He spent his days sitting in the sun, and saying wise things to those
who were around him.
At noon one day, Di-og-e-nes was seen walking through the streets with
a lighted lantern, and looking all around as if in search of
something.
"Why do you carry a lantern when the sun is shining?" some one said.
"I am looking for an honest man," answered Diogenes.
When Alexander the Great went to Cor-inth, all the fore-most men in
the city came out to see him and to praise him. But Diogenes did not
come; and he was the only man for whose o-pin-ions Alexander cared.
[Illustration: Diogenes and Alexander.]
And so, since the wise man would not come to see the king, the king
went to see the wise man. He found Diogenes in an out-of-the-way
place, lying on the ground by his tub. He was en-joy-ing the heat and
the light of the sun.
When he saw the king and a great many people coming, he sat up and
looked at Alexander. Alexander greeted him and said,--
"Diogenes, I have heard a great deal about your wisdom. Is there
anything that I can do for you?"
"Yes," said Diogenes. "You can stand a little on one side, so as not
to keep the sunshine from me."
This answer was so dif-fer-ent from what he expected, that the king
was much sur-prised.
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