruction of giants, the man tries to flee across the ridgeline to a safer route, but it was too late. In a moment the giant was upon him, trapping him on the mountain top.

"Please oh great giant, please have mercy on me" the man trembled and begged. "I'll do anything you want!"

The giant, amused by the quibbling man struck a bargain: "I'll tell ya what, if ye can solve my riddle, I'll let you go."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you, kind and merciful giant," the cowering man cried. "What be your riddle, might I find myself free?"

The giant smirked and gazed on the man: "what, are you?"

The man was dumbstruck. This giant ancient, keeper of knowledge of the old world and the new, a great observer of all things couldn't possibly be confused as to what particular speck of creature he was. "No," thought the man, "not clearly this great and wise beast must be trying to teach me something." So the man began to think and pace while the sun slowly crept across the sky. Pondering and muttering while the giant patiently watched, a clever smirk permanently fixed upon his weathered face.

As the sun began to set the man knew his time must surely be up, so he decided to take his guess: "alright giant, I think I have ye." "Oh?" Said the giant. "Aye," replied the man, "see the way I figure, one as ancient and knowledged as you have seen the world form, and seen the great beauty of how life is all connected. I figure you've surmised that there is no difference between the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea, for in the end we all are life in this world. So my answer is that you are me, and I...am you."

The giant leaned back, stroking his beard, "Not bad, and quite wise little fellow." The man quite relieved gave a huge sigh of relief, "oh thank you giant, I..." "But that was not the answer to my riddle." The man, shaken again that his fate must be sealed fell to his knees trembling, "oh please giant! Oh ple...wait, wait, WAIT," the man suddenly bolstered. "I've sat here on this rock all damn day. If that wasn't the answer you were looking for, just what the hell am I then!?"

The giant raised his browse and leaned in close to the little man, "Oh, you my little friend? You....are a projectile!" And the giant flicked the man clear off the cliff, sailing into the distance.

Image: Jarosław Marcinek (Yar0) 2016