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.