In a small town not far from here, in an orchard, a man sat under an apple tree to eat his lunch. He had sat there many times in the time of the harvest of apples and had never been troubled by any thoughts or feelings, he had fallen into a peaceful sleep more than once. On this occasion he had finished eating and drinking and was just at that place before sleep when the eyes begin to get heavy and the mind wanders into unexpected thoughts when an apple fell from the tree above, landing with a gentle thump on ground at his feet. He was instantly struck by the fact that he could not find a justification for the direction of the apple. What had motivated it to fly downwards rather than upwards or even sideways? He concluded, almost in the same instant, that there was only one force, to his knowledge, that brought things inexorably together, and that was Love.
Invigorated by this new thought, he examined it carefully, turning it this way and then that in his mind’s eye, as if examining an apple for bruises. No blemishes having been found, he concluded that the idea was sound and that everything that travelled towards the ground to lie there was under the sway of Love of Mother Earth. This revelation opened before him a new vision of the world and holding these thoughts carefully in his mind so as not to drop them, he gathered his belongings and set out to make them available to his fellows.
In a short time, he had gathered an unruly group of followers who gathered at his meetings to hear his words. He offered a short speech on the Love that the Earth had for its people, telling how this love pulled them inexorably into its Embrace. After the speech, the followers were invited to return the love and the entire group lay face down on the ground with their arms wide, enfolding the world in a symbolic Embrace of their own while he recited instances of the love that he had found.
The Guardians of the Cave were asked to intervene as the meetings grew and some people became wary.
The Guardians came as a group with several horses and a wagon. Setting up in the town square they brought out several new brooms.
The Guardians provided gardening equipment and mousetraps.
The Guardians sat down with the crowd to listen to the words that Apple man said.
He said:
The love for mother earth can be expressed in many ways, jumping off a low wall, walking down the lane, whistling in the meadow, helping your neighbour over the stile, foraging for herbs, holding your face up to the sky, building mountains with children, running when you could walk, walking when you could run, watching small birds about their business, folding clothes, making somebody a hot drink, frowning whilst listening to other peoples woes, touching stone that has been warmed by the sun, enjoying a cake that was not made for you, leaving behind all your cares, signing your name with a flourish, wondering, remembering your children when they were small, cooking spicy food, using a wheelbarrow, waiting for a friend to arrive, finding a coin under the floor boards,
The Guardians provided costumes with coloured hats.
He said:
Expecting, fixing a broken thing, stopping to look through a hole in the hedge, stacking things in a pile so that they don’t take up too much room, eating raspberries straight from the bush, warming your hands in front of a fire on a cold day, pouring water over your head to cool down on a hot day.
They brought fresh bread, cheese and wine.
He said:
Sitting back after a good meal, practising smiling, reading a book, and then another book, following a path into a wood, hearing your name called, sitting on a swing seat, watching swallows.
The Guardians left some tokens in the square.
The Guardians of the Cave 