A certain Hunter, who was seized with an ardent desire to make his prey a superb anqua,[1] spent large sums of money in the keeping of Hounds. By accident, one of his bitches bit his son, and the child died of the wound.
“Since the Hounds have caused his death,” said the master to the servants, “let us kill them all.”
“Alas!” cried one of the poor creatures, “all of us must die for the fault committed by a single one of us!”
A single scoundrel is sufficient to bring ruin on a whole ward.
The Fool Who Sells Wisdom
A certain Fool kept constantly passing through the streets of a town.
“Who will buy Wisdom?” he cried in a loud voice. A passer-by met him on his way, accosted him, and presented him with some small pieces of money.
“Sell me a little Wisdom,” he said.
“Here it is,” replied the other, cuffing him heartily. Immediately afterward he put into his hands a long thread.
“If you wish in future to be wise and prudent,” said the Fool to him, “always keep as far away from fools as the length of this thread.”