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43
the scarecrow
“Was woman born to be an
artiste?”
“All women are artistes.
Woman is a born artiste.””
“ T ime has s lung i t s
catastrophes at me on three
occasions in one span. The
first was the day we elevated
above us the Spirit World’s
emissary, who stripped me of
all my titles. The second was
the day I imagined that one
man could rescue another
from an ailment, affliction, or
any other loathsome condition
and therefore accepted for
my affliction medicine that
blinded me and confined me
to the abode of tenebrous
darkness. Now time has
struck me for a third time and
stolen from my bedchamber
a beloved whose chastity was
proverbial among the tribes.”
“Catastrophes refuse to
descend to the campsites
singly.”
“We always badmouth time’s
treachery but do not swallow
the bitterness of this treachery
till time betrays us.”
“Did you believe that heroism
consists of withstanding
the thrusts of spears or the
blades of swords? Today, do
you believe that true heroism
means bearing the blows of
the age—not those of people
armed with weapons?”
“That’s true. The masses puff
us up with their cheap praise.
Then we believe the lie and
strut among people with all
the arrogance of peacocks.
We do not discover the fraud
till the Spirit World frowns
and inflicts punishment on
the empty lands.”
“Here, at last, you speak with
the tongue of wisdom.”
“But why doesn’t wisdom