Proverbs 1:10-19:
Ruby and her
husband found their way quite easily down the smooth path lying ahead of them. Fingers entwined, steps in sync, they helped
each other over the hills and down the road until they reached their first
stopping point, the city of Gain. It was
a bright city, full of much hustle and bustle as crowds of people made their
way up and down the busy cobblestone streets.
Lavishly decorated homes loomed beyond the swarming streets, catching
the moonlight and casting a deep shadow on the less fortunate townspeople
living at the foot of the hill down below.
At the very
bottom of the hill, in a dark obscure corner of town, Ruby and her husband
arrived at quite a sorry looking hovel of a home. The little savings they had begun their
journey with had been used to pay for their travel, and while they’d been
careful with their spending, it had dwindled down to next to nothing. This was the best they could afford.
Ruby and her
husband cautiously entered their new home and took to exploring each nook and
cranny, noticing a cobweb here and a dust patch there, searching for some
bright discovery and finding none. This
search took only a fraction of time as the house was quite small, and the light
was dim. Ruby and her husband were
tired, and some semblance of order was needed quickly, so after a bit of
scrambling, makeshift sleeping quarters were hastily assembled. As exhausted as Ruby was, she lay awake,
noticing for the first time the weight of the box of her family heirloom in her
hand. As her husband peacefully
slumbered, she came to the realization that he’d been carrying nothing their
entire journey, and the more she thought about this, the box felt heavier and
heavier in her hand.
A gloomy day
dawned in the foothills of Gain, and the clouds covered the sun, blotting out
its light with shades of gray. Ruby
awoke to the sound of her husband quietly closing the door, a scrawled note on
the pillow explaining he was off to find work in the city. Ruby determined to put some order to the
house and spent the better part of the day sweeping the floors and cleaning the
cupboards, putting this and that in its proper place until there was nothing
more to do.
It is time for a walk, Ruby thought, A quick tour of the city would certainly be
timely. There was a good hour or two
before suppertime, and if Ruby hurried, she might catch a glimpse of the bright
hues of the city before nightfall. As
Ruby hastened up the cobblestone streets, the further she ventured into the
city, the brighter were the lights, but the more chilling was the air. Ruby
drew her cloak more tightly about her, and was just contemplating turning back
when a dark fashionably dressed woman stepped forth from the shadows.
“And who might we
have here?” she purred, donning a curious look as a small smile played at the
corners of her lips. “I haven’t seen you
around these parts, just where do you call home?”
“Oh, I’m Ruby,
and I am from the foothills of Gain. My
husband and I have just recently moved here.
And may I be so bold as to ask your name and whereabouts as well?”
inquired Ruby with as much composure as she could muster.
“I’m Enticement,
and I live in the mansion at the very top of the highest hill Gain has to
offer. The view of the city is
breathtaking – such a shame you live in the foothills. Perhaps you could come visit soon,” Enticement
cooed invitingly. “If you just follow
that path up ahead, you’ll find your way in no time. Come as soon as you can, with or without your
husband – preferably without,” she said laughingly, as a tall handsome man
emerged from the shadows. The striking
stranger linked arms with her, and whispering secretly in her ear, the two of
them slipped away into the shadows of the alley.
Ruby suddenly
became aware of the time and hurriedly made her way home, stumbling down the
hill and arriving home just as her husband did.
Over a meager supper of beans and rice, the two of them shared the
happenings of their day and made the surprising discovery that while Ruby had
met Enticement, her husband had met Plunder, and the two of them just happened
to be married.
Ruby’s husband
was excited at the prospect of working for Plunder, and he wasted no time
planning a visit to the stately mansion on the hill the very next day. Ruby donned her best dress and pinned one of
the remaining flowers from her garland in her hair as she readied herself for
the trip up Gain’s highest hill. As Ruby
and her husband neared the path up the hill, they could not help but notice
quite a spectacle was taking place in the public square of Gain.
