The Image of Mercury and the Carpenter

A VERY POOR MAN, a Carpenter by trade, had a wooden image of Mercury,
before which he made offerings day by day, and begged the idol to make
him rich, but in spite of his entreaties he became poorer and poorer.
At last, being very angry, he took his image down from its pedestal and
dashed it against the wall. When its head was knocked off, out came a
stream of gold, which the Carpenter quickly picked up and said, “Well,
I think thou art altogether contradictory and unreasonable; for when I
paid you honour, I reaped no benefits: but now that I maltreat you I am
loaded with an abundance of riches.”




The Lion, the Fox, and the Ass


THE LION, the Fox and the Ass entered into an agreement to assist each
other in the chase. Having secured a large booty, the Lion on their
return from the forest asked the Ass to allot his due portion to each
of the three partners in the treaty. The Ass carefully divided the
spoil into three equal shares and modestly requested the two others to
make the first choice. The Lion, bursting out into a great rage,
devoured the Ass. Then he requested the Fox to do him the favour to
make a division. The Fox accumulated all that they had killed into one
large heap and left to himself the smallest possible morsel. The Lion
said, “Who has taught you, my very excellent fellow, the art of
division? You are perfect to a fraction.” He replied, “I learned it
from the Ass, by witnessing his fate.”

Happy is the man who learns from the misfortunes of others.