THE LION'S DAUGHTER

Four slaves stood fanning an old queen who was asleep upon her throne. And she was snoring. And upon the queen's lap a cat lay purring and gazing lazily at the slaves.
The first slave spoke, and said, "How ugly this old woman is in her sleep. See her mouth droop; and she breathes as if the devil were choking her."
Then the cat said, purring, "Not half so ugly in her sleep as you in your waking slavery."
And the second slave said, "You would think sleep would smooth her wrinkles instead of deepening them. She must be dreaming of something evil."
And the cat purred, "Would that you might sleep also and dream of your freedom."
And the third slave said, "Perhaps she is seeing the procession of all those that she has slain."
And the cat purred, "Aye, she sees the procession of your forefathers and your descendants."
And the fourth slave said, "It is all very well to talk about her, but it does not make me less weary of standing and fanning."
And the cat purred, "You shall be fanning to all eternity; for as it is on earth, so it is in heaven."
At this moment the old queen nodded in her sleep, and her crown fell to the floor.
And one of the slaves said, "That is a bad omen."
And the cat purred, "The bad omen of one is the good omen of another."
And the second slave said, "What if she should wake, and find her crown fallen! She would surely slay us."
And the cat purred, "Daily from your birth she has slain you and you know it not."
And the third slave said, "Yes, she would slay us and she would call it making a sacrifice to the gods."
And the cat purred, "Only the weak are sacrificed to the gods."
And the fourth slave silenced the others, and softly he picked up the crown and replaced it, without waking her, on the old queen's head.
And the cat purred, "Only a slave restores a crown that has fallen."
And after a while the old queen woke, and she looked about her and yawned. Then she said, "Methought I dreamed, and I saw four caterpillars chased by a scorpion around the trunk of an ancient oak tree. I like not my dream."
Then she closed her eyes and went to sleep again. And she snored. And the four slaves went on fanning her.
And the cat purred, "Fan on, fan on, stupids. You fan but the fire that consumes you."

• I AM FOREVER walking upon these shores,
  Betwixt the sand and thefoam,
  The high tide will erase my foot-prints,
  And the wind will blow away the foam.
  But the sea and the shore will remain
  Forever.
• It was but yesterday I thought myself a fragment quivering without rhythm in the sphere of life.
  Now I know that I am the sphere, and all life in rhythmic fragments moves within me.
• Only once have I been made mute. It was when a man asked me, "Who are you?"

• Forgetfulness is a form of freedom

• Remembrance is a form of meeting.

• We measure time according to the movement of countless suns; and they measure time by little machines in their little pockets.

  Now tell me, how could we ever meet at the same place and the same time?

• Space is not space between the earth and the sun to one who looks down from the windows of the Milky Way.

• Do not the spirits who dwell in the ether envy man his pain?

• On my way to the Holy City I met another pilgrim and I asked him, "Is this indeed the way to the Holy City?"

And he said, "Follow me, and you will reach the Holy City in a day and a night."
And I followed him. And we walked many days and many nights, yet we did not reach the Holy City.
And what was to my surprise he became angry with me because he had misled me.

• One may not reach the dawn save by the path of the night.

Footprints in the sand...

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed He was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from His life. For each scene He noticed two sets of footprints in the sand. One belonging to Him and the other to the LORD.

When the last scene of His life flashed before Him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of His life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of His life.

This really bothered Him and He questioned the LORD about it. LORD you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.

The LORD replied, my precious, precious child, I Love you and I would never leave you! During your times of trial and suffering when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.

· It is wrong to think that love comes from long companionship and persevering courtship. Love is the offspring of spiritual affinity and unless that affinity is created in a moment, it will not be created in years or even generations.

(Kahlil Gibran-The broken wings)

The Scarecrow

Once I said to a scarecrow, "You must be tired of standing in this lonely field.”
And he said, "The joy of scaring is a deep and lasting on, and I never tire of it."
Said I, after a minute of thought, "It is true; for I too have known that joy."
Said he, "Only those who are stuffed with straw can know it."
Then I left him, not knowing whether he had complimented or belittled me.
A year passed, during which the scarecrow turned philosopher.
And when I passed by him again I saw two crows building a nest under his hat.

(Kahlil Gibran- How I became the madman)

Seven times have I despised my soul..

Seven times have I despised my soul:

1. The first time when I saw her being meek that she might attain height.
2. The second time when I saw her limping before the crippled.


3. The third time when she was given to choose between the hard and the easy, and she chose the easy.


4. The fourth time when she committed a wrong, and comforted herself that others also commit wrong.


5. The fifth time when she forbore for weakness, and attributed her patience to strength.


6. The sixth time when she despised the ugliness of a face, and knew not that it was one of her own masks.


7. And the seventh time when she sang a song of praise, and deemed it a virtue.

(Kahlil Gibran-Sand and foam)