There were two men born on the same day in the same village: a beautiful man who only talked, and a hideous man who only listened. As a child the boy who only talked was adored by all, parents and strangers alike. He gained many followers. The boy who only listened was shy and nervous, clinging to his parents for dear life at all times. He listened to the soothing words they whispered into his ears as he trembled. He learned of unconditional love.
As they grew older, the boy who only talked began to learn more words. Although he did not understand the meaning behind these words, he made sure that his voice was heard above all others. He gained many followers. The boy who only listened was laughed at, and jeered by the other children due to his strange appearance and timid persona. He spent his time with the other outcasts of the village: the decrepitly old, and the scornfully destitute. From the elders he gained wisdom, for the reminiscence of the elderly trumps the most esteemed speculation of youth. From the destitute he gained perspective, and an understanding of human life that only comes with exposure to people facing the hardest of times.
The boy who only talked became a man in the army of the village; he developed good looks and chiseled physique, gaining the affection of women and the respect of men. He gained many followers. The boy who always listened quietly took up a position as bookkeeper where he grew into a man in the shadows. He gained knowledge on a great many subjects, and a better understanding of the world.
One day the village was struck by a deadly plague. The parents of both boys fell sick. The man who only talks did not take notice, since he was busy climbing the ranks in the village army and social ladder. His parents died. He gained many followers. The man who only listened could not bear the thought of losing his parents. They kept him when others said he should be exiled. They loved him when others deemed him unworthy. He owed them his life. With the insight he gained from the downtrodden who had survived the plague, and the knowledge he gained from his books, he took to his parents. He saved his parents.
The man who always talks became the head chieftain in the village, and held a heavy influence on the deciding counsel. He proposed an attack on the wealthy neighboring village, promising his followers wealth and land. The old salty warriors of the village warned of the advanced weaponry and tactics held by the other tribe. The man who only talks swiftly struck them down with his sword, and labeled them zealots and traitors. His powerful leadership, and unflinching resolve in the face of dissent invigorated the men and women of the village. He gained many followers. The man who only listens took alarm at the claims made by these newly deceased men, and found all the rest of the elders were in agreement. This was an un-winnable battle. The elders were too old to be taken as anything other than senile though, and after viewing the treatment of the others felt no urge to say anything to the counsel.
The man who only talks commanded the villagers “My brave men! join me! All of you with an honorable bone in your body, strike up your swords! Tighten your bows! Tomorrow morning we bring glory to our humble village!”, and men of the town prepared for battle. He gained many followers. The man who only listens gathered the ones whom had cared for him, and brought them away from the commotion, dissuading them from the deadly warpath of the man who only talks.
The next morning the man who only talks and his brigade crossed the path of the man who only listens and his compatriots on the way out of town. They greeted these deserters with their sneers powerful kicks as they rode by on their horses and spat down upon them. He gained many followers. The man who only listens knew life was more important than pride, so he simply drew his people away from the scene into the forest. The man who only listens and his associates walked away beaten and dirty, but this was nothing new to them.
A blood red sunset marked the return of the man who only talks and his battalion, but these were not the same valiant soldiers who had embarked for glorious battle. They were defeated in every essence of the word, and had dwindled in number significantly. He lost many followers.
The man who only talks was badly wounded in battle, leaving him horribly mangled. As he rode into the village, the people who once admired and respected his looks now found him repulsive. He lost many followers.
He returned to his post on the counsel, but found that all who had once revered his leadership now shunned him due to his humiliating loss. He lost many followers.
The man who only talks returned to his house to find that it had been set ablaze, with the word “FOOL” written on the ground near his door. The people of the village who once supported him now laughed as he hobbled back and forth to the well, attempting to quell the fire with no avail. He lost many followers.
He sought refuge in the last place he could think of, his childhood home. He knew that his parents would accept him. He knocked on their door to find a stranger telling him the previous owners died years ago from the plague. He lost two followers.
With this the man who always talks cursed the people of the town, and as he stumbled away from the village a group of children hurled rotten tomatoes at his head from behind a barrel of hay. He tried to evade them, but to no avail. Due to injuries sustained in battle he had lost most mobility in his spine, and the tomatoes splattered upon his quivering body. Onlookers snickered and cackled. He lost the last of his followers.
The man who only talks wondered down a path in the woods, babbling to himself. Lonely and delirious, he continued until he came to a cliff. He staggered over to the edge and gazed down longingly towards the jagged rocks below.
He stopped talking.
Suddenly he felt a hand grasp his shoulder from behind. He turned around. It was the man who only listens. “Talk to me” he said with a friendly smile on his face.
