lame. A second butterfly went
forth, and approached so close to the flame as to singe his wings. He
also returned, and threw a little light on the mystery of union with the
flame. But the presiding butterfly found his explanation not much more
satisfactory than the preceding one.

"A third butterfly then flew forth; he was intoxicated with love for the
flame, and flung himself wholly into it; he lost himself, and identified
himself with it. It embraced him completely, and his body became as
fiery-red as the flame itself. When the presiding butterfly saw from
afar that the flame had absorbed the devoted butterfly and communicated
its own qualities to it; 'That butterfly,' he exclaimed, 'has learnt
what he wished to know, but he alone understands it. Only he who has
lost all trace and token of his own existence knows what annihilation
is. Until thou ignorest thyself, body and soul, thou canst not know the
object which deserves thy love.'"

The foregoing terrible description of the seven mysterious valleys was
well calculated to discourage the birds, and Attar tells us that after
hearing it they stood with hearts oppressed and heads bent. "All
understood," he says, "that it was not for a feeble hand to bend this
bow. They were so terrified by the discourse of the hoopoe that a great
number died on the spot where they were assembled. As to the others, in
spite of their dismay, they consented to commence the journey. During
long years they travelled over hill and dale, and spent a great part of
their lives in pilgrimage.

"Finally, of all who set out, a very small band arrived at the goal.
Some were drowned in the ocean, others were annihilated and disappeared.
Others perished on the peaks of high mountains, devoured by thirst and a
prey to all kinds of ills.[48] Others had their plumes burnt and their
hearts dried up by the scorching heat of the sun; others fell a prey to
the wild beasts which haunted the road, falling panic-struck, without
resistance, into their claws; others died of sheer exhaustion in the
desert; others fought and killed each other madly for chance grains of
corn; others experienced all kinds of pains and fatigues, and ended by
stopping short of the goal; others, engrossed in curiosity and
pleasure, perished without thinking of the object for which they had
set out.

"When they started, their numbers were countless, but at last only
thirty arrived, and these without feathers and wings, exhausted and