what became of the ear?" asked the Damsel.

"The ear fared better. Another man of greater shrewdness came along,
and, although he had two ears of his own, he said, 'A third will not
come amiss,' and he picked up the ear and heard with three ears instead
of two. So he became knowing and clever because of the information he
acquired in this way. The grafted ear grew and flourished, and, in spite
of its remaining abnormal, it obtained a certain enjoyment out of
existence."

"But who _really_ benefited by all this?" inquired the Damsel.

"No one," said the Sage; "the first man went about with only one ear;
the second man made himself remarkable with three--and the cut-off ear,
although alive and successful, felt itself an excrescence."

"Then what _could_ be the pleasure of it all?" demanded the Damsel.

"Out upon _you_!" exclaimed the Sage, in a passion. "You asked me what
was life--and why the fruit tasted bitter in the mouth? I have answered
you."

And he went back into his cave and barred the door.

The Damsel sat down upon a stone outside.

"It seems to me that men are fools," she said, and she clapped her hands
to her two ears. "When I am angry and offended with one of you, I will
cut the ear from off the head of some one else."

And she picked up an apple and ate it. And it tasted sweet.

* * * * *

_A man will often fling away a woman who has wronged him although in
doing so he is deeply hurting himself. A woman will forgive a man who
has wronged her because her own personal pleasure in him is greater than
her outraged pride. Hence women are more unconscious philosophers than
men._

* * * * *

The Damsel returned again to the cave of the Sage. There were other
questions she wished to ask about life. The door was hard to push ajar,
but at last she obtained entrance.

"What do you want now?" he demanded, with a voice of grumbling. "Were
you not content with my last utterances?"

"Yes--and no," said the Damsel. "I came to quite other conclusions
myself. I would have kept the ear on my head, since cutting one off,
however it had angered me, would have upset my own comfort."

"We have finished with that matter now," said the Sage, showing signs of
impatience--he was still a man. "What next?"

"I want to know," said the Damsel, "why a woman who has Diamonds and
Pearls and Emeralds and Rubies in her possession should set such store
upon a T