也讲一个故事给讲故事的和听故事的人:-): The Tale of the Sands

A stream, from its source in far-off mountains, passing through every kind and description of countryside, at last reached the sands of the desert. Just as it had crossed every other barrier, the stream tried to cross this one, but it found that as fast as it ran into the sand, its waters disappeared.

It was convinced, however, that its destiny was to cross this desert, and yet there was no way. Now a hidden voice, coming from the desert itself, whispered: 'The Wind crosses the desert, and so can the stream.'

The stream objected that it was dashing itself against the sand, and only getting absorbed: that the wind could fly, and this was why it could cross a desert.

'By hurtling in your own accustomed way you cannot get across. You will either disappear or become a marsh. You must allow the wind to carry you over, to your destination.'

But how could this happen? 'By allowing yourself to be absorbed in the wind.'

This idea was not acceptable to the stream. After all, it had never been absorbed before. It did not want to lose its individuality. And, once having lost it, how was one to know that it could ever be regained?

'The wind', said the sand, 'performs this function. It takes up water, carries it over the desert, and then lets it fall again. Falling as rain, the water again becomes a river.'

'How can I know that this is true?'

'It is so, and if you do not believe it, you cannot become more than a quagmire, and even that could take many, many years; and it certainly is not the same as a stream.'

'But can I not remain the same stream that I am today?'

'You cannot in either case remain so,' the whisper said. 'Your essential part is carried away and forms a stream again. You are called what you are even today because you do not know which part of you is the essential one.'

When he heard this, certain echoes began to arise in the thoughts of the stream. Dimly, he remembered a state in which he-or some part of him, was it?-had been held in the arms of a wind. He also remembered-or did he?-that this was the real thing, not necessarily the obvious thing, to do.

And the stream raised his vapour into the welcoming arms of the wind, which gently and easily bore it upwards and along, letting it fall softly as soon as they reached the roof of a mountain, many, many miles away. And because he had had his doubts, the stream was able to remember and record more strongly in his mind the details of the experience. He reflected, 'Yes, now I have learned my true identity.'

The stream was learning. But the sands whispered: 'We know, because we see it happen day after day: and because we, the sands, extend from the riverside all the way to the mountain.'

And that is why it is said that the way in which the Stream of Life is to continue on its journey is written in the Sands.


(Although many might have heard this story, or anticipated the rest of the story after reading the first quarter of it, I was compelled by the very beautiful way in which it was told to copy it down and share with the ones who love stories as I do. This tale is not from 'World Tales', the stories in which are rather long so that I need another vacation to share them :-). Instead, it is from another book also by Idries Shah, 'Tales of the Dervishes'.)

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• Yeah, it's good! Very poetically told! I enjoyed it and cannot wait for more. Thanks! - Owen 19991129093306
• 沙的故事 - He Zi 19991129122952
  • 卿是水，我是风，风扬水轻舞长空；碧水柔情沙作证，滴滴溶入我心中！谢谢！ - wind 19991129130747
    • 秋朗天高忆海风，风上云霄海连空；轻雾迷蒙凝细雨，心寄迢遥天地中。也谢谢:-) - He Zi 19991129134721
• To cross, or not to cross? - tian xin 19991129145702
  • 海阔天高风轻，道远沙沉水深；飞云浩气长虹，仙山琼楼碧空。谢谢！ - wind 19991129182216
    • Majestically goes the Wind spanning unbounded ocean and lofty heaven, - tian xin 19991129191216
      • Thanks! But your English poem is too good for me to reciprocate your kindness. Sorry;-) - wind 19991129200252
        • :-( thanks )-: - tian xin 19991129202607
  • Fresh strawberry without peels :)) - He Zi 19991129194558
    • ......and thanks:-))) - tian xin 19991129202202

Yeah, it's good! Very poetically told! I enjoyed it and cannot wait for more. Thanks!

沙的故事

卿是水，我是风，风扬水轻舞长空；碧水柔情沙作证，滴滴溶入我心中！谢谢！

秋朗天高忆海风，风上云霄海连空；轻雾迷蒙凝细雨，心寄迢遥天地中。也谢谢:-)

To cross, or not to cross?

海阔天高风轻，道远沙沉水深；飞云浩气长虹，仙山琼楼碧空。谢谢！

Majestically goes the Wind spanning unbounded ocean and lofty heaven,

Thanks! But your English poem is too good for me to reciprocate your kindness. Sorry;-)

:-( thanks )-:

Fresh strawberry without peels :))

......and thanks:-)))