The Wolf that pretended to be robbed.
A wolf once made complaint that he had been robbed, and charged the theft upon his neighbor the fox. The case came on for trial before a monkey, who was justice of the peace among the quadrupeds in those parts. The parties did not employ lawyers, but chose to plead their cause themselves. When they had been fully heard, the judge, assuming the air of a magistrate, delivered his sentence as follows:—
“My worthy friends and neighbors,—I have heard your case, and examined it attentively; and my judgment is, that you both be made to pay a fine; for you are both of bad character, and if you do not deserve to be punished now, it is very likely you will deserve to be so very soon. That I have good grounds for this decree, is sufficiently evident by the fact, that Mr. Wolf’s jaws are even now stained with blood, and I can see a dead chicken sticking out of Sir Fox’s pocket, notwithstanding the air of injured innocence which he wears. And beside, one who gets an evil reputation can think it no hardship if he is occasionally made to suffer, for a crime he did not commit.”
This fable teaches us to beware of an evil reputation; for it may cause us to be punished for the misdemeanors of others. Thus, if a person gets the character of a liar, he will not be believed when he tells the truth; and where a theft is known, it is of course laid to some one who has been caught in stealing before.
Beware of Impatience.
There’s many a pleasure in life which we might possess, were it not for our impatience. Young people, especially, miss a great deal of happiness, because they cannot wait till the proper time.
A man once gave a fine pear to his little boy, saying to him, “The pear is green now, my boy, but lay it by for a week, and it will then be ripe, and very delicious.”
“But,” said the child, “I want to eat it now, father.”
“I tell you it is not ripe yet,” said the father. “It will not taste good, and, beside, it will make you sick.”