Nikole writes:Another year. The path looks twisted and rocky, noone knows what lies ahead. William wrote: "We wait for everything except what comes." ("Extracts of Existence") Who is ready to risk this unmapped path? To put it lightly -- not King Dagobert! For this New Year issue I expected to talk about some challenging road ahead -- obvious? -- and then I found William's quote of an old French rhyme as part of a political comment. Humpty Dumpty would still be in one piece if he'd only had King Dagobert's temperament. Isn't it sometimes better to just stay at home?

Eighteenth century song about King Dagobert of the 7th century:

Le bon roi Dagobert
Voulait conquérir l'univers;
Le grand saint Eloi
Lui dit : Ô mon roi!
Voyager si loin
Donne du tintoin.
C'est vrai, lui dit le roi,
Il vaudrait mieux rester chez soi.

(Good King Dagobert -- wanted to conquer the universe; -- the great Saint Eloi -- told him: O my king! -- to travel so far -- gives trouble. -- It's true, replied the king, -- Better to stay at home.)

Where is Saint Eloi of today for Bush and Blair?!...

King Dagobert (611-639 AD) was king of Austrasia, a kingdom in Eastern Gaul with its capital at Metz.

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William Markiewicz