Epitome

One of the most well-known of philosophers before Socrates, Heraclitus, known as "the weeping philosopher," wringing his hands over the depravity of the human race, and also "the obscure," cloaking his words in riddles, paradox, and oxymoron.

A Norwegian folk tale taking place on Christmas Eve. Collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe, adapted from the translation by George Webbe Dasent. Music by Bela Bartok, played on the recorder by Papalin.

More selections from the 5th edition of Edward FitzGerald's classic translation of the rubais, or quatrains, of the Persian mathematician, astronomer, and poet, Omar Khayyam.

Selections from the 5th edition of Edward FitzGerald's classic translation of the rubais, or quatrains, of the Persian mathematician, astronomer, and poet, Omar Khayyam.

A short-short story from the collection, The Four Million , by O. Henry (William Sidney Porter), known as the American Guy de Maupassant, because both writers wrote stories with plot twists at the very end.