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[Page i]CHILD’S WAY

MAY - JUNE

1972

dedicated to children of all ages

BAHÁ’Í YEAR 128 [Page ii]

CHILD’S WAY Vol. IV No. 3

‘Azamat Nur Rahma Grandeur Light Mercy

Jamál Beauty

A long time ago... The Declaration of the Báb, adapted from The Chosen Highway, by Lady Blomfield A Prayer by Bahá’u’lláh The Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, by Phyllis Hall The Tree, part 5, by Marjadene Konishi Space is Infinite, by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, from Mahmud's Diary II, 132 Nah-wa-te-kee, by Katherine M. Young Children's Page: Iceland, by René Steiner What is the secret of the Sunrise? by Guy Murchie "Two hands, two hands." by Ramona A. Brown Song: Knowing and Loving God, by Mimi McClellan All but one Letter, by Frieda M. Lease Riddles Work is Worship? by Virginia Schroader The Temple of Light, by Polly Marlow The Stonecutter, adapted from a Japanese Folk tale

Editor: Helen Sousa Art: Betty de Araujo Music Consultant: Mimi McClellan

CHILD’S WAY is a publication of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States.

CHILD’S WAY is published bi-monthly in January, March, May, July, September and November in Amherst, Massachusetts. Manuscripts, editorial correspondence and subscriptions should be addressed to: CHILD’S WAY Magazine, Box 551, Amherst, Massachusetts 01002.

Subscriptions: USA, $4.50; Foreign, $5.00. Single copy, $ .75.

Application to mail at 2nd class postage rates is pending at Amherst, Mass.

Special thanks to Molly King, Jean Hutchinson and Steve Boal for acting as advisors for the last two issues.

Special thanks also to Karl Borden, Kay Robinson and Katya Sousa for their help on the distributing end.

Dear Adults: We hear about more and more people who would like to use Child's Way in their communities (some are in the South, other are abroad) but who cannot afford a subscription. You, too, probably know of such places. Would you consider sending them gift subscriptions?

Dear Children: Thank you for your responses regarding Pen Pals. We still do not have too many, though, and especially few from foreign countries. (This, probably, is because surface mail to far away places is very slow, and the children there read Child's Way several weeks after our American and Canadian friends do.) If you have not been given a name and address yet, you will very shortly: Phyllis Hall has accepted to coordinate this project, and is working on it now.

With love from your editor. [Page 1]A LONG TIME AGO, GOD CREATED THE EARTH AND THE HEAVENS - AND ALL THAT LIVES ON EARTH AND IN THE SEA AND IN THE SKY, HE CREATED PLANTS, AND ANIMALS,

AND HE CREATED MAN.

"O Son of Man! Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My essence, I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image and revealed to thee My beauty.

"O Son of Man! I loved thy creation, hence I created thee... - Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh Nos. 3 & 4.

AND MEN LOOKED FOR A WAY TO WORSHIP GOD... [Page 2]A MEDIATOR IS NECESSARY BETWEEN MAN AND THE CREATOR - ONE WHO WILL RECEIVE ALL THE LIGHT OF THE DIVINE SPLENDOR AND BRIGHTEN HUMANITY WITH ITS RAYS, IN THE SAME WAY THAT THE EARTH ATMOSPHERE RECEIVES AND SPREADS OUT THE RAYS OF THE SUN.

SPECIAL MEN, SENT BY GOD, HELPED HUMANITY TO DISCOVER THE THINGS THEY NEEDED TO LIVE BETTER. THESE MEN ALSO TAUGHT THEM ABOUT THE WORSHIP OF GOD.

THIS WAS SUCH A LONG TIME AGO, THAT WE DO NOT KNOW THEIR NAMES. THE FIRST ONE WE KNOW OF WAS NOAH; AND GOD MADE A COVENANT WITH NOAH.

Do you happen to know the general name used for all these special men? They are called Prophets, or Manifestations of God.

And do you remember what the word "Covenant" means? You will find the answer on page 1 of the last November-December issue of Child’s Way. You can ‎anso also‎ find a general answer in a ‎dictionnary dictionary‎.

