Thyme After Time: Lucky Lentil Soup

A New Year's Story and a Recipe for a Prosperous New Year

Brutus Consumed

In a very far away land, in the not-so-distant past, there lived a man named Brutus. Brutus watched the sun rise every day and as it rose, he wished with all of his heart that he could have a million dollars. Many suns rose and set and still he didn't have a million. He wished harder and saw that others began to grow wealthy around him. This frustrated Brutus. If others were able to find their riches, why couldn't he.
Brutus began to grow irritated and saw wealth wherever he traveled. He began to notice an odd thing. The townsfolk had so much that they began to burn the money in the streets, creating a fire that consumed the roads.
Other towns saw the flames and came by to investigate. They saw barrels full of money being wheeled into the streets and the townsfolk throwing the paper into the flame.
They began to question the towns people.
"Why are you burning your money? Do you really have so much of it that you need to burn it? Why not share it with others?"
The townsfolk so busy with their project, they ignored the questions and crowds that had begun to gather. Meanwhile Brutus, so busy with his wishing failed to notice the flames had grown so much that they lit the sky.
There was no longer a sunrise to wish on as it was now very bright at all times of the day and night.
The crowds decided burning all of these riches could not be a good thing for anyone.
The closer they got to the flames, the hotter the flames grew and the further the crowds had to stand.
There was no stopping any of the townspeople and as they burned the money, there always seemed to be more. For whatever reason they had, they never seemed to rid themselves of the money and it became an obsession to burn it all.
The crowds that had gathered stood helplessly by watching. They could not stop the flames nor gather the attention of the townsfolk. They stood frozen, unable to pull away their eyes, incredulous at the sight before them.
Now that the night was gone and the flames burned brighter than the sun, Brutus wished on the flames. His attention turned from the sun to the very flames lit by the money he so longed for.
The flames grew once again and filled the sky and held the attention of the crowds, the townsfolk and Brutus.
Everyone watched the money and everyone disagreed with the other about the money. Money was all there was in this tiny land and the money grew. The money multiplied and soon there was so much money that it had to be burned to make room for more.
Brutus had finally gotten his wish and in and around him was more money than he could have ever imagined., so much in fact that there was no room for anything else.Clouds and smoke filled the sky and soon, the money that had burned so bright, filled the air with smoke. Not one, the townsfolk, the crowds nor Brutus, could see anything. The world had become dark. Not one knew what the other possessed as not one could see the other.
Whispers and questions came...where was the money? Why were there clouds of smoke? Why could no one see?
Thunder clapped in the distance and the world began to shake.
While the crowds had gathered to bear witness to the money, their lands and lives had gone unattended. The once fertile fields had gone barren. The children had gone unfed. Friends and families were left abandoned. There were great cries and prayers and the towns folk, the crowds and Brutus all blamed the money, for it had to be the money's fault that this great catastrophe had come upon them. There was no more food, no more love and no more nature. All of the money in the world lay in front of everyone but it did not one person one bit of good.
The world shook and the thunder clapped and the Great Rains came.
The townsfolk ran to what was left of their homes for shelter. The crowds ran back to their remains in their towns and cities and sought shelter as well.
Brutus, now left with all of the money in the world, sat in the rain and the ruins that surrounded him. He realized the wish that consumed him finally materialized, but it wasn't really his wish after all.
His wish, he thought, shouldn't have been for money...that was just a means to an end.
His wish may have been put to better use had it been for the very last end to a means...not money, not objects...all of these can be taken away and consumed.....the end to any means no matter how great or small is happiness....
As the thought of happiness fluttered in, the clouds departed and the rain that washed away the ashes from the flames slowly dried up. Little green shoots sprouted as new wishes were wished. The sun rose and shined upon those wishes as they grew with each day.
So as the sun rises and sets and the world around us is consumed with their own wishes, let happiness be your wish that comes true, for true happiness also burns and spreads and shines and eventually clears the smoke and the ashes away.

May your New Year be filled with love and health and happiness; with prosperous new endeavors.
May you find wealth in life and in love and in happiness.
The lure of money and riches have always fascinated and consumed the lives of so many.
But at the end of the day, a truly happy person is the richest person in the world.

Lentil Soup

for luck and prosperity

Lentils have long been a symbol for prosperity, being shaped like little coins. This recipe, from Hungary, is eaten every year on New Year's Day to bring one fortune, prosperity and good luck in the coming year. For an added bit of luck, the carrots are sliced into little "coins" and the celery into little "horseshoe" shapes. The sausage is also sliced into tiny "coins". Consume the soup heartily. It's very good. But be forewarned, don't let the year's coming fortune's consume you. ;)