Old Captain and The Legend of The Blue Bear (part 2)

Simon quickly learns that strength isn’t noise or muscle—it’s care, patience, and the courage to build light when night presses in.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:14

Hi, hope you like and follow so you can get notified of new episodes.

SPEAKER_00 0:18

And now it's time to Tell me an old captain story.

Meeting Tontan, the Mountain Bear

Facing the Dark by Making Fire

Myles’ Test of Wisdom: Noise Deafness

Listening to Hearts, Not Words

Old Captain’s Painless Memory

Closing Invitation

SPEAKER_01 0:23

Episode 16 Old Captain and the Legends of the Blue Bear Part two The Test of Strength A voice spoke to Simon from somewhere that sounded like it was all around him. It was a feminine voice, motherly, but not his mother's. The voice itself seemed to make the earth move or vibrate beneath his body. The sound of it woke him when he s when it spoke. Test your strength. Simon sat up in the cave by himself. The strange voice that spoke to him echoed in his mind, fading with each passing heartbeat. Miles and old captain were nowhere to be seen. Blue Bear Mountain was covered in snow, and there was no sign of it letting up any time soon. Miles Simon yelled into the wintry whiteness outside. Silence. Not even the sound of an echo. Old Captain Again, silence. Dejected, he went back to the little campsite where they had all shared their cups of hot cocoa earlier. The fire had gone out, extinguished by snow. Where are they? Simon wondered, but it was at but was at a loss as to what could have happened, or where they could be. He sat down in a slump and felt his eyes start to sting with an oncoming cry. Where did everybody go? Simon felt like a nine year old again, which of course he was, but he'd always felt like he was old for nine. A tear crept slowly down his cheek as he fought the fear of being alone. He wept a little, quietly as he could, for he felt the need to keep his fear to himself for some reason. After a few moments, allowing himself to feel his big feelings, Simon sniffed and nodded to himself. Okay, he said the word aloud. Okay. He acknowledged his situation with his chin squared to the moment and got up to his feet. Hands on his hips, Simon surveyed his surroundings. He was a knight, so he had his sword and his armor, which right now was feeling awful heavy and cold. He had a satchel of meager provisions which consisted of half an apple wrapped in wax paper, a granola bar, and a small bag of pistachios, and a pack of gum with a few sticks left in it. It was then that he noticed that the hot cocoa mugs were gone, and so were Myles' and old captain's belongings. In fact, there was no sign that Miles or old captain had ever even been there. To make matters worse, the magic bubble of firelight was gone, and there were no signs of their footprints. The inside of the cave was dark, except for the light coming in from the entrance, but he would have no light when nighttime came. What happened to the fire? he said aloud, and heard his own voice shake. He looked outside. The white was starting to turn to gray. He still couldn't believe old Captain and Myles weren't there. Where could they have gone? Maybe they went to get wood for the fire? he wondered aloud. Fear started to creep around the edge of his mind, even around the edge of what light remained. Simon suddenly regretted the fact that he'd always relied on old Captain or Miles to set the fire. He'd never really done it himself. A saying then from his Montessori school came to mind. Don't do for child what a child can do for self. Simon had never made a fire before. Worry started to creep in. He sniffed and started looking around for anything to start a fire with. Was there any wood? It was so dark that it was hard to see anything. He remembered then the words that woke him up. Test your strength. He was confused. I thought this was supposed to be a test of strength. He looked at a stone that appeared heavy. He walked over to it and knelt to pick it up. Surely if he could lift this stone he would pass the test. He wrapped his arms around it and heaved with all his might. But the stone only moved slightly. He stopped and stood to catch his breath. Test of strength, he whispered to himself. I'd better pass this test soon before it gets too dark. Simon still hated the dark. It was something he did not like to admit, but it was true. He especially hated being alone in the dark. He swept the thought from his head and noticed a large dead branch from a tree that lay heavy against the wall of the cave. Maybe if he lifted that, or better yet, if he could break it, he might pass the test of strength. Simon went over to the dead branch and went to lift it when he noticed a silvery spider web connecting the wood to the stone wall of the cave. Ew he recoiled from the sight. Then he got angry, and pulled out his sword and started chopping at the branch. Simon roared like a wild man as he chopped at the wood until it was rendered to splinters. When he was done, he dropped the sword, his arms exhausted. Why so sad, little one? A voice from somewhere inside the cave said. It sounded female, and like it was all around him. Simon wiped his cheek with the heel of his hand and stood up. Who's there? He did his best to sound unafraid. You don't need to be afraid, said the voice. I am the mountain. I am Tauntan. You're the blue bear? Simon said. But where are you? I can't see you. I am all around you, said the blue bear. Where did my brother and old captain go? Simon said, with a slight squeak in his voice that he did not like hearing. A test of strength must always be taken alone. How will anyone know how strong I am? Strength isn't just about lifting things with your arms. Think of the mighty salmon, a fish that swims from the ocean to the mountains and great rivers. It swims its whole life against the current, against the river's might, and it endures. It does all this without arms. Simon