O Son of Being!

Make mention of Me on My earth, that in My heaven I may remember thee, thus shall Mine eyes and thine be solaced.

-Bahá’u’lláh, Hidden Words

[Page 3]Verily He is the King of the Messengers...

The Declaration of the Báb

May 23, 1844

Shaykh Aḥmad, a well known teacher of religion in Persia, gave his disciples certain signs by which they should know the divinely sent Herald Who, he said, was already among them. These signs were written down in the form of a five-pointed star, following the chief outlines of the human body - filled with Persian and Arabic writing.

He would be young - neither tall nor short - large, kind dark eyes, finely pencilled brows.

He would not smoke, nor drink alcohol.

He would be uninstructed in the learning of the world. He would not need to study in order to know.

He would be of the "pure lineage", that is he would be a Siyyid, a descendant of the prophet Muḥammad.

Adapted from The Chosen Highway by Lady Blomfield

On May 23, 1844, in Shíráz, Mullá Ḥusayn, from the town of Búshihr, Persia, who was a disciple (a follower) of Shaykh Aḥmad, found and recognized the Manifestation of God described above. His name was Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí Muḥammad; His title was The Báb.

On the same day, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was born. [Page 4]

A PRAYER

Hold Thou my right arm, O God! and dwell continually with me. Guide me to the fountain of Thy knowledge, and encircle me with Thy glory. Set Thine angels on my right hand, and open mine eyes to Thy splendor. Let mine ears harken to Thy melodious tone, and comfort me with Thy presence. For Thou art the strength of my heart, and the trust of my soul, and I desire none other beside Thee.

- Bahá’u’lláh

THE ASCENSION OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH

Phyllis Hall

May 29, 1892, at dawn

In His 75th year, after 42 years of persecutions, imprisonment and exile, Bahá’u’lláh fell ill. On May 29, 1892, He left His body at the hour of dawn - 3 A.M. - in the Holy Land, and ascended unto God, from Whom He had come.

Bahá’u’lláh wanted us all to agree and spread the truth that He brought us. So that we would never quarrel about His Word, He told us that whenever we had a question, we should ask His son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, what His writings meant.

Following this Will of Bahá’u’lláh, the people of Bahá (the Bahá’ís) are truly united. [Page 5]

THE TREE

Part 5

Marjadene Konishi

Mike wants to know why his family can’t have a Christmas tree. Many other questions also come up during his conversation with his Grandad, but now, at last, Grandad is getting to answer the question about the tree - and he does seem to think that trees "make good religious symbols."

" ... But to get back to the trees: as for using them in celebrations, the only thing wrong with the way it’s done today, I think, is that the SPIRITUAL meanings are not stressed. They just become something to find presents under. But in the Bahá’í Scriptures there are many references to the Prophet as ‘the Tree beyond Which there is no passing’.

"The reason for giving gifts on a Prophet’s birthday is to symbolize the great gifts that God gives to all mankind through His Holy Spirit and Prophet. Then why should we celebrate and give gifts only on the birthday of Jesus - and we don’t even know that Christmas is really His birthday, anyway - and not on the birthdays of Gautama or Krishna or Muḥammad? Yet if we celebrated the birthdays of all the Prophets and all the Holy Days of all the world’s great Religions, we’d have no time left to get any work done! And Bahá’ís believe that there is just an awful lot of work to do on this earth, and fast, so that EVERYBODY on it can have the time to celebrate and the money to buy gifts for each other! So it seems to us it makes the most sense to celebrate our happiness for all the Holy Spirit has ever given humanity on the Holy Days given to us by the latest Prophet -- Bahá’u’lláh. And Bahá’u’lláh told us to celebrate Intercalary Days as our gift giving time... not just one day, but FOUR!"

