Citations & Reference:"'Here is a pretty state of things,' the Traveller told me something when one day, he travelled into the peated woods of Lamuri, in the dry season, when the Monsoons were blowing strong," the Moon began her paper-back story, after saying Basmalah and greeting with a Salaam. "He had ridden a long way, and he was tired and hungry, and dismounted from his horse to smoke a pipe. But when he felt in his pocket, he found but two matches. He struck the first, and it would not light.'Dying for a smoke; only one match left; and that certain to miss fire! Was there ever a creature so unfortunate? And yet,' thought the traveller, 'suppose, I light this match, and smoke my pipe, and shake out the dottle here in the grass—the grass might catch on fire, for it is dry like tinder ; and while I snatch out the flames in front, they might evade and run behind me, and seize upon yon bush of poison oak; before I could reach it, that would have blazed up; over the bush.I see a pine tree hung with moss; that too would fly in fire upon the instant to its topmost bough; and the flame of that long torch—how would the Monsoon take and brandish that through the inflammable forest! I hear this dell roar in a moment with the joint voice of wind and fire, I see myself gallop for my soul, and the flying conflagration chase and outflank me through the hills. The fire soared, crossed to a neighboring country, for a drop of cooking oil, for a fog of arrogance and greed, for the division of land that, accidantly, Mukeedee threw as he was carried away by his feelings when criticized.I see this pleasant forest burn for days, and the cattle roasted, and the springs dried up, and the farmer ruined, and his children cast upon the world. How sad the Mother Earth, tears in her eyes, remembering her lost gold-diamonds, seeing all this!'The Traveller paused for a moment, then said to me, 'O orb of the night! Hear the following story,There was once a sick man in a burning house, to whom there, entered a fireman. 'Do not save me,' said the sick man. 'Save those who are strong.’'Will you kindly tell me why?' inquired the fireman, for he was a civil fellow.'Nothing could possibly be fairer,' said the sick man. 'The strong should be preferred in all cases, because they are of more service in the world.'The fireman pondered a while, for he was a man of some philosophy. 'Granted,' said he at last, as a part of the roof fell in, 'but for the sake of conversation, what would you lay down as the proper service of the strong? ''Nothing can possibly be easier,' returned the sick man, 'THE PROPER SERVICE OF THE STRONG IS TO HELP THE WEAK.'Again the fireman reflected, for there was nothing hasty about this excellent creature. 'I could forgive you being sick,” he said at last, as a portion of the wall fell out, 'but I cannot bear your being such a fool.’ And with that, he heaved up his fireman’s axe, for he was eminently just, and clove the sick man to the bed.'The Traveler looked around, the wind blowing his face, and tossing his hair. With that, he struck the last match, and it missed fire. 'Thank God,' said the traveller, and put his pipe in his pocket. Then he climbed into his vehicle, spurred it on, humming,Hutan, gunung, sawah, lautan[Forests, mountains, farms, and seas]Simpanan kekayaan[Home of richness]Kini, Ibu sedang lara[Now, Mother is grieving]Merintih dan berdoa *)[Groaning and praying]The Moon closed with the words, "O thee, the seekers of Truth, be persistent and enthusiastic, for thou art the Strong! And Allah knows best."
- Robert Louis Stevenson, Fables, Charles Scribner's Sons
*) "Ibu Pertiwi" written by Kamsidi Samsuddin