scrunched up his face as he pondered this metaphor. He could understand it, he supposed, but one thing stuck out to him. No offense, but doesn't the salmon swim all the way all that way only to be eaten by a grizzly bear? The voice of Tontan was silent for a moment. Sometimes life offers no guarantees to anyone. Also, salmon are delicious, said the mountain slash bear. But that's beside the point. The point is you must face that which you fear, that thing that makes you feel weak. And for you, what is that? Simon didn't have to think about it. He figured she knew already too. There was no point in hiding it. The dark, Simon said. The dark, Tontan said it gravely, and made it sound bigger somehow. So what are you going to do? Simon glanced outside the cave entrance, and noticed the white of all the snow was turning to grey again, and he could start to see mountains in the distance, and knew the sun was setting behind them. He thought of something his mom and dad often said. It's good to do hard things. What are you going to do? The blue bear spoke softly, and yet sounded far away. Be a salmon, Simon said. I'm gonna build a fire. The mountain was silent, save for the faint howl of wind from somewhere outside. Simon wondered for a moment, and then decided he would not wait any longer. He could do this. He could. He would have to, if he was going to get through the dark. He didn't even want to think about it or how long he would have to be alone. Simon nodded to himself and went to work. He emptied the pack of its contents. There was the half eaten granola bar, a Lego ninja, an apple, a pack of gum with two pieces left, and a very old, very wrinkled bent paper airplane. Simon reviewed the inventory and thought of the videos he'd seen where people make fire out of everyday items without a lighter. His father had shown him how to create a bird's nest from wood shavings and how to stack the kindling like a teepee to fuel the flame once the spark got it going. He collected a bunch of pieces of splintered wood from when he got mad and hit the branch with a sword. Carefully, Simon took some small pieces and made them as thin as he could with the sharp edge of his sword. He bunched the thinnest shavings together in a small ball, and suddenly he recalled from Cub Scouts that Gum might be able to provide some flammable oil. So he took the last two pieces and chewed them up. As he worked, he felt the impending darkness of the cave encroaching on him, drawing closer and closer like a slow creeping monster. He could feel the cringe in his spine. Doing his best to ignore it, he tore the paper into small pieces, placing them in the bird's nest of shaved wood. Once he was done chewing, he took the gum out of his mouth and used half of it to wrap around the ball of shavings to keep them together, and the other half, he waited for it to dry a little and then placed it in the center. Next, he needed a good rock. There were several rocks of varying sizes in the cave. He looked for one with a sharp edge and a rough texture. After a few minutes of searching, he found a pretty good piece of quartz. The light was getting dimmer outside, and it was getting harder to see by the moment. I'd better hurry, he said aloud. Simon positioned his sword in a way that it leaned pointed down, and placed the bird's nest of tinder near the tip. He placed the twigs that would feed the fire in a small pile so he could get to them quickly. Here goes nothing. Simon took the rock and struck the edge of the sword. No spark. He struck again. This time there was a little spark. Undeterred, Simon struck a third time, and the spark caught just enough to live in the bird's nest. Yes. He quickly bent down and gave just a slight blow to the spark. Smoke appeared. It went out, but Simon stayed hopeful. He could do it. He kept at it for a few minutes, enduring the life and death of little sparks until finally he got an ember. The flame was small at first, but he nurtured it quickly to health and gave it food in the form of paper and wood. Within moments Simon had made his own fire. I did it! I made fire. Simon carefully gave the fire a little more wood, and as it grew he noticed how the light made the dark retreat, and yet also made it darker. I faced my fear, he thought, just like the salmon. Just like the salmon, came the voice of Ton Tan, the blue bear. Simon fed the fire until it got so bright that the entire cave was lit up. You made your own fire, said Ton Tan. You, like the salmon, displayed great courage, and so you have the strength of the grizzly bear. The cave was suddenly so bright that it was like day, and then suddenly everything went dark again. Simon opened his eyes and saw he was back with Myles and old captain, both of whom were soundly asleep. The test of wisdom. It was not a voice nor a sound that woke Myles. It was the silence. Total silence, as if someone had turned the volume of the whole world to off. He opened his eyes. He was in the cave where he, Simon and old captain, had found shelter from the rain. The cave was full of life, and the strangest thing of all, people. Lots of people. They were mostly old people, and for Myles, who was six, everyone was old people. There were some kids, though, a few babies and toddlers, and come to think of it, there were teenagers too. He could see old captain, his mom and dad, his brother and their friends, his aunts and uncles, and all his cousins. It looked to be a birthday party for a very old man at the end of a long table. I wake up at a birthday party? He wondered. Hey everybody, Miles said excitedly. What are you all doing here? Nobody responded to him. Despite the people moving around, kids running and playing, there was no sound. Nothing, not even the sound of footsteps. Myles could see lips moving, and people were clearly talking to each other, but he could not hear a sound coming from their lips. What's going on? said Myles aloud. He felt a surge of frustration. Why can't I