And I said, "Surely he who stands beside her will help her?"

And he beside me answered, "He cannot help her: she must help herself.
Let her struggle till she is strong."

And I cried, "At least he will not hinder her! See, he moves farther from
her, and tightens the cord between them, and he drags her down."

And he answered, "He does not understand. When she moves she draws the
band that binds them, and hurts him, and he moves farther from her. The
day will come when he will understand, and will know what she is doing.
Let her once stagger on to her knees. In that day he will stand close to
her, and look into her eyes with sympathy."

And she stretched her neck, and the drops fell from her. And the creature
rose an inch from the earth and sank back.

And I cried, "Oh, she is too weak! she cannot walk! The long years have
taken all her strength from her. Can she never move?"

And he answered me, "See the light in her eyes!"

And slowly the creature staggered on to its knees.

And I awoke: and all to the east and to the west stretched the barren
earth, with the dry bushes on it. The ants ran up and down in the red
sand, and the heat beat fiercely. I looked up through the thin branches of
the tree at the blue sky overhead. I stretched myself, and I mused over
the dream I had had. And I fell asleep again, with my head on my saddle.
And in the fierce heat I had another dream.