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Title: A Hero and a Great Man
Author: Francis Kruckvich
Release Date: August 1, 2004 [eBook #13075]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A HERO AND A GREAT MAN***
For info visit: www.scribolin.com Printed in USA Copyright © 2003 Scribolin ISBN 0-9746226-0-5 |
A Hero and a Great ManStory byFrancis Kruckvich
Illustrations by |
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A Hero and A Great ManWe hang the petty thieves and appointthe great ones to public office - Aesop
They say knowledge is power.
Through a turbid town,
He tells tales of bravery.
He is well respected.
He likes to be seen.
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As greatness is a need This need is his fate. He is as great indeed, As his need to feel great.
One day as he was walking,
As their words he overheard,
“Why do you girls carry on
And to him the him girls inquired,
Where it goes, he could not say
A man was passing by
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Details of this man are unknown For he lived a life withdrawn. He prefers to be quiet and alone. A common life he has forgone.
You see, he was not like you and me.
Despite his odd looks.
Every culture to its own will conform.
He values his peace.
As peace is a need
He never felt the peace
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If work was completed According to plan, It should not be repeated By a frustrated man.
The only exception
When he did a deed,
If nothing was there broken
If there is no disruption
A problem of complexity
Now for the girls’ question,
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“A weary sun will hide To give a new night birth. The sun then goes to the other side Of our blessed Mother Earth.”
The problem seemed to be solved.
The freak’s words had merit.
The freak’s words he twisted
He took the freak’s idea
He devised his own story
“He is not entirely correct.”
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“He was on the right track. This I won’t deny. What truth may he lack, I will attempt to supply.
He does not know, it seems,
If you but wait,
As our great God
The sun remains still
Just as the moon is the reason
It is basic science.
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The girls were amazed At this great display of speech. Into the great man’s eyes they gazed As he proceeded to teach.
A lesson he had taught
The freak was appalled
Who was being deceived?
It seemed childish to contest.
Over time the great man grew
A few weeks quickly went by
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Water trickled like blood from a gash. Soon the streets turned to mud. People could not walk without a splash. There was fear that the town would flood.
Slowly, this problem would develop.
Water does not feel sorrow nor care
To the great man the people went
The great man promised thus,
“I will stop this silly little flood.
In his office the great man sat
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Desperately trying to think of a plan He repeatedly read the plaque on the wall, “Here is a Great Man He will save us all!”
The sparkling water had a sense of beauty
So, eagerly, he donned his heavy boots,
The great man noticed one man solitary
Though his face he could not see,
He thought of the people as his duty required
“Together we must pull!
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Soon this method had no effect. The water continued to rise. The people were beginning to suspect, This is not where the solution lies.
The great man saw this method would fail
Then the great man saw a lone man dig
He thought of the people, as his duty required
“We must dig a great ditch
A solution to this we must seek.
Upon his shoulder, he felt a hand.
|
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“You may be great and the people strong, But this won’t stop the water’s force. This will not work for very long. We must stop it at the source.”
The great man let out a great big laugh,
As the great man continued to give his speech
Soon the town will certainly be
His mind was cloudy and his feet were muddy.
The freak followed the water alone.
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“In the event of a flood This lesson should be learned Unless you like to live in mud, The valve must be turned.”
Below these words there was an arrow
The freak was indeed happy to learn
He went back up the muddy trail
Afraid of being deceived,
Skepticism and emotion
|
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“I’d like a word, please come with me,” To the freak the great man said. The freak complied with his plea. To the great man’s office he was led.
Once in his office, he closed the door.
As the freak began to describe
The great man was in disbelief.
He told the freak about being great,
From the office the freak went,
It’s obvious that the town is his.
|
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The farther he walked the angrier he became, To think that words could outshine skill. “Great man, bah...what a name! I’ll show them all, I will!”
Into the forest, he marched in retaliation.
He found again the slab of stone.
In his anger, he turned the valve back.
On the way back, he felt some guilt.
The town again began to flood.
The efforts again the great man would direct,
|
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The man with the bucket, he only saw from afar. And the man in the trench, never showed his face. He began to feel that this was bizarre, And then this pattern, he began to trace.
These men were indeed one and the same!
He headed down the muddy trail,
There he found a slab of stone
“In the event of a flood
Below these words there was an arrow
The great man was indeed happy to learn
|
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He went back up the muddy trail, And told the people what he had done. The people all gathered to hear his tale, And all were intrigued, but one.
“Knowledge is power,” the great man began.
Great men do heroic deeds.
I am a great man, but a hero am I?
As they heard those words so profound,
The girls who argued about the sun walked by.
The freak looked at the girls and smiled. The End |
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