Agathos, The Rocky Island, and Other Stories
Chris Wright
ABOUT THIS BOOK
(9 stories with epilogues, 30,000 words)
Once upon a time there were two favourite books for Sunday reading: Parables From Nature and Agathos and The Rocky Island.
These books contained all sorts of short stories, usually with a hidden meaning. In this illustrated book is a selection of the very best of these stories, carefully retold to preserve the feel of the originals, coupled with ease of reading and understanding for today's readers.
Discover the king who sent his servants to trade in a foreign city; the butterfly who thought her eggs would hatch into baby butterflies; and the two boys who decided to explore the forbidden land beyond the castle boundary. The spider that kept being blown in the wind; the soldier who had to fight a dragon; the four children who had to find their way through a dark and dangerous forest. These are just six of the nine stories in this collection. Oh, and there's also one about a rocky island!
This is a book for a young person to read alone; a family or parent to read aloud; Sunday school teachers to read to the class; and even for grownups who want to dip into the fascinating stories of the past all by themselves. Can you discover the hidden meanings? You don't have to wait until Sunday before starting!
Agathos,
The Rocky Island,
and Other Stories
Chris Wright
E-book ISBN: 978-0-9927642-7-2
This e-book © 2015 Chris Wright
Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995
by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
This book is a work of fiction. Characters and incidents are the product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner of this book.
White Tree Publishing Bristol
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White Tree Publishing
Bristol
UNITED KINGDOM
This book is also available as a paperback
ISBN: 978-0-9525956877
More paperback books by Chris Wright
for young and young at heart readers
See back pages for more details
Mary Jones and Her Bible -- An Adventure Book
Pilgrim's Progress -- An Adventure Book
Pilgrim's Progress -- Special Edition
Zephan and the Vision
CLICK HERE FOR MORE BOOKS
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
THE KING AND HIS SERVANTS
A LESSON OF FAITH
THE ROCKY ISLAND
WAITING
THE WANDERERS
NOT LOST, BUT GONE BEFORE
AGATHOS
COBWEBS
THE SPRING MORNING
THE ORIGINAL WRITERS
ABOUT WHITE TREE PUBLISHING
CHRIS WRIGHT
MORE BOOKS BY CHRIS WRIGHT
INTRODUCTION
Allegories are stories with a hidden meaning, and this is a book of allegories. I first revised a selection of these classic stories for young readers in 1980. I have enjoyed going through every story again to produce this brand new book. I have also added two further stories.
So what exactly have I done to the originals? Think of a writer adapting a book for a film or a television program. The writer takes a story and reshapes it to make it more suitable for the chosen audience. So too here, I have taken nine stories by two great writers. I make no claims to have invented them -- only adapted them for this book so today's readers can gain more from them.
Samuel Wilberforce and Margaret Gatty wrote their stories over a hundred and fifty years ago. I have many happy memories of my father reading these allegories to me on Sunday afternoons when I was young, from old books that I still have today. He updated the language as he went along and often simplified and explained incidents, exactly as I have done here -- but he was able to do it while he read! I loved the pictures in these books, and I have reproduced many of them here, although a few come from natural history books of the same period.
There is something special about the way these stories were first written, and I have tried to preserve this old-fashioned feeling. Some of these allegories are about kings, a dangerous forest -- and a knight called Agathos who fights a dragon. There are also stories about spiders, caterpillars and dragonflies. And of course there's a rocky island! This is a book with a mix of stories that will appeal to all ages, including parents.
It is easy to pick holes in Christian allegories like these, and say that the Christian life isn't exactly like this or like that. Of course it's not. Stories like these are meant to get us thinking, and make us face up to where we are in life. So please don't get hung up about the details and wonder what everything stands for -- you need to look at the big picture.
Many readers will quickly spot the hidden meanings in these stories, but here is a bit of help: musical instruments are prayer, and a compass is the Bible. For anyone who wants to think a little more deeply about the allegories, I have written a short epilogue for each story. In the paperback edition they are at the end of the book, but to make life easier for e-book readers, in this version they immediately follow each story. Some of the Bible verses in the epilogues are chosen as being likely to be verses the original writers had in mind.
I am not using capitals for king and prince, or for words like son, he, me and so on when they refer to the king and the prince, because the story characters are not God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit, although they are very much like them -- which, of course, is the whole point of these allegories.
