âNow, Ibsen, this is your home and I will obey you just as you have obeyed me foreverâ Falleron did as he was told and placed a kiss on the lips of Ibsen. â Rome leaves bad memories for both of us, I want us to return to Greece,â said Ibsen. The two returned to Greece and remained happily together forever.
Haloâs Golden Circle â Judaea (Israel)
Niac, eleven generations descended from Abraham, looked upon earth and beast, and saw them as his own. Two strong sons were born to Niac, Halo and Marr. When these two had come of age, Niac divided his estate between his sons, and so it was for them to work land and to work beast. To Halo went the soil, to furrow, plant, and harvest, and to Marr went beasts of burden. The family fed well as both brothers prospered in their labours.
Both sons strove harder and harder in their works, each struggling to win the praise of their father. One night, a vision came to each brother. To Halo came a dream of a great feast after the fall harvest, and Niac shouted his praises to all those gathered there, for the bounty Halo had brought in was great. To Marr came a vision of the same autumn banquet, except Niac sang the praises of Marr, and not of Halo, for Marr had brought in 400 fatted calves, and twice as many lambs, with more besides. Each brother thus sought to compete with the other, in order that he might gain the greater glory. However, no such praise came from Niac, and so the brothersâ competition continued.
Before long, Marr felt that managing his beasts of burden was far more trying than Haloâs task of tilling the fields, and Marr resented his fatherâs gift, boiling with jealousy over Halo. Marr then wooed the beautiful Aliesha, hoping that her beauty would bring him the favour of Niac. But still no praise came from Niac. This made Marr very angry, and in his anger he forced the innocent Aliesha to perform his labours, and to manage the beasts of burden. Thus this marriage became founded upon disdain, and not love.
Halo, upon seeing such a lovely girl be so subjugated, felt sadness in his heart, and often brought her fruit and water to nourish her while toiling in the dry, hot grazing fields. âOh Halo,â Aliesha would weep, âYou are so kind and gentle. I am a fool. I should have married you instead of your brother. I know that one day your heart will be won, and the one who wins it will be the luckiest of all.â
As Halo consoled Aliesha, Marrâs anger grew even greater. Marr wanted to punish Halo, and so after both Halo and Aliesha had left the fields, Marr yoked his beasts of burden. Whipping the animals mercilessly, he drove them over all of Haloâs fields, trampling or scattering all that was on the field, leaving it desolate. So Marr cruelly destroyed his brotherâs harvest, a week and a day before the great autumn feast.
On the eve of the feast, Marr presented to Niac a thousand freshly slaughtered lambs, and five hundred fatted calves. This was even more bountiful than the vision from his dreams, and he was confident that he would earn his fatherâs praise. Halo presented his father with only four bushels of wheat and two sacks of potatoes, but nothing else had he to offer for the feast. This puzzled his father, and he asked Halo, âHow hast thou produced such poor yield, my son?â
I am sorry, dear father,â Halo responded, âmy fields, though dry, were still bringing forth in plenty every manner of grain, fruit, and vegetable, when lo, not two weeks past I arose at first light to discover all my fields, trampled and torn by angry hooves!â At this point, Marr interjected, seeking to avoid blame for his brotherâs fields. To his father Marrsaid, âHalo should have tended to his fences, father, guarding against trespassers as I have done with my pasture of animals. A man is not wise, who does not guard his wealth against strangers.â Niac agreed with this advice, and
Karen Erickson
Kate Evangelista
Meg Cabot
The Wyrding Stone
Jimmy Fallon, Gloria Fallon
Jenny Schwartz
John Buchan
Barry Reese
Denise Grover Swank
Jack L. Chalker