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- The stonecutter is the story of a simple stonemason who is relatively happy with his life until he sees how a rich man lives. Suddenly, he is dissatisfied with everything. He keeps wishing to be something else, and a mountain spirit keeps granting his wishes.
- He grows bored with every new iteration of his life. First, he becomes rich, then he gets a carriage and an entourage. He becomes the sun, then a cloud, then the rock itself. He sees each new thing as somehow more powerful, and he wants that power for himself.
- There are two things that he doesn't realize. The first is that everything can be more powerful in one specific way, but that doesn't necessarily translate to being overall more powerful. The second thing that he doesn't realize is how useless the power is once he's acquired it. What purpose is there to exerting power over other things if you are not satisfied with who you are?
- Eventually, the stonecutter returns to being a stonecutter, and finds a newfound satisfaction in his life.
- There are many possible directions and variations that a story could go using this one as an inspiration. Basically, it is about someone who is never satisfied, because he doesn't know exactly what he is seeking in the first place.
Bibliography: "The Stonecutter," The Crimson Fairy Book by Andrew Lang. Web source.
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