Week 4 Story: The Last Sleep of 100 Years
Rabbi Onias stirred underneath an ancient palm tree. As he sat up his bones cracked and popped like an old mechanical toy spurring to life. His leathery skin hung loose and dry from his skeletal frame. He met his eyes with the bright suns's and accepted the light of an unfamiliar millennia. His black eyes were sunken deep inside his taught face. His yellowed beard trailed behind him and wrapped around his sleeping place several times in length. The old man let out a wheezing yawn, stretching out his ragged frame.
The holy man used the aged palm to stand up. He stood and looked at the sprawling city of Jerusalem below his post. Every century that he emerged from his slumber, the city grew in both height and width. He was always impressed by the new technologies that each century brought. As the rabbi surveyed the city, he saw the cars as buzzing bees inside the ancient city and was entranced and bewildered by the new architecture that dotted the skyline. It was dawn, and the rabbi was amazed by the light of the city, illuminating a tempest darkness.
He no longer dared approach the walls of the city. This had been his twenty-fifth time to awake to the light of a new age. The rabbi's age spanned centuries, and he could no longer understand the intent of current culture. However, it pleased the rabbi's dusty heart to see his Jerusalem full and readily waking up to the day.
The rabbi stood solemn, watching the city from his sleeping post, all day. His mind was empty of usual thought as his long dreams had approached nearly every topic of his intellect. He simply watched the rhythm of the city. Eventually, the bustle of the city fell away into a calm tide of smaller activity. Eventually, even that hum of life succumbed to the noises of a sleeping city. The moon now held its post above Jerusalem. The rabbi looked to the moon and gave it a slow nod. "Perchance, this 100 year slumber shall be my last. Perchance this is the last time I shall look upon Zion."
The rabbi carefully slid back down the palm tree, and allowed his persistent sleep to overtake him.
Bibliography: The Sleep of One Hundred Years, by Gertrude Landa. Published in the book, Jewish Fairy Tales and Legends, 1919.
Author's Note: The original story is a short tale about Rabbi Onias who has traveled far and wide to come to Jerusalem. Only he finds Zion in a heap of rubble after the Chaldeans destroy it (Historically this is about 500 B.C.E.). The rabbi falls asleep and wakes in a 100 years to find the city rebuilt, but he is unhappy because the ways of the people have changed, so he goes back to sleep. In the original story he does not wake up again, however, I wanted to make the rabbi's sleeping habits an unbreakable cycle that brings him into the modern era.
The holy man used the aged palm to stand up. He stood and looked at the sprawling city of Jerusalem below his post. Every century that he emerged from his slumber, the city grew in both height and width. He was always impressed by the new technologies that each century brought. As the rabbi surveyed the city, he saw the cars as buzzing bees inside the ancient city and was entranced and bewildered by the new architecture that dotted the skyline. It was dawn, and the rabbi was amazed by the light of the city, illuminating a tempest darkness.
He no longer dared approach the walls of the city. This had been his twenty-fifth time to awake to the light of a new age. The rabbi's age spanned centuries, and he could no longer understand the intent of current culture. However, it pleased the rabbi's dusty heart to see his Jerusalem full and readily waking up to the day.
The rabbi stood solemn, watching the city from his sleeping post, all day. His mind was empty of usual thought as his long dreams had approached nearly every topic of his intellect. He simply watched the rhythm of the city. Eventually, the bustle of the city fell away into a calm tide of smaller activity. Eventually, even that hum of life succumbed to the noises of a sleeping city. The moon now held its post above Jerusalem. The rabbi looked to the moon and gave it a slow nod. "Perchance, this 100 year slumber shall be my last. Perchance this is the last time I shall look upon Zion."
The rabbi carefully slid back down the palm tree, and allowed his persistent sleep to overtake him.
Jerusalem. Web Source: CNN
Bibliography: The Sleep of One Hundred Years, by Gertrude Landa. Published in the book, Jewish Fairy Tales and Legends, 1919.
Author's Note: The original story is a short tale about Rabbi Onias who has traveled far and wide to come to Jerusalem. Only he finds Zion in a heap of rubble after the Chaldeans destroy it (Historically this is about 500 B.C.E.). The rabbi falls asleep and wakes in a 100 years to find the city rebuilt, but he is unhappy because the ways of the people have changed, so he goes back to sleep. In the original story he does not wake up again, however, I wanted to make the rabbi's sleeping habits an unbreakable cycle that brings him into the modern era.
Haley, I really liked the twist on this story and how it had a more positive outlook than the first story. A "Wow" moment for me is when he actually was impressed and intrigued by the technology and movement of the city. I liked that because I was not expecting it so it kind of threw me for a loop. I feel like technology and stuff like that is often put down and bashed in today's world because of pollution and other factors. I wonder if the rabbi was expecting the city to change so much while he was sleeping. Change is definitely inevitable but you never know what is going to change or how much of it is going to change. What if the rabbi woke up to a war or something like that. That scenario would have definitely changed the tempo and tone of the story. Overall, really great job. I enjoyed the detail that you included in this story.
ReplyDeleteHaley,
ReplyDeleteI'd be interested to see where he ends up in another twenty-five cycles. Could you do one about Jerusalem in the year 3000? Is there some kind of magical protection the rabbi is protected by? Does he look like multiple-centuries-old man or has the sleep kept him pretty young? This would be really interesting to develop in to a larger story.
Throughout your entire story, I noticed that you include many details when describing the character and the scenery. For me, the story really came to life, and I was able to picture the setting in my mind. Also, I think that's a really interesting twist you put on the story. I really enjoyed the story and think you did a great job.
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