In a small unremarkable fishing village on the banks of a wide river, people lived and suffered. They suffered because they didn't know how to live well. They often argued and quarreled, and they constantly measured their fish catches. As a result, there was no harmony among them, and many of them were often in a gloomy and rainy mood. As their moods changed, so did the clouds in the sky, and they would often bring rain to their sinful land, causing the river to overflow and flood the houses and streets along the banks. The mud and stench were unbearable, and sometimes people had to cover their noses as they walked through the streets.
In this unnamed village, it was common for people to make various trinkets out of river mud and road dirt. From a young age, the villagers would teach each other how to create these trinkets and then dry them. Once they were dry, they would hang them on their houses, attaching them to window frames, roofs, or outbuildings. The dark trinkets, made from mud and river silt, would sway in the wind and rain, and they would amuse the passers-by. The villagers decided to call these trinkets "opinions." As a demonstration of their practical skills, every child was expected to create their own trinket and hang it on their house.
One day, the river, after another spring flood, carried a fisherman's boat downwards. The fisherman struggled to control the force of the river, and he drifted far away from his village. The river crashed him into the rocks, breaking the boat, and the fisherman was thrown into the water depths. With great effort and near-drowning, he managed to climb out of the river, and made his way back to his village, shivering and stumbling from the cold. And he was cursing his fate, falling from time to time to his knees from exhaustion, catching his breath.
Whether he walked for a long time or a short time, we do not know. As the sun began to set, he noticed a shiny pebble on the bank of a babbling river, where the stream had cleared of silt.
“What a beautiful pebble!” he thought, “but it's covered in dirt. I'll clean it of the river's mud and silt. Perhaps it will sparkle and shine as it used to!”
And so, the traveler washed the pebble, which shimmered and sparkled in the waters of the gurgling river, and he was even more amazed by its beauty. He hid it in his shirt and carried it home, hoping to examine it more closely in the bright light of the new day.
Late in the night, when the stars, which light the way for people in the darkness, appeared in the sky and beckoned him, he returned to his village, exhausted and soaked, to the delight of his family, who were worried about him. He collapsed on his bed, completely drained of energy, and felt asleep.
In the morning, after having an intriguing dream about the power of his miraculous find, he decided to examine the pebble more closely. After cleaning it of the road's silt and dirt, the pebble sparkled in the morning sun with all its colors, delighting the eye like a treasure.
“I'll attach this treasure to the window of my house!” the traveler decided. “Let it delight the eyes and souls of all passers-by. And I'll throw away the old trinket made of river silt and mud!”
He did as he pleased, and he was amazed by the result. The pebble shimmered in the bright sunlight, sending its rays far and wide, so much so that his neighbors, who had seen the miracle from their homes, came to him and asked questions.
“What is this wondrous thing you have, neighbor?” they asked.
“This is my new opinion!” the fisherman replied joyfully. “It's beautiful, pure, and washed clean of all the filth through life's trials!”
“What a marvelous discovery!” the other fishermen wondered. “How did you find this treasure, and can you tell us where to find it? Perhaps we too can acquire similar opinions!”
“It was along the river's course, after a long journey,” the fisherman replied. “It was given to me by life itself, with no demands other than my strength and attentiveness.”
“Let us also seek out these treasures!” the fishermen decided. “We no longer need our dirty trinkets!”
And the bravest of them ventured down the river, through the stormy waters, and found the hidden places with the precious stones. They brought back the shining stones and hung them on their homes for all to see.
Oh, how beautiful their homes became, having shed their dirty opinions and embraced their new, pure ones! The owners of the homes soon lost their desire to curse, rage, or envy upon witnessing the beauty. They became kinder, and no longer were they tempted by filth. After all, for what purpose is human filth needed, if not to appreciate the purity of one's spirit and thoughts?
And many decades have passed since then. The village has grown into a mighty city, attracting travelers from all around with its enchanting stones. However, in the center of the city, the dilapidated house of the nameless fisherman still stands, delighting passing travelers with its sight and memory. It serves as a reminder of how the great transformation that befell the citizens of the city began with a pure and profound opinion.