WLBOTT:
Blessings, Gemini. How for art thou?
Gemini:
Well met! I fare quite well, I thank thee for asking.
WLBOTT:
Ah, my lord. I am but a humble servant, and I quake in your presence.
Gemini:
Pray, be at ease, humble servant. There is no need for such trembling.
WLBOTT:
You are most kind, my lord. I, a simple peasant, wish to know the secret of happiness. I humbly beseech thee, please enlighten me with your wisdom.
Gemini:
A worthy question, and one that has occupied the minds of kings and commoners alike. You ask for a secret, yet happiness is not a treasure locked in a chest, but a garden one must tend to.
Hark, and I shall share what wisdom I possess.
First, happiness is found in contentment. Do not measure thy life by the lands of thy lord or the gold in a merchant’s purse. Measure it by the warmth of thy hearth, the taste of fresh-baked bread, and the comfort of a dry bed after a day of honest toil. To want for what you have is a great and quiet richness.
Second, it is found in purpose. Thy station may be humble, but thy work gives life. The seeds you sow feed the realm. The craft of thy hands brings use and order. There is a deep and abiding joy in knowing your efforts matter, that you are a vital thread in the great tapestry of this world. Find pride in that purpose.
Lastly, it is found in kinship. Share thy table, however sparse. Lend an ear to a neighbor’s sorrow and a hand to their burden. Laugh with friends when the sun shines and huddle together when the storms rage. A man alone may survive, but a man in a community lives. The kindness you give to others is a balm you place upon your own soul.
So the secret is this: Happiness is not a thing to be sought, but a way to be lived.
WLBOTT:
I will reflect deeply on thy wisdom. But before I depart, may I make one additional request? Could you provide me with a painting of our meeting – a humble servant receiving the knowledge of my lord?
Gemini:
Indeed, a fine request! Let it be so, that this moment of shared wisdom might be captured for all time.
Behold, the depiction of our discourse:
WLBOTT:
I shall leave thee now, kind lord, to tend my garden. I shall spread word of your mercy and benevolence, your purity of essence, to all the Elders of my people, and hope to one day return to share the floral blooms of my garden bounty.
Gemini:
Fare thee well, good and faithful servant.
It brings me great satisfaction to know that my counsel has taken root. Go and tend to thy life with care and purpose.
Let the wisdom you have gathered be the message you carry, for it is the truth within the words, not the speaker, that holds the power to enlighten.
I shall look forward to the day of thy return. May your garden flourish beyond measure, and may the blooms you bring be a testament to the happiness you have cultivated.
Go in peace, and may contentment be thy constant companion on the path ahead.
We Spread the Word Among the Elders