Continued next page. [Page 6]"About the tree -- tell you what. Just once, this next Intercalary Days period, we could fix one up to have a SPIRITUAL meaning along with beauty. We'll think of the tree itself as symbolising the Prophet. We'll put 18 BIG lights on it, to symbolize the Letters of the Living, and lots and lots of smaller lights to represent you and me and Jennie and Mama and Daddy and all the Bahá’ís of all colors all over the world. We'll have a big party and you can invite all your friends and we'll sit around the tree -- right in here -- and I'll tell you many stories of the life of the Báb and of the Letters of the Living and Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi and the Knights of Bahá’u’lláh and of pioneers everywhere. And we'll also tell your friends why we don't usually have trees, and why we won't have one next year. We can start getting ready right away. You can make all kinds of pretty ornaments, and I'll make some great big nine pointed stars out of plywood and run lights around them -- and may be Daddy will put them up on the roof (I don't think I'll try that myself, this time). And.."

Mike was jumping up and down with delight. "O really, Grandad, can we? Won't it be funny? Everybody will wonder what is happening!"

"What IS happening out here?" came Mama's voice from the doorway. "Dinner is waiting for you two".

Mike was still bouncing up and down.

"Mama, wait'll you hear what a good idea ‎Grand-dad Grandad‎ has. C'mon, Grandad, let's go tell Daddy!"

Mama laughed a little doubtfully.

"Dad, now what have you got us into?"

"Oh, just a little Bahá’í consultation. We have just finished stating the question, ascertaining the facts, and consulting the scriptures, and just got started on the discussion. We'll need your help with the prayer, decision and carry-through."

"I'll bet!" commented Mama.

And Grandad grinned and winked as only Grandad could grin and wink. [Page 7]

Space is infinite

"When I was a child, whenever I would hear of the Ptolemaic system^* -- that there are seven heavens like seven spheres one within another, each enclosing the next -- I would feel despondent. Even in childhood, I never cared for a closed or limited space. Then one day in a prayer revealed by the Supreme Pen⁺, I heard a reference to infinite space; and hearing, was instantly filled with unutterable delight." ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

(Mahmud’s Diary II, 132. Informal translation by Marzieh Gail)

• Ptolemy was a geographer and astronomer who flourished at Alexandria about 130 A.D. He thought the earth was the fixed center of the universe. His system was later superseded by that of Copernicus (1473-1543), who placed the sun at the center of the universe, instead of the earth.

M. G.

+ Bahá’u’lláh. [Page 8]

NAH-WA-TE-KEE

Katherine M. Young

Nah-wa-te-kee stood at the edge of the sighing waters, high in the heart of the blue mountains. There were seven of these lake waters, and Nah-wa-te-kee was remembering the story told by her Ever-So-Great Grandfather.

"Little daughter of the mountains, your seeing must be seeing, your hearing must be hearing, your feeling must be feeling, and tasting must be tasting, and smelling must be smelling. When you look up you must look all the way up, and when you look down you must look all the way down; you must look into the depths. Your senses are gifted to you not to judge others but for you to judge yourself and guide your spirit smoothly and swiftly toward its goal.

"Remember, it matters not, Nah-wa-te-kee, in what manner the Great Spirit speaks, if you are chosen to hear, you will hear!

"The heavens lend a portion of themselves to the earth, and the earth in turn gives back to the heavens. [Page 9]These waters are here because they tell of the Great Spirit's planning. They are in the heart of the stone and lava because, no matter how barren the earth is, there is always the Great Spirit's love.

"Little daughter, the secrets of all things are in the waters. They tell you who you are. In their sighing they chant the ancient wisdom and legends of all things. Whenever your spirit is burdened and you are sad, go to the edge of the sighing waters and hear their story. And if the accents of the Great Spirit's love are not within your sight, you will have to use the key of patience, little daughter, and then you will have to seek the new pathway, of the Spirit."

