THE DAMSELandTHE SAGE
THE DAMSEL
and
THE SAGE
A WOMAN'S WHIMSIES
By ELINOR GLYN
HARPER &
BROTHERS
PUBLISHERS
NEW YORK
& LONDON
MDCCCCIII
Copyright, 1903, by Elinor Glyn.
All rights reserved.
Published October, 1903.
To
THE SUN'S RAYS
A tree stood alone surrounded by high and low hills. It could beobserved from all sides, and it appeared different from each elevation.
The tree was the same, only the point of view differed.
Everything depends upon the point of view.
"And as to the meaning, it's what you please."
"C. S. C."
THE DAMSEL AND THE SAGE
nd the Damsel said to the Sage:
"Now, what is life? And why does the fruit taste bitter in the mouth?"
And the Sage answered, as he stepped from his cave:
"My child, there was once a man who had two ears like other people. Theywere naturally necessary for his enjoyment of the day. But one of theseears offended his head. It behaved with stupidity, thinking thereby to[Pg 2]enhance its value to him—it heard too much. Oh, it conducted itselfwith a gross stupidity. 'Out upon you,' cried the man; 'since you haveoverstepped the limit of the functions of an ear, I shall cut you frommy head!' And so, without hesitation, he took a sword and accomplishedthe deed. The poor ear then lay upon the ground bleeding, and the manwent about with a mutilated head."
"And what was the good of all that?" said the Damsel.
"There was no good in it," replied the Sage. "But he was a man, and hehad punished the too-fond-and-foolish ear—also he hoped a new and moresuitable one would grow in its place. 'Change,' he said, 'was a thing tobe welcomed.'"
"And tell me, Sage, what became of the ear?" asked the Damsel.[Pg 3]
"The ear fared better. Another man of greater shrewdness came along,and, although he had two ears of his own, he said, 'A third will notcome amiss,' and he picked up the ear and heard with three ears insteadof two. So he became knowing and clever because of the information heacquired in this way. The grafted ear grew and flourished, and, in spiteof its remaining abnormal, it obtained a certain enjoyment out ofexistence."
"But who really benefited by all this?" inquired the Damsel.
"No one," said the Sage; "the first man went about with only one ear;the second man made himself remarkable with three—and the cut-off ear,although alive and successful, felt itself an excrescence."[Pg 4]
"Then what could be the pleasure of it all?" demanded the Damsel.
"Out upon you!" exclaimed the Sage, in a passion. "You asked me whatwas life—and why the fruit tasted bitter in the mouth? I have answeredyou."
And he went back into his cave and barred the