This book is not for someone who wants to read the originals exactly as they were written, but for readers who would never consider reading "old-fashioned books." However, copies of the original Victorian volumes can often be bought on internet sites like www.abebooks.com, and modern reprints are sometimes available from internet book sellers. It is also worth searching to see if copies can be downloaded free from sites like Project Gutenberg. Nevertheless, in their original form these stories would be hard going for all but the most determined young readers -- and probably for many older ones.
Chris Wright
Bristol
2015
THE KING AND HIS SERVANTS
Original by Samuel Wilberforce
A great king once called his servants to him. "You have often claimed you love me and wish to serve me," he told them. "Well, the time has come to find out if you really mean what you say. I want you all to prepare for a long journey, and be ready to leave early tomorrow morning."
With this, the king dismissed his servants and they began to talk to each other in great excitement. A long journey? What sort of test would it be? That night many of them stayed up late, getting ready. They told their friends that even if the test was a difficult one they wanted to show the king just how much they cared for him. Others sat quietly, wondering if they would be good enough to do well in whatever test the king had planned.
Now, all these servants had once been held prisoner in a dark dungeon by a cruel and wicked enemy, who had made them work hard for him. But all that was in the past, for the king had sent his son the prince to r
escue them, promising crowns and much more to every servant who served him faithfully.
However, not all the servants were brave, but the ones who felt most anxious remembered how kind and loving the king and his son had been. So even though they were afraid they might fail, these servants joined with the bolder, less fearful ones as they made ready.
As soon as the sun rose the next day, the servants went to the palace court where the king greeted them as they waited to hear what the test was to be.
"I have opened my treasure house," the king said. "I have brought out gold and silver and other precious things. I am giving them to you as gifts. Far away from my palace, across the desert, is a great city. In that city there are many merchants. I want you to take these gifts and trade them in the marketplace, but you must use them wisely. When the time comes for you to return I want you to bring back many wonderful things."
The servants felt overjoyed when they heard this, and went forward to receive the treasures the king had to offer. Trading for their king? Surely this must be the most exciting test ever.
The king saw the excitement on his servants' faces, but he held his hand up in warning. "In that city," he said solemnly, "there are people who will try to rob you of your gifts. Be on your guard every minute of the day, and do not waste your time. Remember, you will be coming back to show me what you have done."
When they heard this, the servants held onto their treasures tightly. No one was going to steal from them, or make them waste these precious gifts.
The king explained to his servants that the morning was the best time for trading in the market of that city, when all the finest goods would be on sale. He warned them that unless they were early, many of the best things would be gone.
"At the end of the day," he said, "you will hear the sound of a trumpet. That trumpet call is to summon you home. Make sure you do not return to me empty-handed."
Several of the servants looked at each other in alarm. To hear the trumpet call and to have wasted their time would be a disgrace indeed. To come back with nothing to offer the king was unthinkable. They finished packing their bags slowly and thoughtfully.
They knew that their journey across the vast desert would be long and hard, and no sand must get into their precious bundles to harm the goods. However, not all the servants packed carefully enough to be sure that all their gifts would be easy to find when they arrived at the great city. Indeed, only a few seemed to remember the king telling them to begin their trade in the early morning.
Some servants laughed at the careful ones. "There will be time enough to sort our gifts out when we get there," they said. But when the journey was over, and they arrived at the city gates and pitched their tents, these same servants decided to leave their unpacking until the next morning.
"The journey has been long and hot and difficult," these lazy servants complained. "We need to rest and find plenty to eat and drink."
So they went off to enjoy themselves, forgetting the king's advice.
As the sun rose the next morning, many of the servants jumped up quickly and began to get ready. They talked excitedly of what lay before them inside in the city as they traded for their king. The servants who had stayed up late turned in their sleep and told everyone to be quiet. But the ones who had been careful to do exactly as the king told them, took no notice and hurried through the city gates with their goods on their backs.
What a great city it was. They could see streets and houses going in all directions. Most of the inhabitants seemed to be still asleep, so the king's servants were able to walk quickly and easily in spite of the large packs on their backs. When they reached the marketplace they began to display their precious wares.
The merchants from the city quickly gathered round to see what they had to offer. Then in return they showed the servants what treasures they had.
It was exactly as the king had said. The merchants gave the servants first choice of all their wares. There were rubies and diamonds, and pearls such as the servants had never seen before for size and beauty. A merchant showed one servant a large, flawless pearl that was so valuable it was called the pearl of great price. The servant traded all he had come with to buy it for his king, while others continued to trade wisely until they had more and better treasures than they had brought with them.
