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An allegory on the meaning of life set in the Byzantine Empire, 5th century AD: an egg was given to St. Simeon of Stylites, who lived on top of a 60-foot-high pole for 30 years. The egg is found by Manuel, St. Simeon's nephew and given to the Empress of Byzantium who, with her court, cannot open the egg to learn its meaning. Only after Manuel is thrown out of court and presents the egg to a mother and her starving child, can the egg be opened; it saves the child's life.
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