Dobi the Binniman could hardly contain himself as he neared the park. Two days earlier, when Dobi was in the market, Yeshu appeared on the road, walking into town. Dobi had never met such a creature! He was much taller than anyone he had ever seen, and he had hair on his head and his face and had five fingers on each hand.
Yeshu spoke to those in the market, and then took a number of them into the House of Thadu and taught them in one of the teaching rooms. The next day, there were too many to fit into the teaching rooms, so Yeshu led them to the park and taught them there. Dobi was so impressed by him.
This was now the third day and Dobi was all anticipation as he found an open spot in the park and sat down on the soft blue grass. Soon Yeshu arose and spoke,
Suddenly, one stood among us
Unannounced and unexpected
The crowd roared back: "Some believed and some rejected!"
It was customary for a teacher to quote the first two lines of a verse from Thadu and for the listeners to respond with the last line. The five internal lines were implied. In discussing philosophical things, Binnimen often fell into an octo-syllabic discourse cadence. So Yeshu spoke in discourse cadence,
Thadu's words now live before you
For it is I of whom he speaks
Dobi nearly fell over backward. Yeshu was claiming to be the Holy One. A rumbling began throughout the crowd, and it became louder and more widespread. Dobi felt that a good teacher would never let his audience get so out of control.
Yeshu did not pursue the point, but quoted a different verse of Thadu,
True God loves all of his people
No favored group; no group below
The crowd roared back, "Look at your friends; that's how you know!"
"What does Thadu say to us?" Yeshu asked.
A voice rang out from the crowd: "That the more friends we have, the more our love is like True God's love."
"What groups do you love?"
"All groups!" answered a large number of voices. It was a standard answer to a standard question.
"All groups?" Yeshu inquired. "All Binnimen?"
Many from the audience replied, "Yes!" "Yes!" "Yes!"
Yeshu paused. "What about the Elvinfolk?"
Immediately, a leader in the House of Thadu responded in a loud and disgusted tone,
Elvinfolk live on this world
But Binnimen they're clearly not
Elvinfolk are filthy beasts
Who live in forest mold and rot!
"How do you know these things are so?" asked Yeshu continuing in discourse cadence.
"Our fathers told us long ago!" yelled the leader.
"Who of you have lived among them?" asked Yeshu. There was silence.
"Who of you have even met one?" More silence. After a pause, Yeshu asked, "How can you hate what you don't know?"
"Because our fathers told us so!"
Yeshu broke his discourse cadence and suggested, "Perhaps we should consider all the lines of Thadu,"
True God loves all of his people
No favored group; no group below
Love's return requires no steeple
Only great hearts unrestricted
Those who love our True God deeply
Are not socially conflicted
Be the one who loves not cheaply
Look at your friends; that's how you know
The leader protested, "They have no house for Thadu's books!" Others mumbled their agreement.
Yeshu repeated,
Love's return requires no steeple
Only great hearts unrestricted
Dobi had never considered Thadu's words in this way! He held his oval head in his long, slender fingers. He had never been among the Elvinfolk; he had never even considered it. He did not even know how to go about it. Yet perhaps he should go to the forest, even if the Elvinfolk abused him. Dobi looked up to see that Yeshu was smiling directly at him, as though he could read Dobi's thoughts and approved.
Yeshu said to the crowd,
Suddenly, one stood among us
Unannounced and unexpected
The weak and reluctant answer came back, "Some believed and some rejected."
In an instant, Dobi knew the category he represented. He did not reject; he believed! He believed in Thadu. He believed in Yeshu. He would go to the Elvinfolk even if they killed him.
Dobi had made a decision.
