The Scarecrow | Khalil Gibran

Here's a wonderful parable by the great Kahlil Gibran, from The Madman (His Parables and Poems). Gibran Khalil Gibran (January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931), usually referred to in English as Kahlil Gibran, was a Lebanese-American writer, poet, and visual artist in the Sufi / Christian mystic tradition. Photo by Luca J

Transcript

Once,

I said to a scarecrow,

You must be tired of standing in this lonely field.

And he said,

The joy of scaring is a deep and lasting one,

And I never tire of it.

Said I,

After a minute of thought,

It is true,

For I too have known that joy.

Said he,

Only those who are stuffed with straw can know it.

Then I left him,

Not knowing whether he had complimented or belittled me.

A year passed,

During which the scarecrow turned philosopher.

And when I passed by him again,

I saw two crows building a nest under his hat.