2023-02-10
Spring came along, and then summer. By then he had become arrogant. He saw himself as the pinnacle of all creation; a power which nothing and nobody had a right to challenge.
He went on a journey then, carried in his palanquin, only to see people bowing for him, offering him gifts, or asking for his advice or judgment.
Summer was warm and became gradually even warmer. His palanquin was becoming stuffy and the air humid. He became increasingly irritated and demanded his servants to offer him some sort of relief. It proved futile. No matter how much they tried and how much he had them flogged for their failures the heat was still unbearable.
Of course, being who he was the stonecutter-turned-noble eventually felt cowered again. The Sun was getting the best of him. Despite all the authority he now possessed he was completely at the whims of its power. It would not in any way be affected by his orders.
”I wish,” he thought, ”that I was the Sun.”
By now you know what came next: the man found himself being the Sun. And oh was he powerful!
People worshipped him. People feared him. With glee he found that humans were to him like ants were to them. He exerted his power over them in whimsical ways, causing heatwaves here, droughts and starvation there. He gave just enough light and heat to benefit the farmers when he was pleased, but too much or too little when he was bored. As summer went on he became increasingly satisfied with himself, once again feeling on top of the world. This time quite literally.
To be continued.
-- CC0 Björn Wärmedal