The Jeweler and the Unicorn
Once upon a time there lived a creature with which I know each and
every one of you are familiar. The creature was called: The Unicorn.
Once upon a time there lived a man with whom I know each and every
one of you are familiar. That man is and was called: The Jeweler.
The legends surrounding the Unicorn range from biblical to
mythological. Biblical wisdom has it that the reason the Unicorn is
extinct is due to the fact that it was thrown out of the Ark and
drowned. The “why” of it is not clear. Legend has it that the
Unicorn…not unlike many men…and perhaps much as our yet unknown
Jeweler…can only be captured by a Virgin. She must be seated
alone under a tree in pristine surroundings for the Unicorn is
deeply attracted to virtue.
While learning the crafts of his trade…our Jeweler worked for what
seemed an inordinately extended period…for free. He worked under
these conditions for more than a year. He did it willingly under the
tutelage of a fine craftsman in the knowledge that he would one day
excel in his chosen profession and would even–the fates willing–be
able to earn a living at something he enjoyed doing. Novel
aspiration…dontcha think folks?
Tradition has it that one day the animals of the forest were
gathered around a watering hole for a drink. But they dared not
ingest the liquid for it had been poisoned by a snake. They waited
for the Unicorn to arrive …for they knew that with a dip of his
magical horn he could purify the waters. It is for this reason that
drinking cups…in days of old…were made of horn. One could never
be too careful. Much as today…one did not always know–back then
when–who one’s enemies were.
As the years passed for our Jeweler…and as he matured…he found
himself attracted to mythology and to mythological creatures. He
decided he would create a Unicorn and put into his efforts all the
skills he had at his disposal…in the hopes that those who viewed
his creature would love it as much as loved creating it. And so he
began his task.
There was once in China a great and renown sage by the name of
Confucius. The birth and death of this sage was heralded–it is
said–by the appearance of a special Unicorn named Ki-Lin. The name
Ki means male and the name Lin means female…and it is said that
the Unicorn is the union of male and female elements. So don’t call
it a He and don’t call it a She. Call it a SheHe if you will.
Our Jeweler escaped Hitler’s regimes as a child and came to this
country traveling in turn in covered wagons at night and then on
ships…traveling from Lisbon to South America and finally arriving
in the USA. Think of his identity…as you ponder this Jeweler’s
name…for I am more than sure each and every one of you know him or
of him. For those of you who have guessed who he is…I congratulate
you …for I am making every effort to be as oblique as possible in
trying to prevent revealing his identity.
I have his Unicorn to show you. It is made of solid silver and
stands about one and three quarters inches high. It is gently carved
to bring out details but sadly…my efforts at photography do not do
justice to this pretty creature who has a special liking for Virgins
and who–it is said–can not be caught…unwillingly…alive.
As to our Jeweler…whose name I know you all know…and who I know
those of you who have not yet guessed it are dying to
know…is…is… well…none other than…moi…Benjamin Mark For
those of you who are new to this thing called Tidbits…may I direct
you to my home page at www.tyler-adam.com where you will scroll down
the left side menu till you get to the area that says Tidbits…and
then click on the link that says: Unicorn…where you will see a
graphic of our miniature statuette of a creature named Ki-Lin
And there ya have it. That’s it for this week folks. Catch you all
next week. Benjamin Mark
TYLER-ADAM CORP.–Jewelry Manufacturers
Tel: 1-800-20-TYLER
E-Mail to: webmaster@tyler-adam.com