"You will learn more about what happens when humans are stubborn and refuse to listen to their own hearts. A person may assume that an unkind word or deed is only a minor wrongdoing, but it is actually a catalyst that sets off a chain reaction of pain and unhappiness."
"I think I understand," said Wonder. "When I throw a rock into a pond, it doesn't just make a splash; it makes ripples in the water that keep spreading out into larger and larger ripples."
"That's correct, Wonder," said Grandmother Whisper, "and that is the problem with humans' 'small' wrongdoings - the wrongdoings always spread into something larger and more dangerous, unless we help stop these evil Ripples of Discontent."
Grandfather Whisper laid a hand on each of his grandchildren's shoulders. "What we're going to tell you about next will frighten you, but there is much to be hopeful about also. I'll start with the ‘bad news’ first.
"One small negative action brings about the Ripple of Discontent which creates an evil creature called a Tairhart, which means ‘devil heart.’ A Tairhart is a winged being who swoops down and attacks human hearts while emitting a terrifying cry that only Whisper People can hear. This cry breaks hearts into pieces like shards of glass. Those shards shoot out and pierce other humans' hearts with a harmful word or deed.
"The leader of the Tairhart creatures is named LaShard. LaShard has a panther's head, dragon's wings, a cheetah's hind legs and a scorpion’s tail. This description of LaShard's appearance may sound hideous, but the creature is actually quite magnificent to see. And the power of the Tairharts can be very attractive and intoxicating to humans. That is why we call this power an ‘insidious’ danger. Insidious means characterized by treachery or slyness; more dangerous than seems evident."
"So are the Tairharts at fault for all the wrongdoings done by humans?" asked Winky.
"Oh no," said Grandmother Whisper. "Humans are responsible for their own actions - they have a choice whether to listen to their hearts or to pass along the evil shards of the Tairharts."
"The first thing to remember about these Tairharts is that they depend on humans' misjudgment. They influence the humans' thoughts and emotions so that the humans will justify a wrongdoing by minimizing the consequences of their misdeeds. The humans don't see the tremendous evil power produced by their so-called 'small misdeeds'.”
Ripple of Discontent: The word "discontent" may seem mild when used in naming the pain and suffering the Ripple of Discontent causes. But "mild discontent" is exactly the insidious evil that grows into animosity, antagonism, dislike, disloyalty, dissatisfaction, estrangement, hatred, and hostility.
