107. "While Men Slept, the Enemy Sowed Tares"
"While Men Slept, the Enemy Sowed Tares"
"Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn." The tare or darnel abounds all over the East, and is a great trial to the farmer. The grain is small and is arranged along the upper part of the stalk, which stands perfectly erect. The taste of the grain is bitter and if mixed with wheat in bread causes dizziness, and often acts as a violent emetic. It is a poison and must be carefully winnowed and picked out of the wheat or the flour is not fit for food. The tares can hardly be distinguished from the wheat until the heads appear at harvest time, - even the farmer cannot tell them apart. As harvest approaches the wheat grows heavy and bends over more and more, but the tares or darnel are so light-headed they stand very straight. At harvest time the farmer cuts the heads off the tares and puts them in a pile until he has harvested the wheat; then the tares are burned. "Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."