© Daniel S. Wall, September 17, 2026.

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This is Chapter 3 of the most authoritative account of creation contained in the Stone Philosophic. A full table of contents can be found here.

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Before laying down once again, Hetht spoke to the voice in his head; “Will you not allow me some rest?”

“I will let you sleep” came his reply. And this time the old dragon slept soundly, awakening to find a mysterious set of footprints leading off to the south, and a fly buzzing about his face.

“Who made these?”

“I do not know,” said the fly, “But I think it was a man.”

Hetht did not know the meaning of “Man.” So, he decided to make another that he might look upon the next in order to know more about the first, but the fly needled him.

“How will you make the second if you do not know the first?”

Hetht paused.

“Perhaps you may find a man in the east, said the fly.” But Hetht found no-one to the east. “Is it possible that she waits for you in the north?” But in the north there was no-one to be found. “Try the west!” said the fly, and once again the great dragon found no-one. The fly made one last suggestion; “Perhaps, you should look to the south.”

When he arrived in the south, Hetht found three great aberrations had taken form in the middle of the world. First, he beheld the great troll, Gnea Sharn. Next came the terrible beast, Hval Maluk, and finally he came upon the abomination, Zhidastra. Each rose out of the soil to greet its father, but Hetht grew angry and chased them all away. Hval Maluk swam to the north and Zhidastra ran to the south. For his own part, Gnea Sharn hid in a cave not far from his place of origin.

Seeing that the fly (now grown to a swarm) had deceived him, Hetht swatted at it with his tail, but the swarm disappeared through a hole in the ground. Still angry, Hetht breathed deep into the hole in the ground, igniting the depths below. Four times, did Hetht  scorch the underworld, and four times he then listened to the sound of the flames below, and four times he also heard the buzzing of insects.

Regaining his composure, the great dragon pronounced his judgment; the swarm would henceforth be safe so long as it remained underground. Upon the surface, his life and that of his descendants would be taken at will. So did the dragon speak, and so it was. To this day, Mezizra rules the underworld, and insects may be slain without guilt wherever they are found.