A fisherman was fishing in a river. He had stretched his nets across, barring the current from bank to bank; then, tying a stone to a flax cord, he beat the water with it, so that the startled fish would rush blindly into the meshes. A man living nearby saw him and complained that he was muddying the river and leaving them all with dirty water to drink. "Maybe so," the fisherman answered, "but if I don't stir up the river, I'll have to starve."
It is the same in politics: demagogues do best of all once they have thrown their country into turmoil.
Nº 2The Statue SellerA man carved a wooden statue of the god Hermes and took it to the market, but no buyer came near. Hoping to attract one, he began to call out that he…Read the fable →
Nº 4The Eagle and the BeetleAn eagle was chasing a hare, who in his terror begged a lowly dung beetle for protection. The beetle pleaded for the hare's life, but the eagle,…Read the fable →
Nº 10The Athenian DebtorIn Athens a debtor, pressed by his creditor to pay, first begged for more time, pleading hardship. When that failed, he brought out the one sow he…Read the fable →