he Coat of Arms' Secret Message

aron Von Lodge was the head of a small country known as Lilliland near Switzerland. The time was the early 1900s.

The Royal Lodge Family Shield hung over the fireplace in the Great Hall in Lilliland Castle. The Coat of Arms had a family secret that the Baron was interested in knowing more about as time went by. The more that the Baron tried to find out more information about the Coat of Arms, the more resistance he received. He said the information was of his family and he needed to know it now rather than waiting until he was too old to have it as part of his time and his generation.

The keeper of the secret was a man over 100 years old, a senior member of the Order of the Alpine Monks. Even Professor Hamblin, the Baron's most trusted advisor in matters of state, did not have access to the information to help the Baron uncover the secret of the Coat of Arms of the Lodge family.

The purpose of the secret message was to insure that future generations of Lilliland had a good life. The Baron was to receive the secret message when he was older, but the elder monk was celebrating his 100th birthday and decided to inform the Baron about the true meaning of the seven secrets of the Coat of Arms.

When the Baron heard the good news that he would be meeting the monk and that he would be informed about the meaning of the Coat of Arms, he was elated. How can you live by a Coat of Arms when you know there is a secret to it? The information might be useful to all of Lilliland and should be shared if it is to be meaningful.

In a quiet, dark, candle-lit chamber in the monk's study in the Alpine Monastery, the Baron was told the following information about the seven secrets to be followed for a better life in Lilliland:

• Always treat your mother and father, brothers and sisters with love and respect.
• Mothers and fathers should earn the respect of their children by their good deeds.
• Respect public parks, schools and other public places. Keep them cleaner and nicer than when you first found them.
• Treat all animals as friends.
• Respect yourself and look forward to a long life.
• Do not shoot, hit or stab anyone or anything.
• Appreciate the beauty of nature.

Baron Von Lodge thanked the elder monk of the Order of the Alpine Monks and returned to Lilliland Castle. He vowed to follow these seven secrets in all of his endeavors. He would also share the information with others.