King of Silence

There was once a king who decided that for him - beauty was silence. 

 He issued a decree that all sound was banished henceforth and that his land would forever more be as silent as snow.  To enforce this impossible law he sent countless envoys to every corner of the land.  Every creature was informed.  No birds can sing.  No dogs must bark.  No man, woman or child could speak their needs and must now make them known by signs. Even the very thunder was ordered to be mute.

The penalty of course was death.  Few were able to obey.

Flocks of birds were shot from the heavens.  Dogs were slain before their master’s eyes. All the trees were stripped of leaves lest the wind should sigh through them.  Brooks were frozen so water could not splash or gurgle down the stream beds.
It was like a permanent winter with bare trees and frozen ground.

Children at play were wiped out without mercy. Cows being herded were bombed for lowing.  This unmerciful killing went on for many years.
The merest sound so angered the King that he ordered atrocious punishments for offenders that he did not kill.

The talents of artist were in great demand as they painted cards for all occasions for people to flash. in lieu of speaking.  The effect on the population was to cause the formation of many covert societies where secret meetings, when betrayed, were raided and countless murders committed by the ‘silence’ enforcers.  
The King was greatly feared by everyone and dubbed “Snowman - the Silencer”

Generations of good people were wiped out.  Countless noisy species were hunted to extinction.   Music was never heard or played.
Silent clocks were invented.  Sound-proof rooms were built. Some desperate parents, to protect their children, opted to have their babies larynx-es removed at birth.

The King was surrounded by silent apathetic, joyless subjects.

The King’s obsession had effectively destroyed all the people, the life and  the environment around him.

How much easier it would have been, if he, in wanting silence had only thought to destroy his own eardrums.

Copyright © | Year Posted 2016



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Date: 10/31/2017 7:28:00 AM
silence is beautiful! Great story telling Suzanne..
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Date: 9/15/2016 7:24:00 AM
Clever write Suzanne, those with absolute power never see from within. A wonderful parable with a strong message.
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Date: 7/31/2016 4:34:00 PM
Speaking of weaving a story.Your conclusion at the end was well-founded.This story deeply reminds me of patriotism.When the founding fathers separated from England it was because of an unjust Rule and dictatorship.Dictators are normally all the same.If you do not do as they wish they will kill you, or torture you. In this story, the ambition of the King was to create complete silence.Complete obedience.People will always try and protect those they love. I see patriotism in that. Thank you
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Date: 6/25/2016 4:39:00 PM
I agree with Paul below, I sometimes consider its people in powers fear of their mortality that prompts, cruel excess.' hope you are well Suzanne.
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Date: 6/4/2016 11:25:00 AM
There is a lot to learn from this story, Suzanne. Extremism ruins all ideals, be it political, religious, etc. Sometimes a simple solution would suffice, but stubborn people mistakenly opt for complicated and outrageous ones. ~ Hope you are keeping well, my friend. Have a lovely weekend. Regards // paul
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Date: 5/28/2016 5:28:00 PM
The first thing I thought of was that he could have had his hearing fixed so he would become deaf. I enjoyed the colorful journey this poem took me on Suz. Have a great weekend. ; ) xxoo
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Date: 5/26/2016 1:11:00 AM
Loved it, that was a funny ending Suz if only the kind had your wisdom :)
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Date: 5/20/2016 10:29:00 AM
Well this sure was an intriguing and different story ... your ending caught me off-guard, as it didn't even occur to me at all, how much simpler it could have been. Liked Mark Woods comment on this one: there's a moral hidden behind all of this. A fave from me for its stark originality.
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Delaney Avatar
Suzanne Delaney
Date: 5/23/2016 4:39:00 PM
Happy you found it a strange surprise. I quite like writing out of the box stories.
Date: 5/19/2016 1:21:00 AM
Ahh but does mankind ever think towards the easy way? We are more prone to say that everyone else is doing it wrong. An enjoyable read. : )
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Delaney Avatar
Suzanne Delaney
Date: 5/19/2016 3:25:00 AM
Thanks for reading Mark. This strange story came to me a few years back and I just came across it again. The ending surprised me as much as anybody
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