The Cave

by Refleco Premodialne

     Once upon a time, there was a cave. Inside the cave were prisoners who lived  facing a blank wall of the cave and  chained  all of their lives.  Behind the prisoners is an enormous fire, and between the fire and the prisoners is a raised walkway, along which people walk carrying things on their heads "including figures of men and animals made of wood, stone and other materials". The prisoners watch the shadows cast by the men, not knowing they are shadows. (They are prohibited to look back).There are also echoes off the wall from the noise produced from the walkway. 

 . They would praise as clever whoever could best guess which shadow would come next, as someone who understood the nature of the world, and the whole of their society (society inside the cave) would depend on the shadows on the wall.

     Then one prisoner was freed and brought out of the cave.  At first he was blinded by the light but after sometime he had adjusted to the surroundings.  He saw that around him is so different from what he has understood inside the cave.  He was convinced that it was reality and what he saw inside the cave is just a reflection of the real things.

     Excited and happy of his  new acquired knowledge he rushed inside the cave and told his former co-prisoners what he saw.  He told them that the true world is there outside  the cave.  But his former friends could not understand him.  They would not believe him.  They thought that he got insane.  But convinced of what he saw outside  he persisted to convince them; but when his former friends showed sign of killing him he stopped insisting.

     So he asked himself a question.  Is the knowledge he had acquired outside the cave worthwhile? His friend inside the cave is contented of their lot.  Despite of being chained they are happy, despite of their being un-knowledgeable of the outside world; in fact they are willing to kill him because of their belief.  

     Then he turned his head and slowly walked toward the entrance of the cave and  stopped at the point where he could see the world outside the cave.  He is now at a delima. Shall he leave his former friends with those distorted concept of things, these people whose company he once enjoyed?  Or shall he proceed to the world outside the cave which is new to him but he know is the truth and the real world?

The End