Aesop's Fables: Townsend (1867)
293. The Travelers and the Plane-Tree (Perry
175)
TWO TRAVELERS, worn out by the heat of the summer's sun, laid themselves
down at noon under the widespreading branches of a Plane-Tree. As they
rested under its shade, one of the Travelers said to the other, 'What
a singularly useless tree is the Plane! It bears no fruit, and is not
of the least service to man.' The Plane-Tree, interrupting him, said,
'You ungrateful fellows! Do you, while receiving benefits from me and
resting under my shade, dare to describe me as useless, and unprofitable?'
Some men underrate their best blessings.
George Fyler Townsend's translation of the fables, first published in 1867, is
in the public domain and can be found at many websites, including Project
Gutenberg.
Illustrations come from: Aesop's Fables, by George Fyler Townsend, with
illustrations by Harrison Weir, 1867, at Google
Books. |