A Necessary Distance

Click on photo to enlarge.

~ End Quote

[photo: Emerald Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, 2007]

Where the Chameleon Flies

"This lives on air, and there it is the prey of all the birds; so in order to be safer it flies above the clouds and finds an air so rarefied that it cannot support the bird that follows it. At that height nothing can go unless it has a gift from Heaven, and that is where the chameleon flies.”
~ Leonardo da Vinci, Studies on the Life and Habits of Animals


The Chameleon
by James Merrick (1720-1769)

Oft has it been my lot to mark
A proud, conceited, talking spark,
With eyes that hardly served at most
To guard their master 'gainst a post;
Yet round the world the blade has been.
To see whatever could be seen.
Returning from his finish'd tour,
Grown ten times perter than before,
Whatever word you chance to drop,
The travell'd fool your mouth will stop.
" Sir, if my judgment you'll allow,
I've seen, and sure I ought to know."
So begs you'd pay a due submission,
And acquiesce in his decision.

Two travellers of such a cast,
As o'er Arabia's wilds they pass'd,
And on their way, in friendly chat,
Now talk'd of this, and then of that,
Discoursed awhile, 'mongst other matter,
Of the Chameleon's form and nature.

" A stranger animal," cries one,
" Sure never lived beneath the sun:
A lizard's body lean and long,
A fish's head, a serpent's tongue,
Its foot with triple claw disjoin'd,
And what a length of tail behind!
How slow its pace! And then its hue!
Who ever saw so fine a blue ? "

"Hold, there! " the other quick replies;
" 'Tis green; I saw it with these eyes,
As late with open mouth it lay,
And warm'd it in the sunny ray.
Stretch'd at its ease the beast I view'd,
And saw it eat the air for food."

" I've seen it, sir, as well as you,
And must again affirm it blue.
At leisure I the beast survey'd
Extended in the cooling shade."

" 'Tis green, 'tis green, sir, I assure ye."

" Green! " cries the other in a fury;
"Why, sir, d'ye think I've lost my eyes?"

" 'Twere no great loss," the friend replies;
" For if they always serve you thus,
You'll find them but of little use."

So high at last the contest rose,
From words they almost came to blows,
When luckily came by a third;
To him the question they referr'd,
And begg'd he'd tell them, if he knew,
Whether the thing was green or blue.

" Sirs," cries the umpire, "cease your pother;
The creature's neither one nor t'other.
I caught the animal last night,
And view'd it o'er by candle-light.
I mark'd it well; 'twas black as jet.
You stare ! But, sirs, I've got it yet,
And can produce it."

" Pray, sir, do;
I'll lay my life the thing is blue."

" And I'll be sworn, that when you've seen
The reptile, you'll pronounce him green."

" Well, then, at once to ease the doubt,"
Replies the man, " I'll turn him out;
And when before your eyes I've set him,
If you don't find him black, I'll eat him."
He said; and full before their sight
Produced the beast, and lo! 'twas white.
Both stared; the man look'd wondrous wise.

" My children," the Chameleon cries
(Then first the creature found a tongue),
" You all are right, and all are wrong.
When next you talk of what you view,
Think others see as well as you;
Nor wonder if you find that none
Prefers your eyesight to his own."


I leave all of this for my readers to ponder without comment from the Mole. ;-)

~ End Quote

Mola Lisa

“The mole has very small eyes and it always lives under ground; and it lives as long as it is in the dark but when it comes into the light it dies immediately, because it becomes known -- and so it is with lies.”
~ Leonardo da Vinci

An editor from Amazon.com notes, “Throughout his life, Leonardo kept dozens of notebooks, elegant studies on topics ranging from architecture to botany to philosophy—indeed nearly anything of which the human imagination could conceive.”

One portion of those studies is entitled, “Studies on the Life and Habits of Animals.” In this collection of thoughts, da Vinci highlights characteristics of various animals and makes moral application from them in fable-like fashion.

There is no question that he had an incredible mind; however, subsequent centuries have revealed some amusing errors made in his observations. Perhaps someone else can find evidence to support immediate death by exposure to light for the hapless mole; this mole could not. ;-) (Makes a mole think twice before emerging from the molehill to go a-bloggin’!)

In this sketch, it appears there is more truth in the application than there is in the observed habit from which it was drawn. Expose a lie with the “light” of truth, and it dies. Generally true, I think, but only true for those who are not blind to it. Consider the tendency of the masses to cling to ideas devoid of truth, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

My ultimate response as I consider da Vinci’s mole?

Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!
Let them lead me . . .
~ Psalm 43:2

The LORD opens the eyes of the blind;
The LORD raises those who are bowed down;
The LORD loves the righteous.
~ Psalm 146:8

Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.
I am a stranger in the earth;
Do not hide Your commandments from me.
~ Psalm 119:17-19

~End Quote

Polymath

“There are three classes of people: those who see, those who see when they are shown, those who do not see.”
~ Leonardo da Vinci

I love new words, and today I stumbled upon another: polymath. It is derived from the Greek word, πολυμαθής - polymathes, which means "having learned much." If ever there was a polymath, Leonardo da Vinci was he: scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, painter, sculptor, architect, botanist, musician, and writer. As a child, I watched a series of movies about him, and one of the things I remembered most was that he was accomplished in many areas, but I did not recall (and it may not have even mentioned) that he was a musician and a writer. Not until today did I realize that he had so many interesting things to say.

~ End Quote