The Arrow and the Song

by Henry W. Longfellow

I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.

I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong
That it can follow the flight of song?

Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroke;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.

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Every Saturday is Poetry Day here at the Literature Daily blog. Tomorrow look for another installment from the great Arab book Thousand and One Nights.

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Counting on His Family

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
by Luo Guanzhong
Today's excerpt from Chapter 5.  Previously

3
One day, a man from the Kingdom of Wei in Yangping Commandery offered his service to Cao Cao; his surname was Yue, his given name was Jin, and his style name was Wenqian. Another man, from Juye in Shanyang Commandery, also offered his service to Cao Cao; his surname was Li, his given name was Dian, and his style name was Mancheng. Cao kept them both as field generals. There was also a man from Qiao in the State of Pei; his name was Xiahou Dun, and his style name was Yuanrang; he was a descendant of Xiahou Ying. He had trained with the spear and staff since he was little. When he was fourteen, he found a teacher, and began his formal training in the military arts. A person had insulted his teacher, so Dun killed him and fled the area. When he heard that Cao Cao was raising an army, he and his younger kinsman, Xiahou Yuan, each came with one thousand fierce warriors. These two men were originally kinsmen of Cao's. Cao's father, Cao Song was originally a son of the Xiahou clan, adopted into the Cao family; because of this, they were kinsmen.

4
After not more than a few days, two other members of the Cao family, Cao Renand and Cao Hong, lent their assistance by each leading more than a thousand troops. Cao Ren's style name was Zixiao, and Cao Hong's style name was Zilian. The two of them were highly skilled in warfare, and proficient in all of the military arts. Cao was overjoyed, and began training the soldiers and cavalry right there within the village. Wei Hong used a considerable amount of his family's financial resources to purchase body armor and banners. Provisions came from all over, in numbers too great to count.

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Continued next week. Tomorrow is Poetry Day here at Literature Daily.

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This is one of four great novels from China, published when it was the most highly civilization in the world. Map shows China at the time of this story.

Chapter Summary: A forged imperial edict is issued: all towns respond to Lord Cao; breaking through the soldiers at the pass: three heroes battle Lü Bu.

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This translation from Wikipedia. See license CC-BY-SA.

The Cowardly Lion Wakes

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
by L. Frank Baum

Today's selection from Chapter 10. The Guardian of the Gate. Previously

It was some time before the Cowardly Lion awakened, for he had lain among the poppies a long while, breathing in their deadly fragrance; but when he did open his eyes and roll off the truck he was very glad to find himself still alive.

"I ran as fast as I could," he said, sitting down and yawning, "but the flowers were too strong for me. How did you get me out?"

Then they told him of the field mice, and how they had generously saved him from death; and the Cowardly Lion laughed, and said:

"I have always thought myself very big and terrible; yet such little things as flowers came near to killing me, and such small animals as mice have saved my life. How strange it all is! But, comrades, what shall we do now?"

"We must journey on until we find the road of yellow brick again," said Dorothy, "and then we can keep on to the Emerald City."

So, the Lion being fully refreshed, and feeling quite himself again, they all started upon the journey, greatly enjoying the walk through the soft, fresh grass; and it was not long before they reached the road of yellow brick and turned again toward the Emerald City where the Great Oz dwelt.

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Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from Romance of the Three Kingdoms the great Chinese novel from the Middle Ages.

Remember Judy Garland's breakout movie of 1939; why wasn't the rest of Baum's Oz books made into movies?

Illustrated: cover of the book's first edition in 1900.

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“Oh, Go to Bed!”

Innocents Abroad
by Mark Twain

You're reading from chapter 10. Previously

We passed the Fourth of July on board the Quaker City, in mid-ocean. It was in all respects a characteristic Mediterranean day—faultlessly beautiful. A cloudless sky; a refreshing summer wind; a radiant sunshine that glinted cheerily from dancing wavelets instead of crested mountains of water; a sea beneath us that was so wonderfully blue, so richly, brilliantly blue, that it overcame the dullest sensibilities with the spell of its fascination.

They even have fine sunsets on the Mediterranean--a thing that is certainly rare in most quarters of the globe. The evening we sailed away from Gibraltar, that hard-featured rock was swimming in a creamy mist so rich, so soft, so enchantingly vague and dreamy, that even the Oracle, that serene, that inspired, that overpowering humbug, scorned the dinner gong and tarried to worship!

