Machaho Tellem Chaho

"Two men riding donkeys met one day on a narrow mountain trail. They greeted each other in the customary way, asking about each other's family, and health, and cattle. They began to speak of the crops and the rainfall, and as they talked they noticed that their donkeys put their heads together and sniffed at one another. One of the men became very annoyed at this, and he said irritably: - Isn't it enough that you and I have already greeted each other? Why is it necessary for our animals to carry on a conversation too? The other man smiled and said: - You don't know the reason? Well, I will tell you. You see, donkeys have been beasts of burden for a long while. Many years ago they had a great meeting and selected one of their members to go to God to plead with him that all donkey should be freed from the cruelty and tyranny of men. The years have gone by, but their messenger hasn't come back yet. And now whenever donkeys meet on the road or in the market plac...

"Look at the lion in the iron cage, look deep into his eyes: like two naked steel daggers they sparkle with anger. But he never loses his dignity although his anger comes and goes goes and comes. You couldn't find a place for a collar round his thick, furry mane. Although the scars of a whip still burn on his yellow back his long legs stretch and end in the shape of two copper claws. The hairs on his mane rise one by one around his proud head. His hatred comes and goes goes and comes ... The shadow of my brother on the wall of the dungeon moves up and down up and down." Nazim Hikmet, Turkish poet, 1902-1963