One day the pilgrim returned, as he'd promised. I was very happy to see him again and invited him in to warm himself by the fire.
We began to talk easily as old friends do, although I'd only met him once before, he seemed so familiar as if I'd always known him.
He spoke of the things he'd seen since we'd last met.
He told me how the world was becoming more dark and evil as each day passed, and I was shocked and grieved to hear his tales.
There was something I wished to speak of to him, something which angered and saddened me more
Than anything else.
And so I told him of my overwhelming hatred of the men who fawned over the women. How angry it made me.
I told him how, before I built my shelter, I'd searched far and wide for a man who wasn't susceptible to feminine wiles.
I told him how I couldn't explain exactly why this enraged me to such a degree.
My dolls had engaged in this behaviour, especially the buxom gold digger. She told me many stories of these men and how foolish they were.
Trying to garner favour with her.
She thought them all grovelling fools and told me how, the more she treated them with contempt , the more they seemed to grovel and fawn Her indifference and obvious disdain for them seemed to elevate her even further in their eyes and she was given goddess status by many.
The higher they raised her in their esteem, the more pathetic they became
If only there was a man who was immune to this
He smiled a knowing smile, and told me that there wasn't such a man, that without the armour, no man was unsusceptible.
Then he told me something which caused me to recoil in horror.
He said that I shouldn't be blaming them, for it was all my fault they were in this state.
I looked at him aghast.
How could it be?
How could I be to blame for such a travesty?
" daughter of Eve" he said " from the beginning, you were given a certain power over man", " you misused that power, and man has carried the curse ever since" " He never had the power to deny you anything", " but you asked him to do the forbidden"
“this caused his downfall, and you've both suffered ever since"
I was amazed.
The very thing I despised so much was all my own doing.
I felt ashamed
To think I'd felt so much disdain for these poor creatures.
I wept with shame
The pilgrim comforted me
“Don’t weep for them my child" he said.
“They’ve been given a way out, but they've yet to discover the unlocked door.
“Everything will turn out exactly the way it should"
I marvelled at the things he said to me.
“Pilgrim" I said “why are we here in this dreadful place? What is the meaning of it all?"
Again he smiled a knowing smile
“This is an age old question”, I'm just passing through" said he
“But the answer is quite simple"
“and I'll tell you".......
