168.The Hare and the Tortoise
A HARE one day ridiculed the short feet and slow pace of the tortoise, who replied, laughing:
“Though you be swift as the wind, I will beat you in a race.”
The hare, believing her assertion to be simply impossible, assented to the proposal; and they agreed that the fox should choose the course and fix the goal.
On the day appointed for the race the two started together. The tortoise never for a moment stopped, but went on with a slow but steady pace straight to the end of the course. The hare, lying down by the wayside, fell fast asleep. At last waking up, and moving as fast as he could, he saw the tortoise had reached the goal, and was comfortably dozing after her fatigue.
❖ Slow but steady wins the race.
167.The Hare and the Hound
A HOUND started a hare from his lair, but after a long run, gave up the chase. A bird seeing him stop, mocked him, saying “The little one is the best runner of the two.”
The hound replied:
“You do not see the difference between us. I was only running for a dinner, but he for his life.” Then the hound caught the bird for dinner.
❖ Unpopular (hound) reforms may be most needed.
166.The Grasshopper and the Owl
AN OWL, used to feed at night and to sleep during the day, was greatly disturbed by the noise of a grasshopper and earnestly asked her to stop chirping. The grasshopper refused that, and chirped louder and louder the more the owl begged. When she saw that she could get no redress and that her words were despised, the owl attacked the chatterer by a stratagem.
“Since I cannot sleep,” she said, “on account of your song which, believe me, is sweet as the lyre of Sir Apollo, I shall indulge myself in drinking nectar I have been given. If you do not dislike it, come to me and we will drink it together.”
The grasshopper, who was thirsty, and pleased with the praise of her voice, eagerly flew up. The owl came forth from her hollow, seized her, and put her to death.
❖ Behind much sweet talk can be a deadly sting.
165.The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs
A man and his wife had the good fortune to possess a goose which laid a golden egg every day. Lucky though they were, they soon began to think they were not getting rich fast enough, and, imagining the bird must be made of gold inside, they decided to kill it in order to secure the whole store of precious metal at once. But when they cut it open they found it was just like any other goose. Thus, they neither got rich all at once, as they had hoped, nor enjoyed any longer the daily addition to their wealth.
% Much wants more and loses all.
