Tall was my camel and laden high, And small the gate as a needle's eye. The city within was very fair, And I and my camel would enter there. "You must lower your load," the porter cried, "You must throw away that bundle of pride." This I did, but the load was great, Far too wide for the narrow gate. "Now," said the porter, "to make it less, Discard that hamper of selfishness." I obeyed, though with much ado, Yet still nor camel nor I got through. "Ah," said the porter, "your load must hold Some little package of trust-in-gold." The merest handful was all I had, Yet, "Throw it away," the porter bade. Then, lo, a marvel! the camel tall Shrank to the size of the portal small, And all my riches, a vast estate, Easily passed through the narrow gate! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...MY SENSES DO NOT DECEIVE ME by MARIANNE MOORE ONCE BY THE PACIFIC by ROBERT FROST THE UNFORGIVEN by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH THE STEAM-ENGINE: CANTO 10. THE RAILWAY BOOM, 1845 by T. BAKER THE NEST by JULIEN AUGUSTE PELAGE BRIZEUX ON THE DEATH OF ANNE BRONTE by CHARLOTTE BRONTE THE CANTERBURY TALES: THE KNIGHT'S TALE by GEOFFREY CHAUCER THE PRESENT AND THE PAST IN THE TWELFTH CENTURY by CHRETIEN DE TROYES THE MAN; ADDRESSED TO MY ALMA MATER by SAMUEL VALENTINE COLE |