Saturday, May 23, 2009

You Have Done Well

It was said about Zeno that when he was living in Scetis he went out of his cell at night, going towards the marshes. He spent three days and three nights there wandering at random. At last, tired out, his strength failed him, and he fell down as though dying when suddenly a little child stood before him with bread and a jar of water and said to him, "Get up, and eat."

Zeno stood up and prayed , thinking it was an illusion. The child said to him, "You have done well." Zeno prayed a second, and then a third time. The child said again, "You have done well."

Then the hermit got up, took some of the food and ate. The child said to him, "As far as you have walked, so far are you from your cell. So, then get up and follow me." Immediately he found himself in his cell.

Then the hermit said to the child, "Come in and let us pray." But when Zeno went inside, the other had vanished.

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