A red and angry sun rose on the horizon. Twisted, bent, huge
trees brooded along the river bank. The sun's rays hardly
penetrated into the depth of the forest. Birds flew high,
dashing wildly away as a hawk fell into their midst. A large
fish leaped from the waters' surface, splashed back and
disappeared.
His empty stomach growled in anger over lack of breakfast. The
thought of meat and eggs cooking on his mother's fire would not
leave his mind.
He searched his pouch, found only day old remnants of bread,
which he quickly devoured. Still, visions of venison roasting,
of warm loaves of bread from the oven - enough! He must quit
this foolish dreaming, must find a way to return!
Listlessly the young man let his hand dip into the water. Only
were he able to catch a fish, anything to provide sustenance.
With a start he felt an object brush against his fingers.
Quickly he grasped it, pulled it to the surface. Perhaps a fish,
careless of predators.
"No!"
He thrust it from him! The headless body of a man! Shuddering
he watched it slip away. In his mind he recalled the story of
one so killed, doomed to the endless wandering of the Meander.
The broad river seemed to wind endlessly, going nowhere. Along
its low banks huge trees dipped their limbs in the muddy water.
A turtle swam by near the shore, then dived below. In the tree
limbs above birds sang their mating calls. Serenely the placid
river flowed.
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