Woman Within

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Woman Within
by Saless

There once was a sculptor of unparalleled skill. At a glance he could see the shape within a stone as if the surrounding rock had already been chipped away. He traveled all over the world to find the perfect pieces for his art. Each piece was more breathtaking than the last, but he was never satisfied. All his life he had an image in his mind that he desperately wanted to bring to life. An image so beautiful it brought tears to his eyes every time he thought about it.

One day he found a stone. It was a little larger than his head and rather nondescript. But as soon as he saw it the image from his mind blazed forth. It was late in the day and he was tired, but he bought it instantly and hurried back to his studio. All night he worked, bringing to life the image that had lived for so long in his mind.

At last he was too tired to continue and laid down on the cot he kept there for the purpose. He fell asleep instantly with a smile on his face.

He woke to a crash and the cursing of his apprentice. Grumbling, he went to investigate. As he entered the room the first thing he saw was the stone he'd been working on, lying on the floor. A large crack ran through the middle of it, and he could no longer see the beautiful image he was trying to bring out in it.

In a rage he stalked into the room, screaming at the apprentice as he went. His apprentice backed away fearfully, which gave the sculptor room to pick up the stone and throw it at him. The apprentice managed to catch the stone before it could crush his skull and ran when the sculptor reached for something else to throw.

The apprentice was the son of a rich man and convinced he was incredibly talented. In anger at his treatment from the sculptor he decided to prove how good he was by making something amazing out of the flawed stone. He worked tirelessly for days, carving away the smooth lines of the sculptors vision with the rougher, crude lines of his own.

At last it was finished and his father pulled some strings to get it shown at a gallery. He beamed with pride as people came by to look at it, but they were far from impressed.

Meanwhile, the sculptor regretted throwing the stone at the apprentice. Although ruined, it still represented something beautiful to him that he'd sought all his life.

When he learned of the gallery showing he went to investigate. When he saw what his former apprentice had made of the stone he was incensed.

He ranted and raved at how the apprentice had further ruined it. In the end, he bought it to keep anyone else from seeing the travesty.

He took it home and put it up in a prominent place. Every day he gazed at it and tried to see that image again in the stone. Every time he failed.

Years passed and he grew bitter and angry. He stopped working and withdrew from the world.

Finally, near the end of his life, there was an earthquake. The only damage was the statue, which fell off the shelf and shattered into several pieces. He was heartbroken.

Angry that the world seemed to be conspiring to destroy his vision, he began to gather the pieces intending to discard them. But as he collected the pieces he could see, dimly, that image again.

Without further thought he took the pieces and started reshaping them. He drilled holes and ran wire through it to hold the pieces together, as he didn't trust glue to last. At last, after months of painstaking work, he finished putting it together.

Each piece fitted together so tightly that the seams were invisible unless looked at very closely. At last, after all that time, his vision had become a reality. It wasn't quite as perfect as the image in his mind, and he felt that the seams were a further flaw, but it was close. That was the best he could do.

After putting a new plaque on the stand with its proper name, he sat back to admire the beautiful simplicity of the statue he had created. His smile had never been larger.

Some time later he was found, still staring at the statue with that same smile on his face. The statue, when noticed, became the most famous of all his works. Everyone wondered who the model was, but no one ever came forward.

The apprentice told the newspapers his part in it in order to gain some acclaim for himself but only managed to show the world how incompetent he really was. He would never lose his anger over the sculptor showing him up so thoroughly by changing his own work, The Broken Man, into the world famous Woman Within.


The End…

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Comments

What a great piece of creation; much like the statue

Andrea Lena's picture

...seen at the beginning for what it was...and having the master's touch once again to restore it to its intended form. This is just awesome, and I'm so glad you gave this today! Thank you!


Dio vi benedica tutti
Con grande amore e di affetto
Andrea Lena

  

To be alive is to be vulnerable. Madeleine L'Engle
Love, Andrea Lena

Some stories are difficult

Some stories are difficult to post and this was one of them. I was afraid to see what the reaction would be, but so far it seems quite positive. Thanks Andrea! ^_^

Saless 


Kittyhawk"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America


"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America

I am impressed and others here will tell you that is hard to do.

To be able to take a broken stone and fix it so it resembles a woman takes talent. The apprentice learned that you don't upstage real talent. From "The Broken Man" to the "Woman Within" takes time and talent but it also takes patience. Thank you for sharing.

"With confidence and forbearance, we will have the strength to move forward."

Love & hugs,
Barbara

"If I have to be this girl in me, Then I have the right to be."

"With confidence and forbearance, we will have the strength to move forward."

Love & hugs,
Barbara

"If I have to be this girl in me, Then I have the right to be."

Patience can really make a

Patience can really make a big difference. There are lots of times I've accomplished something through patience that I never could have if I didn't keep stubbornly plugging away at it. ;) Thanks Barbara!

Saless 


Kittyhawk"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America


"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America

I think-

this one will mean different things to different folks. Not an easy trick at all given there are several ways of looking at this. At it's surface just a story about a sculptor however it has depths. The titles of The Broken Man and the Woman within definitely speaks to how many of us feel about ourselves. Well done my friend! Well done! :)

Hugs!

Grover

This story popped into my

This story popped into my head while driving to the doctor's office a couple of weeks ago. Right from the start I knew it would be interpreted very differently by different people. I rather like that. ;)

Thank you Grover! ^_^

Saless 


Kittyhawk"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America


"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America

It means whatever you want

It means whatever you want it to mean. ;) Thanks Laika!

Saless 


Kittyhawk"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America


"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America

Woman Within

An artist who works in stone or wood will simply remove the extra stone or wood to reveal the shape with in.

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine
    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

Very nice story Laika

Delightfully concise and yet a whole tale was told.

The first few lines reminded me of Narziss and Goldmund, which I will have to re-read one day. So thanks for that reminder too.

XX
AD

But .... but ..... but...

laika's picture

Oh heck, I'll take any compliment I can get.
Thank you for your kind words regarding my humble story.
If you liked this please check out my other works:
MOBY DICK
STARSHIP TROOPERS
WUTHERING HEIGHTS
THE HOLY BIBLE
~hugs, Laika

.
The closest approximation to what it's like in my brain:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u08E7c-FRbU&t=4s

I especially love some of your later work...

Andrea Lena's picture

...That magical story of transgender teenage migrant farm workers who have their first period...Of Mice and Menses?
If you liked the joke, it was Ronnie's idea, but blame me if it was horrible, okay?



Dio vi benedica tutti
Con grande amore e di affetto
Andrea Lena

  

To be alive is to be vulnerable. Madeleine L'Engle
Love, Andrea Lena

Nice to see

Angharad's picture

An oblique approach, it makes people think.

Good one, Saless, I enjoyed it.

Angharad

Angharad

I do like to make people think...

Thanks Angharad. :)

Saless 


Kittyhawk"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America


"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America

Please don't make me think, Saless

It makes my brrrrain hurt.

-- grin --

Very good show.

John in Wauwatosa

P.S. any Kittyhawk or your other tales on tap soon...ish?

John in Wauwatosa

Hmm, I do have a side story

Hmm, I do have a side story for the newest member of the Kittyhawk cast that's about ready... ;)

Thanks John! :)

Saless 


Kittyhawk"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America


"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America

Nice. Keep them coming.

Nice. Keep them coming.

Sam

She wasn't where she had been. She wasn't where she was going…but she was on her way.