The Dump - Part Two

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The good King who ruled over their village was giving a banquet at his palace. The banquet was open to anyone who wanted to come.  The announcement stated that anyone who came would be able to eat until they were satisfied, and then spend the evening visiting with the King.  That sounded like a wonderful invitation to Andrew.  He liked the idea of eating until he was satisfied.  He didn’t even know what that felt like. Having a chance to talk to the King sounded good, too. 

So it was that on the evening of the banquet, Andrew showed up on the palace steps.  He looked at his clothes, filthy and smelly from searching through the garbage until sunset. Andrew knew he smelled like the dump. 

“I can’t go into the King’s palace dressed like this,” Andrew thought. “If I try, I just know they will take one look at me, one whiff of me, and slam the door in my face. I can’t go in.”

Just as Andrew started to turn away, the huge door to the palace swung open. Who should be standing there but the King Himself! With a kind smile, the King motioned for Andrew to come inside. 

Hesitantly, Andrew stepped into the hall and looked around.  Everything was so beautiful . . . and so clean.  Self-consciously, he crossed his arms in front of him, trying to hide the worst of the ugly stains on his shirt.

“I am sorry for the way I look,” said Andrew to the King, not daring to look Him straight in the eye.  “I didn’t have anything else to wear, and I didn’t have time to take a bath before I came.”

“You know, it seems that everyone who comes to join me for one of my banquets arrives in the same condition,” said the King.  “So what exactly kept you so busy right up until dinner time?”

Hanging his head, Andrew admitted that he spent most of his days searching through the garbage in the dump.

“What are you looking for there?” asked the King.

“I’m not sure,” admitted Andrew.  “I keep looking for something, but I don’t know what it is.  I only know that when I leave the dump every day, I have never found it.  And yet, I go back there day after day.  Even when I promise myself not to go there anymore, I still find myself going back again and again.  It is almost like Sickslug has a chain on my neck, and he keeps jerking me back even when I don’t want to go.  Does that sound ridiculous?”

“Andrew,” the King spoke gently, “even though you can’t see it, Sickslug does have a chain on you. But it is a chain you willingly let him put on you long ago.  Would you like to be free of that chain now?”

“Oh yes,” Andrew cried, a glimmer of hope rising in his heart.  “I would love to be free of all that.”

“There is only one way to break that chain. 

(To be continued ...)

Part One               Part Three     Part Four     Part Five