The Great Stone Face was a work of nature, formed by several rocks piled one upon another. From a distance, however, it looked like a human face. If the onlooker came too near, he would lose sight of the outline of the face. Whereas from a distance the face was very clear.
Many people of the valley owed the prosperity of the valley to the Great Stone Face. To a mother and her son, who sat talking at the door of their cottage, the Great Stone Face was easily visible. The son, Ernest, hoped that some day he would be able to talk to the Great Stone Face. Ernest was eager to hear it speak. The features of the Great Stone Face were so pleasant that Ernest thought its voice to be gentle too.
Hearing her son speak so, the mother was reminded of an old prophecy; a story that her mother had told her. She chooses to tell Ernest that story. She tells Ernest that according to an old prophecy, it is believed that at some future day a child would be born, who in his manhood would bear an exact resemblance to the Great Stone Face. Also, this child would grow up to be the most noble person the valley had ever known. For many this prophecy was idle talk, but for many others the prophecy was yet to come true.
Ernest Had a Lot of Faith in the Prophecy
For Ernest his happiness lay in the fulfilment of this story. He hoped to be alive when the prophecy would come true and be able to meet and talk to the likeness of the Great Stone Face. Ernest had no teacher and he did not go to a proper school. He had taken the Great Stone Face to be his teacher. After work, he would keep gazing at the face of the Great Stone Face for hours and derived encouragement and kindness from the gentle features of his face.
Gathergold
Around this tine, a strong rumour got spread in the valley that the prophecy had finally come true. An old native man of the valley, Gathergold, who had gone away on business was returning to the valley to spend his remaining days in his native town The immense wealth that Gathergold had earned soon became the talk of the town and Gathergold, too, returned with great pomp and show. People of the valley began to see in Gathergold the likeness of the Great Stone Face. When Gathergold finally arrived, however, Ernest was disappointed to see no resemblance between the two. Greatly confused, he looked up to the Great Stone Face and felt as if the Great Stone Face was asking him to wait patiently for the prophecy to come true.
Ernest Continued to look Fondly at the Great Stone Face
As years passed by, Ernest grew to be a young man, who attracted little notice from the inhabitants of the land. He silently kept gazing at the Great Stone Face after the day's work was over and continued for the prophecy to come true. The gentle sentiments reflected in the face of the Great Stone Face were imbibed in Ernesrt's character. He was laborious and hard working he was also wise and full of sympathy for others. By now Mr Gathergold was dead. But long before his death, his wealth had vanished into nothingness. Soon, it was agreed that the people of the valley had been mistaken in assuming a likeness between the Great Stone Face and Gathergold. The prophecy, therefore, was yet to be fulfilled.
General Blood-and-Thunder
By this time, another great son of the valley, who had left the valley to be a great soldier was returning to his native land during his old age. General Blood- and-Thunder was a renowned soldier and immediately attracted the attention of the people, who in him began to see the likeness of the Great Stone Face. As in the case of Gathergold, Ernest failed to comprehend the likeness of the Great Stone Face in the general, too. Again, Ernest looked up to the Great Stone Face, who seemed to be saying that prophecy is yet to be fulfilled.