Tag Archives: The Thieves and the Cock

308.The Thieves and the Cock

SOME THIEVES broke into a house and found nothing but a cock, whom they stole, and got off as fast as they could. On arriving at home they prepared to kill the cock, who thus pleaded for his life:

“Pray spare me; I am very serviceable to men. I wake them up in the night to their work.”

“That is the very reason why we must the more kill you,” they replied; “for when you wake your neighbours, you entirely put an end to our business.”

The safeguards of virtue are hateful to those with evil intentions.