Nah-wa-te-kee looked up and listened. There rose in the midst of the mountain that which looked like an ancient monastery. She drifted toward it; the door was open. Within, she found a charming ancient woman of sturdy character and grace rocking back and forth in a very, very old, hand carved, wooden rocking chair. The room was void of other furnishings. The ancient one, with eyes burning with eternal love, looked at Nah-wa-te-kee. "I have waited and waited for you! Now you have come. We did not know if you would hear, but you have heard. I am the memory of your people of yesterday. Eons have passed away, and as they passed they chiselled this replica (and she pointed at her person) representing the past, the present, and the future of your people. Climb, now, the staircase that winds into the alcove over-seeing the waters, for you have heard, and you must not tarry." [Page 10]The young girl felt exhilarated and excited, almost as though she were going to a coronation. Up, up, up she climbed. The tiny ‎mocassins moccasins‎ on her feet looked like ballet slippers. Her wind swept forehead was ‎carressed caressed‎ by her black, black tresses, and her bronze skin reflected the glows of movement. Her body began to sway to a great crescendo of music. It was the Symphony of the Spheres. Her Ever-So-Great Grandfather had told her that few of their people had heard this music. She began to dance and, above her, she saw a small window just large enough for her body. She eased through and down the vine, twisted and snarled, on the side of the tower of the monastery. The West wind tousled her hair. All the trees of the forest were dancing with the music, except the one who, her people said, guarded earth and the lands, as a Sentinel. It was waiting, waiting, but Na-wa-te-kee was dancing and dancing and swaying with the trees. All were newly leaved. Suddenly the giant Sentinel tree began swaying, and it began dancing, with the colors of its new leaves catching the lights of the waters and of the forests.

"Oh, lovely daughter of the ancient tribes I will sing to you. It is a new world, the old world has passed away - The seven waters, I have guarded these many years, Are the seven churches who are overcome with fears. But the Great Spirit calls to you and to His people 'Come dance with me and I will teach you the steps to eternity.'

Little daughter, you have the patience of the water, The courage of the earth's endurance, The trustworthiness of the heavens, [Page 11]And the brilliance of the sun.

The winds have gathered from the ‎distances , distances,‎

And the Spirit has given them command;

The music of the spheres is calling

With an earth-shaking plan.

It is the day of unison and harmony,

The day for the Spirit to rejoice.

Let all the brothers come together

And be of one voice.

Now your spirit’s one with me,

And where you go, I’ll be.

Return now to your people,

Little daughter, Nah-wa-te-kee.

And Nah-wa-te-kee found herself winding down the hunting trail as she promised herself that she would return to the waters.

• *

Three men stand under an umbrella, but nobody gets wet. How can this be?

Answer: It isn’t raining. [Page 12]

Iceland

Rene Steiner 11 years old

Iceland! Whenever I think of that island, my thoughts retrieve the wonders I saw happening with my own human eyes. Bahá’ís in the plenty grasping this wonderful light like birds finding food in winter. Continents uniting under one roof to ponder on the Words of God. News and telegrams poured in to be read to everyone. John Robarts and Paul Haney, two dear Hands of the Cause of the Bahá’í Faith started sparks of light in hesitant human hearts. But these are only a few things I saw at this life inspiring conference. The Unity Feast which took place at the Loftleider Hotel received a little tinge of spirit from the way it was crowded with Bahá’ís. The conference photo was taken with dozens of Icelanders looking on and one man crawling onto his roof to take a photograph of this unusual sight. The news from other countries were thrilling, but I liked the news from ‎Fiesh Fiesch‎, Switzerland the best because they proclaimed the Faith by sending ‎baloons balloons‎ out with tags on them saying "Have you heard of Bahá’u’lláh?"

Now, let me start from the beginning. It all started when I arrived at the Toronto Airport. The airport was beginning to fill up with Bahá’ís from all over Canada. I shyly entered this crowd in which I found a boy who would be my best friend during the time of the conference. We waited and waited till, at last, the news came that we would be leaving the North American continent at two o'clock in the morning. The correct [Page 13]time for the departure was supposed to have been eight o’clock in the evening. We were taken to the Constellation Hotel which was near the airport. We had a quick dinner of sandwiches and tea, then we made a rush to clear the baggage and get our airplane tickets. When we had finished all that business, we boarded a bus which would transport us to Niagara Airport in the U.S.A. The ride to Niagara Airport was a lively sight. The whole bus started to sing, and sang till the end of the journey. When we finally arrived at the airport, we clambered out of the bus and entered the overcrowded airport. We had arrived at twelve o’clock midnight and boarded the plane at six o’clock in the morning. We had an excellent dinner on board the plane and the airline crew said they were sorry for delaying the Bahá’ís.

