The River That Refused to Flow

An ancient river once decided to stop moving. Villagers panicked, thinking it had died, but a wandering philosopher said it had entered contemplation. For weeks, its surface mirrored the sky with perfect clarity. Birds learned to navigate by it. Children discovered constellations in it at midday. When the river finally flowed again, it carried reflections instead of water—memories of the stillness it had gathered. Those who drank from it claimed they remembered things they hadn’t lived yet.