BIKER XMAS TALE
inspired by Eugene Lef
Enchanted Route:
Christmas Motorcycle Adventures
Biker bells ringing, in the cold display.
Through the winter night, a biker's cheer,
On Enchanted Route, love and gear.
Once upon a time, in a certain kingdom, in a certain state, there lived a Prince. As ordinary as they come. Moderately romantic, moderately capricious, moderately fearless. Christmas was approaching, and our Prince began to feel the pangs of loneliness. He didn't have many friends; his status didn't allow it. The girls sent by his father for introductions were dull and preoccupied only with their beauty. So, he got bored.
According to an age-old tradition, anyone suffering from loneliness embarked on a journey in search of their happiness. It was believed that such a voyage was the perfect remedy for melancholy, contributing to moral growth and the realization of one's place in life.
And so, the Prince decided to set out on a journey. Fate had it that he would feel lonely in winter, but there was nothing to be done – he had to go. He went to the Blacksmith for nails, spiked his tyres, wrapped himself in a bearskin coat, stowed a rusty sword in his shoulder backpack, filled the tank of his trusty Honda Africa Twin, and left his home to return a happy conqueror of his own loneliness... or perhaps never return at all.
The Prince entered the Enchanted Forest, where the Trail of Lonely Wanderers began. The Enchanted Forest was our hero's first destination. Here, he had to grasp the basics of loneliness and resistance to it. Then his path led along the Silent Sorrow River, across the Desperation Pass, and through the Valley of Unfulfilled Hopes, to the city of Shattered Dreams.
The Prince rode along the trail, slowly delving deeper into the forest. Complete silence surrounded him – only the familiar rumble of the engine and nothing more. The Trail of Lonely Wanderers taught him to be alone with his own thoughts. Suddenly, the Prince heard something. He stopped, switched off the engine, and listened. The noise came from somewhere in the distance, to the left. The Prince turned the bike in the direction of the sounds. After some time, a small clearing opened before his eyes. In the middle of it stood a giant oak. Under the oak, people on enduro motorcycles gathered: peasants, craftsmen, knights, and priests. Some were circling around the oak, others were jumping onto a hillock, a few were starting a bonfire and preparing barbecue. They chatted loudly among themselves, laughed, and occasionally glanced at the massive door in the old oak.
- "What's going on here?" the Prince asked.
The peasant eyed him with confusion. "Are you here for the first time or something?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued, "We're waiting for WisePhil"
- "And who is this WisePhil?" the Prince inquired.
-"That's how we call Wise Philip around here," the peasant replied.
-"And what wisdom does your WisePhil possess?" the Prince asked.
-"You can ask him any question," the peasant explained.
-"And so, all these people are waiting for answers to their questions," the Prince surveyed the chattering crowd.
-"Some are waiting for answers, and some just came to hang out," the peasant said.
The Prince walked away, wandered a bit more and eventually started conversations with other riders, discussing bikes, best places to ride, routes and all similar stuff.
As the sun set behind the treetops, the noise in the crowd gradually subsided. After a short while, silence enveloped the clearing. From the depths of the black hollow, the wise, cloud-like Philip emerged.
Meanwhile, the crowd formed a circle around the edge of the clearing, leaving an empty space in the center. People approached Wise Philip one by one, spoke quietly with him, and left – some with a light smile, others in pensive contemplation.
"Speak, Knight," he said softly.
The Prince hesitated for a moment but then began, "I embarked on the Trail of Lonely Wanderers to understand loneliness and find a way to overcome it. But I... I don't know what I'm looking for."
- "You'll know when you find it," Philip cryptically replied. "But now, I'll ask you a question." After a brief pause, he asked, -- "Why does the word 'One' start with a letter resembling the digit 'zero'?"
The Prince pondered. Philip continued, "I'm not asking for an instant answer. Think. And come to me when you feel you know the solution. Fortunately, you won't have to wait long." The Prince thought Wise Philip might have smirked. "Now go, the conversation is over."
Thoughtfully, the Prince walked back to his Honda and slowly rode towards the Trail of Lonely Wanderers.
He was almost at the trail, just a hundred meters away, when suddenly, the sound of huge wings flapping echoed overhead. The Prince looked up and saw a Dragon flying low, almost touching the treetops. In its front paws, unmistakably, it held a lifeless female body. The Prince stood on the footrests and shouted:
-"Hey, you vile creature! Release her immediately! I challenge you to a duel!"
