Artama & The Book of Knowledge
& Wisdom
ARTAMA, A YOUNG BOY, lives in The Town, where the people are almost always content. But Artama is not content, and he challenges the conventional wisdom. Determined to discover the truth for himself—against the dictates of The Readers and The Book of Knowledge & Wisdom—Artama undertakes a journey across The Plain. He meets Kora, a wondrous and mysterious girl. Upon his return, now a young man, Artama brings words of knowledge and wisdom . . . and a miracle. A charming, provocative, and revolutionary parable, Artama & The Book of Knowledge & Wisdom is a timeless tale with a message for all ages. Artama & The Book of Knowledge & Wisdom is the first tale in The Artama Legend.
IN THE MEETING HALL, in The Town, near The Plain, in the land where the people were almost always content, the men of The Town were gathered, meeting for The Reading.
At the front of The Hall, at a large table made of the wood of the weebon tree, three old men were seated importantly. These were The Readers.
Crowding The Hall were the other men, both young and old, who gathered at the appointed hour to listen to The Reading.
The Readers read from The Book of Knowledge & Wisdom.
The Book of Knowledge & Wisdom was bound in dark leather, and the pages were edged in gold. The pages held many words, and because there were so many words, the words were written in tiny letters, and The Readers used a reading glass to see what they were reading.
The First Reader, The Honorable First Reader, was someone splendid to behold. He wore a reading robe as white as the full moon on a clear night, and he wore a noble hat of stars.
The Second Reader, The Honorable Second Reader, wore a reading robe as black as a closed closet, and he was very fat.
The Third Reader, The Lord Most Honorable High Reader, wore a reading robe as golden as the autumn sun. And his beard was silver.
The Lord Most Honorable High Reader always read the most important words.
Near the table, an old blind man sat with his son.
