THE FIVE BOONS OF LIFE
Chapter I
In the morning of life came a good fairy with her basket, and said:
"Here are gifts. Take one, leave the others. And be wary,
chose wisely; oh, choose wisely! for only one of them is valuable."
The gifts were five: Fame, Love, Riches, Pleasure, Death.
The youth said, eagerly:
"There is no need to consider"; and he chose Pleasure.
He went out into the world and sought out the pleasures that youth
delights in. But each in its turn was short-lived and disappointing,
vain and empty; and each, departing, mocked him. In the end he said:
"These years I have wasted. If I could but choose again, I would
choose wisely."
Chapter II
The fairy appeared, and said:
"Four of the gifts remain. Choose once more; and oh, remember
--time is flying, and only one of them is precious."
The man considered long, then chose Love; and did not mark the tears
that rose in the fairy's eyes.
After many, many years the man sat by a coffin, in an empty home.
And he communed with himself, saying: "One by one they have gone
away and left me; and now she lies here, the dearest and the last.
Desolation after desolation has swept over me; for each hour
of happiness the treacherous trader, Love, as sold me I have paid
a thousand hours of grief. Out of my heart of hearts I curse him."
Chapter III
"Choose again.
Pages:
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220