hear anything? Why can't they hear me? Have you tried listening? said the same strange voice that had spoken to Simon. Myles did not know how he knew it, but he knew this was the blue bear. But how am I supposed to listen if I can't hear anything? Myles cried. You can, said the blue bear. They are quite loud, actually. So loud that you hear nothing. What you have now is noise deafness. You can't hear until you can focus on what they are saying. That doesn't make any sense. It doesn't, does it? said the blue bear. And yet that is true of much of the world. Some things don't make sense, but they are still true. Miles tried getting his friend Reed's attention, but he didn't seem to notice him. When he called out again, nobody appeared to hear him. Why can't they hear me? You must learn to listen before you can be heard. I thought this was supposed to be a test of wisdom, said Myles. I thought I was going to learn some cool spells. Ah, little one. Then what you seek is knowledge. What's the difference? Wisdom is greater than knowledge, Ton Tan the blue bear said. But how? Myles was incredulous. If you have knowledge, you already know everything. Knowing is not the same as understanding. To understand something is to see how it fits with all other things. So I'm not going to learn any cool spells. The blue bear said nothing. Frustrated, Myles walked around the room and tried to listen to what other people were saying. He stopped at each person and put his ear close to them. At first, nothing happened. Then he heard something. It was a whisper, but he heard it clear as a silver bell. He recognized the voice immediately as his mother's. Then another sound became audible. It was a heartbeat. Her heartbeat. Myles had the sudden feeling that he was very small again. A baby, a newborn, his ear to his mother's chest the moment after he was born. She whispered his name again. Hers was the first voice he heard at the very moment she named him. Myles said another voice. This one was his father's, deep and soft. Hearing the two very first voices he would ever hear in this world made him feel surrounded by love. One by one, Myles heard more people's voices. He heard his brother, an old captain, and everyone else. They were clear and even though he was in a crowded room, he could understand everything each person was saying, as if they were speaking to him and him alone. They talked about their hopes and their fears, and the things they loved most in the world. It was not their words that told him this, but their hearts. He could hear their heartbeats, and the sound spoke to him, revealing each person's truth. Miles felt suddenly overcome with a feeling of wanting to care for all the people in this cave. He heard them all. He heard their hearts and was starting to understand them. He started to appreciate then the way people were, their likes and dislikes, the way they carried themselves. It all started to make a little sense. I think I got it, Miles said, feeling his head and heart swirl with new understanding. At least I think so. Maybe a little anyways. Oh he shrugged. I don't know. Well done, little one, said the blue bear. You will have the senses of the bear to guide you. The old captain felt something very strange and opened his eyes. The strange thing he felt was nothing. He felt no pain. He sat up and looked around. The usual crick in his neck wasn't there. That's new, he said to himself. Huh. He got up from the bedroll he'd been sleeping on and noticed again that there were no aches or pains, no tightness in the back, hips or knees. It was amazing. Old Captain looked at his hands. Why don't I feel any pain? he said. He was starting to wonder about this newfound achess feeling he was having. He heard voices just outside the cave. It was Simon and Miles. They were playing tag, and there was a third boy, maybe eight years old, playing with them. The rain had stopped, and there was a rainbow arching high over the mountains. You're it, Simon said after tagging the other boy. The other boy ran and tagged Miles. No, you're it, the other boy said. No, Miles said with a giggle. You didn't get me, you got my shirt. Oh yeah, the other boy said. Then why'd you turn around? I felt it, Myles said. If you felt it, then it counts, said the other boy. That's true, Simon added. Myles charged both boys with a six year old battle cry. They ran in separate directions, and all three laughed. Old Captain leaned against the inside of the cave opening and just watched them play with a smile. The boys did not see him, but ran and wrestled and played until they were about worn out. The other boy was the first to call timeout. He was out of breath and bent over, hands on his knees sucking in wind. Let's he huffed until he caught his breath. Let's take a break. Get some water. Simon and Miles came over to him and agreed with nods, and the three friends started walking back toward the cave. Old Captain watched as they approached, and for the first time he saw the other boy's face. Old Captain's eyes widened a little, and his lower lip dropped. He hadn't seen that boy's face in about forty five years. Old Captain, Simon said to the other boy, can we start back on our hike now? Of course, the other boy said. I just thought we could use a play break. When old Captain watched the three boys walk toward him, seemingly unaware of his standing in front of them, he caught a glimpse of his own eyes looking back at him, and then the other boy walked right through him. Old Captain, Simon and Miles, continued their hike. Three friends, the young knight, the younger wizard, and the old cavalier, who felt the various pains and age of his life disappear in the presence of these two boys. The blue bear did not impart any gift on old captain, because she knew, as did he, that he already has everything he needs. Hi, hope you like and follow so you can get notified of new episodes.

SPEAKER_00 21:08

And now it's time to Tell me an old Captain story.