Once there was an old man and he lived by a river, he was unhappy because he was alone. One day he decided to leave and travel the world to see if he could find a companion.
It was a fair morning when he left his house behind, with a heart full of hope. He decided to walk along the river, that for many moons had fed him. He didn't believe it would have been a long journey, so he took with him only a small bottle for the water and the small amount of food left in the house. He was confident that he would have found a companion very easily and very soon. He was wise enough and brought his cloak.
He enjoyed strolling down the river, gazing at the field and listening to the singing birds. He drank the river's water when he was thirsty and he sat down on a rock by its bank when he was tired. He fished fish from it when he was hungry and he bathed when he was dirty or hot from the walk.
The river provided nourishment and delight and in its own peaceful way became the old man companion and he started to talk to him.
"I was lonely and now no more. You are a powerful being and I am grateful that I met you. I will call you Nou-Shi".
Weeks and then months passed by and the old man just kept walking by the Nou-Shi, the spirit of the river, just for the pleasure of it and not because he felt lonely.
One day, after so many miles that he consumed his shoes, he arrived at the end of the river, the point where Nou-Shi left his bed and gracefully mixed its water with the ocean.
The old man looked in disbelief at the ocean, overwhelmed by the amount of water. Nou-Shi and its narrow bed looked so poor now, compared to the endless vastness of the Ocean.
He sat down and stared at the water, noticing the fish in it and the shades of blues and greens and he felt even more happy and grateful and joyous than before.
"Oh lucky, lucky me. I came to an even bigger friend than Nou-Shi. Nou-Shi will always be my best friend because he was there when I was lonely and sad and he listened to me but now I can make a new friend with its friend. I will honour it ans I honour Nou-Shi, I will be gratefiul to it as I am to Nou-Shi. I will be a good friend to it as I am to Nou-Shi".
The old man walked down along Nou-Shi until he reached a beach, enjoying the feeling of the sand on his feet and breathing in the smell of the salty water, so different from the sweetness of Nou-Shi's water.
"My good friend – he spoke in a gentle way to the cobalt waters – I am a good friend of Nou-Shi, the spirit of the river, and I would love to be your friend too. If you are happy with this, I will call you Ashenty-Liu. Is it a gentle name for a gentle spirit like you are?". The old man smiled and his heart was full of joy and sweetness for Ashenty-Liu.
And he stayed on the beach, as he didn't want to leave Ashenty-Liu, he fished in her and bathed in her and floated on her surfaces and dived in her depths. He spoke to her and whispered the darkest secrets of his soul to her and seemed like the Ocean responded with his waves, whispering herself secrets.
And the old man was happy and he was lonely no more and he forgot why he left his home and who he was and even that he was a mortal being because Ashenty-Liu didn't want to lose her only true friend too and she knew the value of friendship and the value of sharing it.
Many moons passed by and he was happy as he was, simple life after simple life growing old and young with moon's cycle and if it happen that you pass by the Ocean, maybe you will see him sitting on the beach talking to his good friend Ashenty-Liu and smiling.
