February 23
The sage does not hoard. The more he does for others, the more he has; the more he gives, the richer he becomes.
Daodejing (freely rendered)
A Hole in the Fence
The sage does not hoard. The more he does for others, the more he has; the more he gives, the richer he becomes.
As a child, in the garden of his family's house in Temuco, Pablo Neruda discovered a hole in the board fence. Suddenly a small hand appeared in it. When he came closer, it was gone. Left behind was a white toy sheep. Its wool was faded, its wheels were missing. To the boy it was a wonderful gift.
He ran into the house and fetched one of his treasures: an open pine cone that smelled of resin. He laid it in the same spot. Then he went off with the sheep.
He never saw the small hand again. He later lost the sheep in a fire. Decades afterwards he was still looking in toy shops for one like it.
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