The *Legend of Feelings* is often attributed to Mario Benedetti, though he didn’t actually write it. It has been said that this is a revised version of a story by another author.
In the end, it doesn’t matter who wrote it. What matters is that it’s a beautiful story that leaves us with a powerful lesson.
Legend has it that somewhere on Earth, the different virtues and vices of humanity came together. Boredom began to affect everyone, so Madness convinced them all to play hide and seek.
Intrigue was curious, and Curiosity asked for all the details. Wisdom explained that it was an old pastime — all that was needed was for someone to cover their eyes, count to a million, and then find the others once they were hidden.
Suddenly, Enthusiasm and Euphoria began to jump with excitement — they loved the idea. Their joy encouraged Doubt to join in, and even Apathy, who was usually distant from everything and everyone, expressed a desire to play.
When Madness began to count, Pride said the game was silly — though, in truth, he was just upset that Madness had come up with the idea first.
Sloth quickly got tired and decided to hide behind the nearest rock. Triumph chose the tallest tree, and Envy followed closely behind. Meanwhile, Faith began to fly and hid in the clouds — something only Faith could do.
Generosity, concerned that others might not find a hiding place, helped almost everyone. Selfishness, on the other hand, found a cave and didn’t tell anyone about it.
When Madness finished counting, the first one she found was Sloth, who was just three steps away. Then she found Passion and Desire, hiding at the bottom of the volcanoes. Next came Lie, who was so deceptive that she made Madness believe she was underwater, when in fact she was hiding in the middle of the rainbow.
Madness followed the trail of Oblivion, but forgot where it led, so she left it for later. The only one who hadn’t yet found a hiding place was Love. He was trying to hide in some bushes when Madness got close. But Madness wasn’t foolish — she guessed that Love was hiding in the rose bushes.
Since rose bushes have thorns, Madness grabbed a pitchfork and started poking around. Suddenly, she heard a scream of pain — she had injured Love’s eyes. In that moment, Madness apologized and offered to guide Love forever, since she had destroyed his vision. From then on, Love has been blind, and Madness always walks by his side.
And you — have you heard this story before? It’s a popular tale, especially shared with children, and while it might sound like a fantasy, it actually teaches us a lot about human nature and the emotions that drive our actions. It’s a story worth sharing.