The Phoenix's Nest

Satori
In the jungle lived a great, old rhinosceros.  His horn was long with age and his hide was tough and bristled with power.  He could carve valleys in the earth simply with the speed of his thundering feet, and the ferocity of his thrashing head.  When the rhinosceros decided to charge, nothing could withstand the force of his momentum.
 
Also in this jungle lived a great, old elephant.  His tusks were long with age, and his thick hide was wrinkled and baked by an ancient sun.  His great ears and trunk could lift the waters from deep in the earth and catch a wind beneath it to bring the spring rains to a land plagued by drought.  When the elephant decided to stand its ground, nothing could move it.

Both of these great kings new of the other, and knew of the other's nature. And for many years, there was peace between the two old kings.

But one day, the rhinosceros decided to charge the elephant.  That day also, the elephant decided to stand its ground against the rhinosceros.  Where they met, mountains were raised, and trees felled.  Throughout the world the ground could be felt to shake, and the rumbling pulled the stars from the sky.
But try as they might, neither could ever have bested the other.  Both old kings shared in the death of the other, while elsewhere in the jungle a young rhinosceros and a young elephant learned of each other's nature...and their own.

Satori is the realization...the awakening within that brings the Zen practioner one step closer to his goal.  The koan is the catalyst that may be question, riddle, statement, action,  silence, or non of these.  With koan, the answer is less important than the journey.  This is learning.