"Why," said the sun, "when you have so much space to float in, should you be casting your cold shadow upon me?"
After a moment's reflection, the cloud made answer thus:
"I certainly had no intention of giving offence by my presence, and as for my shadow, don't you think you have made a trifling mistake?—not a gigantic or absurd mistake, but merely one that would disgrace an idiot."
At this the great luminary was furious, and fell so hotly upon him that in a few minutes there was nothing of him left.
It is very foolish to bandy words with a cloud if you happen to be the sun.
XLI.
A rabbit travelling leisurely along the highway was seen, at some distance, by a duck, who had just come out of the water.
"Well, I declare!" said she, "if I could not walk without limping in that ridiculous way, I'd stay at home. Why, he's a spectacle!"
"Did you ever see such an ungainly beast as that duck!" said the rabbit to himself. "If I waddled like that I should go out only at night."