79 



the moth and the candle 



THE MOTH WHO SINGES HIS WINGS HAS POINTED MANY A 



moral but he does not "desire" the flame, not even in the 

 dim way that the first scorpion to leave the water may 

 have "desired" to succeed in his dangerous adventure. 

 The moth accomplishes no purpose of his own and none 

 appropriate to nature at large. He is merely the victim of 

 a situation which can seldom have arisen before man put 

 in his appearance long after moths and many other insects 

 had developed a tropism which was usually harmless dur- 

 ing millions of years. 



