300.The Swallow and the Other Birds
It happened that a Countryman was sowing some hemp seeds in a field where a Swallow and some other birds were hopping about picking up their food. “Beware of that man,” said the Swallow. “Why, what is he doing?” said the others. “That is hemp seed he is sowing; be careful to pick up every one of the seeds, or else you will repent it.” The birds paid no heed to the Swallow’s words, and by and by the hemp grew up and was made into cord, and of the cords nets were made, and many a bird that had despised the Swallow’s advice was caught in nets made out of that very hemp. “What did I tell you?” said the Swallow.
❖DESTROY THE SEED OF EVIL, OR IT WILL GROW UP TO YOUR RUIN.
299.The Swallow and the Crow
THE SWALLOW and the crow had a contention about their plumage. The crow put an end to the dispute by saying,
“Your feathers are all very well in the spring, but mine protect me against the winter.”
❖ Fair weather friends are not worth much.
298.The Stag, the Wolf, and the Sheep
A STAG asked a sheep to lend him a measure of wheat, and said that the wolf would be his surety. The sheep, fearing some fraud was intended, excused herself, saying,
“The wolf is used to seize what he wants and to run off; and you, too, can quickly outstrip me in your rapid flight. How then shall I be able to find you, when the day of payment comes?”
❖ Two blacks do not make one white.
297.The Stag in the Ox-Stall
A STAG, roundly chased by the hounds and blinded by fear to the danger he was running into, took shelter in a farmyard and hid himself in a shed among the oxen. An Ox gave him this kindly warning:
“O unhappy creature! why should you thus, of your own accord, incur destruction and trust yourself in the house of your enemy?”
The stag replied:
“Only allow me, friend, to stay where I am, and I will undertake to find some favourable opportunity of effecting my escape.”
At the approach of the evening the herdsman came to feed his cattle, but did not see the stag; and even the farm-bailiff with several labourers passed through the shed and failed to notice him. The stag, congratulating himself on his safety, began to express his sincere thanks to the oxen who had kindly helped him in the hour of need. One of them again answered him:
“We indeed wish you well, but the danger is not over. There is one other yet to pass through the shed, who has as it were a hundred eyes, and till he has come and gone, your life is still in peril.”
At that moment the master himself entered, and having had to complain that his oxen had not been properly fed, he went up to their racks and cried out:
“Why is there such a scarcity of fodder? There is not half enough straw for them to lie on. Those lazy fellows have not even swept the cobwebs away.”
While he thus examined everything in turn, he spied the tips of the antlers of the stag peeping out of the straw. Then summoning his labourers, he ordered that the stag should be seized and killed.
