A Sapien Son

Fortune

Og and Awk were cavemen. One day Og saw Awk standing in a field, spinning in circles with his arms outstretched.

“Why are you doing that?” Og asked.

“It’s fun,” Awk said. “You should try it.”

Og tried, but he couldn’t keep going as long before he fell, while Awk kept spinning like a top.

“It’s okay,” Awk said. “It takes practice, and I still enjoy doing it.”

So Og sat and watched as Awk spun and spun. Sometimes Awk would lower his arms, and sometimes he’d raise them over his head. Og would clap and laugh, and it brought more people from the hills where everyone lived. Awk didn’t notice, but after awhile, almost everyone had come to see him spin.

“Again, Again!” they cried. But Awk was tired, and the sun was setting.

“Maybe tomorrow,” Awk said.

The next day, the village was gathered in the middle of the hills where everyone lived. “Please, spin for us, Awk! Spin for us!” Awk smiled and happily started spinning. The people clapped and pointed. Some laughed at Awk, which made them happy. Some tried to spin themselves, which made them happy. Some sat and watched, which made them happy. When it was over, everyone walked away.

“I wish we could see this every day!” one caveman said.

“I wonder when he’ll do it again?” A cavewoman said.

“Og, you’re his friend… can you ask him to spin tomorrow?” a cavechild said

Og went to find Awk, who was rubbing his feet. “Everyone wants you to spin some more tomorrow. Can you?”

Awk looked at Og wearily. “I’d love to, but I wasn’t able to get food while I was spinning today, and my cave needs to be cleaned.”

“I could share my food with you,” the caveman said.

“I could clean the cave for you,” the cavewoman said.

“I could get you booked at Red Rocks at 8% commission and a quarter of the merchandising revenue.” the cavechild said. But to them, it just sounded like babbling, so they ignored him.

Awk perked up. “Okay, I will spin tomorrow!” and everyone was happy.

That morning, the Awk went to the house of the caveman and got his food while the cavewoman cleaned Awk’s cave. Then, Awk went to the middle of the hills where everyone lived. Everyone was there again and he started spinning. Everyone cheered. Some laughed at Awk, which made them happy. Some tried to spin themselves, which made them happy. Some sat and watched, which made them happy. When it was over, everyone walked away.

Later that night, they heard about the things people did so Awk could spin. “I could do that!” they said. Soon, Awk had more food than he could eat, his cave was spotless, and everyone gave him gifts because Awk’s spinning made them happy. All he said was, “Thank you, but I do it because I still enjoy doing it.”

Turg was another caveman who watched Awk and how he spun. He liked Awk’s spinning, but he also liked all the things Awk got for spinning. “I don’t want to cook or clean anymore,” Turg said. So Turg practiced spinning. He raised his arms high and low like Awk. He learned to teeter and totter, which Awk never did. And soon, he went to the middle of the hills where everyone lived and spun for everyone with Awk.

The crowd cheered. Awk was happy that Turg liked spinning. When Awk was done, Turg kept going. He spun and wobbled, teetered and tottered, and finally, when he stopped, the crowd cheered, “Again, again!”

But Turg said, “Someone has to get my food and clean my house, then I will spin.” Everyone agreed, and soon Turg and Awk were spinning everyday in the middle of the hills where everyone lived and they were all happy.

One day, the word of the Awk and Turg’s spinning reached the forest people. They travelled to the hills where everyone lived and saw them spinning for everyone. Turg slowed to a stop when he saw the crowd of forest people gather. He frowned and put his hands on his hips.

“I can’t keep spinning until they me give food and gifts and clean my cave,” Turg said.

Awk stopped spinning and thought about what Turg said. Then, Awk looked at everyone and said, “Let’s all spin! Every one of us!”

Soon, everyone was spinning! Young children, old couples, tall cavemen, short cavewomen. Everyone spun while the forest people watched.

Turg pouted and yelled, “Awk, this isn’t right! How will we eat?”

“Tomorrow, I will go out and get my own food again, and I will spin if I can,” Awk said, and kept spinning.

Turg yelled again, “Who will clean our caves?”

“The next day, I will clean my cave, and I will spin if I can,” Awk said, and kept spinning.

Turg stomped his foot, “What about all the gifts? Our fortune of gifts?”

Awk stopped, looked at Turg, and said, “My fortune isn’t the things I got for spinning. My fortune is that everyone saw me and it made them happy. My fortune is that I like spinning, and that I can.”

And then, Awk kept spinning.