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The Stone Who was Loved |
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Every day the Artist took the path to the place in the stream where the jewels were found. Every day he chose some jewels to prepare for the throne room of the King. One day, as he went on his way, he reached to the side of the path and picked up a stone. He put it in the bag with the jewels and went back to the castle. Once there he took the little stone, washed it, and put it in the throne room of the King of Glory. The stone was delighted, and for a long time he couldn’t imagine doing anything except gaze in adoration at the King' Eventually, though, the Little Stone did look away from the King and see what else was in the room. There was more glory behind him. Turning to look, he saw beautiful jewels reflecting the glory of the King. He longed to reflect glory like that. When he looked down at himself, he saw that two mirrors were leaning against him. With those, he could reflect glory too. He picked them up and waved them around so he could sparkle like the jewels did. But soon his arms grew tired, and he set the mirrors down and looked into them.
My, he really looked different, basking in the King’s glory.
And, look there!
What was that? The Artist had placed a tiny bit of something
inside of him.
It was beautiful, wondrous even. The more Little Stone looked at
himself and not at the King, the more he saw just how small that little
spot in him was, and just how much prettier the jewels were. Little
Stone grew depressed, and did not even look the King. He did not wave
his mirrors or even turn them so they would reflect glory.
He just stared into them and grieved.
Then the Artist took Little Stone and his mirrors from the throne room. Little Stone rode around in the Artist’s pocket, listening to the words of the Artist. He learned about the King, and got to see what kinds of things the Artist did to prepare the jewels for the throne room. As he watched the Artist cut, grind, and polish the jewels, he began to think that being just a stone might not be such a bad thing.
One
day, the Artist asked Little Stone if he wanted to return to
the throne room.
“Yes, it is very beautiful in there. But
the mirrors are too heavy
for me to hold very long.”
The
Artist smiled and said, “If you will let me, I can cut a little bit of
you off and mount the mirrors so they will be a part of you.
Little
Stone was afraid, but he had seen how carefully the Artist had cut on
the jewels,
so he agreed. Afterwards,
he was very happy he had let the Artist change him.
He
felt so light and free now that he didn’t have to carry those
mirrors. And
the Artist
had cut off a particularly ugly part of
him to inlay the mirrors. He
felt very special. The Artist gave him a stick and took him back to the throne room.
Little Stone found himself in the part of the throne room that was filled with song. He was surrounded by beautiful musical instruments made of precious metals. The song was the most beautiful sound Little Stone had ever heard. Little Stone was so happy to be reflecting glory so easily, and so thrilled to see the King again. He lifted his voice joyously in the Great Song. But all too soon Little Stone looked away from the King. He saw that his mirrors did not reflect glory as prettily as the jewels did. And when he compared his voice to the sound the instruments made, he realized his voice wasn’t as good either. He had the gravelly voice of a stone, not the sweet clear tones of gold or silver. So he stopped singing and simply beat time with the stick the Artist had given him. To his sorrow, instead of a clear beat, he could make only a dull thunk. Soon he stopped even that. And he sat there crying because he couldn’t be as good as the others. Before long, the Artist came to take him away .
"I put you in the throne room to make you happy, Little Stone."
The
Artist did not look very happy. “Why
are you weeping?” When Little Stone tried to explain how much better the others were, and how impossible it was for him to be like them. The Artist frowned sternly and shook his head.
“I brought you to the throne room to see the King, not to compare
yourself with the others. So the Artist kept Little Stone near him for a long time, teaching Little Stone how he was expected to act now that he was a member of the Kings household. Little Stone learned that he wasn’t expected to shine like a diamond or to sing like silver. All that was expected of him was to obey the Artist and to reflect the King’s glory. He didn’t need to compare himself with others, or try to be someone he wasn’t. He was simply the Artist’s Little Stone, and nothing more was expected of him.
Daily
he grew to love the Artist and the King more. As he watched the painful
things the jewels had to endure to become ready for throne room, he
began to feel sorry for them. He began to wonder if he could help them. So he went to the
Artist and asked if he could help. “Do
you see that jagged point you have, Little Stone?”
Artist smiled kindly at him. “Yes,
Artist. “Well, I have to remove that point before I let you help the jewels. It would scratch the jewels and make life harder for them.
Now Little Stone was very afraid to lose that point. It was placed just right to keep him from tipping over and rolling away into corners.
Little Stone had never been in a corner, but he was terrified of
them. He had just about decided that maybe he should keep his point and see if there was something else he could
do, when he heard one the jewels
moan. He looked over at her, and his heart almost broke.
She was having such a hard time.
He knew just how beautiful she would look when she was finally
mounted in the throne room. But right now she needed a friend so she
wouldn’t give up. So
he turned to the Artist and offered to make a bargain. “If I lose that
point, I will be helpless. If I roll off into a corner, will you come
and rescue me?” The Artist’s smile was very large as he agreed to Little Stone’s request. The jagged point was removed.