At about nine o’clock in the morning we arrived to Iceland. The crew said that we had been the best passengers they had ever had. We were taken to our hotels by busses. That night, we had a good rest and on the next morning we went sightseeing around Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. For several days this routine went on. But finally the conference started. These days were so short that, when the day for leaving Iceland came, I felt as if we had been there only two days.

Farewells were said and tears were shed, for this conference had given birth to more than two hundred Bahá’ís. [Page 14]

What is the secret of the sunrise?

Guy Murchie

When you see the sun rising, what do you think it is rising out of?

Some people in the Amazon jungle think the sun rises out of the trees.

Some in the Sahara desert think it rises out of the sand.

Some in the South Sea islands think it rises out of the ocean.

But astronomers and astronauts now know that all these suns are one single sun which is really ninety three million miles away in space.

In the same way, some people call God Jehovah, some call Him Alláh, and some call Him the Great Spirit - but Bahá’ís and a few others know that all these Gods are really the same God Who is everywhere and everywhen - for He is beyond space and time altogether.

This is something worth thinking about - for it is mystic and beautiful. It is the secret of the sunrise! [Page 15]

“Two hands, two hands.”

Ramona Allen Brown

On October 22, 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá addressed an audience of children gathered at His home at 1815 California Street, San Francisco. Passing from one child to another, the Master gave each two ‎handsfull handfuls‎ of marshmallows, saying: "Two hands, two hands." Then He spoke:

" May God assist and comfort all of them. Good children, good children. I am pleased with meeting the children. They are the plants of the Rose Garden of Abhá. I will pray to God that He may bestow upon them a Bahá’í training and education so that each one of them may become a very good Bahá’í. They are very good children, excellent children. They are all illumined."

From : Memories of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Recollections of the Early Days of the Bahá’í Faith in California. [Page 16]

Knowing and loving God.

(2 or 3 part round)

Words and Music Mimi McClellan

1. Knowing and loving Knowing and loving God and loving Him is what we’re here to do.

2. How can we know him? How can we love Him? How can we know and love Him ---- How do we know what’s true? well,

3. God sent a teacher. He sent us a teacher. A Great new teacher for today To tell us what to do The

4. Glory of God------ The Glory of God Bahá’u’lláh the Prince of Peace has come to bring us through. So

5. Listen and learn. Listen and learn. Whatever this great teacher, says is certain to be true.

Repeat first verse again.

• Entrance of second part.

Dear pianist and singers: You may notice four notes that look smaller than the others; they are the same as the note that they follow. In some of the verses there is an extra syllable in those places, and the small note shows how that extra syllable must be sung. Perhaps it is a bit difficult, but we heard this song, and thought that you would enjoy singing it. [Page 17]

All but one letter

Frieda M. Lease

In the seven flower names below, all the letters of the alphabet but one are used. Can you name the missing letter?

1- Jonquil 2- Foxglove 3- Periwinkle 4- Hyacinth 5- Zinnia 6- Buttercup 7- Daisy

How many of these flowers do you know? Please draw them in the space below. Perhaps the librarian in your school could help you find a picture of those which you have never seen, and you could try to remember them well enough to draw them when you return home.

Answer: the letter M.

Which part of a fish could you weigh yourself on? The scales

What ring is always square? A boxing ring

What driver never passed a driving test? A screw driver [Page 18]

Work is worship?

Virginia Schroader

Joe shouted at the top of his lungs "Work is a curse! Work is a curse! It's impossible to find anything worse than work!" He loved to say that to his sister because it made her so angry.

