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THE EXCHANGE
Once upon a
crossroad a poor Poet met a rich Stupid, and they conversed. And all that
they said revealed but their discontent.
Then the Angel of the Road passed by, and he laid his hand upon the shoulder
of the two men.
And behold, a miracle: The two men had now exchanged their possessions.
And they parted. But strange to relate, the Poet looked and found naught in
his hand but dry moving sand; and the Stupid closed his eyes and felt naught
but moving cloud in his heart.
LOVE AND HATE
A woman said
unto a man, "I love you." And the man said, "It is in my heart to be worthy
of your love."
Ant he woman said, "You love me not?"
And the man only gazed upon her and said nothing.
Then the woman cried aloud, "I hate you."
And the man said, "Then it is also in my heart to be worthy of your hate."
The Hermit
Prophet
Once there
lived a hermit prophet, and thrice a moon he would go down to the great city
and in the market places he would preach giving and sharing to the people.
And he was eloquent, and his fame was upon the land.
Upon an evening three men came to his hermitage and he greeted them. And
they said, "You have been preaching giving and sharing, and you have sought
to teach those who have much to give unto those who have little; and we
doubt not that your fame has brought you riches.
Now come and give us of
your riches, for we are in need."
And the hermit answered and said, "My friends, I have naught but this bed
and this mat and this jug of water. Take them if it is in your desire. I
have neither gold nor silver."
Then they looked down with distain upon him, and turned their faces from
him, and the last man stood at the door for a moment, and said, "Oh, yoou
cheat! You fraud! You teach and preach that which you yourself do not
perform." |
