In times gone by men on earth found life difficult to endure, for they had little knowledge and did not have the wisdom to acquire it. Therefore they sent a boy to God to ask for Wisdom. The boy humbled himself before mighty God and said:“O God, the hardships of mankind on earth are great, and getting greater. Pray grant me the gift of Wisdom, that I may carry it down to men, and life on earth will not be so difficult for us.”
God looked upon him kindly, and said:
“Come to me when I am asleep, and I will give you Wisdom.”
The boy went early next day, but God was already awake. He went again in the middle of the night, but it seemed that God had not yet gone to bed. The little boy went several more times, but always he found God awake. So the lad sat down and thought, and thought, then went back to God and said:
“How can I come to you when you are asleep? You are God, and you never sleep.”
God smiled.
“I see that you know the use of Wisdom,” he said. “Therefore I will give you some: Take palm nuts and cut them with a knife, and you will find oil inside. Build traps, thus and so, to snare fish in the rivers. Plant fields with seed, and use the crops as food in the Hungry Season . . .”
God gave much Wisdom to the boy, and thus to men; and then, wondering if he had given them too much, he added:
“Cut holes in the tops of certain palms, and drink the juice you find.”Thus men were given palm wine, which sometimes robs them of all the wisdom they possess.