to collect pine cones for the fire. As these were gathered
daily the supply immediately near the house was scanty, therefore he
had, while searching for more, wandered further from his home than
usual. The first sight of the extraordinary blaze astonished him. He
had never seen anything like it before, and the steady, unwinking glare
aroused his fear and curiosity equally. Curiosity will conquer fear
even more than bravery will; indeed, it has led many people into dangers
which mere physical courage would shudder away from, for hunger and love
and curiosity are the great impelling forces of life. When the little
boy found that the light did not move he drew closer to it, and at last,
emboldened by curiosity, he stepped right into it and found that it was
not a thing at all. The instant that he stepped into the light he found
it was hot, and this so frightened him that he jumped out of it again
and ran behind a tree. Then he jumped into it for a moment and out of it
again, and for nearly half an hour he played a splendid game of tip and
tig with the sunlight. At last he grew quite bold and stood in it and
found that it did not burn him at all, but he did not like to remain
in it, fearing that he might be cooked. When he went home with the pine
cones he said nothing to the Grey Woman of Dun Gortin or to the Thin
Woman of Inis Magrath or to the two Philosophers, but he told the little
girl all about it when they went to bed, and every day afterwards they
used to go and play with the sunlight, and the rabbits and the squirrels
would follow them there and join in their games with twice the interest
they had shown before.

CHAPTER II

To the lonely house in the pine wood people sometimes came for advice
on subjects too recondite for even those extremes of elucidation, the
parish priest and the tavern. These people were always well received,
and their perplexities were attended to instantly, for the Philosophers
liked being wise and they were not ashamed to put their learning to
the proof, nor were they, as so many wise people are, fearful lest they
should become poor or less respected by giving away their knowledge.
These were favourite maxims with them:

You must be fit to give before you can be fit to receive.

Knowledge becomes lumber in a week, therefore, get rid of it.

The box must be emptied before it can be refilled.

Refilling is progress.

A sword, a spade, and a thought should never be allowed to rust.