"Dunsany, Lord - collection - Tales of Three Hemispheres" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dunsany Lord)

THERE WAS once a man who sought a boon of the gods. For peace was over the
world and all things savoured of sameness, and the man was weary at heart
and sighed for the tents and the warfields. Therefore he sought a boon of
the ancient gods. And appearing before them he said to them, "Ancient gods;
there is peace in the land where I dwell, and indeed to the uttermost parts,
and we are full weary of peace. O ancient gods, grant us war!"
And the ancient gods made him a war.
And the man went forth with his sword, and behold it was even war. And the
man remembered the little things that he knew, and thought of the quiet days
that there used to be, and at night on the hard ground dreamed of the things
of peace. And dearer and dearer grew the wonted things, the dull but easeful
things of the days of peace, and remembering these he began to regret the
war, and sought once more a boon of the ancient gods, and appearing before
them he said: "O ancient gods, indeed but a man loves best the days of
peace. Therefore take back your war and give us peace, for indeed of all
your blessedness peace is best."
And the man returned again to the haunts of peace.
But in a while the man grew weary of peace, of the things that he used to
know, and the savour of sameness again; and sighing again for the tents, and
appearing once more to the gods, he said to them: "Ancient gods; we do not
love your peace, for indeed the days are dull, and a man is best at war."
And the gods made him a war.
And there were drums again, the smoke of campfires again, wind in the waste
again, the sound of horses of war, burning cities again, and the things that
wanderers know; and the thoughts of that man went home to the ways of peace;
moss upon lawns again, light in old spires again, sun upon gardens again,
flowers in pleasant woods and sleep and the paths of peace.
And once more the man appeared to the ancient gods and sought from them one
more boon, and said to them: "Ancient gods; indeed but the world and we are
a-weary of war and long for the ancient ways and the paths of peace."
So the gods took back their war and gave him peace.
But the man took counsel one day and communed long with himself and said to
himself: "Behold, the wishes I wish, which the gods grant, are not to be
much desired; and if the gods should one day grant a wish and never revoke
it, which is a way of the gods, I should be sorely tried because of my wish;
my wishes are dangerous wishes and not to be desired."
And therefore he wrote an anonymous letter to the gods, writing: "O ancient
gods; this man that hath four times troubled you with his wishes, wishing
for peace and war, is a man that hath no reverence for the gods, speaking
ill of them on days when they do not hear, and speaking well of them on holy
days and at the appointed hours when the gods are hearkening to prayer.
Therefore grant no more wishes to this impious man."
And the days of peace wore on and there arose again from the earth, like
mist in the autumn from the fields that generations have ploughed, the
savour of sameness again. And the man went forth one morning and appeared
once more to the gods, and cried: "O ancient gods; give us but one war
again, for I would be back to the camps and debateable borders of lands."
And the gods said: "We hear not well of your way of life, yea ill things
have come to our hearing, so that we grant no more the wishes you wish."