The Two Travelers

A Traveler once wandered all about the desert plains searching for some company. He came across a tumbleweed rolling all about in the strong desert winds. ‘Hello my friend’ said one to the other ‘What are you drifting about under the hot desert sun?’ ‘I am just wandering about searching for some company to pass the time,’ said the man to the tumbleweed, and they talked for a long while. ‘Let us see who can travel the farthest,’ said he to his new friend, and the other agreed readily. So the man traveled all over the world for a long time, east, west, north and south. And the old tumbleweed did the same rolling all about the desert floor for the longest of time. But as fate would have it, they both ended up in the place they once met so long ago, one day some years later. The traveler was just standing about enjoying the weather, when lo and behold, here came his old friend the tumbleweed still rolling about in the desert winds endlessly. ‘Fancy meeting you here,’ said the tumbleweed to the man, ‘And what have you been up to all these years, and tell me, what have you learned from your travels?’ ‘I have traveled all over the great wide world, through deserts and mountains, I have sailed the seven seas, I have slept under the moon and stars and I have seen it all in my lifetime. And I learned from meeting many men and great kings, that wisdom is the only true passport that any man could need. What have become of you old friend?’ The traveler asked from the rolling bush in return. ‘I have rolled all about the desert plains for the longest of time, through bushes and dry gullies, over sands and winds. I have rolled all about the wilderness all of my life and I too have experienced it all in my time. But I have learned from it all that even though I have met the wise old fox and the desert rat himself, that there is no greater gift in life than to come across an old friend once again.’ Never forget your old friends afterall. It is a small world indeed.