Keep believing and you can

Once a man, a man named Cuthbert, looked out of the window of his little house at the Golden mountain far beyond where the trees of paradise grow, and said to himself,

 

“I will go to the top of that mountain”.

 

But everyone who knew him, including his own sister, said,

 

“You’re crazy. No one has ever reached the top of the Golden mountain”.

 

Yet Cuthbert didn’t listen. He just said to himself, “Keep believing. Keep believing and you can”.

 

So then, Cuthbert put on his outdoor clothes and his best pair of travelling shoes and leaving his little house he went down the long road which led to the Golden mountain far beyond.

 

As he was walking, however, people passing by asked,

 

“Where are you walking to Cuthbert?”.

 

“To the Golden mountain”, he said, “I’m going to climb to the top of it”.

 

Hearing this, people just laughed and shook their head.

 

“You won’t do it”, they said, “No one has ever reached the top of the Golden mountain”.

 

But Cuthbert didn’t listen. He just told himself, “Keep walking. Keep walking and you will”.

 

But then, after walking hundreds of miles, Cuthbert came to the silver river that he had to cross to reach the Golden mountain and he leapt into the river and started to swim.

 

And the river, roaring, said to Cuthbert,

 

“Where are you swimming to?”.

 

“I’m swimming to the Golden mountain”, Cuthbert replied, “Then I’m going to climb to the top”.

 

But then the river laughed,

 

“That’s impossible”, said the river, “No one’s ever managed to reach the top of the Golden mountain”.

 

And a huge silver wave like a gigantic cat’s paw rose up and pushed Cuthbert back but Cuthbert didn’t give up,

 

“Keep swimming. Keep swimming”, he told himself, “And you shall”.

 

But then, eventually, Cuthbert reached the other side of the river and came to the foot of the fabulous Golden mountain and he started to climb up the Golden mountain and, as he climbed, birds that flew around the Golden mountain and built their nests in its many caves, saw Cuthbert and asked,

“Why are you climbing the mountain?”.

 

“I’m climbing because I want to reach the top”, said Cuthbert.

 

But the birds, hearing this, all squawked with laughter.

 

“You’ll never do it. No man has ever reached the top of the Golden mountain”.

 

And down the mountain came a landslide of golden boulders, each one big enough to flatten a man but Cuthbert dodged them all and kept on climbing, saying to himself,

 

“Keep climbing. Keep climbing and you’ll do it”.

 

Then, eventually, puffing and panting with exhaustion, after climbing for days, finally Cuthbert did do it; he reached the top of the Golden mountain and, standing at the top of the mountain he saw…

 

But then Cuthbert opened his eyes.

 

He was lying in bed wearing his pyjamas. He had been dreaming the whole thing.

 

But then, just as in his dream, looking out of the window of his little house, Cuthbert saw the Golden mountain far beyond, where the trees of paradise grow and said to himself,

 

“I WILL go to the top of that mountain”.

 

Of course, just like in his dream, everyone who knew him, including his own sister, said,

 

“You’re crazy. No one has ever reached the top of the Golden mountain”.

 

But Cuthbert didn’t listen. Just as in his dream, he said to himself, “Keep believing. Keep believing and you can”.