Lessons of the World
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Lesson Three- Fate584Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6n2poxWe7
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Deep in the heart of the mysterious, wooded, and highly misunderstood landmass ps Mississippi, tucked between the alligator bayous of Louisiana and the hillbilly foothills of Alabama, a young apprentice, under the watchful gaze of his ancient sensei, was standing knee deep in a freezing creek.584Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8cvKkeNcj
Joseph’s numb fingers curled around a small river stone, and he pulled it out of the water for closer inspection. The stone was perfectly smooth and nearly spherical in shape. Not a single scratch or scuff mark marred it's smoky gray coat. Finally he had found a stone that would suit his sensei’s specifications. Not one to disappoint, Joseph pulled on his sandals and dashed off in the direction of their small camp.584Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBEbf5lfl4
“Sensei! Sensei! Look!” exclaimed Joseph, proudly showing off his newest find. “I found it, sensei! The stone you needed!”584Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeqByrph0tX
Ancient Wen, Joseph’s longtime teacher, looked up from his tea catalogue and watched his young, giddy apprentice skittering through the woods. The old man perked up immediately as he heard Joseph’s shouts. It had been awhile since he had sent Joseph away on this little task. Wen had begun to wonder if the boy had drowned or got lost or got eaten by a bear…584Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKhU0VbYcZ
He held out one wrinkled hand. “Really, young Joseph? Let me see it please. I'll be the judge to see if it suits me.”584Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5Wyt4q01I
Joseph skidded to a halt and handed over the stone, eagerness flowing out of him like bubbles from a witch’s cauldron. Wen eyed the stone, rolled it around in hands a few times, a tossed it up into the air.584Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFe1ac9dMYV
Ancient Wen motioned for Joseph to take a seat beside him. A gentle breeze hummed its way through the pine woods and whipped around the tea catalogue’s pages. Wen fixed the book and put the stone down on the pages to keep his place.584Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHaS893Yoi
“So, young Joseph, are you ready for you Third Life Lesson?” asked Ancient Wen.584Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05BqwB8xRB
Joseph nodded vigorously. “Yes, sensei.”584Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0E2IRi9Gje
“Good answer,” replied Ancient Wen. “Today’s lesson will wrap up the first set of teachings. So far you have successfully learned about and tested both Chance and Luck. Today’s lesson will be dealing with Fate, the older sibling to Chance and Luck.”584Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogXhu5fP4L
“Fate?” repeated Joseph. “Like the dead set path of a person’s life?”584Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxHudTCRCA
Ancient Wen nodded. He glanced at the tea catalogue. “Red Lemon Tea sounds good for today, young Joseph. We must head to town to get some.” He looked back at Joseph. “Anyway, on with the lesson. Yes. That is the face value explanation of Fate, but it could go further. While luck is the individual’s power and Chance is the probability, Fate is the individual’s future. However, it is not exactly set in stone as you think. Think of it more like a man who just walks randomly down a road: You never know where he is gonna go. Fate is the same way. Chance affects which turns you take, and with a little bit of Luck, you can influence your Fate. Do you understand now, young Joseph?”584Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjmsWABzcKB
Joseph rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands. He guessed he had forgotten how to blink during his sensei’s explanation. “I… think I do, sensei,” Joseph replied slowly.584Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnLUSTnjZD
“I'm sure you don't, young Joseph,” Ancient Wen replied. He picked up the stone from his book. “To better understand Fate, you will have to test it, and in order to test it you must snatch this stone from my hand. If you can, then it was-!”584Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Lqs0qxa1h
“You mean this stone, sensei?” Joseph asked, holding the gray stone between his thumb and forefinger.584Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4CV9unLMj5
Ancient Wen stared in wondered bewilderment at his empty hand then back to his smirking apprentice. He began to chuckle quietly and soon he was shaking with belly-rolling guffaws.584Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UGRkFLkMC
Joseph joined in the mirth. He patted his sensei a few times gently on the back. “Guess it was written in my Fate after all, sensei. Better luck next time, eh?”584Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJ0ICxBX3l
Ancient Wen lashed out, catching Joseph a smarting blow to the back of the head. All sense of merriment was gone from him as he began to reprimand his impudent apprentice. “Let me finish my very important explanations about the Life Lesson first, young Joseph! Something could have gone incredibly wrong if you had screwed up.”584Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBFbn1zJFQ
“Yes, sensei,” Joseph muttered apologetically.584Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5S49DQHID
There was a snort beside him. Joseph looked up to see Wen holding a hand to his mouth, failing to keep the laughs from escaping. “What's so funny, sensei?” asked Joseph. He had just screwed something up. This was no time for laughter.584Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡibDZI7zW4J
“You should have seen your face, young Joseph!” replied Ancient Wen. “There was no harm done by you jumping the gun. To tell you the truth, I read your Fate earlier this morning, and the most anticipated path was for you to fail. So that means you have high amounts of Luck. Good job, young Joseph.”584Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFedTM5FpGo
“Really?” asked Joseph, relieved but still slightly nervous. “What would have happened if I failed?”584Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5Z3EUEL9C
“I would have killed you,” replied Ancient Wen as he began to thumb through the tea catalogue. “I don't teach failures.”
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