Upon a lonely mountain, there lived two hermits who wor-
shipped God and loved one another. 
   Now these two hermits had one earthen bowl, and this was 
their only possession. 
   One day an evil spirit entered into the heart of the older 
hermit and he came to the younger and said, “It is long that 
we have lived together.  The time has come for us to 
part.  Let us divide our possessions.”
    Then the younger hermit was saddened and he said, “It 
grieves me, Brother, that thou shouldst leave me.  But if thou 
must needs go, so be it,” and he brought the earthen bowl and 
gave it to him saying, “We cannot divide it, Brother, let it be 
thine.” 
   Then the older hermit said, “Charity I will not accept.  I will
take nothing but mine own.  It must be divided.”
    And the younger one said, “If the bowl be broken, of what 
use would it be to thee or to me?  If it be thy pleasure let us 
rather cast a lot.”
    But the older hermit said again, “I will have but justice and 
mine own, and I will not trust justice and mine own to vain 
chance.  The bowl must be divided.” 
   Then the younger hermit could reason no further and he said, 
“If it be indeed thy will, and if even so thou wouldst have it let 
us now break the bowl.”
    But the face of the older hermit grew exceedingly dark, and he
cried, “O thou cursed coward, thou wouldst not fight.”