The Prince drew his sword and stared fiercely at the Dragon.
- "Hush, hush!" said the Dragon. "No need for those theatrics. Put away your toothpick, better safe than sorry," he gestured with his paw towards the Prince's sword. "You might hurt yourself... We can talk after that."
The Prince looked at the Dragon with sсepticism, but the creature radiated peacefulness. Reluctantly, our hero sheathed his sword back into the backpack.
- "Well, that's wonderful," the Dragon said, contentedly rubbing his paws. "Why did you kidnap that poor girl?" the Prince asked sternly. "Were you planning to harm her and then devour her?"
-"Oh, come on!" the Dragon grimaced. "Think about what you're saying. 'Harm her'... with what? Can you tell me?" He gestured with his paw over his perfectly smooth body. "And 'devour'... Any steak has more calories than this bony Princess. I'm taking her to the castle."
- "Princess?" the Prince asked again. "You mean to say that this unfortunate girl is a princess?! Why take her to the castle, though?"
-"Her daddy asked me to," the Dragon replied. "Stubborn little thing. Always wants to ride her father's brand-new Husqvarna to the swamp. But the King only shows her off to friends, scared to ride. Only the daughter is fearless – riding in the mud or sand, no matter the weather. So, he asked me to keep the girl in the castle for a couple of weeks, for educational purposes."
The Dragon grinned widely. -"Sure, agreed! Less trouble for me if she doesn't run off again, as usual. I'm all for it."
-"Good luck to you, Prince..." echoed a voice from somewhere above.
Meanwhile, the Prince approached the princess lying on the hillock and leaned over her. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, stared into the Prince's face, and softly said, -"Where's that three-headed creature? Give me a sword, please. I'll kick his ass."
Then, raising herself on her elbow and studying his counterpart more attentively, she asked,
- "Is it Africa Twin Adventure Sports, equipped with electronic suspension adjustment and a 25-liter fuel tank?"
- "Yep, exactly! You know, in my Kingdom I've built an enduro park - you'll definitely like it!" declared the Prince loudly and with passion. "We're heading back! I think I've already found what I was looking for…"
The Princess gracefully hopped onto the passenger seat, and they were about to head back when the Prince suddenly said, - "You know what... I have a small matter to attend to... It won't take long." He then turned the bike towards the clearing of Wise Philip.
Upon entering the clearing, the Prince looked around in surprise. It was empty, not a soul in sight. Only the old oak stood in the middle, and Wise Philip's figure was visible in the open door. The Prince and the Princess approached the tree and silently stopped before it.
Wise Philip's familiar voice spoke:
- "I am glad you visited me not only in times of tormenting questions but also when joy fills your heart. It seems you have found what you were looking for..."
The Prince replied, "I'm not sure, Wise Philip. I sought a remedy for loneliness, but I found my Love."
-"Isn't that the same thing?" Philip asked softly. The Prince thought he saw Philip smile again. "By the way, I'm almost certain you didn't have time to ponder my question... Listen to my answer and at least think about it."
Wise Philip waited for a moment and then said, "The connection between the word 'One' and the digit 'zero'... Zero is emptiness, nothingness. While you are nothing, while you give and receive nothing in return – you are alone. Ponder on that... By the way, I'm pretty sure your victory over loneliness didn't happen when you found your Princess or when you dared to challenge the Dragon... It was earlier... Much earlier."
- "When did it happen?" asked the Prince.
- "It happened when you decided to deviate from the Trail of Lonely Wanderers. You made your choice, met like-minded riders, and found your Princess. Now go... Be happy. As for me, it's time..." And with these words, Wise Philip disappeared into the darkness of the hollow.
- "Thank you!" exclaimed the Prince and Princess simultaneously, and the Honda carried them to the Prince's city, where a new life awaited them, full of happiness, joy, and adventures!
That's how this Christmas fairy tale ends. And for a shorter journey from loneliness to happiness, companionship, friends, and like-minded riders, we recommend installing our app for motorcyclists, MotoSpot – it's magical too ;)
And to all fellow bikers, regardless the ride -
Merry Christmas to all, and adventure inside!
Join the worldwide motorcycle community today!
