The next morning, Oolu awoke early, performed his daily ablutions and left to collect some fruits and nuts from the woods. He’d been gone a while and was ready to head back, when he saw something he’d never seen before: A wizened old man, bent and walking, who seemed to struggle with each step. Oolu approached him, intending to offer his walking stick to the man to ease his travels, when
“Good morning, Oolu,” the man said, catching the boy by surprise.
“How can this man know me?” He wondered. Aloud, he greeted the man kindly and inquired as to where he was headed.
“I’ve come to see you, my boy,” the man replied.
“All apologies to you, good sir,” Oolu began, “But I cannot recall ever having met you during my travels.”
“You know Time, my dear boy, and therefore you know me.”
Oolu thought about this for a moment before continuing the conversation. “I know that time never stands still, just as the clouds never stop sailing across the heavens. Perhaps we met during my stay in the Capital city. The people there never seemed to stop moving.”
“I am not from any city or land that you know of,” the old man began. “I am of the land before time, the city beyond the stars.” His eyes seemed to glaze over as he recounted his story to Oolu. “I am time grown old…”
