--When God created the earth, he first made us, the monyjang. Yes, first he made the monyjang, the first man, and he made him the tallest and strongest of the people under the sky . . .
--Yes, God made the monyjang tall and strong, and he made their women beautiful, more beautiful than any of the creatures of the land.
--Yes, my father continued, --and when God was done, and the monyjang were standing on the earth waiting for instruction, God asked the man, “Now that you are here on earth, on the most sacred and fertile land I have, I can give you one more thing. I can give you this creature, which his called the cow . . . “
--Yes, he continued, God showed man the idea of the cattle, and the cattle were magnificent. They were in every way exactly what the monyjang would want. The man and woman thanked God for such a gift, because they knew that the cattle would bring them milk and meat and prosperity of every kind. But God was not finished.
--He never is, Sadiq said, to a wave of laughter.
--God said, “You can either have these cattle, as my gift to you, or you can have the What.” My father waited for the necessary response.
--But. . Sadiq said, helping out, What is the What? He said, with an air of theatrical inquisitiveness.
--Yes yes. That was the question. So the first man lifted his head to God and asked what this was, this What. “What is the What?” the first man asked. And God said to the man, “I cannot tell you. Still you have to choose. You have to choose between the cattle and the What.” Well then. The man and the woman could see the cattle right there in front of them, and they knew that with cattle they would eat and live with great contentment. They could see the cattle were God’s most perfect creation, and that the cattle carried something godlike within themselves. They knew that they would live in peace with the cattle, and that if they helped the cattle eat and drink, the cattle would give man their milk, would multiply every year and keep the monyjang happy and healthy, So the first man and woman knew they would be fools to pass to pass up the cattle for this idea of the What. So the man chose the cattle. And God has proven that this was the correct decision. God was testing the man. He was testing the man, to see if could appreciate what he had been given, if he could take pleasure in the bounty before him, rather than trade it for the unknown.
-from What is the What, Dave Eggers
--Yes, God made the monyjang tall and strong, and he made their women beautiful, more beautiful than any of the creatures of the land.
--Yes, my father continued, --and when God was done, and the monyjang were standing on the earth waiting for instruction, God asked the man, “Now that you are here on earth, on the most sacred and fertile land I have, I can give you one more thing. I can give you this creature, which his called the cow . . . “
--Yes, he continued, God showed man the idea of the cattle, and the cattle were magnificent. They were in every way exactly what the monyjang would want. The man and woman thanked God for such a gift, because they knew that the cattle would bring them milk and meat and prosperity of every kind. But God was not finished.
--He never is, Sadiq said, to a wave of laughter.
--God said, “You can either have these cattle, as my gift to you, or you can have the What.” My father waited for the necessary response.
--But. . Sadiq said, helping out, What is the What? He said, with an air of theatrical inquisitiveness.
--Yes yes. That was the question. So the first man lifted his head to God and asked what this was, this What. “What is the What?” the first man asked. And God said to the man, “I cannot tell you. Still you have to choose. You have to choose between the cattle and the What.” Well then. The man and the woman could see the cattle right there in front of them, and they knew that with cattle they would eat and live with great contentment. They could see the cattle were God’s most perfect creation, and that the cattle carried something godlike within themselves. They knew that they would live in peace with the cattle, and that if they helped the cattle eat and drink, the cattle would give man their milk, would multiply every year and keep the monyjang happy and healthy, So the first man and woman knew they would be fools to pass to pass up the cattle for this idea of the What. So the man chose the cattle. And God has proven that this was the correct decision. God was testing the man. He was testing the man, to see if could appreciate what he had been given, if he could take pleasure in the bounty before him, rather than trade it for the unknown.
-from What is the What, Dave Eggers
