Quadsville

Once upon a time, when there was still some little magic left in the world, a wise spiritual leader set off on a pilgrimage.  He left the city in which he had spent years being honored and revered and set off first crossing nearby forests, then climbing to great heights over mountains.  He spent two months simply crossing a great desert on a camel.

Eventually, he came to a great river.  At the bank was an oarsman.  The spiritual one paid his fare and took the ferry out onto the river.  Slightly upriver from the crossing was an island.  From this island came a call, "Hall-eh-lew-yay, Holy, Holy, Amen."  The spiritual leader was impressed and dismayed.  He had heard that out in these desolate regions there were hermits who would try to find the path.  He was glad to get the opportunity to meet one.  On the otherhand he was dismayed because the lone one had misspoken the chant.  It was said that those who correctly spoke the right combination of words would be able to walk on water.  To consider that a man could spend years getting the chant wrong, thus wasting his time was too much for him to bear.  He had to take the time to correct his spiritual brother.

He paid the ferryman an additional fee to take him to the island.  Once their he ecountered the hermit.  He said, "brother, I beg your pardon, but I've studied all of the ancient manuscripts and you are pronouncing these words incorrectly."  He truly hoped his brother would listen as he understood the desire to walk on water, a great spiritual gift only attainable by the most faithful.  The hermit paused a moment, it had been so long since anyone had spoken to him or he had spoken, it required time to collect his thoughts.   Finally, he spoke, "Pardon me, brother, I wish to gain the most benefit of these words.  I heard them only spoken once, with a very course accent.  Please tell me, the correct pronunciation."

The wise man said, "Hollylewya, Holy, Holy, Holy, Amen."  The hermit listened and with some coaching was able to demonstrate the correct verse.  He thanked the wise man who returned to the boat and began back across the river.  As he left the island he heard, "Holly-eh-loo, Holy, Holy..."  then he heard, "Hall-eh-lew-yah, Holy, Holy..."  The voice kept trailing off and getting it wrong.  The spiritual great sat at the back of the boat shrugged his shoulders and turned his back on the island, thinking, "ah well, some folks are teachable others are not."

He sat a moment watching the ferry man pull at the oars, when suddenly he was startled by a tap on the shoulder, he turned around and there standing on the water was the hermit, who asked, "A thousand pardons, brother, but it is said that wisdom comes from the humility of admitting ignorance, can you please help me to pronounce these words correctly?"