A young girl stood in the doorway of her parent’s house, preparing to leave. She walked past the well, past the stone fence and past the giant oak tree. She walked down the land and got to a low mountain path. This was not the first time she walked this path. She lived not one mile off this path, for this was the only way into the closest town. The town, Balman, rested on the hillside of the mountain not but five miles down the trail. Down on that hillside, Balman was known for being full of gamblers, drunks and abusers. But for the girl and her family, Balman was their only way to acquire the things they needed. Balman was where they bought most of their food, wine, rods and reels for fishing the many waterways flowing from the mountain. Here stood the Inn, though not many people came to use the rooms, preferring to rest their red eyes in the pub after drinking the type of rye whiskey that seems to makes the sun set faster. It is here in Balman that the moonshiner had lived for 17 long years, and where the iron mill still stood collecting dust. The girls father was a blacksmith and depended on this mill very highly. However, the mill was run by the kind of man that one would not like to find himself down a back alley with.
That is why we find this girl, on this mountain path, making her way down the mountain into Balman. She stopped and took a few steps off the trail. She stood atop a boulder to peer through a gap in the trees. Below, Balman stood in the dark of the morning, foggy and quiet; it was very early and most were still deep in their slumber. The tall smoke pipe above the iron mill towered over the small city. A beacon hanging a feeling of empty importance over the people that occupied Balman. As the girl looked over the city, she wondered what it would be like to not return to this mountain path. She wondered what it would be like if she took up residence in Balman. She would meet a nice boy, get a job at the Inn or maybe a pub, rent a small cottage, fill her cottage cupboards with wine, rye whiskey, other liquor, and waste away the rest of her days just trying to forget. She sat on that boulder, letting the light gray of the fog consume her vision, and wondering.
That is why we find this girl, on this mountain path, making her way down the mountain into Balman. She stopped and took a few steps off the trail. She stood atop a boulder to peer through a gap in the trees. Below, Balman stood in the dark of the morning, foggy and quiet; it was very early and most were still deep in their slumber. The tall smoke pipe above the iron mill towered over the small city. A beacon hanging a feeling of empty importance over the people that occupied Balman. As the girl looked over the city, she wondered what it would be like to not return to this mountain path. She wondered what it would be like if she took up residence in Balman. She would meet a nice boy, get a job at the Inn or maybe a pub, rent a small cottage, fill her cottage cupboards with wine, rye whiskey, other liquor, and waste away the rest of her days just trying to forget. She sat on that boulder, letting the light gray of the fog consume her vision, and wondering.
Eventually, she got up. Walking along the path again, she saw the sun break around the summit directly behind her. The air became warm and she removed her woolen coat. She could feel the mountain breeze on her bare arms as the smell of pine and river water wafted into her nostrils. The girl continued down the path and met the river, where she stopped to take a drink. She was quite a bit closer to Balman, and she could see a few people stirring about the town, after waking from their drunken slumber. As she continued down the path, it began to shrink. She had to almost attach herself to the mountain in order to stay standing. Although she had travelled this path many times before, this stretch still made her nervous. She felt the salty breeze hit her face. Once she reached the end of the path, she felt a relief fall over her and she decided to take one more rest before making the last trek down into Balman. Looking across the valley she saw something very unusual. The trees were shaking in a row almost as if something was moving them; and it, that something, was moving closer to her. She could feel it. She could feel the ground begin to shake and as it got closer, she could see a massive figure walking through the trees. The girl was so frightened, she found herself unable to move.
Her heart stalled for a second as she saw the beast walk through the trees. There before her stood a massive creature, man-like, though, his skin was ugly green and dirty. The creature approached the girl, drifting through the trees, shaking the ground, almost knocking the girl over. She backed up behind a boulder, peeking her head over the top of it as the creature got even closer.
He spoke, “ Why are you afraid?”.
“Who are you?...What are you?”.
“I am everything you shouldn’t fear and everything you lack. I am the all knowing. I am the one you need but weed out of your life. I am the one who controls the forest. I am Sham Eh.”
“Sham Eh?”
The creature nodded.
She rose imperceptibly, growing more comfortable with this soft spoken beast. They just stood there in silence for a few minutes, trying to assess the situation when at last, the girl said, “Aren’t you going to ask my name?”.
He spoke, “ Why are you afraid?”.
“Who are you?...What are you?”.
“I am everything you shouldn’t fear and everything you lack. I am the all knowing. I am the one you need but weed out of your life. I am the one who controls the forest. I am Sham Eh.”
