Short Story

A Break With The Past

Almost every significant breakthrough is the result of a courageous break with traditional ways of thinking

　

One day, a long, long time ago, Jacques was walking through the forest on his way home from hunting. He was tired, as he had already walked 10 miles that day. He had been tracking a deer that had taken him 7 miles away from his cabin in the deep woods of France. He still have 4 miles to go until he reached his family. He had shot the deer with an arrow, killing it. It was, however, to big to drag all 7 miles back home. He was headed home to enlist his brothers to haul it back home.

Suddenly, a bright light appears in front of him. The outline of a little person slowly appeared in the center of the bright light. What is this? A devil? Jacques thought to himself. He tried getting off the path to go around the light. But the light slowly moved so as to stay directly in front of him, no matter if he turned to the left or the right.

As the outline of the little person became more distinct, Jacques saw that it was a little green leprechaun. I have never seen one of those before, he thought to himself.

“How do you do?” He says.

“How de do?” The Leprechaun replies. “I am Louis, your guardian leprechaun.”

“Oh. That is nice of you to come introduce yourself.” Jacques made to move away, thinking that maybe the leprechaun would allow him to pass and continue on home. He was discouraged because he had failed to drag the animal home for his family. The deer had just been to heavy after such a long walk. It had been a very hard winter, and he had been so fortunate to get such a large deer.

“What is troubling you, dear Jacques?” The leprechaun smiled as he said the words. His countenance plainly showed dear Jacques that he enjoyed seeing him troubled and weary.

“I am trying to get home to get my brothers. I shot a deer a few miles back and wish to get it home to feed my family. I rather need to hurry, now if you will please excuse me!” Jacques pushed past the leprechaun.

“That was rather rude, you know.” Louis started to float after him. “Very rude indeed. I was going to let you know how you could get the deer home right now, but since you’re being rude I will leave you now.”

Louis the leprechaun slowly started to disappear. His form started to slowly fade away into the increasing darkness.

“WAIT! I am sorry I was rude. Now will you please tell me?” Jacques shouted.


“Not with that tone of voice.” The voice was quickly growing faint.


“Please help me.” Jacques said meekly. Louis was gone.

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Louis said suddenly, appearing behind Jacques. The voice behind him made him jump. “Hehe. I scared you!”

“You did not.” Jacques was still affronted by the rudeness of the leprechaun. The leprechaun thinks me rude, he thought. He’s the rude one for calling me rude and startling me.

“Naughty, naughty.” Louis smiled the annoying smile again. “I was going to tell you how you could get that deer home today while it is still light.”

“Yes, yes. Please, will you tell me how?”

“I will. You see that animal over there?” Louis pointed to a small clearing a about 25 yards off the trail. There was a donkey foraging through the grass, looking for something to eat.

“What is that” Jacques asked. He had seen a few of those creatures scattered throughout the forest before. They made loud noises that scared his children.

“That, my friend, is a donkey. It was meant to be a beast of burden. If you make friends with it, it will haul whatever you wish it to. It will even let you ride it.”

“I will not make friends with such beasts!” cried Jacques. “It is unseemly, for such as I, to descend to such lowness.”

“I was only trying to help!” Louis the leprechaun was offended to the highest degree. “I will leave you now, my friend. I only hope the next person isn’t quite a thick headed as you!”

“Good riddance, you fool.” Jacques said under his breath, as Louis disappeared. He kept walking towards his home. He grew more miserable by the minute. He was tired, wanted to eat some good meat, and felt bad for treating the leprechaun so badly. He deserves it, he thought.

Deep inside him, he knew that wasn’t true. It is never OK to hurt someone on purpose. Maybe I need to try his suggestion. he thought. Giving up his pride, he turned back hoping the donkey was still in the clearing. It was.

“Hey, donkey. Don’t be scared of me.” In truth, he was more scared of the donkey than it was of him. He slowly approached it, and held out his hand. He closed his eyes as it got close. The donkey stuck it’s nose under his hand for him to rub. As he began to scratch the nose, Jacques slowly opened his eyes.

This isn’t so bad, he thought. Maybe the leprechaun was right. He withdrew his hand and looked for something to tie around the donkey’s neck. He found a thick vine nearby. Tying it around the neck, he started to lead the donkey down the trail towards the deer.

　

After finding it again and setting it on the donkey’s back, Jacques and the donkey made it back to the cabin in record time. Jacques, in particular, was re-energized by his success. Making it home, his family was overjoyed to see that much meat all at once. His wife set about immediately to cook some for supper.

Jacques stepped outside after a while, to pray to the leprechaun. After saying the words, he looked up at the nights sky. A new shape had appeared in the sky. The moon was in the shape of a smile. Jacques had never seen the moon as anything but full.

Since that day, the moon has gone through the different phases. Humans also started to domesticate and train animals. Jacques soon added sheep, goats, horses, and cows to his donkey. Over time he became a very rich man indeed.