"Then an old man, a keeper of an inn, said, 'Speak to us of eating and drinking.'

"And Almustafa said:

"Would that you could live on the fragrance of the earth and be sustained by the light like an air plant.

"But since you must kill to eat and rob the newborn of its mother's milk to quench your thirst, let it then be an act of worship.

"And let your table stand as an altar on which the pure and the innocent of forest and plain are sacrificed for that which is purer and still more innocent in a human being.

"When you kill a bear, say to it in your heart, 'By the same power that slays you, I too am slain, and I too shall be consumed. For the law that delivered you into my hand shall deliver me into a mightier hand. Your blood and my blood is nothing but the sap that feeds the tree of heaven.'

"When you crush an apple with your teeth, say to it in your heart, 'Your seeds shall live in my body, and the buds of your tomorrow shall blossom in my heart. Your fragrance shall be my breath, and together we shall rejoice through all the seasons.'

"In the autumn, when you gather the grapes of your vineyard for the winepress, say in your heart, 'I too am a vineyard, and my fruit shall be gathered for the winepress. And like new wine, I shall be kept in eternal vessels.'

"In winter, when you draw the wine, let there be in your heart a song for each cup. And let there be in the song a remembrance for the autumn days, for the vineyard, and for the winepress."