And the serpent said, “I know a plant whose root descends to the bowels of the earth, and he who eats of that root becomes fairer than Ashtarte.” And the lark said, “No one, no one but thee could unveil the magic thought of the earth--pity thou canst not fly.” And the serpent said, “There is a purple stream that runneth under a mountain, and he who drinketh of it shall become immortal even as the gods. Surely no bird or beast can discover that purple stream.” And the lark answered, “If thou willest thou canst become deathless even as the gods--pity thou canst not sing.” And the serpent said, “I know a buried temple, which I visit once a moon: It was built by a forgotten race of giants, and upon its walls are graven the secrets of time and space, and he who reads them shall understand that which passeth all understanding.” And the lark said, “Verily, if thou so desirest thou canst encircle with thy pliant body all knowledge of time and space--pity thou canst not fly.” Then the serpent was disgusted, and as he turned and entered into his hole he muttered, “Empty headed songster!” And the lark flew away singing, “Pity thou canst not sing. Pity, pity, my wise one, thou canst not fly.” VALUES Once a man unearthed in his field a marble statue of great beauty. And he took it to a collector who loved all beautiful things and offered it to him for sale, and the collector bought it for a large price. And they parted. And as the man walked home with his money he thought, and he said to himself, “How much life this money means! How can any one give all this for a dead carved stone buried and undreamed of in the earth for a thousand years?” And now the collector was looking at his statue, and he was thinking, and he said to himself, “What beauty! What life! The dream of what a soul!--and fresh with the sweet sleep of a thousand years. How can any one give all this for money, dead and dreamless?” OTHER SEAS A fish said to another fish, “Above this sea of ours there is another sea, with creatures swimming in it--and they live there even as we live here.” The fish replied, “Pure fancy! Pure fancy! When you know that everything that leaves our sea by even an inch, and stays out of it, dies. What proof have you of other lives in other seas?” REPENTANCE On a moonless night a man entered into his neighbour’s garden and stole the largest melon he could find and brought it home. He opened it and found it still unripe. Then behold a marvel! The man’s conscience woke and smote him with remorse; and he repented having stolen the melon. [Illustration: drawing signed K. Gibran, 1920] THE DYING MAN AND THE VULTURE