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ANNE-MARIE, A HEROIC DAY'S LABOR Shortly before dying in a grain field in Denmark, many generations ago, Anne-Marie gave life to her son, for the second time. The son was being held for committing a crime and she knew that she would never see him again. She approached the powerful lord of the manor in his rye field, the day before harvest, to plead for her son's life. As he listened to her plea, the lord looked out on the grain field that he knew would take one man, three days of hard work to finish. And then he said to her, "If in one day, between sunset and sunrise,with your own hands you can mow this field, and it be well done..........you shall keep your son." She stood up then, gazed over the field, and then kissed his riding boot, for the favour shown her. The next day, at dawn, she took her hand sickle, and began cutting the grain. The bailliff followed her to see that she received no help. On that first day of harvest, all the workers left their fields and came to watch Anne-Marie. Her son was brought to watch. At sunset, her hand reached out to cut grain that was no longer there. The old lord stepped forward and solemnly took off his hat. The crowd became silent, waiting for him to speak. But for a minute or two he said nothing. Then he addressed her very slowly. "Your son is free, Anne-Marie," he said. He again waited a little, and added: "You have done a good day's work, which will long be remembered." Her son, who had been sobbing wildly, had to repeat the lord's words for her to understand. "I am free, Mother," he said. "You have done a good day's work, that will long be remembered." Anne-Marie touched her son's tear streaked face, and they sank into each other's arms. When they removed her from his embrace, she was dead. In the place where the woman had died, the old lord later on had a stone set up, with a sickle engraved on it. The peasants on the land then named the rye field "Sorrow-Acre." By this name it was known a long time, after the story of the woman and her son, had itself been forgotten." ------------------------------------------------------------------ The above paragraph is the conclusion of the short story "Sorrow-Acre" written by Isak Dinesen, (Baroness Karen Blixen) more famous for her reminiscences in Out Of Africa. I also quoted other lines. Last night we discussed this story in our Great Books Disussion Group at the Portage Public Library. We talked about the typical things that are found in the hero's journey, such as a quest for priceless treasure (earthly or heavenly), great difficulties, unexpected obstacles, fear of death, etc. Each of our lives is a heroe's quest, persuing what is most valuable to us. Many of us have learned that our greatest obstacles are, our own thoughts. We can heartily embrace, knowing, that fear of any kind, is only a thought. Because there is joy in the awareness, that a thought can be changed. Sort of, like giving life to yourself........ for a second time. |
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