Monthly Archives: August 2013
49.The Boy Hunting Locusts
A BOY was hunting for locusts. He had caught a goodly number, when he saw a scorpion, and mistaking him for a locust, reached out his hand to take him.
The scorpion, showing his sting, said,
“If you had but touched me, my friend, you would have lost me, and all your locusts too!”
❖ It is better to have luck with you than to lose everything.
48.The Boy Bathing
A BOY bathing in a river was in danger of being drowned. He called out to a passing traveller for help, but instead of holding out a helping hand, the man stood by unconcernedly, and scolded the boy for his imprudence.
“Mister!” cried the youth, “try to help me now and scold me afterwards.”
❖ Counsel without help is at times quite useless.
47.The Boy and the Nettles
A BOY was stung by a nettle. He ran home and told his mother, saying,”Although it hurts me very much, I only touched it gently.”
“That was just why it stung you,” said his mother. “The next time you touch a nettle, grasp it boldly, and it will be soft as silk to your hand, and not in the least hurt you.”
❖ Better wear shoes than walk barefoot among nettles, no matter what you mother says in the matter.
❖ He that makes himself a sheep (sheepish) due to bad advice, may suffer undeservedly.
46.Friend or Foe?
A fox slipped in climbing a fence. To save himself from falling he clutched at a brier-bush. The thorns made his paws bleed, and in his pain he cried out: “Oh dear! I turned to you for help and you have made me worse off than I was before.”
“Yes, my friend!” said the brier. “You made a bad mistake when you tried to lay hold of me. I lay hold of everyone myself.”
❖ The incident illustrates the folly of those who run for aid to people whose nature it is to hurt rather than to help.
