The Praying Mantis

[Badstench]

Within the gloom of living this feudal existence, I wish upon a day much more.

The Baron is not an unkind master, but he is my master still.

I dream of freedom.

*

I have heard tell of an opportunity; the Thane has called for recruits to join his expeditionary army to Saarngard Isle, and he has opened the invitation to all and sundry, including the serfs of any baron within his domain.

What should I do?

My life of servitude is slavery by any other name, yet my lot is blessed in this barony, for my master is both generous and giving. He deserves my loyalty.

Perplexed by quandary, I returned to my house; the house given by my benefactor, the Baron. It is a house of sticks, to be sure, and nothing to be proud of, but it is a house nonetheless. I have a roof, four walls and a window. I have food to feed myself and my family.

What more can any man ask?

Except to be free?

*

This night of all nights, while I pondered on decisions, I spied the insect clasped to wooden wall; a mantis it was... a praying mantis, and I came over all a-quiver.

Said I to it... "What brings you to my house, mantis?" (A mandible was raised to scratch its head, but it spoke not).

I went to my bed that night, and dreamed...

My wife sat with our son on her knee, and arrayed around was the glint and shine of treasure gained from the goblins of Saarngard Isle. Every man came home a rich man, laden with the spoils of war.

When I woke into the dawn, the mantis was perched on the ceiling above my head. It's bulbous eyes were turned outways, watching the trick and track of a fly.

I lay there, watching the watcher.

*

The Baron sought me out today. Said he, "George, why didn't you take up with the Thane's invitation? Your freedom was guaranteed."

"Freedom?" I queried of him. "What would I be free to do, my liege? To fight for the honour of the Thane, and there to die?"

"You will die one day, George", he answered. "Better to die a free man, don't you think?"

*

Of all the men who left the barony that day, none returned. They died as free men, every single one of them.

And I saw the mantis a further time; it clutched a fly and fed. I fancied it turned a bulbous eye to me before flying away.

I'm sure it winked!

[Elrond]

"You will die one day, George", he answered. "Better to die a free man, don't you think?"

*

Of all the men who left the barony that day, none returned. They died as free men, every single one of them.


They had the courage and the will to breath their last breaths as free men. And they died not a second before their destined fate. None died before their time.

May the eyes of cowards never taste sleep!

[thingirl]

True, but it's jst a story.

[Elrond]

True, but it's jst a story.

Sorry Thingirl, it is not just a story. A writer is not a story-teller or a bard. He or she is a powerful artist who has the power to influence society through his or her writing. And in many (if not all) cases, there are different layers to a literary text. And one would have to delve into the text to understand its message, without over-analyzing or going to wild and baseless conclusions.

[thingirl]

Hmmm, I guess you're right. but still, everyone else went, so...

[Lightwielder]

Yes, but the story focuses on the one that did not go. The one that stayed behind. Sometimes, writers will put the focus of the story on the person who was making the wrong decision; not always the one(s) in the right. Even a few of Jesus's parables have this case present in the story.

Now, I could not tell by first reading this if this is what Badstench was doing, but such an option shouldn't be excluded, because it does happen.

Regardless, it is indeed, quite the story. Rep' worthy, in fact.

[thingirl]

True repp worthy in dead.

[Elrond]

Yes, but the story focuses on the one that did not go. The one that stayed behind. Sometimes, writers will put the focus of the story on the person who was making the wrong decision; not always the one(s) in the right. Even a few of Jesus's parables have this case present in the story.

Now, I could not tell by first reading this if this is what Badstench was doing, but such an option shouldn't be excluded, because it does happen.

Regardless, it is indeed, quite the story. Rep' worthy, in fact.

I don't know if Badstench was pointing to the man who made the wrong decision. He seemed to infer that he made the right decision by staying behind. So, the message I got was that freedom does not mean folly. And the message I was trying to deliver was that freedom requires tons of risk and sacrifice.

[Young Ned]

I don't know if Badstench was pointing to the man who made the wrong decision. He seemed to infer that he made the right decision by staying behind. So, the message I got was that freedom does not mean folly. And the message I was trying to deliver was that freedom requires tons of risk and sacrifice.

What I got from the story is that for some people, freedom just isn't worth that price. In the narrator's mind, he did make the right decision. It's all a matter of priorities...

[Lightwielder]

Personally, I don't really know what impact that the story had on me...if it had one at all. I was simply saying that that is a possibility, but we won't know unless we hear from Badstench himself.

[Badstench]

From Lightwielder:
we won't know unless we hear from Badstench himself.
To an earlier posts that queried the right or wrong decisions of a man beset by a choice.

Both Elrond and Young Ned have very strong points:

When I wrote the story, I was very mindful of the fact that it was set within a feudal society. In that sort of setting, someone like George would normally have no bearing at all on his own existence. He is "owned".

In medieval times, this was accepted as the norm. Freedom was a two pronged blessing; yes, you could be free to choose your own path in life, but if that life meant squalor, poverty and hunger as opposed to what the "good baron" offered in this story, what would you do? What would you do?

In my story, George was thinking of his wife and son having a husband and father alive. In a feudal society, serfs who couldn't contribute to the benefit of the barony were often thrown aside.

Please don't think of England in this example; Germanic and French feudalism was much harsher.

What no-one addressed in your comments was the purpose in the story of the praying mantis. Why did I choose a praying mantis over a spider, or a rodent, or a human of dubious quality?

Elrond said:
A writer is not a story-teller or a bard. He or she is a powerful artist who has the power to influence society through his or her writing. And in many (if not all) cases, there are different layers to a literary text.
Which is about as close to the truth that I have ever heard.

There is power in words, and the writing of words can be a powerful tool if they impart a message and reach a targeted audience.

I chose a praying mantis because of the ambiguity... Praying = good, mantis = scarey, ipso facto, bad.

The choice is yours. Did the Praying mantis help George make the right decision, or influence him into making the wrong decision?

[Taleria]

This character was blessed with a kind master, and my first thought after reading Elrond's post was that hey, what good are the dead men to their families? Was it destiny? No, they had a choice as well.

It is easier to depend on someone else for one's livelihood, as would be the case for this character. His fate would hinge on the fate of the Baron, of course, but it was also stable. Given his particular circumstances, I think he chose well. Who knows what the future brought, but one can only work with the situation at the time.