This Fable is adapted (and interpreted) from William Shakespeare's poem of the same name. Many of the phrases in the text are his. It is the Phoenix Legend from Shakespeare's viewpoint.
Shakespeare ended his poem with the death of the lovers. A finality. Here you may read his vision, but I have given you, also, "the rest of the story." It is consistent with the original Legend, which tells us that real Love is reborn for eternity.
Confront your fears!
Courage isn't about being fearless.
Courage is being afraid, but facing down those demons for the sake of someone who needs you.
About Courage...
Phoenix was a rare and beautiful creature, and she was fragile of spirit...
Then a new bird, Dove, came, and made them three. The Dove gave his love to Phoenix, and said they were of a Kind, but she would not have him. She cared only for Turtle.
But Dove beat upon her with his wings, demanding she leave Turtle. Still Phoenix would not desert her beloved, but her fragile spirit was torn by the conflict from Dove and the Others who held her and Turtle in contempt.
Turtle took his love to his breast to ease her grief, but Phoenix simply closed her eyes in eternal sleep.
"Death became the Phoenix's nest
Embraced within the Turtle's breast,
Thinking they'd at last found rest
Truth and beauty buried be"
Shakespeare's account basically ends here, although he says that they died "in flames." Now read the rest of the story...
But the story is told that angels could not bear such love to cease. They told Turtle to set himself afire, and that as the flames consumed his body, the Essence of him and of his love would enter his Phoenix and reawaken her and she would live again.
Ah, the fear and dread that Turtle felt, knowing the pain of such a fire, knowing he would die. But his love for Phoenix was so great that he summoned Courage and brought flames to engulf him.
And Phoenix, indeed, arose from those flames, reborn. Her Being was infused with all that was her beloved one, her Turtle, who thus lived again as well, forever hers, and she forever his. In this way, Turtle's Courage gave them their impossible ultimate physical consummation, its burning joy, its everlasting, loving glory.
Turtle thrived in the coolness of water as he could not withstand the heat of bright sun...
A Turtle loved a Phoenix bird and she grew to love him as well. Their love flourished, for each was the fulfillment of the other's dreams. They came to love each other as if they were one in essence. There was no number of them but One.
To Others it was beyond comprehension that love between these two could make them One.
These Others said it was unnatural for such a love between a Bird and a Turtle. There could never be physical consummation of such a love.
Their hearts were apart, but never divided. Although there was physical distance between them, no Others could detect a space between the Turtle and the Queen of his heart. To many it was wondrous to behold this love that shone so clear and bright. Each of them was
the other's Mine.
Wagner's "Lieberstod" sequenced by Robert Finley. You may adjust volume or turn the music off/on on the player above.
