I once read a Japanese folk tale about a wicked man who died without having performed a single act of kindness for anything or anyone except once, when, in the act of deliberately stepping on a spider, he said to himself "Ah, well: Live and let live!" and moved on. When the man died he went--as one might expect--straight to Hell, where he was forced to tread water in a vast lake of fire and brimstone with the rest of the damned.
In his misery he looked up and saw, to his suprise, a tiny strand of spider web slowly descending from the unseen heights above, a gift from the spider whose life he spared. Grasping hold, he found it incredibly strong, and began to pull himself up, thinking to his delight and amazement that he might be able not only to climb out of the lake of fire and brimstone, but possibly pull himself all the way up to Heaven itself.
As others saw him climbing, however, they swam over and began to climb the spider's web too. Angrily the man kicked at them, and, at that, the strand broke and back he fell.
The moral of the story? Don't kick, and leave the spiders alone.
P.S. In Russia they tell a different version of the same story, involving a wicked woman, a poor peasant, and an onion. The moral there? Don't kick, and give onions, because they are much easier to hold on to than a carrot.
(Photo courtesdy of Goshinsky on Flickr; available athttp://www.flickr.com/photos/24685723@N05/2988081733/.)
1 comment:
On the same subject, I wrote this in my journal back in 2002:
August 5
I’m using the vacuum cleaner to suck up sugar ants by the hundreds—and feeling guilty. I like ants. They’re so industrious, so focused, so dedicated—all the things I’m not but aspire to be.
What’s more, I’m counting on bugs to get me into Heaven. I read a Japanese story in college about an evil man that was offered a chance to get out of Hell through the simple act of sparing a spider. (The spider lowered a silken thread down from Heaven so he could climb out.)
Well, I go to great lengths to save all kinds of bugs: moths, flies, spiders, crickets, wasps, you name it. And here I’m sucking up ants by the hundreds. It throws the numbers all out of whack. If the moths try to bear me up, I’ll be dragged down by a host of sugar ants. Damn!
I’d just as soon let them be, but they’ve invaded the kitchen, and once here, I’m afraid they’re here to stay. With small kids around, there’s no shortage of crumbs for them to feast on. And Becky won’t appreciate the little caravans of ants winding here and there. So, here I am with the vacuum. The Grim Reaper. Ant-ithesis, or something like that. I’m sure the ants don’t appreciate my reluctance as they’re sucked into oblivion.
Tim
Post a Comment