carrying a load of wood
THE WOODCUTTER cut down a Mountain Oak and split it in
pieces,making wedges of its own branches for dividing the trunk.
The Oak said with a sigh, “I do not care about the blows of the axe
aimed at my roots, but I do grieve at being torn in pieces by
these wedges made from my own branches.”
Misfortunes springing from ourselves are the hardest to bear.
The Hen and the Golden Eggs
A COTTAGER and his wife had a Hen that laid a golden egg
every day. They supposed that the Hen must contain a great lump
of gold in its inside, and in order to get the gold they killed it.
Having done so, they found to their surprise that the Hen
differed in no respect from their other hens. The foolish pair,
thus hoping to become rich all at once, deprived themselves of
the gain of which they were assured day by day.
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The Ass and the Frogs
AN ASS, carrying a load of wood, passed through a pond. As he
was crossing through the water he lost his footing, stumbled and
fell, and not being able to rise on account of his load, groaned
heavily. Some Frogs frequenting the pool heard his lamentation,
and said, “What would you do if you had to live here always as we
do, when you make such a fuss about a mere fall into the water?”
Men often bear little grievances with less courage than they do
large misfortunes.
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