1. Edge of the world

1. Edge of the world


If you travel right to the edge of the world, you will meet a man who tells you to stop.

He lives in a little hut with no windows. Nobody knows his name. Should you ever meet him he will say, ‘This is the edge of the world. This is where you must stop.’

Not everybody stops. Some people carry on and then fall off, but the man is there to warn them.

It is night time, and the man is drinking a cup of tea. All day and all night he drinks tea with people at the edge of the world. He knows many things, keeps countless secrets and tells endless tales. There are lots of things to talk about at the edge of the world.

Nothing matters at the edge of the world. You talk and drink tea with the man in the hut. It’s a small hut, but it’s homely. An oil lamp gives it a warm, orange glow. The man will share his hut with you, if you like. Some people never leave, but the man doesn’t mind, just talks and drinks tea.

Few people leave the edge of the world. Some go over the edge screaming. Nobody knows what happens to them. Nothing much happens at the end of the world, but people find calm and wisdom, and talk with the man over tea.