49 lines
3 KiB
Text
49 lines
3 KiB
Text
The Duration of Life
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When God had created the world and was about to fix the length of each
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creature's life, the ass came and asked, "Lord, how long shall I live?"
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"Thirty years," replied God; "does that content thee?" "Ah, Lord,"
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answered the ass, "that is a long time. Think of my painful existence!
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To carry heavy burdens from morning to night, to drag sacks of corn to
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the mill, that others may eat bread, to be cheered and refreshed with
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nothing but blows and kicks. Relieve me of a portion of this long
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time." Then God had pity on him and relieved him of eighteen years. The
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ass went away comforted, and the dog appeared. "How long wouldst thou
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like to live?" said God to him. "Thirty years are too many for the ass,
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but thou wilt be satisfied with that." "Lord," answered the dog, "is
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that thy will? Consider how I shall have to run, my feet will never
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hold out so long, and when I have once lost my voice for barking, and
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my teeth for biting, what will be left for me to do but run from one
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corner to another and growl?" God saw that he was right, and released
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him from twelve years of life. Then came the monkey. "Thou wilt
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certainly live thirty years willingly?" said the Lord to him. "Thou
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hast no need to work as the ass and the dog have to do, and wilt always
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enjoy thyself." "Ah! Lord," he answered, "it may seem as if that were
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the case, but it is quite different. When it rains porridge I have no
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spoon. I am always to play merry pranks, and make faces which force
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people to laugh, and if they give me an apple, and I bite into it, why
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it is sour! How often sadness hides itself behind mirth! I shall never
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be able to hold out for thirty years." God was gracious and took off
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ten.
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At last man appeared, joyous, healthy and vigorous, and begged God to
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appoint his time for him. "Thirty years shalt thou live," said the
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Lord. "Is that enough for thee?" "What a short time," cried man, "when
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I have built my house and my fire burns on my own hearth; when I have
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planted trees which blossom and bear fruit, and am just intending to
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enjoy my life, I am to die! O Lord, lengthen my time." "I will add to
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it the ass's eighteen years," said God. "That is not enough," replied
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the man. "Thou shalt also have the dog's twelve years." "Still too
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little!" "Well, then," said God, "I will give thee the monkey's ten
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years also, but more thou shalt not have." The man went away, but was
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not satisfied.
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So man lives seventy years. The first thirty are his human years, which
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are soon gone; then is he healthy, merry, works with pleasure, and is
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glad of his life. Then follow the ass's eighteen years, when one burden
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after another is laid on him, he has to carry the corn which feeds
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others, and blows and kicks are the reward of his faithful services.
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Then come the dog's twelve years, when he lies in the corner, and
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growls and has no longer any teeth to bite with, and when this time is
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over the monkey's ten years form the end. Then man is weak-headed and
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foolish, does silly things, and becomes the jest of the children.
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