The Stonecutter
A humble stonecutter wishes to be powerful. Each wish turns him into ruler, sun, cloud, mountain—until he becomes a stone again, learning that true strength lies in embracing one’s place.
Story beats
- 1) A stonecutter envies a rich man; a spirit (or mountain) grants his wish—he becomes a noble.
- 2) He envies the sun burning him, becomes the sun. Sun is blocked by cloud; he becomes cloud.
- 3) Wind blows cloud; he becomes wind. Wind cannot move a mountain; he becomes mountain.
- 4) A stonecutter chips away at him; realizing stone endures all, he returns to being a stonecutter, content.
Context & symbolism
The parable critiques endless comparison and shows cyclical desire. Every power has a counterforce; contentment comes from appreciating one’s role. It’s a teaching tale on humility and the futility of envy.
Transformation chain mirrors elements dominating each other, ending where it began—shaping stone and self-awareness.
Motifs
- Wishes leading to successive forms
- Power hierarchies with counterforces
- Return to origin
- Humble labor as enduring
- Contentment over envy
Use it in play
- A wish-granting spirit teaches through chained transformations.
- Encounter where PCs choose ever-stronger forms until a lesson snaps them back.
- NPC learns contentment; helping them break envy curse completes quest.
- Puzzle of elements trumping one another; order matters.
Comparative threads
- Cycle parables: Similar to “Fisherman and his Wife” or “Grass is greener” tales.
- Elemental cycles: Five-elements dynamics in East Asian thought.
Hooks and campaign seeds
- Grant a party member shifting forms each scene until they choose to stop.
- A spirit offers a wish chain; accept and learn, or refuse for wisdom.
- Recover a stonecutter’s chisel that humbles power-hungry leaders.