| There was once a little boy who was building a mountain of pebbles so as
to reach the sky. He went on building, and building, and when he was tired,
he and his little sister went to play on the bank of a nearby lake so as
to have a rest. Most of all he liked to sail little boats made of nutshells
or pieces of pine bark. This time, too, he carved two pretty little boats
and gave each of them a little paper sail; then he and his sister shook
a tiny dewdrop into each of the little vessels. It was all the riches they
possessed. "Sail away, little boats; as you voyage, find out what
our pearls are worth in the world," said the boy. The boats sailed
away obediently on a long voyage. It was a long time before they returned.
They anchored quietly in the creek and called out, "Your pearls are
like human tears, and so they are worth nothing. There are too many of
them in the world, for there is a shortage of compassion." The boy
thought for a momenbt, then said, "Very well! I do not know what compassion
is, but when I grow up I shall find out. Then I shall spread it among people,
so that they may know the value of tears." Then he saw that his little
sister was crying. "Don't cry," he told her, "I love you."
And the boats said, "you already know what compassion is. It is the
wealth of the kind-hearted." And they quietly filled their sails and
sailed away. |
