Tuesday, April 9, 2013

The Cavemen

There was a group of cavemen who lived in a cave on the side of a large volcano.  Everyone lived in the same cave, and everyone was happy.

One day, the volcano erupted.  Ug gathered his family in the cave.  "We all must stay here," said Ug.  "If we go outside we will be in danger!"  Those close enough to hear Ug agreed, if they left they would be in danger of being burned by the volcano.  Gu gathered his family on the other side of the cave.  "We must leave the cave," said Gu.  "If we stay here, the lava from the volcano will run into the cave and kill us all."  Those around Gu agreed, if they stayed in the cave they would be burned by the volcano. 

Gu's family left the cave, and some other families followed them.  Ug's family stayed in the cave, and some other families stayed with them.

The volcano erupted, and lava flowed into the cave, and some of the people in the cave died.  The volcano also threw large chunks of ash and molten rock, and some of those who left the cave died.

After the volcano settled down, Gu and his followers returned to the cave to see if it could still be used to shelter them.  They found some of Ug's followers inside the cave.  Both men became angry at the other.

"You stayed in the cave and let people die!" said Gu, angered that some of his friends who had stayed in the cave were now dead.  Ug was equally mad.

"You left the cave and let people die!" said Ug, who felt deeply saddened that some of his friends had left the cave and were now dead.

"I left the cave because it seemed like the right thing to do," said Gu.
"I stayed in the cave because it seemed like the right thing to do," said Ug.
"I felt it was the right thing to do because my god told me so," said Gu.  "And he's more powerful than you."
"My god told me to stay in the cave," said Ug, "and he saved me and many others who believe in him!"
"My god saved me!" shouted Gu, "and all those faithful to my god were saved with me!"

Just then, Elizabeth came out of a hole in the floor of the cave.
"Please stop your shouting," said Elizabeth.  "I have devised a way to be protected from the volcano.  My family and I have dug a hole and covered it with a large stone that was thrown from the volcano.  The stone doesn't melt or get too hot when the lava flows over the top of it, and our hole is deep enough so that we're able to access the fresh water supply under the cave and live comfortably and safely down there for many years.  You are all welcome to join us down here where it is safe and comfortable."

"Who told you to build this hole?" asked Gu and Ug in amazement.
"Nobody told me to build the hole," Elizabeth responded.  "I saw the problems that were coming, and I figured it out on my own."
Gu and Ug immediately killed Elizabeth.  Then they killed her family.  "Our god is more powerful than your hole," they both said.

Ug started to hurry his followers into Elizabeth's hole.  "How stupid Gu's followers are," Ug thought.  "They think their god saved them when they were out of the cave, but they have no true faith, which is why they are going into this hole inside our cave."  Gu pushed his followers into the hole Elizabeth had made.  "How stupid Ug's followers are," Gu thought.  "They believe their god saved them in the cave.  But they don't have true faith, which is why they're going into this hole rather than staying in their cave."  And as both Ug and Gu washed Elizabeth's blood off their hands in the cool water they found deep in the hole, they silently felt better, knowing that everyone else was safe following them.  They were the smartest cavemen.  The best ones to lead.  The best ones to keep everyone safe.  They knew they were, they were certain they were, because their god had protected them.  And with that, they were protected from the volcano inside the hole Elizabeth had made.

No comments:

Post a Comment