Many times when I was upon the Road I have been ready to stamp with my feet at the hindrance of an ox-cart in the way , or a mere cloud of dust . It was not so when I was a man -- a long time ago . None the less it is wrongful -- ' ` But thou art indeed old , Holy One . ' ` The thing was done . A Cause was put out into the world , and , old or young , sick or sound , knowing or unknowing , who can rein in the effect of that Cause ? Does the Wheel hang still if a child spin it -- or a drunkard ? Chela , this is a great and a terrible world . ' ' I think it good , ' Kim yawned . ` What is there to eat ? I have not eaten since yesterday even . ' ' I had forgotten thy need . Yonder is good Bhotiyal tea and cold rice . ' ` We can not walk far on such stuff . ' Kim felt all the European 's lust for flesh-meat , which is not accessible in a Jain temple . Yet , instead of going out at once with the begging-bowl , he stayed his stomach on slabs of cold rice till the full dawn . It brought the farmer , voluble , stuttering with gratitude . ` In the night the fever broke and the sweat came , ' he cried . ` Feel here -- his skin is fresh and new ! He esteemed the salt lozenges , and took milk with greed . ' He drew the cloth from the child 's face , and it smiled sleepily at Kim .
A little knot of XXXXX priests , silent but all-observant , gathered by the temple door .
European Jain Kim begging-bowl flesh-meat hindrance lozenges night ox-cart slabs