Kim Page #5

The world is too full of holy men who

expect to eat the food of those who toil.

- Is he very ill?

- Nay.

- Perhaps the devil's entered into him.

- It is only his father's temper.

Such a handsome baby,

but I fear he's very ill.

I've seen things like this before.

What evil hangs over us, my little frog?

Hush, my little owl.

My lama's a very great and holy man.

Only yesterday, a woman came to him

with a great, burning pain here.

After the holy man blessed her,

the evil came out...

and ran away in the shape

of a green mouse.

I saw it with my own eyes.

- Where is your lama?

- At the gate.

Last week, he made a blind man see...

and took in payment a handful of rice.

Thy blessing on this child, Holy One.

A blessing on this and all children.

Thou art indeed a wonderful provider.

The Grand Trunk Road...

running straight across India

for 1,500 miles.

Such a river of life

as exists nowhere else in the world.

They walked in silence.

The lama, as usual, deep in meditation.

There were new sights at every stride.

The drum and flute

of a marriage procession mingled...

with the laughter of the dancing girls

as they journeyed to a village wedding.

Of the five million holy men in India...

none were more startling than the sadhus,

with their weird antics.

Kim's eyes were bright and wide open...

drinking in the sights

of this endless highway.

Kim and his lama rubbed elbows

with all humanity...

from the lowly beggar to the maharajah...

who traveled the Grand Trunk Road

in lordly state...

accepting homage from those who passed,

and giving alms to those who pled.

Only when the lama saw a river

or a stream did they pause.

Chela, look, another river!

India's full of rivers.

Perhaps it is the one I seek.

Tell me, little mother,

is this the River of the Arrow?

The River of the Arrow?

No, that is the Chambok River.

The sacred river would not be known

as the River of the Arrow.

But I shall be given the power

to know it when I see it.

What ails your holy man?

He's quite sane until he sees a river.

Then he's quite mad.

See, Holy One?

It's just another little stream.

No, Holy One, don't go there!

See, a cobra. King cobra.

No.

Let him live out his life.

He's bound up on the wheel of life

as we are.

Great evil must this soul have done

to be reborn in this shape.

No, Holy One, don't go.

Please!

May thy release come soon.

Never have I seen such a holy man.

Do even the snakes understand your talk?

Who knows?

Come.

No, I will go around.

Come. He will do thee no hurt.

Be not afraid. Come.

Oh, Holy One!

After the miracle of the cobra,

there grew in the boy's heart...

a real love for the old priest.

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