THE WILDMAN (by J. Ben Avraham)
He was not always a Wildman. There was a time when he was of sound mind, a ruler of a great city, but arrogance and pride were the cause of his present demise.
So, the wild man ran up and down, throughout the great forest that was near his city. He lived amongst the beasts of the earth and the fowls of the air. He ate grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws. (1)
His once elegant raiment of royalty had become tattered rags. He found shelter under trees, beside rocks, and at times, in the dens of beasts. In time, the beasts of the forest had become so accustomed to seeing him that they paid him no heed, at times, even sleeping beside him during the evenings and during the hot summer days.
Thus, the wild man lived for many years. It was during the seventh year of his living in such a state that he began to question his worth and the purpose of existence. One day, as he ran through the forest, he came upon a lion. He looked the lion straight in the eyes and lifted up his voice;
“Harken thee, Oh lion, unto the voice of thy king,” the wild man started, doest thou not recognize the presence of a king?” Bow down and thus give unto me homage!”
“What, art thou indeed a king?” roared the lion, “Nay, for thou seemest more likened unto a beast like us, for kingly apparel hast thou not, and thy mind, oh wild man, is without reason. Now, harken thee unto my words, giveth praises, honor, and glory unto the King of the Universe, the creator of all that is known to exist, the great I AM, the one El Elyon, to Him that created both man and beast, and who knows, oh Wildman, perhaps He will restore unto thee thy mind.”
But the Wildman did not heed the advice of the lion, and he went on his way, eating the grass like the oxen, and wild berries and fruit from the trees. His hair continued to grow long like eagles' feathers, and his nails like the talons of hawks. The months went by and the wild man happened upon a hyena. He looked into the eyes of the hyena and lifted up his voice, saying;
“Do me homage, oh beast, canst thou not recognize thy king? It is I who hast reigned in this land for many years, and this kingdom is mine indeed.”
The wild man then awaited the response of the beast. The hyena looked at him, staring him straight in the eyes, then rolled over and started to howl, laughing and laughing, hardly believing its ears.
“Art thou indeed a king?” said the hyena, in between its howls and laughter. “Nay, oh wild man, but thou art a beast indeed, a beast like us. Eatest thou not the grass of the field like an ox?
Doest thou not expose thyself to the dew of the morning? And kingly attire hast thou not, oh foolish man. But if thou giveth praise, honor, and glory to the Creator of Life, to him who hath given thee the breath of life, and to all other living things, to the Great I AM, the great El Shaddai
who was before the universe began, to Elohim who hath made the heavens above and the earth below, then, thy mind and soul will be restored unto thee as before.” Yet the Wildman heeded not the words of the hyena and continued in his pride and arrogance.
The months passed, and it was nearing the end of the seventh year that the wild man had been living like the beasts and fowls of the forest. It was nearing the evening, and there appeared three stars in the heavens, indicating the start of a new day. The Wildman entered a clearing in the forest and caught sight of the Great Horned Owl. It sat on one of the branches of a tree near the forest's edge. It just sat there hooting and hooting, turning its head this way and that, blinking its eyes, as if looking for something, or someone. The wild man looked up at the owl and lifted up his voice saying;
“Oh, wise owl, how canst thou stay perched on high when thy king is below? Come down now and thus render me homage. Thus, saith thy king and thy lord.”
The owl stopped hooting and blinking its eyes. It looked down upon the wild man, eyes glued to this strange figure of a man. It then opened its wings and flew down to where the wild man stood. It found a stump of a tree and hopped on top of it. The owl then opened and spread out its wings, and thus, bowing its head, began its discourse;
“Indeed, oh wild man, thou art king and doest reign over this kingdom. I honor thee as king and lord over these lands. But, sire, thy raiment and demeanor reflect a curse upon thy life. Hast thou not given praise, honor, and glory to thy king on high? For there is a king greater than thee who hast made all of what thou canst see" Then the Wildman lifted up his voice in response to the owl's words, saying;
He was not always a Wildman. There was a time when he was of sound mind, a ruler of a great city, but arrogance and pride were the cause of his present demise.
