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of archery and sword-play and horsemanship, in singing and in the musical measurement of
speech, in courtesy and truth, above all things, and those high qualities desirable in the service of
the King of Kings upon earth. So strong and beautiful he grew up that the gaze of all eyes
followed whithersoever he moved, even as the waves all turn their heads to look upon the moon;
and all, save only the king, smiled upon him. But the king only frowned when he stood before
him, and paid no heed to the compliments uttered concerning the young man. One day, the
vizier, in the pride of his happiness, said to the king:  Behold! by the work of thy slave, the boy
hath been reclaimed from the ways of his fathers; the fountain of his mind hath been opened by
wise teachers, and the garden of his heart blossoms with the flowers of virtuous desire.
But the king only laughed in his beard, and said:  O vizier, the young of the wolf will always
be a wolf, even though he be brought up with the children of a man.
* * *
. . . And when the time of two winters had dimmed the recollection of the king s words, it came
to pass at last that the young man, riding out alone, met with a band of mountain robbers, and felt
his heart moved toward them. They, also, knowing his race by the largeness and fierceness of his
eyes, and the eagle-curve of his nostrils, and the signs of the wild blood that made lightnings in
his veins, were attracted to him, and spake to him in the mountain-tongue of his fathers. And all
the fierceness of his fathers returned upon him, with longings for the wind-voices of the peaks,
and the madness of leaping water, and the sleeping-places above the clouds where the eagles
hatched their young, and the secrets of the unknown caverns, and the altar of flickering fire.
So that he made compact with them; and, treacherously returning, slew the aged vizier together
with his sons, and robbed the palace, and fled to the mountains, where he took refuge in his
father s ancient fortress, and became a leader of outlaws. And they told the tale to the king.
Then the king, wondering not at all, laughed bitterly and said:  O ye wise fools! how can a
good sword be wrought from bad iron? how may education change the hearts of the wicked?
Doth not the same rain which nourisheth the rose also nourish the worthless shrubs that grow in
salty marshes? How shall a salty waste produce nard? Verily, to do good unto the evil is not less
blameworthy than to do evil unto the good. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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