Introduction
Paradise.
It's a Persian word originating from the word "garden" that has made
its way into English translation from the Greek. In the English
vocabulary, the word "paradise" has come to describe a
utopia--that perfect, ideal place--relaxed and pleasant. It's a
land of dreams; a land where society, politics, nature, and social
mores are in perfect accord and people live in complete harmony--with
the universe and with one another.
Finding
such a place is so near the heart of every individual that stories
abound. "The Garden of Eden," "Atlantis, " "Shangri-La,"
"Cockaigne," "Arcadia," "Xanadu," "Avalon," and "El Dorado" are just a
few of the most widely known myths that have circulated through
history. Over and over, the theme is redeveloped, but the core
tenets remain unchanged. The place is often isolated, yet it
possesses an abundance of shelter, food, and water. And more
interesting, in many of the stories the water source has four
branches. In Eden it is four rivers that meet, in another it is a
simple fountain that opens into four directions. "Paradise" is
also guarded and protected--sometimes by spiritual beings and sometimes
by natural forces such as a vast range of mountains or body of
water. The inhabitants live long, healthy lives. Some are
immortal. They live with nature in a magnificent homeostasis so
that death is unknown. Outsiders are received cautiously and with
reservation. Any attempt to upset the utopic balance and present
order is cause for immediate alarm and possible expulsion.
Out of the many utopian possibilities, I
have chosen to work with these four: The Garden of
Eden, Atlantis, Shangri-La, and El-Dorado. Not a lot of information is
available on any of these subjects. Most of the descriptions in
my stories are based purely on my personal beliefs which I have blended
with traditional legends. In my story of the
Garden of Eden, I do not re-tell of Adam and Eve. I expand on the
description from the Bible and the apocryphal text, Book of
Jubilees. The information I used in the story of Atlantis came
mostly from the ancient text "Critias" by Plato. I did, however,
add in many futuristic technology aspects. Although the exact
location of Shangri-La is unknown, many legends point to the Himalayan
Mountains. So, my story takes place around Mount Everest.
El-Dorado is the mythical city of gold from Latin America.
My story takes place in an a small one-room rural schoolhouse located
in the late 1950's. The story begins on a beautiful spring
morning. Four brothers- Alex, age 13; Ty, age 10; Trey, age 8;
and Andy, age 6- have just arrived at school and are settling in their
desks to begin the day. But because of the wonderful weather the
boys are restless. They would rather be outside than listening to
their teacher's daily lessons. As the day wears on and the
various lessons are completed, each boy's mind begins to wander and is
filled with a vision of a better place. These visions do not
happen at the sa me time, nor are the visions of the same place. Alex has just turned thirteen
and believes he knows everything. This "know-it-all"
attitude is quickly transformed when he enters the serene Garden of
Eden. Ty, a gentle, quiet nine-year-old, becomes an albatross and
travels the ocean winds to the mythical island of Atlantis. Trey,
a very active seven-year-old, climbs Mount Everest to discover the
hidden city of Shangri-La. Finally, young six-year-old Andy
explores the golden city of El-Dorado.
As
you read their stories, try to picture the "paradise" each has
envisioned. Do you see the similarities?
Continue
to Chapter One
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