Long ago and far away, the great Sky Sovereign ruled from atop his clouds, squatting over the world just beyond the reach of all. From his throne,
the great Sky Sovereign claimed the whole of the world below as his own, and the people of the land as well. "Behold," he would bellow from the
thunderheads, "for I have given you water this day. I have given you life ! And you shall serve me another day."
But the Sky Sovereign's gift of water arrived with thunder and lightning and floods and the beating wings of terrible beasts. Daily, his people huddled
cold and shivering in caves, hiding from the Sky Sovereign's impetuousness. Left unattended, the people's homes burned down and their crops washed
away and their sheep fell to the winged beasts.
While his people quaked and hid within their cave, a lone youth named Berrum climbed to the mountaintop and leaped to the Sky Sovereign's
clouds to approach the towering ruler. "Dear sir," he pleaded, "our crops wash away and our homes burn and our sheep fall before your beasts. Please, spare us the glory of your rains so we might rebuild."
And the Sky Sovereign glowered and harrumphed. "What would you know, Berrum? You mewling peasants hide from my gifts. If you are too cowardly
to be my vassals, then I shall shackle you as my slaves. And you will show your love for my gifts or I shall move away, and without my presence your
enchanted shackles will enslave you forevermore." And with the next afternoon's storms, the terrible beasts chained the people below and set them to
work in the driving rain.
"You are a fool, Berrum," his people said. "Before, we were dry in our caves. Now we toil in the driving rain ! You shall labor quietly now, and appreciate
what you have, or surely we will never be free."
But Berrum would not listen, and the next day the youth once again climbed to the mountaintop and leapt to the Sky Soverei 11Jf1's clouds. "You are the -
fool, Sky Sovereign," he sh outed. "And your chains have made no slaves. You call yourself sovereign, but you rule only in your mind." At this, the Sky
Sovereign raged and howled and cast Berrum down to the ground below.
"What have you done ?" cried Berrum's people. "You have doomed us ! " The Sky Sovereign departed, true to his word, and his clouds parted, showing the
shining sun and the endless skies above. Those who took pride in Berrum's words and actions saw their chains buckle and shatter in the light, and hailed
Berrum as their new sovereign. And also true to the Sky Sovereign's words, the shackles of those who doubted King Berrum tightened as he forced his
people to toil harder than ever in the blistering sun.