So, the wild man ran up and down, throughout the great forest that was near his city. He lived amongst the beasts of the earth and the fowls of the air. He ate grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws. (1)
His once elegant raiment of royalty had become tattered rags. He found shelter under trees, beside rocks, and at times, in the dens of beasts. In time, the beasts of the forest had become so accustomed to seeing him that they paid him no heed, at times, even sleeping beside him during the evenings and during the hot summer days.
Thus, the wild man lived for many years. It was during the seventh year of his living in such a state that he began to question his worth and the purpose of existence. One day, as he ran through the forest, he came upon a lion. He looked the lion straight in the eyes and lifted up his voice;
“Harken thee, Oh lion, unto the voice of thy king,” the wild man started, doest thou not recognize the presence of a king?” Bow down and thus give unto me homage!”
“What, art thou indeed a king?” roared the lion, “Nay, for thou seemest more likened unto a beast like us, for kingly apparel hast thou not, and thy mind, oh wild man, is without reason. Now, harken thee unto my words, giveth praises, honor, and glory unto the King of the Universe, the creator of all that is known to exist, the great I AM, the one El Elyon, to Him that created both man and beast, and who knows, oh Wildman, perhaps He will restore unto thee thy mind.”
But the Wildman did not heed the advice of the lion, and he went on his way, eating the grass like the oxen, and wild berries and fruit from the trees. His hair continued to grow long like eagles' feathers, and his nails like the talons of hawks. The months went by and the wild man happened upon a hyena. He looked into the eyes of the hyena and lifted up his voice, saying;
“Do me homage, oh beast, canst thou not recognize thy king? It is I who hast reigned in this land for many years, and this kingdom is mine indeed.”
The wild man then awaited the response of the beast. The hyena looked at him, staring him straight in the eyes, then rolled over and started to howl, laughing and laughing, hardly believing its ears.
“Art thou indeed a king?” said the hyena, in between its howls and laughter. “Nay, oh wild man, but thou art a beast indeed, a beast like us. Eatest thou not the grass of the field like an ox?
Doest thou not expose thyself to the dew of the morning? And kingly attire hast thou not, oh foolish man. But if thou giveth praise, honor, and glory to the Creator of Life, to him who hath given thee the breath of life, and to all other living things, to the Great I AM, the great El Shaddai
who was before the universe began, to Elohim who hath made the heavens above and the earth below, then, thy mind and soul will be restored unto thee as before.” Yet the Wildman heeded not the words of the hyena and continued in his pride and arrogance.
The months passed, and it was nearing the end of the seventh year that the wild man had been living like the beasts and fowls of the forest. It was nearing the evening, and there appeared three stars in the heavens, indicating the start of a new day. The Wildman entered a clearing in the forest and caught sight of the Great Horned Owl. It sat on one of the branches of a tree near the forest's edge. It just sat there hooting and hooting, turning its head this way and that, blinking its eyes, as if looking for something, or someone. The wild man looked up at the owl and lifted up his voice saying;
“Oh, wise owl, how canst thou stay perched on high when thy king is below? Come down now and thus render me homage. Thus, saith thy king and thy lord.”
The owl stopped hooting and blinking its eyes. It looked down upon the wild man, eyes glued to this strange figure of a man. It then opened its wings and flew down to where the wild man stood. It found a stump of a tree and hopped on top of it. The owl then opened and spread out its wings, and thus, bowing its head, began its discourse;
“Indeed, oh wild man, thou art king and doest reign over this kingdom. I honor thee as king and lord over these lands. But, sire, thy raiment and demeanor reflect a curse upon thy life. Hast thou not given praise, honor, and glory to thy king on high? For there is a king greater than thee who hast made all of what thou canst see" Then the Wildman lifted up his voice in response to the owl's words, saying;
