Geowonderland: Pleasing All the World

Friday, September 4, 2015

Pleasing All the World - Yiddish Folktale

On the continent of Africa, in its northern lands stretches a massive desert called Sahara. Sand dunes stretch as far as an eye can see in this barren land. The hot climate makes it hard for plants and animals to thrive in those hostile conditions. Nevertheless, camels’ humps create great insulation, helping them survive in hot climate. Therefore, they are a perfect mean of transportation through those lands. This brings us to a story of a father and a son traveling on a camel through the desert.

Once there was a father, who led a camel through the desert with his ten-year-old son. It was hot and the journey was long. The camel was loaded with trunks and to save him from carrying extra weight, both father and son walked along the animal. They were both tired and thirsty.

As their eyes followed the peaks of the dunes, they heard a voice, “How foolish to walk on foot, when you have the camel.” After a short pause the stranger added, “The animal was created to carry people as well as bags.”

The son looked at his old father and suggested, “Why don’t you mount the camel and I will follow on foot.” And that’s what they did.

Not long after, they encountered another traveler, who commented, “How can you allow your own child to suffer like this? His tender feet are cracked and about to bleed.”

The father felt ashamed and proposed to his son, “Why don’t you let your feet rest for a little bit, while I’ll follow now.” And that’s what they did.

But a while later, they met a third traveler, who cried, “A young strong child on a camel and his old tired father walking behind him. Where is the respect for the elders?”

The father looked at his son and said, “I guess we have no other choice but to mount the camel together.” And that’s what they did.

They hardly rested their feet, when a lamented voice reached their ears, “Have you no pity to overload the camel!”

The father and son quickly dismounted. The father said, “I thought we had no other option, but I guess there is one more. Now we have to carry the camel ourselves. And I’m pretty sure someone will come along and comment that it’s stupid. No matter what we do, we can’t please all the world.”