howmanythingsweretobeseenhere!andsodifferenttothemererepresentationofpicturessuchasthoseinhisfather'shouse.atfirsthenearlylosthiseyesinastonishmentattherubbishandmockerybroughtforwardtorepresentthebeautiful;buthekepthiseyes,andsoonfoundfullemploymentforthem.hewishedtogothoroughlyandhonestlytoworkinhisendeavortounderstandthetrue,thebeautiful,andthegood.buthowweretheyrepresentedintheworld?heobservedthatthewreathwhichrightlybelongedtothebeautifulwasoftengiventhehideous;thatthegoodwasoftenpassedbyunnoticed,whilemediocritywasapplauded,whenitshouldhavebeenhissed.peoplelookatthedress,notatthewearer;thoughtmoreofanamethanofdoingtheirduty;andtrustedmoretoreputationthantorealservice.itwaseverywherethesame.

"iseeimustmakearegularattackonthesethings,"saidhe;andheaccordinglydidnotsparethem.butwhilelookingforthetruth,cametheevilone,thefatheroflies,tointercepthim.gladlywouldthefiendhavepluckedouttheeyesofthisseer,butthatwouldhavebeenatoostraightforwardpathforhim;heworksmoreallowedtheyoungmantoseekfor,anddiscover,thebeautifulandthegood;butwhilehewascontemplatingthem,theevilspiritblewonemoteafteranotherintoeachofhiseyes;andsuchaproceedingwouldinjurethestrongestsight.thenheblewuponthemotes,andtheybecamebeams,sothattheclearnessofhissightwasgone,andtheseerwaslikeablindmanintheworld,andhadnolongeranyfaithinit.hehadlosthisgoodopinionoftheworld,aswellasofhimself;andwhenamangivesuptheworld,andhimselftoo,itisalloverwithhim.

"allover,"saidthewildswan,whoflewacrosstheseatotheeast.

"allover,"twitteredtheswallows,whowerealsoflyingeastwardtowardsthetreeofthesun.itwasnogoodnewswhichtheycarriedhome.

"ithinktheseerhasbeenbadlyserved,"saidthesecondbrother,"butthehearermaybemoresuccessful."

thisonepossessedthesenseofhearingtoaveryhighdegree:soacutewasthissense,thatitwassaidhecouldhearthegrassgrow.hetookafondleaveofallathome,androdeaway,providedwithgoodabilitiesandgoodintentions.theswallowsescortedhim,andhefollowedtheswanstillhefoundhimselfoutintheworld,andfarawayfromhome.buthesoondiscoveredthatonemayhavetoomuchofagoodthing.hishearingwastoofine.henotonlyheardthegrassgrow,butcouldheareveryman'sheartbeat,whetherinsorroworinjoy.thewholeworldwastohimlikeaclockmaker'sgreatworkshop,inwhichalltheclocksweregoing"tick,tick,"andalltheturretclocksstriking"ding,dong."itwasunbearable.foralongtimehisearsenduredit,butatlastallthenoiseandtumultbecametoomuchforonemantobear.

therewererascallyboysofsixtyyearsold-foryearsdonotalonemakeaman-whoraisedatumult,whichmighthavemadethehearerlaugh,butfortheapplausewhichfollowed,echoingthrougheverystreetandhouse,andwasevenheardincountryroads.falsehoodthrustitselfforwardandplayedthehypocrite;thebellsonthefool'scapjingled,anddeclaredtheywerechurch-bells,andthenoisebecamesobadforthehearerthathethrusthisfingersintohisears.still,hecouldhearfalsenotesandbadsinging,gossipandidlewords,scandalandslander,groaningandmoaning,withoutandwithin."heavenhelpus!"