in the farm - house lived two young students ; the one was a poet and the other a scientific searcher into the secrets of nature . the one sang and wrote joyously of everything that god had created , and how it was mirrored in his heart . he sang it out clearly , sweetly , richly , in well - sounding verses ; while the other investigated created matter itself , and even cut it open where need was . he looked upon god 's creation as a great sum in arithmetic -- subtracted , multiplied , and tried to know it within and without , and to talk with understanding concerning it ; and that was a very sensible thing ; and he spoke joyously and cleverly of it . they were good , joyful men , those two . " there sits a good specimen of a toad , " said the naturalist . " i must have that fellow in a bottle of spirits . " " you have two of them already , " replied the poet . " let the thing sit there and enjoy its life . " " but it 's so wonderfully ugly , " persisted the first . " yes , if we could find the jewel in its head , " said the poet , " i too should be for cutting it open . " " a jewel ! " cried the naturalist . " you seem to know a great deal about natural history . " " but is there not something beautiful in the popular belief that just as the toad is the ugliest of animals , it should often carry the most precious jewel in its head ? is it not just the same thing with men ? what a jewel that was that aesop had , and still more , socrates ! "
clearly , sweetly , richly in well - sounding verses .
how did the poet sing of god's creation ?
how did the poet sing of god's creation ?