The Story of Rock Hound John

The Story of Rockhound John
 
 
This
is the story of a man named “Rockhound John”. John lived in a land full of
marvelous gem stones and crystal clear crystals. The land was like a
"Rockhounders Paradise" where a King named “Big Dog” had a very rich
claim that he shared with “Queen Foraday” and her daughter “Doodley Doo”. Now
Rockhound John also had a claim on a hill across the valley from “Big Dogs”
digs. On John’s claim was the “Great Rock” which rested on the edge of a hill.
The Great Rock was an awesome discovery and was full of promise. Between the
two claims of Rockhound John and Big Dog’s digs was the “Valley of Choice” where the “River of Washing” flowed. This is where most people came to wash all
of their dust away, for dust was a serious problem in "Rockhounders
Paradise". The dust was so thick that I caused blindness and made the
peoples words of no effect. Dust even filled their ears to the point of
deafness. It was truly a dusty place!
One
beautiful sunny day, Rockbound John realized that the “Great Rock” full of
Promise was about ready to roll down the hill. Now this Rock was so great that
when it did begin to roll, it would gather so much speed so quickly, that no
one could possibly out run it. John knew that he must warn the King and his
people and so he did.
Now
the King had great ties to his precious claim with all of its gem stones and
crystal clear crystals. His claim seemed to have good promise also. The problem
with Big Dogs dusty claim was that it lay in the path of the Great Rock.
Leaving it would bring uncertainty and why should he leave all of this for the
claim of a “Great Rock” that he couldn’t see? Besides Queen Foraday would never
move because she was too attached to Big Dogs Claim and she loved the precious
things more than anything. Besides, She was Queen Foraday and a Queen deserved
all these precious things. Who did John think he was suggesting such a thing?
The more the Queen heard John’s claim the madder she got.
She
decided to come up with a plan to deal with this Rockhound John that everyone
admired. Her plan was to honor the King with a party. Now during this great
party she told her daughter Doodley Doo to dance for the King and dance she
did. She danced so enticingly that the King was beside himself with joy. He
hollered out to Doodley Doo offering her anything that she desired, up to half
of his kingdom. When Queen Foraday heard this she quickly told Doodley Doo to
request the King to silence John.
When
the King heard this he was sorry for what he had offered Doodley. He never
expected her to ask for anything like this. And until now he had often enjoyed
John’s interesting and free spirited ways. He wondered what he could do to get
out of this one, but Queen Foraday was making it impossible. He had tried to
see this “Great Rock” that John had talked about, but just could not see far
enough. His eyes were full of rock dust and he refused to wash them in the “River of Washing”. He thought about how it might look for a King like
him to be seen by everyone while washing in that river just because of a little
dust, besides he wasn’t really that dusty. There were others who had more dust
than he and all he could still see were his own precious things. He also knew
that he had to satisfy Queen Foraday quickly or else she would make his life
unbearable. So he had his friend, Rockhound John silenced, though this troubled the King deeply.
Now
a great sadness fell over "Rockhounders Paradise"! Everyone missed
and mourned the loss of the happy rockhound. But Queen Foraday rejoiced, laughing
loudly and hideously. She boasted about how she had spared everyone from having
to leave the Kings prosperous claim and all of the precious things that they
had become so accustomed to. Besides, the claim of some “Great Rock” rolling
down on all of them had been told for many years and nothing had ever happened,
so why should they believe it now?
Then
all of a sudden, as she was boasting the loudest, a horrendous roar was heard
over her jeering and the earth shuddered violently beneath their feet. Fear overwhelmed
King Big Dog, Queen Foraday, and Doodley Doo too, along with many others. They
tried to run but their rocky legs felt like petrified wood. They got only as
far as the hard place where big Dog thought they would be safe. But just as
they began to turn around to see what was happening they were all pulverized.
Big Dogs kingdom was destroyed in a heartbeat. It had happened in the twinkling
of an eye, like a thief in the night it was over. The Great Rock had finally
rolled off its resting place and crashed thunderously down over the hill and
through the Valley of Choice,
right up to the Kings hard place where it finally stopped. Everything that it
had rolled over had been totally annihilated and there was a deafening silence.
For
the first time that anyone could remember the dust was totally gone as if
everything had been washed clean in the River of Washing. There leaning up against the “Great Rock” was “Rockhound
John”. The promise was true after all. John had been right and all those who
had believed in his claim were spared from that terrible dusty death. Then
everyone began to smile, their mouths were filled with fresh air as laughter
began to well up from deep within. The air had the aroma of sweet flowers. A River of Abundant Life flowed from the Great Rock and watered all the ground
around. There was no more dust there and the people began to sing a new song.
They danced and celebrated this new life which they had been given by the
promising “Great rock”.  And they lived
happily forever in a “Rockhounders Paradise” with “Rockhounding John”!