The Legend of the Shadowy One

by the Friends of the Mental Health Centre workshops.

Many years ago there lived a little boy called Beniamino in San Lazzaro Park. They said he was not a child like the others. 

Beniamino was one of those children who do things that seem to be really wrong, for example, if you had to go forward he went backwards, if you had to stand still he ran, if you had to jump he cried and so on.

Beniamino actually also did difficult and amusing things, for example he rolled in the meadows, splashed in puddles until he got all dirty, threw stones far away, listened to a song and could sing it perfectly. 

The fact is that, by doing the wrong things, Beniamino felt awkward and also ugly: gradually he was left alone, because he was afraid to be with others and nobody wanted to be with him anymore. 

So he got very bored. Sometimes he would lie on his stomach on the grass and as he looked at the clouds he wondered what it was like to have a friend.

Beniamino knew all the nooks and crannies of the park, but his favourite spot was under the Big Oak.  The oak tree is very tall, huge: lightning struck it and left a long scar on its trunk that made it special.  The scar looked like a path climbing up from the deep roots to the sky.

One fine day Benjamin, lying under the oak tree, heard a voice calling to him: ‘Benjamin, come up!’ Beniamino looked around. There was no one there. Who was calling him? ‘Beniamino don't be afraid, come up, I’m waiting for you’.

Beniamino really wanted to find out who was calling him: since he was good at running backwards, he took a run-up and off he went, climbing up the trunk of the Great Oak.  

When he reached the top, however, he didn’t see anyone, but he still heard that voice, clear and strong.

‘If you promise not to tell anyone, I’ll tell you my secret. I’m the Shadowy One, the giant of the oak, I live in the shadows among the leaves, this is my home. People are afraid of giants, that’s why I hide and am never seen. But I’m so lonely, and you’re always lonely too, do you want to play with me?’   

So Benjamin and the Shadowy One began to keep each other company, and actually they were always together. The Shadowy One taught Benjamin all the tricks of hiding among the leaves and slipping silently into the shadows: that game of hide-and-seek was great fun. 

One evening, hiding up there, Benjamin gathered his courage and asked the Shadowy One what a friend was to him. In a warm airy voice the Shadowy One replied: ‘A friend loves you, wants to be with you all the time and have fun, doesn't judge you and if you do wrong things he loves you just the same. For example, you and I are friends'.  

Benjamin was very proud of his giant: now he knew what a friend was.

The Shadowy One never showed himself, and Beniamino kept the secret. But people began to notice that the boy had changed; he no longer had a long face, even when he did things wrong, and if he did, he didn’t get too upset. Everyone wondered what had happened to him.

One fine day the other children in the park gathered their courage, and decided to go to Benjamin and ask him why he was so happy. Benjamin led them all by the hand under the Big Oak. 

‘I’m happy because now I know what a friend is,’ he said laughing and told them about the Shadowy One, who was hiding but was right there on the oak, listening to them and certainly wishing he could be their friend. 

 ‘But that's simple! We like to have friends too!’ they replied. And so all the children went round and round the trunk of the Big Oak.

The Shadowy One was overjoyed, up there among the leaves he could feel the children tickle him as they circled the trunk. And he laughed softly, his laughter sounded like a gentle breeze and ruffled the children's hair like a caress. 

Now Beniamino had many friends, and from that time on he no longer felt lonely.

If you happen to go to the San Lazzaro Park, look for the Great Oak:

The Shadowy One is still there, climbing the lightning-wounded trunk like a squirrel, hiding among the branches and leaves.

The Shadowy One lives with the oak tree and will ruffle your hair with his gentle laugh: if you need advice, seek him out, he’ll answer you. 

Because we all need a friend and he knows it.

TORNA ALLA MAPPA