In my father's garden there are two cages. In one is a lion, which
my father's slaves brought from the desert of Ninavah; in the other
is a songless sparrow.

Every day at dawn the sparrow calls to the lion, "Good morrow to
thee, brother prisoner."





The Three Ants




Three ants met on the nose of a man who was asleep in the sun. And
after they had saluted one another, each according to the custom
of his tribe, they stood there conversing.

The first ant said, "These hills and plains are the most barren I
have known. I have searched all day for a grain of some sort, and
there is none to be found."

Said the second ant, "I too have found nothing, though I have
visited every nook and glade. This is, I believe, what my people
call the soft, moving land where nothing grows."

Then the third ant raised his head and said, "My friends, we are