Now
Little Stone was allowed to help the jewels.
He really enjoyed bringing them water or and polishing their
facets. And they loved to
hear him tell of all the glory and beauty he had seen in the
throne room. He
loved to guess how each one would look when the Artist was finished.
The
more he helped the jewels, the more he grew to love them.
He
was very exited and eager that each one would become the most beautiful
jewel possible. And when they grew sad and depressed, it made him sad
too, and he would find the Artist and ask advice on how best to help
them. But it was also a very hard time for Little Stone. He seldom was able to finish any job he started. Just when he was going to get a polishing cloth or to put a cup away, he‘d rollover, fall off the worktable, and roll into a corner.
After a while he learned that there was nothing in any of the corners in the King’s house to be afraid of. The Artist was always faithful to His bargain and always came to Little Stone’s rescue. But Little Stone grew very frustrated with being stuck in corners when the jewels needed so much help
Finally he took his problem to the Artist. “I
can’t do my job like I want to because I spend most of my time in
corners. Can you change me?
Can you make me so I can help the
jewels better?”
“Little Stone, I can change you. I can make you so you can help much
more than you ever dreamed. But
I will have to cut large parts
of you off. It
will be very painful, and I will have to do it a bit at a time.
Are
you sure you want me to do that? I
never told you that you had to help the jewels, though
it pleases me very much that you do.” Little
Stone thought very hard about the Artist’s words. He
had been with some of the jewels after painful cutting.
Part of him said ‘Why should you go through so much pain to
help them?
They aren’t even your kind. He said you didn’t have to do it. But then
Little Stone thought about how nice it was to
help the jewels. And
even
though they were different,
how much fun it was to
be with them.
Then
he remembered
the look on the Artist’s face when he said he was pleased with
Little Stone.
He
thought about how much the Artist loved him. So
he went back to the Artist
with his decision. “I
know how much you love me and I know you would never hurt me unless it
was necessary. I really do
want to help the jewels, and I don’t care what you have to do with me.
I’ll do anything you tell me to do because I know it is right.
I love you and I trust you.
The Artist was very pleased with Little Stone’s answer.
He held Little Stone close and loved him for a long time.
Then he started the changes Little Stone requested.
Little Stone was amazed at how much the Artist changed him. First the artist cut him so he had proper legs. He was able to walk straight to a jewel instead of rolling halfway across the room. He was very happy with that change. Then the Artist gave him proper arms. He could see how that change made it easier for him to help the jewels too. But the changes that came later were much harder to understand. The Artist would shape parts of him that seemed okay, and cut off pieces that didn’t seem to matter.
It was a hard and painful time for Little Stone. When he felt he could bear no more, the Artist would put him in the throne room. And when he saw the King’s glory he drew courage. But what helped Little Stone bear it most was the smile of approval the Artist gave him after each change. Making the Artist happy was the most important thing in Little Stone’s life.
The
best day of all came when the Artist asked him, “do you still want to
be part of the Great Song, Little Stone?”
“With all of my heart, was his reply. This change took a long time and was very painful. And when the Artist had finished, Little Stone had his very own instrument- a xylophone imbedded in his front. He played it with the stick the Artist had given him so long ago. It wasn’t a large or glorious instrument. But it was his. He played it often. Sometimes he played the Great Song in the throne room. Sometimes he played to comfort the jewels when they were sad. But, mostly he played songs of love and adoration to the Artist who had given him such a special gift. When the Artist picked him up to grind a bit, or cut a bit or polish a bit, Little Stone ignored the pain and spent that time talking to the Artist, or playing music for Him, or just loving Him. The rest of his time was spent helping the jewels. He never even noticed when the Artist removed his mirrors, and didn’t see that he no longer needed them.
One
day the Artist picked him up and went to a golden mount on a lower tier
of the music
section. The Artist began to prepare the mount to receive a jewel.
Little Stone crawled into every corner of the Bag to find the jewel so
he could hand it to the Artist. “Master, there is no one here to go
into the mount.”
“It is for you, Little Stone. “ the Artist replied.
“Master, I am not a jewel. I am a stone. I belong in the mosaics on
the floor.” “Look at yourself,” the Artist smiled.
When
Little Stone looked at himself, he saw that he wasn’t a stone any
more. Being with the Artist had changed him more than he had ever
realized. That little spot of beauty the Artist had given him at the
beginning had spread until it had transformed every nook and cranny of
him.
“I am a jewel!” he cried. “I am a jewel in the music section!”
“Of course,” smiled the Artist. “I always fulfil the hearts
desire of those who love me” *******************
So Little Stone received a new name, and he never left the throne room
again. And when he did look away from the King of Glory and looked at
the other jewels, he didn’t compare himself with them.
Instead he saw them as who they were- beloved friends. He joyfully worshipped the King and the Artist forever
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