One hot harvesting day in Sumeria two brothers; Muruk and Merduk, set about the task of loading into a sack what they had just harvested. This particular harvest they were to take home to their father as soon as they had it counted and loaded, so their father could portion it out as to what was for trade and what was for the family's' personal consumption. Neither of the boys were very gifted with intellect, but they each swore an oath silently to get the amount correct this time. Father had told each boy to make his own exact mental note and not forget it! Each brother promised himself that this time he would remember not only his count, but also remember his brother's count so there could be no mistakes.1
As the harvest was loaded into the sack each boy kept a mental tally of his count. When everything was loaded Muruk asked Merduk what he had counted. Merduk replied, "I counted twenty and five brother." Merduk then asked Muruk what he had counted. Muruk replied, "I too counted twenty and five brother!" The boys satisfied they could remember the count of fifty as it was a nice round even number headed back to their home.2
Hearing the boys singing a jolly tune their Father Fretuk went out to meet them. Fretuk knew that with his special instructions to each boy personally there just was no possible way they could make a mistake in the harvesting count for the third time in a row! Lacking in intellect or not; his sons, there just was no conceivable way they could this time mess up! As soon as the boys arrived Fretuk asked them, "OK my sons what was the harvest?" Both boys answered quite certainly, "Fifty father!" Fretuk looked toward the skies with an exasperated visage upon his face for he knew they had managed to mess up the harvest count a third time, and upon counting the harvest himself their mistake was proved! After further investigation Fretuk found that what each boy had done was count the entire harvest to double check his brother, but then when making a mental note each forgot and they doubled the amount!3
Morning came the next day and Fretuk went to see a wise solitary elder named Cunie. Yes my children that is I! Upon Fretuks arrival he told me all that had transpired the day before and asked me if there was a better way to keep a record of crops, what was for trade, what was for personal consumption and so on. I told Fretuk to come back right before the next harvest and I would have one for him. During the winter months I set about devising a system of word pictures, what some call a pictographic system. It was very universal and could be used not only for what Fretuk asked of me, but it could also be used for all forms of communication and documentation. The stone that I inscribed everything upon was a new age monument to the gods that I called "Rosy". Yes, I was a bit of an eccentric artist then too! Well Fretuk returned when I had asked him too and he was amazed at my creation! During Fretuk's harvest he utilized the system and it worked. Fretuk began sharing it with everyone the system and gave me credit calling the system cuneiform! Sadly I believe Fretuk also lacked some intellect as he told everyone the monumental stone was named "Rosetta!"4
There you have my tale and the birth of writing!5
Author notes
A FANTASTIC and inspiring history professor at college told our class in the syllabus, Nothing exists in a vaccum. All things developed over time, and the basic principles by which we live were formed from The Genesis of Western Civilization. I have decided to take one of their greatest gifts...story telling...and utilize that to rewrite certain key events in history for everyone as to make them more interesting and enjoyable without losing their importance while the individual still gains a historical knowledge of the evnt! This is the first story! I hope all who read it enjoy it!
Thank You Professor Steen!
I have commented on a piece by each of you!
What did you think? Please comment!
Comments
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This was great! I really enjoyed the text itself... its rare that I get to just sit back and read/admire the work of others... so this was a pleasant change! Great work, and thank you so much for entering!
Love,
Katy
~*LiquidLullaby*~ -
Thank you Gypsy! I am glad you enjoyed, and note I am already working on another one!
~Nikki~ -
This is OUTSTANDING! I have to tell you that honestly, I rarely read short stories, they fail to capture my attention and spur my interest. However, this piece most certainly did both! You are an EXCELLENT writer and for once I must say, I actually will not hesitate to read another story of yours. Your poetry I love and now your stories as well. Please know this is a high compliment in my book. My attention roams when not peaked and you had it all the way through. A fabulous tale! Blessings, Gypsy
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A very good story indeed - it kept me reading all the way through and i must say it was very brilliant ...
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Actually you are quite correct Cyberartist and The Rosetta Stone its self does NOT contain the first actual form of cuneiform its self. As I said though in my authors notes, a qoute from a college professor...nothing exists in a vaccum. All things developed over time... Cueiform its self developed in about 3200 B.C. Egyptian Heiroglyphs came about around 3100 B.C. and The Rosetta Stone was not carved until around 196 B.C., so even though the reference to The Rosetta Stone is out of place timeline wise and a little something I threw into the story for interest, all ofther forms of writing stem from cuneiform!
Who knows I could even have told a tale more closer to the truth, but alas no one will ever know!
Thank you for coming in and reading!
~Nikki~ -
GOOD
IT IS A GOOD STORY POEM. THANK U -
An interesting re-tell, I knew about the Rosetta stone but not about its background. I was under the impression it contained several languages must brush up on my history, well told.
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I liked this poem, it was very well told. Then again, I always liked fables and fairy tales, and I think that this is a great example of the moralistic stories of olden.
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