Lessons of the World
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Lesson Three- Fate624Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKU8mXsvGYC
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Deep in the heart of the mysterious, wooded, and highly misunderstood landmass ps Mississippi, tucked between the alligator bayous of Louisiana and the hillbilly foothills of Alabama, a young apprentice, under the watchful gaze of his ancient sensei, was standing knee deep in a freezing creek.624Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJxmVdbPHS
Joseph’s numb fingers curled around a small river stone, and he pulled it out of the water for closer inspection. The stone was perfectly smooth and nearly spherical in shape. Not a single scratch or scuff mark marred it's smoky gray coat. Finally he had found a stone that would suit his sensei’s specifications. Not one to disappoint, Joseph pulled on his sandals and dashed off in the direction of their small camp.624Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡinNL5VdPIL
“Sensei! Sensei! Look!” exclaimed Joseph, proudly showing off his newest find. “I found it, sensei! The stone you needed!”624Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKh0IKkrj4B
Ancient Wen, Joseph’s longtime teacher, looked up from his tea catalogue and watched his young, giddy apprentice skittering through the woods. The old man perked up immediately as he heard Joseph’s shouts. It had been awhile since he had sent Joseph away on this little task. Wen had begun to wonder if the boy had drowned or got lost or got eaten by a bear…624Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqq3XcB0JcP
He held out one wrinkled hand. “Really, young Joseph? Let me see it please. I'll be the judge to see if it suits me.”624Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyecEIQUce9
Joseph skidded to a halt and handed over the stone, eagerness flowing out of him like bubbles from a witch’s cauldron. Wen eyed the stone, rolled it around in hands a few times, a tossed it up into the air.624Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSBQvB2A5eB
Ancient Wen motioned for Joseph to take a seat beside him. A gentle breeze hummed its way through the pine woods and whipped around the tea catalogue’s pages. Wen fixed the book and put the stone down on the pages to keep his place.624Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMAZls30adv
“So, young Joseph, are you ready for you Third Life Lesson?” asked Ancient Wen.624Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4ftXO1j1g
Joseph nodded vigorously. “Yes, sensei.”624Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLN3uPZCL9
“Good answer,” replied Ancient Wen. “Today’s lesson will wrap up the first set of teachings. So far you have successfully learned about and tested both Chance and Luck. Today’s lesson will be dealing with Fate, the older sibling to Chance and Luck.”624Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4XIjdmCea
“Fate?” repeated Joseph. “Like the dead set path of a person’s life?”624Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu3lSWAfcBb
Ancient Wen nodded. He glanced at the tea catalogue. “Red Lemon Tea sounds good for today, young Joseph. We must head to town to get some.” He looked back at Joseph. “Anyway, on with the lesson. Yes. That is the face value explanation of Fate, but it could go further. While luck is the individual’s power and Chance is the probability, Fate is the individual’s future. However, it is not exactly set in stone as you think. Think of it more like a man who just walks randomly down a road: You never know where he is gonna go. Fate is the same way. Chance affects which turns you take, and with a little bit of Luck, you can influence your Fate. Do you understand now, young Joseph?”624Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYku09wBHI
Joseph rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands. He guessed he had forgotten how to blink during his sensei’s explanation. “I… think I do, sensei,” Joseph replied slowly.624Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7Lkxo04ME
“I'm sure you don't, young Joseph,” Ancient Wen replied. He picked up the stone from his book. “To better understand Fate, you will have to test it, and in order to test it you must snatch this stone from my hand. If you can, then it was-!”624Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPkvT4c2s2A
“You mean this stone, sensei?” Joseph asked, holding the gray stone between his thumb and forefinger.624Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvgMHOH4w2O
Ancient Wen stared in wondered bewilderment at his empty hand then back to his smirking apprentice. He began to chuckle quietly and soon he was shaking with belly-rolling guffaws.624Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNYXwXOSHL
Joseph joined in the mirth. He patted his sensei a few times gently on the back. “Guess it was written in my Fate after all, sensei. Better luck next time, eh?”624Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw9mbiMkLGb
Ancient Wen lashed out, catching Joseph a smarting blow to the back of the head. All sense of merriment was gone from him as he began to reprimand his impudent apprentice. “Let me finish my very important explanations about the Life Lesson first, young Joseph! Something could have gone incredibly wrong if you had screwed up.”624Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcYVQBKVqW
“Yes, sensei,” Joseph muttered apologetically.624Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIh1W0330P
There was a snort beside him. Joseph looked up to see Wen holding a hand to his mouth, failing to keep the laughs from escaping. “What's so funny, sensei?” asked Joseph. He had just screwed something up. This was no time for laughter.624Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNjmoLpnPe
“You should have seen your face, young Joseph!” replied Ancient Wen. “There was no harm done by you jumping the gun. To tell you the truth, I read your Fate earlier this morning, and the most anticipated path was for you to fail. So that means you have high amounts of Luck. Good job, young Joseph.”624Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQCjM89Wmd
“Really?” asked Joseph, relieved but still slightly nervous. “What would have happened if I failed?”624Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDk1tIPoGN0
“I would have killed you,” replied Ancient Wen as he began to thumb through the tea catalogue. “I don't teach failures.”
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