“Good-by,” said the Wolf; “that is enough for me. Though I may not be fat, I will at least be free.”
ON THE bank of a river grew a tall Oak Tree. It stood with its roots firm in the ground, and its head high in the air, and said to itself: “How strong I am! Nothing shall make me bow. I look down upon all the other trees.”
But one day there was a storm. The terrible unseen wind came and struck the proud Oak. Crash! went the trunk, down came all the beautiful branches, and the Tree fell into the river. As the water carried it away, it passed a Reed that grew on the bank. The little Reed stood up tall and slender, and looked at the poor broken Tree.
“O Reed,” said the Tree, “how did it happen that you were not broken down and spoiled when the wind came? You are so little and weak, and I was so strong and proud.”
“Ah, poor Tree!” said the Reed, “that is just the reason that the wind did not hurt me. I bent low until it had gone by, but you stood stiff and tried to stop it on its way. No one can stop the wind. It must go where it is sent, but it will not hurt those who are not proud and stubborn.”
A DOG once gave chase to a Hare. Having not long since made a good meal, the Dog was not hungry, and so was not in haste to end the sport by killing the Hare.
At times he would snap at his prey, and at times play with him and lick him with his tongue, till at last the bewildered Hare cried:
“Pray tell me, are you an enemy or a friend? If a friend, why do you bite me so? and if an enemy, why do you caress me?”
No one can trust a person who is neither the one thing nor the other.
THE Pigeons, terrified by the frequent appearance of a Kite, asked the Hawk to help them.
“You are the only bird of our acquaintance,” they said, “that can protect us from our enemy. If you will take care of us, we shall feel safe.”
The Hawk at once consented, and took up his abode in the dovecote. But when the Pigeons had let him come in, they found that he slew more of them in a single day than the Kite could possibly pounce upon in a whole year.
The oldest, wisest pigeon among them said: “When we are in trouble, we must not forget that there are other dangers than the ones we are suffering from. There is a proverb among men that tells them to avoid a remedy that is worse than the disease.”