When the sun shone upon the great walls of the castle, people only then began the day. However, the birds of blue and red were already flying above the strong and unconquerable watch towers, the winds as fast as unchained horses, had already started to wander from east to west, carrying yet unheard news from places of which many even don’t know. As the people flew down the steep roads to their farms just outside the castle, a young man and the priest of the castle watched them from a high hill, on which they had been discussing serious affairs since the silent dawn, and the priest spoke: “Look at those peasants getting ready for another boring day in their simple lives. How pathetic.” Then he looked down to the cows, pigs and all sort of farm animals and continued speaking: “Those animals, they also get up in the morning work all day and sleep at night. How those people are different from them?”
The young man answered priest’s question without any hesitation: “The main difference is, people can realise there is a difference between animals and them even though they both have the same daily routines.” The priest quickly objected: “Nonetheless, it still makes no considerable amount of difference between those peasants and the animals. Moreover, it makes them even similar than ever. The ability of understanding and making comments on an event does not mean that they are different. At the end of the day, they both are equally ignorant and stupid.” The young man was utterly surprised by this response since it was a bit harsh to say to the people who call you “Father” and value your words. The young man slowly stood up and calmly inquired: “What makes you think that they are ignorant?”
The priest also stood up and with a rapid hand gesture, pointed out the highest tower of the castle and said: “When was young, I mean I was at your ages, my father – who was also a priest – took me up to that tower and there was room locked for decades. My father unlocked the door and let me in. I couldn’t believe what I saw when I opened the door, there stood the oldest book in the country.” The young man got excited for a moment: “The New Testament!” “Yes,” said the priest, “it was. I read in just a month but it took me years to fully understand the meaning. Then I realised, those people didn’t know anything, they were only doing things that are told and taught to them. They don’t even know what they say when they chant a hymn, God knows!”
“I see,” said the young man, “you call them ignorant because you think they don’t even think about life, just live it. You know what I learned from my journeys, the one that thinks less about life is the one who enjoys life the most.” He then looked up to the blue sky with the tiny clouds on it. “Look, with the day as bright as this, with meadows as green as this, with the mountains as high as this and the winds as relieving as this how can you think about life and bother yourself? Just enjoy it. Perhaps you are wrong, perhaps ignorance isn’t that bad. Perhaps ignorance is happiness. Carpe diem atque vive vitam tuam!”
“Well,” said the priest, “an optimistic way of thinking and I do not object that. However, you will always need to know, to think and to question. Live your life, of course!” he stopped for a moment, “Sed semper memento mori.”
Then the destiny took those two to different paths which we may never know, since it is the old way. Nevertheless, who knows, maybe the young man found happiness, and maybe the priest lived a peaceful life with that unforgettable thought of death.