"Art not afraid, Akiba? Thy doings may be discovered, and thou wilt be punished for disobeying the decree."
"Listen, and I will relate to thee a parable," answered Akiba. "A fox, walking by the river side, noticed the fishes therein swimming and swimming to and fro, never ceasing; so he said to them, 'Why are ye hurrying, what do ye fear?'
"'The nets of the angler,' they replied.
"'Come, then,' said the fox, 'and live with me on dry land.'
"But the fishes laughed.
"'And art thou called the wisest of the beasts?' they exclaimed; 'verily thou art the most foolish. If we are in danger even in our element, how much greater would be our risk in leaving it.'
"It is the same with us. We are told of the law that it is 'our life and the prolongation of our days.' This is it when things are peaceful with us; how much greater is our need of it then in times like these?"
It is said that it was but shortly after this when Rabbi Akiba was imprisoned for teaching the law, and in the prison in which he was incarcerated he found Papus, who had been condemned for some other offense.
Rabbi Akiba said to him:—
"Papus, what brought thee here?"