Tell them I came, and no one answered, That I kept my word, " he said. Never the least stir made the listeners, Though every word he spake Fell echoing through the shadowiness of the still house From the one man left awake: Ay, they heard his foot upon the stirrup, And the sound of iron on stone, And how the silence surged softly backward, When the plunging hoofs were gone.Anonymous
About This Quote
The story of the centaur Chiron, mentioned above, offers a great illustration of the power of persistence. Chiron was a skilled and experienced hunter, but he refused to kill any living creature. Instead, he spent all his time teaching young men and women who were too proud to learn from his example. As he became old and feeble, his pride caused him to fall into the sea and be washed ashore on the island of Lemnos.
The people on that island were enchanted by his virtue. They would have gladly sheltered him forever, but they were afraid that his presence would pass them by in their own lives. Chiron appealed to them to let him teach their young men and women the virtues of temperance, justice, courage, wisdom, and self-control.
He said that if they learned these virtues in these students, they would have a better chance against adversity in their own lives. If they did not live up to these principles in their own sons and daughters, they would certainly be failing in Chiron’s honor.
Source: The Listeners And Other Poems
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