|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 6
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."
But I cried out,--"That is a false prophet; for I shall be a
musician, and naught but a musician shall I be."
But even at that age my language was not understood--and great was
my astonishment.
And after three and thirty years, during which my mother, and the
nurse, and the priest have all died, (the shadow of God be upon
their spirits) the soothsayer still lives. And yesterday I met him
near the gates of the temple; and while we were talking together
he said, "I have always known you would become a great musician.
Even in your infancy I prophesied and foretold your future."
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|