The Swallow and the Serpent

A swallow that had made her nest in a courtroom had gone out, when a serpent came crawling and devoured her young. On her return, finding the nest empty, she wailed, beside herself with grief. Another swallow, to console her, told her that she was not the only one who had had the misfortune to lose her young. "Ah!" she replied, "I grieve less at after losing my children than because I am the victim of a crime in a place where the victims of violence find help."