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Sound like the beginning of an Aesop or De La Fontaine story. Anyway ... let us go back. Way back. To the beginning. To before the beginning. Actually ... to the end of the beginning which led the beginning of the beginning as we know it.
From a vast emptiness and nothingness and void and darkness began a beginning. And after a scant time ... the earth was made as was all its creatures including a chap named Adam ... a young lady named Eve ... an evil evil serpent ... and a squirrel with a rather skinny tail.
I would venture to say most of you know of the first three ... but a scarce few of you know a thing about the squirrel. Yes ... well ... there it is ... another mystery of the cosmos about to be revealed. Should there be any of you left who do not understand the true value of Tidbits ... here is your chance to revise your thinking. Ah ... what is the worth and measure of knowledge? I ask you?
So ... life is rather blissful ... all characters in our story going about their merry ways when suddenly ... mystery of all mysteries ... disruption! Peace and harmony ... it would appear ... were elusive qualities even back then. Have things changed? Most of you know the basics. Snake. Apple. Temptation. A bite. A chew. A swallow. Guilt. Disgrace. Awareness of one's nakedness. Ah ... but there was an onlooker. A witness in Eden to the eating of the apple by one Adam. Yes there was.
Yes ... it was Mr. Squirrel ... who had at the time--by the way--the tail of a rat. The squirrel was horror-struck. There were rules here being broken. This was blasphemy in its ultimate form. He could not look. He would not see. And so ... in shame ... in abject obloquy ... he covered his eyes with his puny little tail in order to shut out as much as possible of this horrific sight.
You all know what happened to Adam and Eve. You all know what happened to the serpent. As to the squirrel ... he was rewarded for his nobility ... and he and all his descendants for evermore were to be rewarded with a bushy tail. Personally ... as an aside ... I think this was rather a scant reward. This is not to diminish the value of a bushy tail. But that as a reward for having witnessed that which was witnessed? A mane would have been nice. Some pretty tail feathers perhaps. A beautiful singing voice. The speed of a gazelle. The power of a leopard. Oh well. Never mind. This is the truth as I heard it. And you can all rest assured I would not lead you down any primrose paths.
As to that squirrel ... perhaps one can take solace in the knowledge that someone decided to elevate him from the drab grayness of his existence ... and create of him holding an acorn in the form of a brooch of black diamond Swarovski crystals. Value ... 68 bucks.
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