The story of Akimbo

There once was a man named Akimbo. Akimbo was a stonecutter and every day traveled to the mountain near his house to cut stone. After he had cut many large heavy slabs, he would lift the gigantic slabs onto his cart and haul them to the marketplace to sell them. Sometimes he would strain his back.

This was life for Akimbo, and year after year he toiled at the mountain removing great slabs of stone and selling them for profit.

Then one day during the summer, Akimbo was tapping his chisel as the hot summer sun beat down on him, the sweat rolling off his bare back in great salty rivers, when suddenly he heard a jingle. He turned and wiped the sweat out of his eyes and there on the road was the caravan of a prince. The prince was resting on a platform that sat atop the shoulders of his slaves, he ate peeled grapes and held an umbrella above him to shield him from the sun.

“Oh, what a glorious life that would be!” thought Akimbo, for he yearned more than anything for respite from the sun.

“I wish more than anything that I were that prince with that umbrella over my head!”

And the mountain, which he’d tapped on for many years, finally revealed itself to Akimbo, and the spirit of the mountain whispered

“Then it will be so…”

And suddenly Akimbo was the prince.

He sat atop the backs of his slaves, and he had his umbrella to protect him from the sun.

And he was happy. …for a time

But then the wind came, and took Akimbo’s umbrella from him, and he was hot again. And Akimbo looked up and cursed the sun for being so hot, and he said

“I thought I was powerful as a prince, but I am not powerful! Oh, I wish I were as powerful as the sun! Then I could do anything I wanted!”

And the spirit of the mountain whispered, “Then it is so…”

And Akimbo shone brightly over the earth, giving life to the plants, parching the deserts, and heating the air. And Akimbo was happy.

…For a time

But then a great cloud came and swept over the land and Akimbo could not shine on it any longer. And Akimbo said

“What is this? Clearly I am not as powerful as a cloud, for it can prance in front of me whenever it feels! I wish I were a cloud, and more powerful than the sun!”

And so the spirit of the mountain once again smiled upon Akimbo and whispered

“Then it is so…”

And Akimbo flew across the sky creating shade and caressing the land with his rains. With his vapor he could save the land and the plants from the sun, or he could storm on them and kill everything he covered. He was a powerful cloud, and he was happy.

…for a time

And then one day, he came across a mountain and he stormed upon it, but he could not change it. And he said

“It the mountain more powerful than I? No matter what I do, it does not move! I wish I were a mountain, and more powerful than the clouds!”

And the spirit of the mountain whispered

“Then it is so…”

And Akimbo sat with his great girth, covering the ground and people were forced to build their roads and buildings around him, for he was far too big to budge. And Akimbo was a powerful mountain, and none could change him. And Akimbo was finally happy.

Until one day, when a stonecutter came upon him and he heard the distant “clink clink” of metal on metal and he looked down and said

“Mountain!”

And the great spirit replied “Yes, Akimbo?”

“How is this happening? I am a mountain! Nothing can change me am I not the most powerful thing in the world?”

“No Akimbo, You are not”

So Akimbo thought about this for a moment and considered himself.

And finally, after much thought, Akimbo spoke to the mountain…

And the next morning, Akimbo rose from his bed, ate his breakfast, took his hammer and chisel, and walked to the mountain to cut stone to sell at the market.

And he was happy.