304.The Swollen Fox
A VERY HUNGRY FOX, seeing some bread and meat left by shepherds in the hollow of an oak, crept into the hole and made a hearty meal. When he finished, he was so full that he was not able to get out, and began to groan and lament his fate. Another Fox passing by heard his cries, and coming up, asked the cause of his complaining. On learning what had happened, he said to him,
“Ah, you will have to remain there, my friend, till you become such as you were when you crept in, and then you will easily get out.”
303.The Swan
The swan is said to sing but once in its life — when it knows that it is about to die. A certain man who had heard of the song of the swan one day saw one of these birds for sale in the market, and bought it and took it home with him. A few days later he had some friends to dinner, and produced the swan, and bade it sing for their entertainment; but the swan remained silent. In course of time, when it was growing old, it became aware of its approaching end and broke into a sweet, sad song. When its owner heard it, he said angrily, “If the creature only sings when it is about to die, what a fool I was that day I wanted to hear its song! I ought to have wrung its neck instead of merely inviting it to sing.”
302.The Swan and the Goose
A CERTAIN rich man bought a goose and a swan in the market. He fed the one for his table and kept the other for the sake of its song. When the time came for killing the goose, the cook went to get him at night when it was dark, and he was not able to distinguish one bird from the other. By mistake he caught the swan instead of the goose.
The swan, threatened with death, burst into song and thus made himself known by his voice, and saved his life by his melody.
âť– He that conquers himself conquers an enemy: Be kind to animals.
301.The Swallow, the Serpent, and the Court of Justice
A SWALLOW, returning from abroad and especially fond of dwelling with men, built herself a nest in the wall of a court of Justice and there hatched seven young birds. A serpent gliding past the nest from its hole in the wall ate up the young unfledged nestlings. The swallow, finding her nest empty, lamented greatly and exclaimed:
“Woe to me a stranger! that in this place where all others’ rights are protected, I alone should suffer wrong.”
âť– Many overlook what is safe living within the first and misty measures.
âť– Indulging in work seldom makes the home fit.
