No More Learning

And there was great rejoicing in that distant city of Wirani,
because its king and its lord chamberlain had regained their reason.





Ambition




Three men met at a tavern table. One was a weaver, another a
carpenter and the third a ploughman.

Said the weaver, "I sold a fine linen shroud today for two pieces
of gold. Let us have all the wine we want. "

"And I," said the carpenter, "I sold my best coffin. We will have
a great roast with the wine. "

"I only dug a grave," said the ploughman, "but my patron paid me
double. Let us have honey cakes too. "

And all that evening the tavern was busy, for they called often
for wine and meat and cakes. And they were merry.

And the host rubbed his hands and smiled at his wife; for his guests
were spending freely.

When they left the moon was high, and they walked along the road
singing and shouting together.

The host and his wife stood in the tavern door and looked after
them.

"Ah!
" said the wife, "these gentlemen! So freehanded and so gay!
If only they could bring us such luck every day! Then our son need
not be a tavern-keeper and work so hard. We could educate him,
and he could become a priest. "





The New Pleasure




Last night I invented a new pleasure, and as I was giving it the
first trial an angel and a devil came rushing toward my house. They
met at my door and fought with each other over my newly created
pleasure; the one crying, "It is a sin! "--the other, "It is a
virtue! "





The Other Language




Three days after I was born, as I lay in my silken cradle, gazing
with astonished dismay on the new world round about me, my mother
spoke to the wet-nurse, saying, "How does my child? "

And the wet-nurse answered, "He does well, Madame, I have fed him
three times; and never before have I seen a babe so young yet so
gay. "

And I was indignant; and I cried, "It is not true, mother; for
my bed is hard, and the milk I have sucked is bitter to my mouth,
and the odour of the breast is foul in my nostrils, and I am most
miserable. "

But my mother did not understand, nor did the nurse; for the language
I spoke was that of the world from which I came.

And on the twenty-first day of my life, as I was being christened,
the priest said to my mother, "You should indeed by happy, Madame,
that your son was born a Christian. "

And I was surprised,--and I said to the priest, "Then your mother
in Heaven should be unhappy, for you were not born a Christian. "

But the priest too did not understand my language.

And after seven moons, one day a soothsayer looked at me, and he
said to my mother, "Your son will be a statesman and a great leader
of men.