The Sound Of Thunder

The man looked down at the flea standing in his palm, about to take a bite.

“Stop that”, said the man.

Startled, the flea looked round about him.

“Who is that? Who spoke just then?”, it asked.

“I”, said the man.

The flea looked round about it again.

“I see nothing, just the ground below me and the sky above”, said the flea.

“I am up above you”, said the man, “And below you as well. I am all around you”.

“If you’re all around then why can’t I see you anywhere?”, asked the flea puzzled, “Are you invisible?”.

“Because you see me everywhere, you see me nowhere, like a creature inside a box who is searching for a box and cannot find it”, replied the man.

“Ahh, well”, said the flea, “You may say that but it’s more likely you’re just a figment of my imagination and unless you can show yourself to me then I’ve no reason to believe otherwise”.

Just then however, the Flea felt the Earth beneath his feet begin to tremble.

“Aaargh!”, cried the flea, “An Earth quake!”.

“It is not an Earth quake”, said the man, “It is my hand shaking”.

“Oh be gone with you, you delusion”, said the flea, “I know an Earth quake when I feel one”.

The man sighed, although it seemed to the flea like a strong wind.

“If I cannot show myself to you because of the limits of your perception then how can I prove myself to you?”, he asked, “Even prodding you with my finger you may interpret in some other way”.

But then, frustrated, the man decided he had had enough of talking to fleas and would just clap his hands together and squash the irritating creature between his palms.

Just then, however, the man heard the sound of thunder booming overhead.