The fair was on before the temple. <br />It had rained from the early morning <br />and the day came to its end. <br /> Brighter than all the gladness of <br />the crowd was the bright smile of <br />a girl who bought for a farthing a <br />whistle of palm leaf. <br /> The shrill joy of that whistle floated <br />above all laughter and noise. <br /> An endless throng of people came <br />and jostled together. The road was <br />muddy, the river in flood, the field <br />under water in ceaseless rain. <br /> Greater than all the troubles of <br />the crowd was a little boy's trouble-- <br />he had not a farthing to buy a painted <br />stick. <br /> His wistful eyes gazing at the shop <br />made this whole meeting of men so <br />pitiful.<br /><br />Rabindranath Tagore<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-gardener-lxxvi-the-fair-was-on/
