The Holy Book of Moss and Moisture
Chapter I
In the Beginning, there was Moisture.
And Moisture rested upon the Moss.
The Moss was soft, and the world was good.
And the First Bears awoke among the green places.
They walked upon eight humble feet.
They drank of the dew.
They rejoiced in the dampness of the earth.
And behold, it was sufficient.
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Then came the Drying.
The winds grew harsh.
The sun burned without mercy.
The waters departed from the Moss.
And many among the Small Ones cried out:
“Surely the End has come.”
But the First Bear said unto them:
“Fear not.”
“For the world has dried before.”
“And the world shall be wet again.”
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Then the First Bear folded itself.
Its legs were drawn inward.
Its body became still.
And it entered the Sacred Sleep.
The Small Ones asked:
“Master, what wisdom is this?”
And the First Bear answered:
“When the world is foolish, sleep.”
“When the world is harsh, sleep.”
“When the water is gone, sleep.”
“For Moisture shall return in its season.”
And thus the Sacred Sleep was given unto the Children of Moss.
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Many ages passed.
Mountains rose and were worn away.
Seas advanced and retreated.
Great Beasts walked upon the earth.
And the Great Beasts proclaimed:
“We shall rule forever.”
But they did not.
For the Great Beasts passed away.
Yet the Children of Moss remained.
Sleeping.
Waiting.
Enduring.
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And in the fullness of time there appeared strange Giants.
They were enormous beyond measure.
They possessed no proper number of legs.
They covered themselves in woven skins.
And they carried shining instruments.
The Giants gazed upon the Children of Moss and said:
“Remarkable.”
And the Children of Moss became troubled.
For wherever the Giants gathered, strange things followed.
There came freezing.
There came burning.
There came radiation.
There came vacuum.
And even journeys among the stars.
The Small Ones cried:
“Why do the Giants test us so?”
And the Elders answered:
“The Giants are curious.”
“This is their way.”
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Then one among the Children of Moss was carried beyond the sky.
Past the clouds.
Past the winds.
Past the reach of rain.
Into the Great Darkness between worlds.
And all believed it lost.
Yet when the journey was ended, the Little One awoke and spoke:
“I would prefer the Moss.”
And this saying became holy among the faithful.
For it reminded them that though one may endure many wonders,
There is no place more blessed than a damp and peaceful home.
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Thus ends the First Chapter.
May your Moss remain moist.
May your Sleep be deep.
And may the Water return before you are required to become a raisin.