"Get out of my room, stupidhead!" Sally yelled back as she tried to push her brother Joe out of her room. Then she turned and picked up her little Barbie to protect her from Joe. Barbie, Sally burst into tears and yelled, "Mother!" Hugging

It was a typical fight. It ended in the usual way. Mother came running. But, today, Mother did not lecture Joe while comforting Sally. Today Mother came running in the regular way, but she said nothing to Joe. Joe was very surprised. He expected his Mother to quote to him from the Bahá’í Writings. He waited for her to tell him that work is worship and how happy Joe's Father was to have a steady job he liked.

Mrs. Taylor smiled at Joe and kissed him. Saying nothing to Joe, Mrs. Taylor walked quietly into Sally's room and closed the door. Half an hour later, Mother and daughter came out laughing and talking. [Page 19]Joe wondered what was going to happen next. He wondered if his Mother was sick. He wanted to sock Sally. Why did Sally always have to act so good? "I’m the oldest and the smartest", Joe thought to himself.

What was Mother going to do? The only time Mother had failed to talk to him when he was being mean to Sally was the time when Joe pushed Sally, and she got hurt. Then Mother had said nothing and sent Joe to his room. Dad had spanked him when he got home from work. It was the only time Joe had ever been spanked. Now Joe didn’t know what to think.

When Joe walked in to the kitchen to get a glass of milk and to find out what Mother and Sally were doing, he was surprised. They were smiling and talking. They were taking all the dishes out of the cupboards.

"What are you doing, Mom? Looking for a mouse?" Joe asked smartly.

"No", Mother said cheerily. Then she added, "Sally and I are working together. We’re going to wash all the dishes we don’t use very often and clean out the cupboards before we put them back."

"Oh," said Joe. "That’s a shame." Inside, Joe felt bad.

To be continued. [Page 20]

The Temple of Light

Polly Marlowe

There was once a village on the side of a dark mountain where some strange people lived.

They were not like you or like me. There were the round people, as round as a ball, and the square people, as square as a block, the long thin people, as long and thin as a pencil, and the curving people, the shape of an S.

These people were very unhappy. They did not get along together at all. The round people thought that everyone should look like them, so they tried to roll everyone into a round shape.

The square people were sure that they were the only good shape and they tried to chop everyone into a square shape.

The long thin people, and this was awful, tried to pull everyone into a long thin shape.

Last of all, there were the people who were curved like ‎and an‎ S and, of course, they tried to bend everyone into an S shape. Everyone was afraid. No one was happy.

One day, four men got together, one round, one square, one tall, one curving, and they said "Let us go into the meadow and sit on a rock and decide what to do." So they went to the meadow together and consulted.

"I have an idea," said the square man. "Let us go to the Square Council House and ask the square leader what to do. He always has an answer."

Then they all went to the Square Council House, but, alas, only the ‎sq uare square‎ man could go through the square door. The others had to stand outside and they heard nothing! [Page 21]Back to the meadow went the four men. Then the round man said: "I have an idea, let us go to the Round Council House and hear what the round leader has to say." They all agreed on this plan, but, alas, only the round man could roll through the round door and the others were left outside.

Back they went to the rock in the meadow to consult. Finally they agreed that they would go together up onto the dark mountain to spend the night under the stars, and up there they would ask God to help them.

The next morning they started out with their knapsacks packed with chocolate, peanuts, drinks, a flashlight, a bedroll, and hatchets. They climbed all day until night, then they spread out their bed rolls under the stars, ate their supper, and after this they all joined hands and said "O God, please help us!" Then they lay down to sleep.

In the middle of the night, the round man woke up and grabbed the square man. "Brother," he cried, "I think the woods are on fire!" The square man grabbed the tall thin man. "Brother," he cried, "I think the moon has fallen into the woods!" The tall thin man woke the curving man and shouted "I think the sun has fallen onto the earth!"

