The island of the Little Man

rendan sees a little man, about an inch tall, floating on the water. He is sitting on a leaf. He ceaselessly dips a stylus into the water, then holds the stylus over a bowl in his left hand to catch the water dripping off the stylus. Once the bowl is full, he empties it again into the sea. When Brendan asks him why he is doing this, he tells Brendan that he is measuring the volume of the sea. Brendan says that this is a never-ending task, to which the little man replies: “Any more than I can measure the sea before the Day of Judgment will you be able to see all God’s wonders on earth. Return the monks to your fatherland.” Then he takes his leave. Brendan would have liked taking the little man back with him to his country, but it is said the the load would be too great for the ship.

-- “The Voyage of St. Brendan”