Page:Von Heidenstam - Sweden's laureate, selected poems of Verner von Heidenstam (1919).djvu/75

 Sheik Rifat Hassan, who died long ago. He knelt and sobbed: "Oh Munkar, I lived the first forty years of my life in such a whirl of pleasure that for the remaining forty I had to go about as a sick beggar."

Then answered Munkar: "My friend, to sacrifice the worst forty years of one's life in order to have double enjoyment from the best is no frivolity. That is taking life seriously."

After that the Recording Angels for the third time summoned the most frivolous man living. But no one answered. There was silence over all the earth.

For the fourth and fifth time they repeated the summons without answer. They only heard in the distance a lengthy, apathetic yawning, and a ridiculous, emaciated old man approached. He stood still and cried out insolently and defiantly: "What is it ye desire to know? Ask of me! I am Diogenes and am so wise that I scorn the pleasures of life."

Then answered Nekir: "In that thou deemest thyself wise, thou art a blockhead. In that thou failest to make use of well-tasting meat and drink, of beautiful furnishings and garments and all the trifles that in their measure gladden the short space of life, thou art frivolous."

Therewith Nekir dipped his pen and inscribed in his book the following: Number 5,989,700,402. Diogenes. The world's most frivolous man.