Once when I was living in the heart of a pomegranate, I heard a seed saying, “Someday I shall become a tree, and the wind will sing in my branches, and the sun will dance on my leaves, and I shall be strong and beautiful through all the seasons.”
Then another seed spoke and said,” When I was as young as you, I too held such views; but now that I can weight and measure things, I see that my hopes were vain.”
And a third seed spoke also, “I see in us nothing that promised so great a future！”
And a fourth said,” But what a mockery our life would be, without a greater future!”
Said a fifth, “Why dispute what we shall be, when we know not even what we are.”
But a sixth replied,” Whatever we are, that we shall continue to be.”
And a seventh said,” I have such a clear idea how everything will be , but I cannot put it into words.”
Then an eighth spoke -- and a ninth -- and a tenth -- and then many –until all were speaking, and I could distinguish nothing for the many voices.
And so I moved that very day into the heart of a quince, where the seeds are few and almost silent. |
