Fable
The Animals & the Plague
Once upon a time a severe plague raged among
the animals. Many died, and those who lived were so ill, that they cared for
neither food nor drink, and dragged themselves about listlessly. No longer
could a fat young hen tempt Master Fox to dinner, nor a tender lamb rouse
greedy Sir Wolf's appetite.
At
last, the Lion decided to call a council. When all the animals were gathered together,
he arose and said:
"Dear
friends, I believe the gods have sent this plague upon us as a punishment for
our sins. Therefore, the guiltiest one of us must be offered in sacrifice.
Perhaps we may thus obtain forgiveness and cure for all.
"I
will confess all my sins first. I admit that I have been very greedy and have
devoured many sheep. They had done me no harm. I have eaten goats and bulls and
stags. To tell the truth, I even ate up a shepherd now and then.
"Now,
if I am the guiltiest, I am ready to be sacrificed. But I think it best that
each one confesses his sins as I have done. Then we can decide in all justice
who is the guiltiest."
"Your
majesty," said the Fox, "you are too good. Can it be a crime to eat
sheep, such stupid mutton heads? No, no, your majesty. You have done them great
honor by eating them up.
"And
so far as shepherds are concerned, we all know they belong to that puny race
that pretends to be our masters."
All
the animals applauded the Fox loudly. Then, though the Tiger, the Bear, the
Wolf, and all the savage beasts recited the most wicked deeds, all were excused
and made to appear very saint-like and innocent.
It
was now the Ass's turn to confess.
"I
remember," he said guiltily, "that one day as I was passing a field
belonging to some priests, I was so tempted by the tender grass and my hunger,
that I could not resist nibbling a bit of it. I had no right to do it, I
admit—"
A
great uproar among the beasts interrupted him. Here was the culprit who had
brought misfortune on all of them! What a horrible crime it was to eat grass
that belonged to someone else! It was enough to hang anyone for, much more an
Ass.
Immediately
they all fell upon him, the Wolf in the lead, and soon had made an end to him,
sacrificing him to the gods then and there, and without the formality of an
altar.
Moral
- The weak are made to suffer for the misdeeds of the
powerful.
0 Comments