Platypus of Truth

One morning, the disciple of Utnipishtim came to him and said: "Oh my master, last night I had a dream; while I was on my bed, a vision came to me! I saw your animals, the raven and the dove, descend from heaven and lift you up and they bore you away. Then a voice came from the clouds and proclaimed: 'My words shall not be hidden! Speak Utnipishtim! Speak from the wisdom that I have given you!'" When Utnipishtim heard this he raised his face toward heaven and cried out: "It is Time! It is Time! It is indeed Time!" Then Utnipishtim turned to his disciple and spoke, saying: "Oh my faithful follower, I must leave you. Who knows whether you will see Utnipishtim again? But fear not! My animals will care for you. They will bring you food from afar. For drink, there is the stream that runs from the mountain to my lake." When he had said these words, Utnipishtim departed. After many days and nights, he came to a great crossroads, where the road...

In my dream, we came to another part of the wood where the trees grew thinner and the path broadened into a paved way. From further up the road, the sound of groaning came to meet my ears. We hastened on, and soon discovered it source. In the ditch that flanked the road lay a woman in the throws of a terrible illness. Her muddied garments were soaked in sweat and soars and lesions of all sorts covered her skin. In the ditch she lay, covered by the filth that ran down it, but there was no strength in her to move. I turned to my guide and asked him how it was that no one helped the woman out of the ditch and brought her to a place where her sickness might be mended. My guide, who held in his hand an object that was now a scroll, and now a sharp sword, pointed across the road to where a great dragon was slithering out of the trees. Its body was covered in slime and filth, but its face was that of a woman, and upon its flanks and side were written blasphemous names. A great host of l...