Once upon a time, in a little village downriver, there was a boy who wanted to swim up to the Valley of the Gods. Everyone in the village laughed at his idea and told him that it was impossible. This boy was very special you see, he could not talk, he walks funny, moves funny, and all the villagers thought that he would not amount to anything

When his father and mother learned of his plans, they agreed to help him without hesitation. His father asked the gods to turn him into a carp, so they can ride on his back, and together, they braved the strong upstream currents of the mighty river.

The river did everything it could to break their spirits, doing its best to slow them down, but they were determined to reach the top, they did not falter, they did not give up.

Day and night they swam, until they came across a giant whirlpool, the current was so strong that all their efforts swimming seemed futile.

It was then that the mother asked the gods to turn her into a lotus to cushion the flow of the whirlpool so that her family could swim past.

With the help of the flower, they were able to go past the whirlpool and swim upstream, but the strength of the carp was drained from the struggle, and he was now unable to accompany his son.

He told the boy that the time has come for him to swim on his own.

The gods saw the determination of the boy and they turned him into a mighty carp, much stronger than his father, he swam upstream with ease, the currents, powerless to the flick of his tail, he reached the top in no time.

The gods, realizing the perseverance and determination of the boy, then turned him into a dragon, a creature of strength and power.

His parents' efforts did not go in vain, there they were in the Valley of their Gods, waiting for their son, beaming with pride with what he has accomplished, all the hardships that they went trough was all worth it.

The boy who couldn't is now a Mighty Dragon.

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FIN

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If you're new to Steemit and looking for people to follow, these are my recommendations:

• For special-needs warriors like me, do check out @positivesteem
• For local travel, check out @lakawero and @ninyax, for global travel, check out @adonisabril.
• For financial tips for beginners, follow @smaeunabs, I see her sincerity in helping out newbies.
• For rights equality, follow @sykochica.
• For motorcycles, I follow @velimir and @daumantas
• For the arts - be it traditional or digital, check out @olaivart, @artistchristian and @ryivhnn
• I love starting my day with laughs from @meesterboom, and a drink with @dadview, the rhymes of @verbal-d and the eloquent writing of @naquoya and @dreemit.
• If you like sarcastic dry humor like me, go to @trafalgar and @traf.
• I get my dose of geekiness from @hanshotfirst
• For no-bullshit straight to the point movie reviews, it's @ezzy
• For photography, I have a huge list, but a good start is @photocontests so you can filter the participants out yourself and follow the ones who suits your shooting style.
• And last but not the least, the lejendaury @jedau, solver of problems, his work was just chosen among the top 25 Steem Posts No biggie.

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Here are other helpful links:
• Steemit World Map
• Increase your followers with SteemEngine
• Track Bidding Bots with Steem Bot Tracker

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Shameless Plug

If you haven't read it yet, please do take the time to read the beautifully-written A Day In The Clouds

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