But it was poetry with a _tendency_, the _mashal_, or proverb-parable, being what the Rabbis themselves termed it, "the clear small light by which lost jewels can be found." The following is a parable of Hillel, which is here cited more to mention that noble, gentle Sage than as a specimen of this class of literature.

Hillel belongs to a period earlier than that dealt with in this book, but his loving and pure spirit breathes through the pages of the Talmud and Midrash: Hillel, the gentle, the beloved sage, Expounded day by day the sacred page To his disciples in the house of learning; And day by day, when home at eve returning, They lingered, clustering round him, loth to part From him whose gentle rule won every heart.
But evermore, when they were wont to plead For longer converse, forth he went with speed, Saying each day: "I go--the hour is late-- To tend the guest who doth my coming wait," Until at last they said: "The Rabbi jests, When telling us thus daily of his guests That wait for him." The Rabbi paused awhile, And then made answer: "Think you I beguile You with an idle tale?
Not so, forsooth! I have a guest whom I must tend in truth.
Is not the soul of man indeed a guest, Who in this body deigns a while to rest, And dwells with me all peacefully to-day: To-morrow--may it not have fled away ?" Space must be found for one other parable, taken (like many other poetical quotations in this volume) from Mrs.Lucas' translations: Simeon ben Migdal, at the close of day, Upon the shores of ocean chanced to stray, And there a man of form and mien uncouth, Dwarfed and misshapen, met he on the way.
"Hail, Rabbi," spoke the stranger passing by, But Simeon thus, discourteous, made reply: "Say, are there in thy city many more, Like unto thee, an insult to the eye ?" "Nay, that I cannot tell," the wand'rer said, "But if thou wouldst ply the scorner's trade, Go first and ask the Master Potter why He has a vessel so misshapen made ?" Then (so the legend tells) the Rabbi knew That he had sinned, and prone himself he threw Before the other's feet, and prayed of him Pardon for the words that now his soul did rue.
But still the other answered as before: "Go, in the Potter's ear thy plaint outpour, For what am I! His hand has fashioned me, And I in humble faith that hand adore." Brethren, do we not often too forget Whose hand it is that many a time has set A radiant soul in an unlovely form, A fair white bird caged in a mouldering net?
Nay more, do not life's times and chances, sent By the great Artificer with intent That they should prove a blessing, oft appear To us a burden that we sore lament?
Ah! soul, poor soul of man! what heavenly fire Would thrill thy depths and love of God inspire, Could'st thou but see the Master hand revealed, Majestic move "earth's scheme of things entire." It cannot be! Unseen he guideth us, But yet our feeble hands, the luminous Pure lamp of faith can light to glorify The narrow path that he has traced for us.
Finally, there are the _Beast Fables_ of the Talmud and the Midrash.
Most of these were borrowed directly or indirectly from India.

We are told in the Talmud that Rabbi Meir knew three hundred Fox Fables, and that with his death (about 290 C.E.) "fabulists ceased to be," Very few of Meir's fables are extant, so that it is impossible to gather whether or not they were original.

There are only thirty fables in the Talmud and the Midrash, and of these several cannot be parallelled in other literatures.

Some of the Talmudic fables are found also in the classical and the earliest Indian collections; some in the later collections; some in the classics, but not in the Indian lists; some in India, but not in the Latin and Greek authors.