He said: "Well, that's gorgis, ain't it! They don't have none of them things in our parts, do they? I consider that them effects is on account of the superior refragability, as you may say, of the sun's diramic combination with the lymphatic forces of the perihelion of Jubiter. What should you think?"

"Oh, go to bed!" Dan said that, and went away.

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Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

More About This Book

This travelogue cemented this rising author's reputation when it was published in 1869.

Chapter Summary: Fourth of July at Sea--Mediterranean Sunset--The "Oracle" is Delivered of an Opinion--Celebration Ceremonies--The Captain's Speech--France in Sight--The Ignorant Native--In Marseilles--Another Blunder--Lost in the Great City--Found Again--A Frenchy Scene

Photo: Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) by Matthew Brady Feb. 7, 1871.

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A Hundred Louis

The Three Musketeers
by Alexandre Dumas

Today's excerpt is from Chapter 41.

"Yes; if you think existence worth anything to a man of twenty, as you are, and who may hope for everything, being handsome and brave, as you are."

"Wretch," cried d'Artagnan, "speak quickly! Who employed you to assassinate me?"

"A woman whom I don't know, but who is called Milady."

"But if you don't know this woman, how do you know her name?"

"My comrade knows her, and called her so. It was with him she agreed, and not with me; he even has in his pocket a letter from that person, who attaches great importance to you, as I have heard him say."

"But how did you become concerned in this villainous affair?"

"He proposed to me to undertake it with him, and I agreed."

"And how much did she give you for this fine enterprise?"

"A hundred louis."

"Well, come!" said the young man, laughing, "she thinks I am worth something. A hundred louis? Well, that was a temptation for two wretches like you. I understand why you accepted it, and I grant you my pardon; but upon one condition."

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Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain.

More About This Book

This French novel, written in 1844 has been the subject of numerous movies. The 2004 Disney poster advertises the latest.

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That’s Ulysses; Now Who’s Ajax?

The Illiad
by Homer

We are journeying through Book 3. Previously

On this Antenor said, "Madam, you have spoken truly. Ulysses once came here as envoy about yourself, and Menelaus with him. I received them in my own house, and therefore know both of them by sight and conversation. When they stood up in presence of the assembled Trojans, Menelaus was the broader shouldered, but when both were seated Ulysses had the more royal presence. After a time they delivered their message, and the speech of Menelaus ran trippingly on the tongue; he did not say much, for he was a man of few words, but he spoke very clearly and to the point, though he was the younger man of the two; Ulysses, on the other hand, when he rose to speak, was at first silent and kept his eyes fixed upon the ground. There was no play nor graceful movement of his sceptre; he kept it straight and stiff like a man unpracticed in oratory--one might have taken him for a mere churl or simpleton; but when he raised his voice, and the words came driving from his deep chest like winter snow before the wind, then there was none to touch him, and no man thought further of what he looked like."

Priam then caught sight of Ajax and asked, "Who is that great and goodly warrior whose head and broad shoulders tower above the rest of the Argives?"

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Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas.

More About This Book

From the earliest days of Ancient Greece, the author(s) of this poem were contemporaries of the writers of the Bible's Old Testament.

Summary of Third Book: Alexandria, also called Paris, challenges Menelaus--Helen and Priam view the Achaeans from the wall--The covenant--Paris and Menelaus fight, and Paris is worsted--Venus carries him off to save him--Scene between him and Helen.

Painting: The Wrath of Achilles by Michael Drolling, 1819.

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Do Not Slay Me

Thousand and One Nights

Today's excerpt is from the story of The Porter And The Three Ladies Of Baghdad.

'By Allah, O my lady,' exclaimed the porter 'do not slay me for another's fault, for all have erred and offended save myself. And by Allah, our night would have been a pleasant one, had we not been afflicted with these Calenders, whose presence is enough to lay a flourishing city in ruins.' And he repeated the following verses:

How fair a thing is mercy to the great! And how much more to those of low estate!
By all the love that has between us been, Doom not the guiltless to the guilty's fate!

When the lady heard this, she laughed, in spite of her anger, and coming up to the guests, said to them, 'Tell me who you are, for ye have but a little while to live, and were you not men of rank and consideration, you had never dared to act thus.'

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Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from The Illiad by Homer.

More About This Book

From the Arab world: these stories date back to the Middle Ages.

Picture: Queen Scheherazade tells her stories to King Shahryār.

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