There was a man who lived in a nice city, .
All his friends lived there, and they were happy.
There was only one problem: The man's wife had died, but he wanted a child. Since the law of the land said that he could not remarry, and that he could not have a child, he collected dolls. The city, with all it's riches, had lots of pretty dolls, dolls that looked just like children.
He bought them all, and set them in his house. But they weren't real.
So the man went to an old witch doctor and begged him to bring his favorite doll, one that looked like a little boy, to life, so he could finally have a complete family.
The witch doctor refused.
After a long time persuading him, however, the man was able to convince him to bring the doll to life.
That night, the doctor performed the ritual to bring the doll to life.
And in the morning, instead of a doll, a little boy was in his house.
The man was overjoyed, and took the boy out to show him the grand town.
The doll-boy said nothing to the man, just followed him to the town.
When they got there, the man pointed out all the fancy shops, glittering with their pretty lights. But the doll-boy did not see these nice things. He saw the people starving in the side streets, the people the man did not see.
Still, he said nothing.
The man, thinking the doll-boy was enamored with the pretty shops, then took him to see the huge park in the middle of the town.
He pointed out all the pretty flowers, the birds in the trees.
But the doll-boy did not see these things. He saw the dead dog lying beside the sidewalk, being eaten by crows. The man's eyes, clouded by society, did not see them, But the doll-boy did.
Still he said nothing.
Finally the man took the doll-boy to a grand pary. All of the man's friends were there. The man introduced the doll-boy to them, then began pointing out the fine things the house had in it: Beautiful vases and jewels that could feed a single family for years upon years. But the doll-boy did not see these things. He saw the people, who all looked the same: The same false smiles, same false gestures. He looked at the other children, and saw that they resembled himself, in that they looked like dolls with little dresses and suits, the girls with their painted lips. He saw a whole society of dolls, of people who were numb to their own humanity.
And it broke the doll-boy's heart that the only person who could see this society through it's shroud was a doll.
The people went through their party, and then went home.
The man, thinking he had shown the doll all the great things about this society, tucked the little dolly-boy into bed feeling happy.
The next morning he awoke and found the doll-boy dead.
He had seen the suffering of the society, and what they had tried to hide, and it had literally broken his porclain heart.
The man, saddened at his only family's death, and fully awakened to the real society, died soon afterwards.
The other people went on as though it were normal
They continued their lives.
All his friends lived there, and they were happy.
There was only one problem: The man's wife had died, but he wanted a child. Since the law of the land said that he could not remarry, and that he could not have a child, he collected dolls. The city, with all it's riches, had lots of pretty dolls, dolls that looked just like children.
He bought them all, and set them in his house. But they weren't real.
So the man went to an old witch doctor and begged him to bring his favorite doll, one that looked like a little boy, to life, so he could finally have a complete family.
The witch doctor refused.
After a long time persuading him, however, the man was able to convince him to bring the doll to life.
That night, the doctor performed the ritual to bring the doll to life.
And in the morning, instead of a doll, a little boy was in his house.
The man was overjoyed, and took the boy out to show him the grand town.
The doll-boy said nothing to the man, just followed him to the town.
When they got there, the man pointed out all the fancy shops, glittering with their pretty lights. But the doll-boy did not see these nice things. He saw the people starving in the side streets, the people the man did not see.
Still, he said nothing.
The man, thinking the doll-boy was enamored with the pretty shops, then took him to see the huge park in the middle of the town.
He pointed out all the pretty flowers, the birds in the trees.
But the doll-boy did not see these things. He saw the dead dog lying beside the sidewalk, being eaten by crows. The man's eyes, clouded by society, did not see them, But the doll-boy did.
Still he said nothing.
Finally the man took the doll-boy to a grand pary. All of the man's friends were there. The man introduced the doll-boy to them, then began pointing out the fine things the house had in it: Beautiful vases and jewels that could feed a single family for years upon years. But the doll-boy did not see these things. He saw the people, who all looked the same: The same false smiles, same false gestures. He looked at the other children, and saw that they resembled himself, in that they looked like dolls with little dresses and suits, the girls with their painted lips. He saw a whole society of dolls, of people who were numb to their own humanity.
And it broke the doll-boy's heart that the only person who could see this society through it's shroud was a doll.
The people went through their party, and then went home.
The man, thinking he had shown the doll all the great things about this society, tucked the little dolly-boy into bed feeling happy.
The next morning he awoke and found the doll-boy dead.
He had seen the suffering of the society, and what they had tried to hide, and it had literally broken his porclain heart.
The man, saddened at his only family's death, and fully awakened to the real society, died soon afterwards.
The other people went on as though it were normal
They continued their lives.
