Look before your leap.
A Fisherman cast his net into the sea, and when he
drew it up again it contained nothing but a single
Sprat that begged to be put back into the water.
“I’m only a little fish now,” it
said, “but I shall grow big one day, and then
if you come and catch me again I shall be of some
use to you.” But the Fisherman replied,
“Oh, no, I shall keep you now I’ve got
you: if I put you back, should I ever see you
again? Not likely!”
A Man once went abroad on his travels, and when he
came home he had wonderful tales to tell of the things
he had done in foreign countries. Among other
things, he said he had taken part in a jumping-match
at Rhodes, and had done a wonderful jump which no one
could beat. “Just go to Rhodes and ask them,”
he said; “every one will tell you it’s
true.” But one of those who were listening
said, “If you can jump as well as all that,
we needn’t go to Rhodes to prove it. Let’s
just imagine this is Rhodes for a minute: and
now—jump!”
Deeds, not words.
An Old Crab said to her son, “Why do you walk
sideways like that, my son? You ought to walk
straight.” The Young Crab replied, “Show
me how, dear mother, and I’ll follow your example.”
The Old Crab tried, but tried in vain, and then saw
how foolish she had been to find fault with her child.
Example is better than precept.
A certain man hired an Ass for a journey in summertime,
and started out with the owner following behind to
drive the beast. By and by, in the heat of the
day, they stopped to rest, and the traveller wanted
to lie down in the Ass’s Shadow; but the owner,
who himself wished to be out of the sun, wouldn’t
let him do that; for he said he had hired the Ass
only, and not his Shadow: the other maintained
that his bargain secured him complete control of the
Ass for the time being. From words they came
to blows; and while they were belabouring each other
the Ass took to his heels and was soon out of sight.
A Farmer, being at death’s door, and desiring
to impart to his Sons a secret of much moment, called
them round him and said, “My sons, I am shortly
about to die; I would have you know, therefore, that
in my vineyard there lies a hidden treasure.
Dig, and you will find it.” As soon as
their father was dead, the Sons took spade and fork
and turned up the soil of the vineyard over and over
again, in their search for the treasure which they
supposed to lie buried there. They found none,
however: but the vines, after so thorough a digging,
produced a crop such as had never before been seen.
