Part 6 (1/2)

”Who holdeth back the pa.s.sing soul?”

And the voice of the dark bird replied:

”Her anger, for she hath not submitted to her trials, but held herself rebellious; therefore do I draw her down.”

And the voice from high paradise called out, saying:

”Is there none to come to her succor, lest she be brought to her destruction?”

And a bee humming on the hillside, hearing the voice, flew upward and stung the evil bird so it fell away into the darkness and was seen no more.

And the voice from the heavens cried again, saying:

”Who hath let the little soul go free?”

And the bee answered:

”Her gentleness, for she loveth all things, great and small, and hath fed the honey-bee when the earth refused him its sweets.”

Now, as the spirit of the little bride flew upward, freed from the grasp of the evil bird, there came upon her again the cruel claws of one of those two others that circled round her, holding her back upon her way.

”Now,” quoth she, ”I shall never see the kingdom of heaven, and cannot reach the doors of paradise,” and bitter exceedingly was her crying.

But again a voice came from the dark night, saying:

”Who holdeth back the coming soul from her place in heaven?”

And the black, evil bird answered:

”Her despair, for she hath not held her head high above her sorrows, nor hath borne in patience her griefs, but hath mourned the afflictions that were put upon her till her heart hath broken under her grief. Therefore do I draw her down.”

And the voice from high paradise called out, saying:

”Is there none, then, to save her from eternal destruction?”

And a wild bramble upon the mountain, hearing the voice, lifted itself upward, and, throwing a long spray about the evil bird, tore it so with its thorns that it loosed its claws from the wrist of the young bride and flew into the gloom.

And the voice from the heavens cried again, saying:

”Who hath let the soul go free?”

And the bramble answered, wafting the perfume of her flowers upward:

”Her sweetness, for her mind is beautiful as the song of the linnet, and she turneth her foot aside to spare the lowly blossoms.”

Now, when once more the spirit of the little bride flew upward, the last and greatest of the evil birds fell upon her, and so strong was he and so evil that she had no strength to go farther.

”Now,” quoth she, ”I am lost forever, and shall see not the fair place in paradise that was prepared for me.” And she gave a loud and despairing cry. But a voice came again from the night, and saith:

”What evil thing keepeth the flying soul upon its way?”