Tales of Three Hemispheres

  THE GIFT OF THE GODS

  There was once a man who sought a boon of the gods. For peace wasover the world and all things savoured of sameness, and the man wasweary at heart and sighed for the tents and the warfields. Thereforehe sought a boon of the ancient gods. And appearing before them hesaid to them, "Ancient gods; there is peace in the land where I dwell,and indeed to the uttermost parts, and we are full weary of peace. Oancient gods, grant us war!"

  And the ancient gods made him a war.

  And the man went forth with his sword, and behold it was even war. Andthe man remembered the little things that he knew, and thought of thequiet days that there used to be, and at night on the hard grounddreamed of the things of peace. And dearer and dearer grew the wontedthings, the dull but easeful things of the days of peace, andremembering these he began to regret the war, and sought once more aboon of the ancient gods, and appearing before them he said: "Oancient gods, indeed but a man loves best the days of peace. Thereforetake back your war and give us peace, for indeed of all yourblessedness peace is best."

  And the man returned again to the haunts of peace.

  But in a while the man grew weary of peace, of the things that he usedto know, and the savour of sameness again; and sighing again for thetents, and appearing once more to the gods, he said to them: "Ancientgods; we do not love your peace, for indeed the days are dull, and aman is best at war."

  And the gods made him a war.

  And there were drums again, the smoke of campfires again, wind in thewaste again, the sound of horses of war, burning cities again, and thethings that wanderers know; and the thoughts of that man went home tothe ways of peace; moss upon lawns again, light in old spires again,sun upon gardens again, flowers in pleasant woods and sleep and thepaths of peace.

  And once more the man appeared to the ancient gods and sought fromthem one more boon, and said to them: "Ancient gods; indeed but theworld and we are a-weary of war and long for the ancient ways and thepaths of peace."

  So the gods took back their war and gave him peace.

  But the man took counsel one day and communed long with himself andsaid to himself: "Behold, the wishes I wish, which the gods grant, arenot to be much desired; and if the gods should one day grant a wishand never revoke it, which is a way of the gods, I should be sorelytried because of my wish; my wishes are dangerous wishes and not to bedesired."

  And therefore he wrote an anonymous letter to the gods, writing: "Oancient gods; this man that hath four times troubled you with hiswishes, wishing for peace and war, is a man that hath no reverence forthe gods, speaking ill of them on days when they do not hear, andspeaking well of them on holy days and at the appointed hours when thegods are hearkening to prayer. Therefore grant no more wishes to thisimpious man."

  And the days of peace wore on and there arose again from the earth,like mist in the autumn from the fields that generations haveploughed, the savour of sameness again. And the man went forth onemorning and appeared once more to the gods, and cried: "O ancientgods; give us but one war again, for I would be back to the camps anddebateable borders of lands."

  And the gods said: "We hear not well of your way of life, yea illthings have come to our hearing, so that we grant no more the wishesyou wish."