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Authors: A. C. Grayling
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tail.
20. Seven days passed, and in the deep night of the eighth day the waters rose in a customary flood of the place, and engulfed the leopard family where they lay.
21. Even as the leopard struggled under the water of the flood he lamented, ‘Woe is me that I did not listen to my wife,’ and he and all his family died before their time.
Chapter 6
1. After hearing Charicles tell these stories the stranger said, ‘I have shared my bread and cheese and ruby-red wine with you, that I grew in my own vineyard;
2. ‘From these tokens of friendship you can see I am no fox who seeks to do you harm. I understand your reluctance;
3. ‘But if you wish to learn something new, and to profit from opportunity, you must have courage, and take a risk.’
4. So with reluctance, but persuaded by the stranger’s words, Charicles agreed to accompany him, and they started out together, riding on asses.
5. The stranger said to Charicles, ‘Carry me, or I will carry you.’ Charicles said, ‘What do you mean? We are both riding on an ass. Why should either of us carry the other? Explain your words.’
6. The stranger replied, ‘The explanation is given in the story of the peasant’s daughter and the sage.’ And he told Charicles the tale, as follows.
7. There was once a king with an extensive harem of wives and concubines. One night he dreamed that he saw a monkey among his women, and woke with a start.
8. He was very troubled, and thought, ‘This is none other than a foreign king who will conquer my realm and take my harem for his prize.’
9. The king called one of his sages and asked him to find out what his ominous dream meant.
10. The sage set out on a mule, and rode into the countryside, where after a while he met an elderly peasant, also on a mule, travelling in the same direction.
11. He said to the peasant, ‘Let us travel together,’ and the peasant agreed. And as they set forward the sage said, ‘Carry me, or I will carry you.’
12. ‘But our mules carry us both,’ said the peasant, amazed. ‘What do you mean?’
13. ‘You are a tiller of the earth, and you eat earth,’ said the sage. ‘And there is snow on the hills.’
14. Because it was the height of summer, the peasant laughed at this, and began to think the sage a madman.
15. They passed through the midst of a wheat field, with wheat growing on each side. ‘A one-eyed horse has passed here,’ said the sage, ‘loaded with oil on one side and vinegar on the other.’
16. They saw a field rich in abounding corn, and the peasant praised it; ‘Yes,’ said the sage, ‘such a field is to be praised until the corn is eaten.’
17. They went on a little further and saw a lofty tower. ‘That tower is well fortified,’ said the peasant. ‘Yes,’ said the sage, ‘fortified without, if it is not ruined within.’
18. As they rode they passed a funeral. ‘I cannot tell whether the man in the coffin is alive or dead,’ said the sage.
19. The peasant was now convinced that the sage must be mad, to say such unintelligible things.
20. They arrived at the village where the peasant lived, and he invited the sage to pass the night with him and his family.
Chapter 7
1. In the dead of night the peasant told his wife and daughter of the foolish things the sage had said.
2. ‘No,’ said the daughter, ‘they were not foolish things; you did not understand the depth of his meaning.
3. ‘“Carry me, or I will carry you” signifies that he who beguiles the way with stories, proverbs, riddles and songs, will make the journey light for his companion.
4. ‘The tiller of the earth eats food grown from the earth. The snow on the hill is the white hairs on your head, father; you should have replied, “Time caused it.”
5. ‘He knew that a one-eyed horse had passed, because the wheat was eaten on one side of the path only.
6. ‘And he knew what the horse carried, for the vinegar had parched
20. Seven days passed, and in the deep night of the eighth day the waters rose in a customary flood of the place, and engulfed the leopard family where they lay.
21. Even as the leopard struggled under the water of the flood he lamented, ‘Woe is me that I did not listen to my wife,’ and he and all his family died before their time.
Chapter 6
1. After hearing Charicles tell these stories the stranger said, ‘I have shared my bread and cheese and ruby-red wine with you, that I grew in my own vineyard;
2. ‘From these tokens of friendship you can see I am no fox who seeks to do you harm. I understand your reluctance;
3. ‘But if you wish to learn something new, and to profit from opportunity, you must have courage, and take a risk.’
4. So with reluctance, but persuaded by the stranger’s words, Charicles agreed to accompany him, and they started out together, riding on asses.
5. The stranger said to Charicles, ‘Carry me, or I will carry you.’ Charicles said, ‘What do you mean? We are both riding on an ass. Why should either of us carry the other? Explain your words.’
6. The stranger replied, ‘The explanation is given in the story of the peasant’s daughter and the sage.’ And he told Charicles the tale, as follows.
7. There was once a king with an extensive harem of wives and concubines. One night he dreamed that he saw a monkey among his women, and woke with a start.
8. He was very troubled, and thought, ‘This is none other than a foreign king who will conquer my realm and take my harem for his prize.’
9. The king called one of his sages and asked him to find out what his ominous dream meant.
10. The sage set out on a mule, and rode into the countryside, where after a while he met an elderly peasant, also on a mule, travelling in the same direction.
11. He said to the peasant, ‘Let us travel together,’ and the peasant agreed. And as they set forward the sage said, ‘Carry me, or I will carry you.’
12. ‘But our mules carry us both,’ said the peasant, amazed. ‘What do you mean?’
13. ‘You are a tiller of the earth, and you eat earth,’ said the sage. ‘And there is snow on the hills.’
14. Because it was the height of summer, the peasant laughed at this, and began to think the sage a madman.
15. They passed through the midst of a wheat field, with wheat growing on each side. ‘A one-eyed horse has passed here,’ said the sage, ‘loaded with oil on one side and vinegar on the other.’
16. They saw a field rich in abounding corn, and the peasant praised it; ‘Yes,’ said the sage, ‘such a field is to be praised until the corn is eaten.’
17. They went on a little further and saw a lofty tower. ‘That tower is well fortified,’ said the peasant. ‘Yes,’ said the sage, ‘fortified without, if it is not ruined within.’
18. As they rode they passed a funeral. ‘I cannot tell whether the man in the coffin is alive or dead,’ said the sage.
19. The peasant was now convinced that the sage must be mad, to say such unintelligible things.
20. They arrived at the village where the peasant lived, and he invited the sage to pass the night with him and his family.
Chapter 7
1. In the dead of night the peasant told his wife and daughter of the foolish things the sage had said.
2. ‘No,’ said the daughter, ‘they were not foolish things; you did not understand the depth of his meaning.
3. ‘“Carry me, or I will carry you” signifies that he who beguiles the way with stories, proverbs, riddles and songs, will make the journey light for his companion.
4. ‘The tiller of the earth eats food grown from the earth. The snow on the hill is the white hairs on your head, father; you should have replied, “Time caused it.”
5. ‘He knew that a one-eyed horse had passed, because the wheat was eaten on one side of the path only.
6. ‘And he knew what the horse carried, for the vinegar had parched
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