Mogo always wants something better
Many years ago, there lived in China a young man called Mogo, who earned
his living breaking stones. Although he was strong and healthy, he was not contented
with his lot and complained about it day and night. He so blasphemed against God
that, in the end, his guardian angel appeared to him.
'You're healthy and you have your whole life before you,' said the angel. 'All
young men start off doing the same sort of job as you. Why are you always
complaining?'
'God has treated me unfairly and has not given me the chance to grow,' replied
Mogo.
Concerned, the angel went to ask the Lord for his help in ensuring that his
protégé did not end up losing his soul.
'Do as you wish,' said the Lord. 'Everything that Mogo wants will be granted
to him.'
The following day, Mogo was, as usual, breaking stones when he saw a
carriage pass by bearing a nobleman laden with jewels. Wiping the sweat from his
dirty face, Mogo said bitterly:
'Why can't I be a nobleman too? That is my destiny!'
'So be it!' murmured his angel, delighted.
And Mogo was transformed into the owner of a sumptuous palace with a vast
estate, with many servants and horses. He used to go out every day with his
impressive train of followers and enjoyed seeing his former companions lined up at
the roadside, gazing respectfully up at him.
On one such afternoon, the heat was unbearable; even under his golden
parasol, Mogo was sweating as much as he used to in his days as a breaker of stones.
He realised then that he wasn't really that important: above him were princes and
emperors, but higher than them all was the sun, who obeyed no one - the sun was the
true king.
'Dear angel, why can't I be the sun? That must be my destiny!' whined Mogo.
'So be it!' exclaimed the angel, concealing his sadness at such vaulting
ambition.
And Mogo became the sun, as he had wanted.
While he was shining in the sky, admired for his immense power to ripen the
grain or scorch it as he wished, a black spot started moving towards him. The dark
stain grew larger and larger, and Mogo realised that it was a cloud spreading all
around him, so that he could not longer see the Earth.
'Angel!' cried Mogo. 'The cloud is stronger than the sun! My destiny is to be a
cloud!'
'So be it!' replied the angel.
Mogo was transformed into a cloud and he thought he had finally realised his
dream.
'I'm so powerful!' he yelled as he obscured the sun.
'I'm invincible!' he thundered as he chased the waves.
But on the deserted ocean shore stood a vast granite rock, as old as the world
itself. Mogo thought that the rock was defying him and unleashed a storm such as the
world had never seen. Vast, furious waves lashed the rock, trying to wrench it from
the earth and hurl it into the depths of the sea.
Firm and impassive, the rock remained where it was.
'Angel,' sobbed Mogo, 'the rock is stronger than the cloud! My destiny is to be
a rock!'
And Mogo was transformed into that rock.
'Who can vanquish me now?' he wondered. 'I am the most powerful thing in
the world!'
And so several years passed, until, one morning, Mogo felt something
stabbing into his stone entrails, this was followed by intense pain, as if part of his
granite body was being broken into pieces. Then he heard dull, insistent thuds and felt
again that terrible pain.
Mad with fear, he cried:
'Angel, someone is trying to kill me! He has more power than I do, I want to
be like him!'
'So be it!' exclaimed the angel, weeping.
And that was how Mogo went back to breaking stones.
CAclubindia
