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Topic: Time-consuming (02/24/11)
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TITLE: Wisest of the Wise | Previous Challenge Entry
By Shanta Richard
03/01/11 -
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One day he watched ants march across a forest trail, carrying a piece of a leaf high above their heads, like a banner. He followed them to their destination, an anthill, which apparently was their home. He took a long piece of hollow reed and passing it through the side of the anthill he was able to see into the anthill. He saw them place the leaves along with other older ones covered with mold. Looking closely he found tiny, chubby insects feeding happily on the mold. As he watched he saw the ants gently stroke them, and suck up a shiny liquid that the insects secreted. The ants took this mouthful of food to their babies and fed them.
“Amazing,” said Agur, “but time consuming.”
Walking along the river bank one day, Agur saw a beaver build a dam. He saw a big tree trunk that had been chewed all around until it fell down across the river. Using this tree as a foundation, the beaver was building his dam with twigs, leaves and moss. The beaver swam upstream by the river and dived into the water and disappeared. A little while later, Agur saw him further upstream inside a small island built of twigs moss and clay. There seemed to be a small tunnel connecting the island to the river bank. The beaver had dived into the entrance of the tunnel and clamored up and entered his home. His home was now safe from predators from land and sea. But to ensure this he had keep the water level above the tunnel entrance and below the lodge that was his home. The dam was the solution.
“Amazing,” said Agur, “but time consuming.”
To find respite from the noontide heat, Agur sat under a tree.
He looked up and saw a spider spinning his web among the branches. The spider jumped from branch to branch and secured the threads he had spun. Walking to the middle of this thread formation, he floated down spinning the thread as he came down. When he reached the desired length he gently swung from side to side like a pendulum until he got a foothold He fastened the thread there and ran up to the center. He repeated the process until he had the set up the framework for the web. Then he went around weaving the threads together to form his home. He made his nest in the middle and lay down to rest. Soon little insects came flying by and got entangled in the web and the spider had his food delivered to his doorstep.
“Amazing,” said Agur, “but time consuming.”
All night long Agur heard the locusts playing their winged instruments. They practiced and practiced until they were perfect. They had learnt to be faultless in their uniformity and coordination. So when they went out to forage for food they did not need a king to lead them. They rose together and flew straight ahead.
“Amazing,” said Agur, “but time consuming.”
Agur went home and considered all that he had seen. He realized that to achieve the benefits of wisdom it had to be practiced. Only the wisest of the wise know that acquiring wisdom is time consuming. Having arrived at this conclusion, Agur dipped his quill in his inkpot and continued to write the thirtieth chapter of the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament.
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