STORY OF THE LOST WINGS

The Father god was very pleased with his Son and the progress that he made as he grew up. So the Father decided to give his Son a planet of his own and allow him to fill it up with whatever he felt was right.

The Son was very excited about the idea and went about creating the world with the right things. Night and day he toiled to give life to the creatures that he put at this new planet. He created the flora and the fauna, the deep sea and the land. He filled the land with huge trees and tiny weeds. He created animals, both big and small and blew life into them. This being his first time he made some mistakes, of course, and had to restart everything from scratch a couple of times, but, overall, he did well.

It was the fifth day when he set about creating the sentient being. That was the first and only task he had failed to do.

He called out to his Father, “I created humans. I made them the most potent of all my creatures. I gave them everything. I thought I was doing the right thing by creating a sentient being in my own image, but it didn’t turn out well. What did I do wrong Father?”

So bitter and desperate were his words they touched the stern Father’s heart. He left his realm and travelled across the Galaxy to help his Son.

The Father inspected the planet, now green with lush trees and inhabited by wonderful animals. The forests were magnificent, the oceans blue and full of life. All the living things here were created with lots of care and love. Everything existed in a delicate balance, as a whole, a system, just like it should be.

Then he came across a human. It took the Father just one look to realise what was wrong.

In his earnest to make him the most powerful of all living beings, the Son had generously gifted the human being with everything. His human had the sharpest eyes like an eagle, the most sensitive ears, the fastest feet. His immune system was so good that he would never fall ill. He had a nice thick fur which would protect him from the most severe cold. His lung-gills allowed him to breathe with ease at the highest altitude as well as under water. He also had powerful wings by which he could fly with ease and glide about in the sky. On top of all that the human was immortal.

That creature was as powerful as a young god, free to roam any element, fearing no one, knowing no suffering, facing no challenge. No wonder the Son’s human turned out to be arrogant, indifferent and stupid. He spent his days flying about in the sky, or diving underwater, hunting and killing for fun, never trying to hone his skills or better himself as there was no competition from anyone on the planet.

The most potent of all creatures turned out to be the most worthless of the lot.

The Son blamed only himself for the failure. He clearly loved his creation and wished it the best.

The Father said, “Son, I can fix your creature, but before I begin I want your promise that you will not attempt to interrupt or stop me.”

The Son gave his promise.

First and foremost, the Father tore off the wings. Then he took off the perfect health and all the other extra powers, one by one, till the human was naked and vulnerable. Then the elder god stripped off his everlasting life.

Finally, the Father let the human go, naked, vulnerable, crying. The Son, who kept his promise and stood silent through the whole ordeal, was crying as well. He looked at his creation, mercilessly mutilated in front of him, saw the human’s tears and realized: now, only now the human truly resembled himself, his creator. Animals don’t cry. Gods do.

“Why?” he asked. A single word of immense weight.

The Father replied, “You started the right way Son, but you did not see it through. Remember: undeserved gift has no value.”

The Son was baffled.

“You mean to say I had to create someone who was naked and couldn’t even defend himself?”

“Oh no,” said the Father. “He’d be just an animal then, content with his life as it was. Look at him now. I left his memory intact. Even as he is shivering and crawling on the ground he is thinking of his lost wings, wanting them back. That dream will haunt humans day and night, make them explore, fight, invent. It will pay off tenfold in the end for after they have their wings restored they will go further.”

After a long pause, the Father added, “Many aeons of years ago you and I too were humans.”

(October 29, 2008)