5
Foreword
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In
Story of an African Farm
, Olive Schrieiner (1855-1920) a noted
South African novelist, recounts the story of a hunter who goes
in search of the beautiful White Bird of Truth. All he had seen
of it was its reflection in a lake, once while he was out shooting.
He tried to catch the bird in the snares of credulity and the cage
of imagination, but he realized that the bird of truth could be
obtained only through truth. He left the valley of superstitions
and started climbing up the Mountain of Truth. He continued
climbing till he reached a high precipice. He started cutting rocks
and making steps in the stone. He continued doing this for years,
old and wizened, he managed to reach the summit. But, on arriving
there, he found another range higher than the previous one. Here,
overwhelmed by old age and weariness, he laid himself down to
die, but as he lay dying, a white feather fell close to him from above.
Now he felt sure that the bird he sought existed on the next range.
Even though he could not reach the bird of truth, he died with the
solace that those who followed him would not have to cut the first
steps. His last words were:
“Where I lie down, worn out, other men will stand young and
fresh. By the steps that I have cut they will climb. They will never
know the name of the man who made them… But they will mount
