Monthly Archives: August 2013
57.The Bundle of Sticks
An old man on the point of death summoned his sons around him to give them some parting advice. He ordered his servants to bring in a faggot of sticks, and said to his eldest son, “Break it.” The son strained and strained, but with all his efforts was unable to break the bundle. The other sons also tried, but none of them was successful. “Untie the faggots,” said the father, “and each of you take a stick.” When they had done so, he called out to them, “Now, break,” and each stick was easily broken. “You see my meaning,” said their father.
# Union gives strength.
56.The Bull, the Lioness, and the Wild-Boar Hunter
A BULL finding a lion’s cub asleep gored him to death with his horns. The lioness came up, and bitterly lamented the death of her whelp. A wild-boar hunter, seeing her distress, stood at a distance and said to her,
“Think how many men there are who have reason to lament the loss of their children, whose deaths have been caused by you.”
55.The Bull and the Goat
A BULL, escaping from a lion, hid in a cave which some shepherds had recently occupied. As soon as he entered, a he-goat left in the cave sharply attacked him with his horns. The bull quietly addressed him:
“Butt away as much as you will. I have no fear of you, but of the lion. Let that monster go away and I will soon let you know what is the strength of a goat to that of a bull.”
❖ It shows an evil disposition to take advantage of a friend in distress.
54.The Bull and the Calf
A BULL was striving with all his might to squeeze himself through a narrow passage which led to his stall. A young Calf came up, and offered to go before and show him the way by which he could manage to pass.
“Save yourself the trouble,” said the bull; “I knew that way long before you were born.”
