124.The Fawn and His Mother
A YOUNG FAWN once said to his mother, “You are larger than a dog, and swifter, and more used to running, and you have your horns as a defence; why, then, Mother! do the hounds frighten you so?”
She smiled, and said: “I know full well, my son, that all you say is true. I have the advantages you mention, but when I hear even the bark of a single dog I feel ready to faint, and fly away as fast as I can.”
❖ No arguments will give courage to the coward.
123.The Father and His Two Daughters
A MAN had two daughters, the one married to a gardener, and the other to a tile-maker. After a time he went to the daughter who had married the gardener, and asked how she was and how all things went with her. She said,
“All things are prospering with me, and I have only one wish, that there may be a heavy fall of rain, in order that the plants may be well watered.”
Not long after, he went to the daughter who had married the tilemaker, and likewise asked of her how she fared; she replied,
“I want for nothing, and have only one wish, that the dry weather may continue, and the sun shine hot and bright, so that the bricks might be dried.”
He said to her, “If your sister wishes for rain, and you for dry weather, with which of the two am I to join my wishes?”
122.The Father and His Sons
A FATHER had a family of sons who were perpetually quarrelling among themselves. When he failed to heal their disputes by his exhortations, he determined to give them a practical illustration of the evils of disunion; and for this purpose he one day told them to bring him a bundle of sticks. When they had done so, he placed the faggot into the hands of each of them in succession, and ordered them to break it in pieces. They tried with all their strength, and were not able to do it. He next opened the faggot, took the sticks separately, one by one, and again put them into his sons’ hands, on which they broke them easily. He then addressed them in these words:
“My sons, if you are of one mind, and unite to assist each other, you will be as this faggot, uninjured by all the attempts of your enemies; but if you are divided among yourselves, you will be broken as easily as these sticks.”
121.The Farmer and the Stork
A FARMER placed nets on his newly-sown plough-lands and caught a number of cranes, which came to pick up his seed. With them he trapped a stork that had fractured his leg in the net and was earnestly beseeching the farmer to spare his life.
“Pray save me, master,” he said, “and let me go free this once. My broken limb should excite your pity. Besides, I am no crane, I am a stork, a bird of excellent character; and see how I love and slave for my father and mother. Look too, at my feathers – they are not the least like those of a crane.”
The farmer laughed aloud and said,
“It may be all as you say, I only know this: I have taken you with these robbers, the cranes, and you must die in their company.”
❖ Birds of a feather flock together.
❖ Using your head is safer than just trusting to robbers.