“Sham Eh?”
The creature nodded.
She rose imperceptibly, growing more comfortable with this soft spoken beast. They just stood there in silence for a few minutes, trying to assess the situation when at last, the girl said, “Aren’t you going to ask my name?”.
To this he responded, “I already know your name, however, this is unimportant.”
“How do you know my name?”, she spoke with concern.
“I told you, I am the all knowing”.
And with a daze of confusion upon her, her mind busy trying to figure out all of this, her heart was racing with nervousness and panic.
And then it went black...
The girl woke up in a tree. She almost fell from fright. She looked down below her, and just a few branches down sat Sham Eh.
“How do you know my name?”, she spoke with concern.
“I told you, I am the all knowing”.
And with a daze of confusion upon her, her mind busy trying to figure out all of this, her heart was racing with nervousness and panic.
And then it went black...
The girl woke up in a tree. She almost fell from fright. She looked down below her, and just a few branches down sat Sham Eh.
“Where are we?! Why have you brought me here?!”, yelled the girl down to Sham Eh. But he just continued to sit, eyes closed, swaying in the breeze. The girl was frustrated and still fairly confused, but as she turned back around, she met something completely unexpected: the most gorgeous view she had ever seen. She was breathless as she gazed over the forest for miles and miles only to meet the orange and pink cast of the sun at the horizon. She sat there in a state of amazement. Just looking.
“Know where we are yet?”, ask Sham Eh.
“No, I have no idea, but where ever we are, it’s truly beautiful”, she responded.
“Why don’t you look down?”, he said, with a hint of arrogance in his voice. She looked down, past where the giant was sitting, and noticed something very familiar; it was her home. They were sitting in the giant oak tree. The girl was amazed that all along, this incredible place had been right in front of her face and she had never known. She turned to Sham Eh and asked, “Why have you brought me here?”.
“To show you what you need and what you don’t. To show you that you need not go into the town of Balman, where things are finite and man made. I have brought you here to show you that where you already are, is infinite”.
The girl just sat in silence. Thinking and thinking. Waiting…
Sham Eh reached up and grabbed the girl in his massive hand and lowered her to the ground. He told her to follow him, and she did, for she was not afraid anymore. He brought her down to a lake that neither she nor her family knew existed.
“Know where we are yet?”, ask Sham Eh.
“No, I have no idea, but where ever we are, it’s truly beautiful”, she responded.
“Why don’t you look down?”, he said, with a hint of arrogance in his voice. She looked down, past where the giant was sitting, and noticed something very familiar; it was her home. They were sitting in the giant oak tree. The girl was amazed that all along, this incredible place had been right in front of her face and she had never known. She turned to Sham Eh and asked, “Why have you brought me here?”.
“To show you what you need and what you don’t. To show you that you need not go into the town of Balman, where things are finite and man made. I have brought you here to show you that where you already are, is infinite”.
The girl just sat in silence. Thinking and thinking. Waiting…
Sham Eh reached up and grabbed the girl in his massive hand and lowered her to the ground. He told her to follow him, and she did, for she was not afraid anymore. He brought her down to a lake that neither she nor her family knew existed.
“Why don’t you look towards the water. Look very closely.”, he said softly. She lowered herself down on a rock to where her face was almost touching the water. Below the surface, she saw something she had never seen outside of Balman: fish. Overflowing with joy, she screamed in excitement, making the fish scramble. She screamed, “Who would have thought there were fish here?! I never even knew this place existed!”
“Follow me over here”, he said pointing to a place farther down the shore. He pulled a leaf off of a plant and began to tear the fibers off of it and weave them together. Soon he had a string suitable for fishing, and next to the plant, some berries were growing. He told her how to make wine out of these berries.
“I had no idea all of this was here”, she said to Sham Eh.
“This is why I have brought you here. I wanted to show you that you and your family don’t need to depend on a place such as Balman. For it is a place of deceit and wrongdoing. People steal and do harm to others in this town. The forest you live in can provide everything you need and replace this city”, he explained. She sat there in amazement, for her and her family had been so dependent on Balman for as long as she could remember. “I know it’s hard to grasp, but I will teach you and your family. But for now, I must go”.
“I had no idea all of this was here”, she said to Sham Eh.
“This is why I have brought you here. I wanted to show you that you and your family don’t need to depend on a place such as Balman. For it is a place of deceit and wrongdoing. People steal and do harm to others in this town. The forest you live in can provide everything you need and replace this city”, he explained. She sat there in amazement, for her and her family had been so dependent on Balman for as long as she could remember. “I know it’s hard to grasp, but I will teach you and your family. But for now, I must go”.