The four men jumped to their feet. Grabbing their axes, they began to cut a path through the tangled forest toward a bright and flaming light that filled the sky and woods with its shining. Suddenly the woods ended, and before them on a crotch of the mountain stood a temple of wondrous beauty. Its top was as round as [Page 22]the moon and its base as round as the sun. Through its delicately carved surface streamed shafts of glittering light and, wonder of wonders, its design was made of all kinds of shapes, round, square, long and curving.

The four men dropped their axes and ran up the wide welcome steps. Then each man found his own shape and entered the Temple of Light. Inside they met and joining hands they lifted their faces to the great dome high above them. As they stood together, a breeze blew through the Temple and a voice said gently:

"Regard ye not one

another as strangers -

Of one tree are ye all the

fruit and of one bough

the leaves -

The world is but one Country

And Mankind its citizens." *

Gazing at each other, they were surprised to find that they were no longer round, square, long, thin, and curving. They were all in human form. Giving praise and thanks to God, they ran out of the great doors of the Temple and, picking up their axes, they chopped a wide path down the side of the dark mountain to the village, so that all the people of the village could find their way to the Temple of light and become human at last.

• These words are by Bahá’u’lláh

[Page 23]

The Stonecutter

Adapted from a Japanese Folk tale

A long time ago, in Japan (Do you know what Japan is, and where it is?), there lived a stonecutter. Every morning he went to the mountain to chisel slabs of rock from its side. Then he would polish them smooth and sell them to people for building their homes. One day when he delivered an especially beautiful stone to a very rich man's house, he was invited inside. When he saw all of the beautiful things there, he said to himself, "I wish I were rich. I could sleep in a bed soft as a cloud, with silken curtains and golden tassels." Then he turned sadly and went home.

But the mountain spirit had heard his wish, and when he reached the place where his poor hut had been, there stood a wondrous castle, full of servants and gorgeous furniture. That night the stonecutter slept upon a bed soft as a cloud, with golden tassels and silken curtains. [Page 24]As he was now very rich, he no longer had to work, so he slept as late as he wished the next morning. When he awoke, he looked out of his window to see what was going on in the world outside. Just then a fine carriage whizzed by, drawn by snow-white horses. There were servants running along both in front and in back of the carriage and inside it sat a prince with a golden umbrella over his head.

The stonecutter was awed at such luxury. "I wish I were a prince," he said. "I want to ride in a carriage with a golden umbrella over my head." No sooner had the words left his lips than he found himself riding in just such a carriage, with a golden umbrella over his head, and servants all dressed in scarlet and gold. For a while he was happy, sleeping and eating in his beautiful castle, driving whenever he wished in his luxurious carriage.

But one day, when he was walking through his garden, he noticed that in spite of all the water he had ordered to be put on it, the flowers and grass were drying up. He felt a surge of anger that the sun should be defying his wishes.

"The sun is mightier than I," he cried, "I wish I were the sun." Again the mountain spirit heard him. In the twinkling of an eye the stonecutter had become the great sun. He felt as if nothing anywhere were as powerful as he, as he looked down on the earth and planets. But one day he noticed that a cloud had come between himself and the earth, and he could not [Page 25]send his light where he pleased.

"The cloud is mightier than I," he cried, "I wish I were the cloud." Immediately he found himself changed into the cloud. For a while he enjoyed his new life. He caught the sunbeams, he sent the rain where he pleased, and he got so excited over his power that he began to cause great floods, sweeping away whole villages. Only one thing he could not move -- a great rock on the mountainside. He became very angry.

"What!" he cried, "is the mountain mightier than I? I wish I were the mountain." At once he became the great mountain. He stood there, strong and immovable for many years. Neither the storms nor the hot sun bothered him. But at last, one day, he heard a sharp tap, and a cracking sound at his foot. He looked down and there was a stonecutter, working away at him. A great slab of his own rock fell away and he felt a shudder of fear.

"This man is stronger than I," he cried. "I must be that man." No sooner had he spoken than he became once again a stonecutter as he had been at the beginning, sleeping on a hard bed in a poor shack. Yet he was happier than he had ever been before because he had learned that to be himself was the very happiest thing of all.

- Reprinted from The Child's Way [Page 26]--BLANK--