A few of the servants were more skilful than their companions at trading, but each made the best use he could of his abilities. Apart from precious jewels and pearls, some bought beautiful robes adorned with gold and silver. Still others acquired spices from afar, and precious perfume from the islands of the East.
One servant seemed to have nothing to carry home. His friends asked him what he had done with his gifts.
"I have no riches to show you," the servant told them. "But in my pack I have an offering that I know the king will treasure, because of his mercy and kindness."
The other servants gathered round and begged him to tell his story.
"I was walking through the market," the servant said, "when I saw a poor woman standing all alone and crying to herself. I asked her why she was so sad. I thought her heart would break as she told me how her husband had borrowed a large sum of money from some men, and now he was dead. She said the men had come round in the night to demand their money, but it had been spent long ago. So the men forced their way into her house and took everything she had. Worse than that, they were about to sell her children as slaves so they could get their money back in full."
The other servants listened, grim faced at the thought of such heartless men.
"You will not wonder that I opened my pack of treasure and offered to repay the debt," the servant explained. "There was only just sufficient to pay back the money the widow owed and set her children free. But now the family can live in peace."
The servant held up a small glass container like a perfume bottle, filled with a clear liquid. "I have no treasure of precious stones to take back to our king," he said. "All I have are the woman's tears and thankfulness, but I believe the king will be pleased with what I bring."
The other servants told him that this was surely one of the best gifts with which any of them could return. They continued trading as they thought about how much the king must love them, remembering the time they had been prisoners in the enemy's dungeon, and how the prince had come to rescue them. Their hearts filled with thanks, and they were glad to be taking precious merchandise back to their king.
How excited they said they would be when the trumpet sounded. They did not know when that would be, but whenever it sounded loud and clear, they would be going in gladness to meet their king.
The sun was now high in the sky and the city was becoming busy, all very different from the time when the streets were nearly deserted. People poured out of their houses -- some for work, others to enjoy themselves, and still others to do nothing but watch the crowds passing by. The servants were indeed glad they had set about their trading early.
The merchants were already closing their richest stores, and men with imitation pearls and fake jewellery were taking their place. There appeared to be hardly any honest traders left in the marketplace. Noisy people pushed their way through the crowds, and men called out to announce travelling sideshows. In the shadows, at the edge of the marketplace, the servants noticed a gang of men lying in wait to see whom they could catch and rob.
The king's servants held their treasures even more tightly. Of course, some of the things they saw were good to look at, and some of the music was indeed pleasant. Bands of musicians and singers walked up and down through the market. The servants enjoyed the good things in the city, but always remembered their king and his son. Even when the lights were at their brightest, and the music was at its most appealing, these servants were always ready for the trumpet that would call them home. Not one of them wanted to be ashamed of what he was doing when the call came to return.
If only this was so with all the king's servants. When the first servants set out early,
those who had stayed up late remained in their tents and complained about the noise. True, some nearly got up to join the early risers, but they had not yet prepared their goods for trading. So they decided they might as well wait until everybody else was ready, and then go to the market together. They certainly did not intend to be late, but saw no reason why they should be so early.
They slept until the sun was high, and rose in a rush when they realised how late it was. All their goods had to be unpacked and sorted, and the dust of the journey had to be shaken off. These servants were secretly angry with themselves, but they blamed each other, and everyone argued fiercely. So instead of making the best use of what time remained, they made themselves even later.
In the end, after many harsh words and much bad temper, they finally got going. Some still had their goods in a muddle, but off they went, each making his own way to the market instead of helping each other find the safest route.
As soon as they entered the city gates, these lazy servants found everyone pushing and pulling this way and that. People laughed at the way they were dressed, and when they at last opened their packs in the market to begin trading, children gathered round and made fun. There seemed to be no way these servants could trade their precious gifts.
Some, who had boasted loudly that they hoped the test would be a hard one, were the first to admit defeat when the crowd made things difficult. So they packed up their goods and joined with the throng, until it was difficult to tell them apart from the residents of the city. On and on the remaining servants pushed, to a place where there was a large show tent. A man stood outside blowing a trumpet, while another shouted an invitation to everyone to come and see the strange sights within.
One of the servants stood watching as the people of the city crowded into the huge tent. Then he too went to the entrance. The showman asked for his money, but when he saw that the coins belonged to another country, he turned the servant away.
"Stand back!" he commanded.
