The Earth Gods by Kahlil Gibran

Long ago, in the middle of a very dark night, three giant Gods appeared on the tops of the highest mountains. These Gods were the first masters of the world. Rivers flowed by their feet, and their heads reached high above the clouds. When they spoke, their voices sounded like distant thunder.The First God looked tired and sad. He said, "The wind is blowing from the East. I will turn my face South, because the smell of sad and dying things is coming to me."The Second God was strong and proud. He said, "No, that is the smell of burnt offerings. It smells sweet to me. I want to breathe it in. We Gods need sacrifices to feel strong. We need the humans to fear us and give us gifts."The First God shook his head. "It is the smell of humans dying. It feels heavy and bad. I wish I could stop being a God. I am tired of living forever. I wish I could just disappear into the empty sky and forget everything."The Third God, who was watching the valley below, spoke up. "Brothers, look down there. In the valley, a young man is singing. He is playing music, and his voice is beautiful."The Second God ignored him. "I will not disappear," he said. "I will rule over the earth. I will make the seasons change and the flowers grow. I will give humans happiness so they sing to us, and sadness so they pray to us. I will make their bodies weak but their spirits proud. We will be their kings forever."The First God sighed. "I have done all those things, and it feels empty. I made the humans, I scared them with storms, and I made them trust us. But it is all boring to me now. Being awake is useless, and dreaming is even worse."The Third God spoke again. "Brothers, look deeper into the trees. A girl is dancing for the moon. She has dew in her hair and moves as light as a feather."The Second God said, "Humans are like grapes we grew in a garden. Now we should drink their wine. Humans exist only to feed us with their praise. Their lives mean nothing unless they serve us.""No," said the First God. "Humans are just pain. Mothers crying, old men full of regret, young people suffering. I don't want to feed on their pain anymore."The Third God said, "The young man is singing louder now. His voice is shaking the forest."The Second God scoffed. "It is just a buzzing fly. Listen to me. We created Time. We created life. We watch humans from high up. We give them challenges to make them strong, and then we watch them struggle. That is our purpose."But the Third God kept watching. "The dancing girl has heard the singer! She is running through the woods like a happy deer to find him. She is looking for the voice."The First God cried out, "My soul is hungry and lonely! I am a ship with no wind. I am stuck here. Is there no hope for me? Who will save me from this endless watching?"The Second God answered, "Stop crying. We are the highest power. The earth is our throne. You cannot leave the humans because they need us.""Look!" shouted the Third God. "They have met! The boy and the girl are standing together. They are looking at each other in silence. The night is getting darker, but the moon is bright. Love is calling to them."The Second God said, "Let them be. We will stay here like the stars, watching them live and die. We don't need to worry."The First God said, "I am tired of waiting and watching history repeat itself. I want to rebel against this boring life."The Third God said, "You are too busy arguing to see the magic. Look at the man and the woman. They are like fire meeting fire. Love has made them equal to us. Love is not a rebellion; it is a new morning. The boy is the groom, and the girl is the bride. Today, a great thing is happening in the valley."The First God looked down finally. "The singer is shouting, and the dancer is moving. My soul feels a little peace tonight. Maybe I can sleep and see a brighter world."