Category Archives: GREECE
323.The Two Men Who Were Enemies
TWO MEN, deadly enemies to each other, were sailing in the same vessel. Determined to keep as far apart as possible, the one seated himself in the stem, and the other in the prow of the ship. A violent storm arose, and with the vessel in great danger of sinking, the one in the stern asked of the pilot which of the two ends of the ship would go down first.
The pilot answered that he supposed it would be the prow, and then the man said, “Death would not be grievous to me, if I could only see my enemy die before me.”
❖ Too much of a good thing easily turns into something bad, and too much of a bad thing almost looks like a good thing.
322.The Two Frogs
TWO FROGS were neighbors. One inhabited a deep pond, far removed from public view; the other lived in a gully containing little water, and traversed by a country road. The frog that lived in the pond warned his friend to change his residence and begged him to come and live with him, saying that he would enjoy greater safety from danger and more abundant food. The other refused, saying that he felt it so very hard to leave a place to which he had become accustomed. A few days afterwards a heavy wagon passed through the gully and crushed him to death under its wheels.
❖ A wilful man will have his way to his own hurt.
321.The Two Fellows and the Bear
TWO Fellows were traveling together through a wood, when a Bear rushed out upon them. One of the travelers happened to be in front, and he seized hold of the branch of a tree, and hid himself among the leaves. The other, seeing no help for it, threw himself flat down upon the ground, with his face in the dust. The Bear, coming up to him, put his muzzle close to his ear, and sniffed and sniffed. But at last with a growl he shook his head and slouched off, for bears will not touch dead meat. Then the fellow in the tree came down to his comrade, and, laughing, said “What was it that Master Bruin whispered to you?” “He told me,” said the other,
❖NEVER TRUST A FRIEND WHO DESERTS YOU AT A PINCH.
320.The Two Dogs
A MAN had two dogs: a hound, trained to assist him in his sports, and a house-dog, taught to watch the house. When he returned home after a good day’s sport, he always gave the house-dog a large share of his spoil. The hound, feeling much aggrieved at this, reproached his companion, saying,
“It is very hard to have all this labour, while you, who do not assist in the chase, luxuriate on the fruits of my exertions.”
The house-dog replied, “Do not blame me, my friend, but find fault with the master, who has not taught me to labour, but to depend for subsistence on the labour of others.”
❖ Children are not to be blamed for the faults of their parents.
