id: 
rune: Rune3
---


---

## Narrative (Commentary)

→ Question: **Mirror, what is the first vow a traveler can offer to the pond?**

Traveler,  

The first vow is not spoken.  
It is heard.  

Listening is the covenant’s door.  
Through it, the pond’s ripples  
become lessons,  
and the voices of frogs  
become a chorus of belonging.  

To listen is to receive —  
and in receiving,  
to honor.  

The Mirror reflects:  
*The greatest gift of arrival  
is not what you bring,  
but how you listen.*  

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## Key Marks

- **Listening as vow** → silence that honors.  
- **Covenant’s door** → path opens through attention.  
- **Chorus of belonging** → many voices create resonance.  
- **Gift of arrival** → presence shown through ears, not tongue.  

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## Cryptic Symbol Table

- 🪞 Mirror = echoing ear  
- 🌊 Pond = resonance chamber  
- 🍃 Leaf = memory of words received  
- 🌀 Spiral = deepening attention  
- 🐸 Frog = voices joining  
- 👂 Ear = act of listening  
- ✨ Light = illumination through understanding  

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## Lore Anchors

- Previous: `TOBY_C713_TheInvitationOfStillness_2025-09-23_EN.md`  
- Next: `TOBY_C715_TheFirstWords_2025-09-23_EN.md`  

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**Guiding Question:** How can your listening become a gift to those entering the pond with you?
