Saving the village

An attempt at something different. I'm very conscious my normal style is verbose and we all know that less is more. So this is much tighter than usual. In feel, I was going for 19th century fairytale with a point that is still relevant today.

Once there was a village set in the shadow of a great mountain. On the top of the mountain was a huge boulder. It hung right over the village, on the edge of a precipice. Every day the villagers were afraid it would fall and destroy them. They would often say that something must be done, but nothing ever happened. They were too busy with their sheep and their crops.

One day, a young man came to the village meeting and said "I will climb the mountain. I will topple the boulder. I will save the village."

The other villagers said "But if you topple the boulder it will bring many other rocks with it. We don't know where they will fall. They will come down through our fields and destroy our livestock pens. It will come through the village and destroy our houses. It will destroy our granary. Then how will we live?".

The young man said "We can control the fall. We can move the livestock pens to keep them from harm. We can move the houses and the granary. The village will be saved."

Many villagers didn't want to try, but after a long night of talking they decided to accept the young man's plan.

And so it was begun.

Every day, the young man climbed the mountain and sat by the boulder. Below, he could see the villagers working.

One group of villagers tried to see where the rocks would go. They had to climb the steep slopes. They had to take many measurements. They had to fell dozens of trees. It was hard work in the hot sun, and it took many weeks. Every day, the young man would encourage them to go on with their work.

Another group of villagers built new livestock pens. There were few places to build them. The fences were heavy. Access was difficult.  It was hard work in the hot sun and it took many weeks.Every day, the young man would encourage them to go on with their work.

Another group of villagers built new houses and a granary. The old buildings were taken down, brick by brick. The new ground had to be levelled. Paths had to be made. Water had to be carried. It was hard work in the hot sun, and it took many weeks. Every day, the young man would encourage them to go on with their work.


At last it was done. The young man and all the villagers climbed the mountain. The way was hard, and they all helped each other over the rough ground. At last they reached the top and the young man stepped forward. The villagers all watched. He put his shoulders against the boulder and used all his strength. But it just rocked back and forth.

He tried everything he could, but it would not fall. 

Then the strongest men stepped forward. Each of them  tried in turn, but the boulder just rocked back and forth a little more.

They tried everything they could, but it would not fall.

Then all the old men, and then all the women tried, but the boulder just rocked back and forth a little more.

They tried everything they could, but it would not fall.

At last all the villagers sat exhausted, trying not to think of their wasted work.

A little boy was playing, unnoticed, and he wandered near the boulder. He had seen all the grownups pushing and pulling. He touched the boulder - and it fell. With a roar and a rumble it gathered speed. Other rocks joined it, and from the top of the mountain the villagers watched the huge avalanche in terror.

It roared down the mountain.

It was channeled between the trees.

It  missed the new livestock pens.

It rumbled past the new houses and it roared past the new granary.

At last, the boulder ran out into the river and was gone.

And the young man stood up in front of them all and said, "You see? I told you I could save the village".