2AD: Ducks in a pond
There came a curious moment in the grand palace of the King of Persia, a ruler famed not only for his vast lands but also for his insatiable thirst for knowledge—almost as insatiable as a duck’s appetite for breadcrumbs by the royal pond. One day, he summoned the famously wise Greek philosopher Epictetus, a man known for untangling the threads of human life and the cosmos, like a diligent duck preening its feathers in the sun.
The king, wishing to understand more than merely how to rule or where to find the best duck ponds in his kingdom, commanded Epictetus to explain the nature of life, the universe and why ducks quack.
“O King, the path from life to death is not simply the fluttering of wings or the passing of breath. This is no mere animal twitch, it is a grand cosmic dance choreographed by a nautilus flowing through time’s endless river, where existence itself folds upon itself like the ripples created by a duck paddling relentlessly across the water seeking its supper. Life and death are but quacks echoed in this infinite rhythm, replicating existence not through flesh alone but through time’s ceaseless renewal.”
Envisioning ducks gliding serenely across the waters of eternity, the king pondered the philosopher’s words. Observers tell us that this moment was remembered not for precise scientific proof nor for exact explanation, but for the way it wove wisdom and wonder, much like a flock of ducks weaving effortlessly through the morning mist, into a tale of life’s grand mysteries.
Such is the story, both learned and a little bit quacky, passed down like the lore of ancient times between Persian kings and Greek philosophers, reminding us that sometimes the universe itself might just be a bit like a pond full of ducks.
You are here: States of Grace > Fables