![]() Some friendly barks that were anchored near, O’er the Unknown Sea to the Unseen Shore. The crafts of those who have sailed before Through the purpling shadows that darkly trail ![]() When the night stoops down to embrace the day, Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,Īnd – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son! With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, If all men count with you, but none too much If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, ![]() Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch, If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, To serve your turn long after they are gone,Īnd so hold on when there is nothing in youĮxcept the Will which says to them: “Hold on!” If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew If you can make one heap of all your winningsĪnd risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,Īnd lose, and start again at your beginningsĪnd never breathe a word about your loss Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,Īnd stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools: Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken If you can meet with Triumph and DisasterĪnd treat those two impostors just the same If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim If you can dream – and not make dreams your master, Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,Īnd yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise: If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,īut make allowance for their doubting too If you can keep your head when all about you Then they’ll understand what has happened to me, and where I went.”Īnd the Dragonfly winged off happily into its wonderful new world of sun and air… I guess I’ll have to wait until they become dragonflies too. Even if I could go back, not one of the water bugs would know me in my new body. Now that he was a dragonfly, he could no longer go into the water. Suddenly he hit the surface of the water and bounced away. The Dragonfly remembered the promise: “The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk will come back and tell where he or she went and why.” Without thinking, the Dragonfly darted down. Why, he was right above his old friends, the water bugs! There they were scurrying around, just as he had been doing some time before. Then it was that he chanced to look below to the bottom of the pond. By and by the new Dragonfly lighted happily on a lily pad to rest. He felt exhilarated in the new atmosphere. Swooping and dipping in great curves, he flew through the air. He moved his wings again and suddenly found himself up above the water. The warmth of the sun soon dried the moisture from the new body. Even as he struggled, he felt an impulse to move his wings. His movement revealed four silver wings and a long tail. A startling change had come to his old body. When he awoke, he looked about with surprise. Before he knew what was happening, he had broken through the surface of the water and fallen onto the broad, green lily pad above. One spring day, not long after, the same water bug who had suggested the plan found himself climbing up the lily stalk. The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk must promise to come back and tell us where he or she went and why.” ![]() Finally, one of the water bugs, a leader in the colony, gathered its friends together. “I have an idea. No one had an answer they were greatly puzzled. “Where do you suppose she went?” wondered a third. “That’s funny!” said one water bug to another. Its friends waited and waited, but it didn’t return. Where do you think she is going?” Up, up, up it slowly went – even as they watched, the water bug disappeared. “One of our colony is climbing up the lily stalk. “Look!” said one of the water bugs to another. Clinging to the stem of a pond lily it gradually moved out of sight and was seen no more. They noticed that now and again, one of their colony seemed to lose interest. For many months they were swamped, scurrying over the soft mud on the bottom of the pond. They were a happy colony, living far away from the sun. ![]() Down below the surface of a quiet pond lived a little colony of water bugs.
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