Box of Wisdom

Made in collaboration with Tomas Colbengtson

“I think it’s too late,” Raven said to Eagle from atop the mountain.

“Try again, Raven,” Eagle said gently.

So Raven tried again. He gathered the people together again, and he addressed them again. But before he spoke, he placed on the floor in front of him a large bentwood box with an intricate design.

“You know how I am about boxes,” he said.

“Oh, yes!” they all cried.

“The Sun was in a box,” Raven said. “I let it out.”

“Thank you, Raven!” they cried.

“The Moon, the Stars…all in boxes. I let them all out.”

“You are wonderful, Raven,” they cheered.

“Good,” he said. “Now I am going to give you a very special box. It is the Box of Knowledge. It contains all the knowledge in the world.”

The people were astonished. “How can something as large as All the Knowledge in the World fit into such a small box?” they wondered aloud.

“Because it is a magic box,” Raven said. 

He opened the box and showed the contents to the people.

“But it’s empty!” they cried.

“Yes,” agreed Raven. “Because magic, like gravity and electricity, is often invisible.”

“Ah!” the people cheered.

“You see,” said Raven, “this box is full of traditions and language and songs and dances and knowledge passed from generation to generation. Listen!”

They listened, and they could hear the beating of drums, the stomping of feet, the singing of songs, the telling of stories. 

“Because these things cannot be written down,” Raven explained, “they are kept in this box so you can pass them down to your progeny. Without the box of knowledge to pass down to your families, you will be like a boat without a keel, blown with the wind, and susceptible to mind-control. Just saying.”

The entirety of people stared up at Raven agog.

“My goodness!” Raven exclaimed. “I think it’s working! You have eyeballs!”