The Rescuer

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onths turned into years and still all fifty feathers were not in the hands of the weary travelers. Finally the time came that the Old Woman was ready to depart the sacred halls of knowledge, but she could not leave without completing this quest. The Wise Seer, whose determination and stamina had been keeping this quest alive, agreed to work with her to the end. They went back to their Knight in Shining Armor, imploring him to help them as they approached the final leg of their journey. The Old Woman and the Wise Seer scurried off to find those final feathers and return them to the Knight for proper preservation as a gift for the Wizard. Weary though they were and finding that many of the paths previously traveled were overgrown or lost, they drew upon their dwindling powers and went on their way.

The Knight dusted off the old feathers and found a new way to arrange them to attract the Wizard. He worked diligently, but soon The Great Micro in the Sky summoned the Knight to spread his wisdom to those in other sacred halls of knowledge. The Knight was obliged to accept this challenge; but, before he left to face new trials, he helped the Old Woman and the Wise Seer map out some of the paths yet to be traveled, and he introduced them to the Rescuer who would help them complete the tasks ahead.

Although the Old Woman and the Wise Seer were devastated at the departure of the Knight, they realized that he was needed elsewhere; and they were greatly relieved to have the Rescuer join their quest. The Rescuer had already been assisting the Knight in the preparation of the feathers and had seen the Old Woman and the Wise Seer at their labors; and he too was young and strong and ready to help them deal with the Wizard. The women soon realized that the Rescuer combined the rare powers of listener and problem-solver who could tidy the trails leading to the magic they desired. He created colorful auras over the various pathways so no one would lose the way. He made images jump gleefully into their rightful places, and he convinced the pages of the old and sacred texts to turn when the Wizard glanced at them.

The Rescuer also brought his aide, the Repairer, to the assistance of the Old Woman and the Wise Seer. The young Repairer had the energy and the talent to work with damaged or incomplete vessels and make them fly again.

He also recalled the visions of the first travelers to serve as reminders of the original quest and of its enthusiastic beginnings. The Rescuer and the Repairer stand ready to help as the Old Woman and the Wise Seer trudge wearily toward their goal.

As they approached that goal, the First Forrest Friendly returned with a new habitat for the Wizard so that he could be convinced to assign a chamber of that habitat to Old Mother Goose and her fifty feathers. Acknowledging all those who, over the years and the temptations to falter, had remained steadfast in their efforts to gather the fifty feathers, the Wizard agreed.

And so it came to pass that Mother Goose and her fifty foundlings settled into another dwelling in the Land of the Great Wizard, and the quest of the Old Woman, the Wise Seer and their team of merry workers was finally realized.

The task was accomplished, but the work will go on; for Mother Goose lives for all time, and the Old Woman and the Wise Seer will follow her with the last ounces of their strength and search for new feathers to present to the Wizard. For such is the power of story in the lives of us all.

The Repairer

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