Aesop's Fables, translated by Laura Gibbs (2002)
534. HERACLES AND ATHENA
Perry 316 (Chambry
129 *)
Heracles was making his way through a narrow pass. He saw something that
looked like an apple lying on the ground and he tried to smash it with
his club. After having been struck by the club, the thing swelled up to
twice its size. Heracles struck it again with his club, even harder than
before, and the thing then expanded to such a size that it blocked Heracles's
way. Heracles let go of his club and stood there, amazed. Athena saw him
and said, 'O Heracles, don't be so surprised! This thing that has brought
about your confusion is Contentiousness and Strife. If you just leave
it alone, it stays small; but if you decide to fight it, then it swells
from its small size and grows large.'
Source:
Aesop's Fables. A new translation by Laura
Gibbs.
Oxford University Press (World's Classics): Oxford, 2002.
NOTE: New
cover, with new ISBN, published in 2008; contents of book unchanged.
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