Upon a lonely mountain, there lived two hermits who worshipped God <br />and loved one another. <br /> <br />Now these two hermits had one earthen bowl, and this was their only <br />possession. <br /> <br />One day an evil spirit entered into the heart of the older hermit <br />and he came to the younger and said, 'It is long that we have <br />lived together. The time has come for us to part. Let us divide <br />our possessions.' <br /> <br />Then the younger hermit was saddened and he said, 'It grieves <br />me, Brother, that thou shouldst leave me. But if thou must needs <br />go, so be it,' and he brought the earthen bowl and gave it to him <br />saying, 'We cannot divide it, Brother, let it be thine.' <br /> <br />Then the older hermit said, 'Charity I will not accept. I will <br />take nothing but mine own. It must be divided.' <br /> <br />And the younger one said, 'If the bowl be broken, of what use would <br />it be to thee or to me? If it be thy pleasure let us rather cast <br />a lot.' <br /> <br />But the older hermit said again, 'I will have but justice and mine <br />own, and I will not trust justice and mine own to vain chance. The <br />bowl must be divided.' <br /> <br />Then the younger hermit could reason no further and he said, 'If <br />it be indeed thy will, and if even so thou wouldst have it let us <br />now break the bowl.' <br /> <br />But the face of the older hermit grew exceedingly dark, and he <br />cried, 'O thou cursed coward, thou wouldst not fight.'<br /><br />Khalil Gibran<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-two-hermits/