“What? Where are you going?”
“There are others on the mountain that must hear this and be taught. But do not fear, if you ever need me I am right here…”, he said pointing to the girl’s heart.
From there, the girl returned home to tell her family about what had happened. But her family had a hard time believing her. For days, she tried to convince them of what had happened, but they refused to believe. Feeling distraught, she went back to that oak tree and climbed its branches back to the spot she had sat with Sham Eh. She sat for hours just gazing over the landscape and thinking about him. She sat there until the sun set and the full moon was overhead. Then, in the distance, once again, she saw the trees begin to shake. She held on tightly as it approached, but this time she wasn’t scared. He came up to the base of the tree and begin to climb up to her.
“What is wrong? Have you not told your family about me?”, said Sham Eh.
“I did, but they don’t believe me.”, responded the girl.
“Well then there is only one thing we need to do”, he said, standing up on the branch and reaching toward the sky. He grasped his hand around the moon and pulled it out of the sky. Placing it in the girl’s hand, he said,” Take this, it will make them believe. And when you bring it to them, I will be by your side”. She held the moon in her hands and stared in amazement. It was so magical and beautiful: she was in a trance. She finally looked up at Sham Eh and gave him a slight nod. Then proceeded to turn around and walk back to the house, where he followed.
“There are others on the mountain that must hear this and be taught. But do not fear, if you ever need me I am right here…”, he said pointing to the girl’s heart.
From there, the girl returned home to tell her family about what had happened. But her family had a hard time believing her. For days, she tried to convince them of what had happened, but they refused to believe. Feeling distraught, she went back to that oak tree and climbed its branches back to the spot she had sat with Sham Eh. She sat for hours just gazing over the landscape and thinking about him. She sat there until the sun set and the full moon was overhead. Then, in the distance, once again, she saw the trees begin to shake. She held on tightly as it approached, but this time she wasn’t scared. He came up to the base of the tree and begin to climb up to her.
“What is wrong? Have you not told your family about me?”, said Sham Eh.
“I did, but they don’t believe me.”, responded the girl.
“Well then there is only one thing we need to do”, he said, standing up on the branch and reaching toward the sky. He grasped his hand around the moon and pulled it out of the sky. Placing it in the girl’s hand, he said,” Take this, it will make them believe. And when you bring it to them, I will be by your side”. She held the moon in her hands and stared in amazement. It was so magical and beautiful: she was in a trance. She finally looked up at Sham Eh and gave him a slight nod. Then proceeded to turn around and walk back to the house, where he followed.
The rest of the story is unnecessary, for this is the point where most of us are in our lives.
We have the moon, but we either reject it, struggle to share it, or embrace it head on.
Which one will you be?
The End
Thank you to Nicole Faouen for Illustrating this story
and Professor Patrick Hueller for revising it
We have the moon, but we either reject it, struggle to share it, or embrace it head on.
Which one will you be?
The End
Thank you to Nicole Faouen for Illustrating this story
and Professor Patrick Hueller for revising it
Jacob would like to thank-
Kelly, you're my muse. I'll never be able to thank you enough for that.
Sydney, always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name.
Mom, for everything you do and sacrifice for me, I'll never be able to show you how much I appreciate it.
Dad, you're always there when I need it. Keep on, keep in' on.
All of the musicians that have helped me in anyway, including, Nate Bergengren, Judy Blomgren, Karen Mueller, and everyone I met through the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old Time Music Festival.
Chris Thile, you started this mandolin thing.
Tom Petty, you started this guitar thing.
All of my friends who have supported me from the beginning.
Jack Carlson, for all those 2am drives, and music talk, I can't thank you enough. No matter how far we go, you'll always be my friend.
And lastly, God, keep me where the light is.
Kelly, you're my muse. I'll never be able to thank you enough for that.
Sydney, always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name.
Mom, for everything you do and sacrifice for me, I'll never be able to show you how much I appreciate it.
Dad, you're always there when I need it. Keep on, keep in' on.
All of the musicians that have helped me in anyway, including, Nate Bergengren, Judy Blomgren, Karen Mueller, and everyone I met through the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old Time Music Festival.
Chris Thile, you started this mandolin thing.
Tom Petty, you started this guitar thing.
All of my friends who have supported me from the beginning.
Jack Carlson, for all those 2am drives, and music talk, I can't thank you enough. No matter how far we go, you'll always be my friend.
And lastly, God, keep me where the light is.