176.The Hawk and the Nightingale
A NIGHTINGALE, sitting aloft on an oak and singing according to his wont, was seen by a hawk who, being in need of food, swooped down and seized him. The nightingale, about to lose his life, earnestly begged the hawk to let him go, saying that he was not big enough to satisfy the hunger of a hawk who, if he wanted food, ought to pursue the larger birds. The hawk, interrupting him, said:
“I should indeed have lost my senses if I should let go food ready in my hand, for the sake of pursuing birds which are not yet even within sight.”
❖ Friendly talk won’t feed the hungry bird.
175.The Hart in the Ox-Stall
A HART hotly pursued by the hounds fled for refuge into an ox-stall, and buried itself in a truss of hay, leaving nothing to be seen but the tips of his horns. Soon after the Hunters came up and asked if any one had seen the Hart. The stable boys, who had been resting after their dinner, looked round, but could see nothing, and the Hunters went away. Shortly afterwards the master came in, and looking round, saw that something unusual had taken place. He pointed to the truss of hay and said: “What are those two curious things sticking out of the hay?” And when the stable boys came to look they discovered the Hart, and soon made an end of him. He thus learnt that
“NOTHING ESCAPES THE MASTER’s EYE.”
174.The Hart and the Vine
A HART, hard pressed in the chase, hid himself beneath the large leaves of a vine. The huntsmen, in their haste, overshot the place of his concealment. Supposing all danger to have passed, the hart began to nibble the tendrils of the vine. One of the huntsmen, attracted by the rustling of the leaves, looked back, and seeing the hart, shot an arrow from his bow and struck it. The hart, at the point of death, groaned:
“I deserved what I got, for I should not have maltreated the vine that saved me.”
$ Do not ill-treat those who helped us.
173.The Hart and the Hunter
THE HART was once drinking from a pool and admiring the noble figure he made there. “Ah,” said he, “where can you see such noble horns as these, with such antlers! I wish I had legs more worthy to bear such a noble crown; it is a pity they are so slim and slight.” At that moment a Hunter approached and sent an arrow whistling after him. Away bounded the Hart, and soon, by the aid of his nimble legs, was nearly out of sight of the Hunter; but not noticing where he was going, he passed under some trees with branches growing low down in which his antlers were caught, so that the Hunter had time to come up. “Alas! alas!” cried the Hart:
“WE OFTEN DESPISE WHAT IS MOST USEFUL TO US.”
