-
Articles/Ads
Article THE BRAHMIN. ← Page 2 of 4 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Brahmin.
the garb of an Indian sage ; a venerable beard flowed upon his breast , a golden fillet graven with mystic characters bound his flowing hair , and an ivory staff' upon which he leant , gave to his figure an air of decent gravity . " AA ho art thou ? " demanded the astonished Zekah . " I am thy good Genius , sent by Brahma to instruct and reprove theethdisdain of thfellow-creatures is offensive to the Most
; y y High . " " Alas ! how have I sinned ? from my youth upwards have I kept the law ! my prayers and ablutions have been numberless , ancl my charities" — " Charities ! " interrupted the Genius in a contemptuous tone ; " and what have been its objects ? thy fellow-creatures ?—no ; thy princely riches have been expended in hospitals for brutes ; the sums that
would have saved hundreds of thy aged and way-worn brothers in clay from destitution , have been squandered in the ransom of reptiles , or in the purchase of gilded cages for thy feathered pensioners ; but thou hast wished to understand the voice of the inhabitants of the air ; of the brutes that creep upon the earth—approach , and listen to the vulture . " The Genius took him by the hand as he spoke , and rising with him through the air , they stood upon the naked rock upon which
the old bird was sitting surrounded by her young , whom she was instructing in the arts of a vulture ' s life . " My children , " said the bird as they approached , " you well less want my instruction because you have had my practice before your eyes ; you have seen me snatch from the farm the household fowl ; you have seen me seize the leveret from the bush , and the kid in the pasture ; you know how to fix your talons , ancl how to balance your flight when laden with your prey . But you remember the taste of more delicious food which I have often regaled you with ; the flesh of
man . " Tell us , " said the young birds , " where man may be found , ancl how may he be known ; his flesh is surely the natural food of vultures ; why have you never brought a man in your talons to us ?" '' He is too bulky , " saicl the affectionate mother with a sigh ; " besides , we have not the strength of man ; it is only when wounded and dying that we can venture to approach him ; then , when the deathstruggle is upon himwhen his limbs are cramped in agonyand his eye
, , becomes glazed , then , my children , you may securely approach your prey ; fix your talons on his breast , and rend with your sharp beaks the quivering flesh from off his bones . " " The vulture is the foulest of birds , " exclaimed Zekah to his guide , after they had descended the rock . " I will dismiss them from my protection ; but surely , father , the innocent dove "" Is equally a tyrant in its nature , " interrupted the sage ; " the
vulture pursueth but its instinct , the clove the same ; approach and complete thy lesson . " Zekah obeyed , and beheld with astonishment his only son asleep beneath a tree ; the youth , in obedience to his father ' s commands , had left his home to scatter food through the grove for his feathered favourites ; a collection of animals had for some unaccountable purpose gathered round him ; birds and insects too were there—all seemed excited—all talking at once , and in a great passion . Listening attentively , Zekah distinguished the following dialogue .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Brahmin.
the garb of an Indian sage ; a venerable beard flowed upon his breast , a golden fillet graven with mystic characters bound his flowing hair , and an ivory staff' upon which he leant , gave to his figure an air of decent gravity . " AA ho art thou ? " demanded the astonished Zekah . " I am thy good Genius , sent by Brahma to instruct and reprove theethdisdain of thfellow-creatures is offensive to the Most
; y y High . " " Alas ! how have I sinned ? from my youth upwards have I kept the law ! my prayers and ablutions have been numberless , ancl my charities" — " Charities ! " interrupted the Genius in a contemptuous tone ; " and what have been its objects ? thy fellow-creatures ?—no ; thy princely riches have been expended in hospitals for brutes ; the sums that
would have saved hundreds of thy aged and way-worn brothers in clay from destitution , have been squandered in the ransom of reptiles , or in the purchase of gilded cages for thy feathered pensioners ; but thou hast wished to understand the voice of the inhabitants of the air ; of the brutes that creep upon the earth—approach , and listen to the vulture . " The Genius took him by the hand as he spoke , and rising with him through the air , they stood upon the naked rock upon which
the old bird was sitting surrounded by her young , whom she was instructing in the arts of a vulture ' s life . " My children , " said the bird as they approached , " you well less want my instruction because you have had my practice before your eyes ; you have seen me snatch from the farm the household fowl ; you have seen me seize the leveret from the bush , and the kid in the pasture ; you know how to fix your talons , ancl how to balance your flight when laden with your prey . But you remember the taste of more delicious food which I have often regaled you with ; the flesh of
man . " Tell us , " said the young birds , " where man may be found , ancl how may he be known ; his flesh is surely the natural food of vultures ; why have you never brought a man in your talons to us ?" '' He is too bulky , " saicl the affectionate mother with a sigh ; " besides , we have not the strength of man ; it is only when wounded and dying that we can venture to approach him ; then , when the deathstruggle is upon himwhen his limbs are cramped in agonyand his eye
, , becomes glazed , then , my children , you may securely approach your prey ; fix your talons on his breast , and rend with your sharp beaks the quivering flesh from off his bones . " " The vulture is the foulest of birds , " exclaimed Zekah to his guide , after they had descended the rock . " I will dismiss them from my protection ; but surely , father , the innocent dove "" Is equally a tyrant in its nature , " interrupted the sage ; " the
vulture pursueth but its instinct , the clove the same ; approach and complete thy lesson . " Zekah obeyed , and beheld with astonishment his only son asleep beneath a tree ; the youth , in obedience to his father ' s commands , had left his home to scatter food through the grove for his feathered favourites ; a collection of animals had for some unaccountable purpose gathered round him ; birds and insects too were there—all seemed excited—all talking at once , and in a great passion . Listening attentively , Zekah distinguished the following dialogue .