Lessons of the World
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Lesson Three- Fate595Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwh1sI2zbT
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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.595Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrsnqNV8S7t
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.595Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6YAuwBarv
“Sensei! Sensei! Look!” exclaimed Joseph, proudly showing off his newest find. “I found it, sensei! The stone you needed!”595Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcfd8vT0OT
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…595Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPt8rqnLl3Y
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.”595Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTn29Aifl3N
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.595Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡupYLT96alG
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.595Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5GQ8rAeF2C
“So, young Joseph, are you ready for you Third Life Lesson?” asked Ancient Wen.595Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOY4cFarBd
Joseph nodded vigorously. “Yes, sensei.”595Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3FrC85AA46
“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.”595Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWN2ydJanE
“Fate?” repeated Joseph. “Like the dead set path of a person’s life?”595Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmMyMsSpau
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?”595Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCChoikWlY
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.595Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFVqfg6VCO
“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-!”595Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQZxnyailI
“You mean this stone, sensei?” Joseph asked, holding the gray stone between his thumb and forefinger.595Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2xyjwMsFu
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.595Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsTjvQDrDhQ
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?”595Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVy2Zb17w6
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.”595Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwrx5Kgxon
“Yes, sensei,” Joseph muttered apologetically.595Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqmC4JgVgu
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.595Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIB8XTNqYr
“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.”595Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1wV84XYhD
“Really?” asked Joseph, relieved but still slightly nervous. “What would have happened if I failed?”595Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRjOMt7FL8
“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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