Aesop's Phrases

Add insult to injury.

The Bald Man and the Fly. 306 by Townsend.

A FLY bit the bare head of a Bald Man who, endeavoring to destroy it, gave himself a heavy slap. Escaping, the Fly said mockingly, "You who have wished to revenge, even with death, the Prick of a tiny insect, see what you have done to yourself to add insult to injury?' The Bald Man replied, "I can easily make peace with myself, because I know there was no intention to hurt. But you, an ill-favored and contemptible insect who delights in sucking human blood, I wish that I could have killed you even if I had incurred a heavier penalty."

Phaedrus=Pe525, Cax2.12, Jacobs18. TMI J2102.3. Type1586A.


THE HERMIT AND THE BEAR. (PILPAY)

There was once, in the eastern parts of our country, a Gardener, who loved gardening to that degree that he wholly absented himself from the company of men, to the end he might give himself up entirely to the care of his flowers and plants. He had neither wife nor children; and from morning till night he did nothing but work in his garden, so that it lay like a terrestrial paradise. At length, however, the good man grew weary of being alone, and took a resolution to leave his garden in search of good company.
As he was, soon after, walking at the foot of a mountain, he spied a Bear, whose looks had in them nothing of a savage fierceness natural to that animal, but were mild and gentle. This Bear was also weary of being alone, and came down from the mountain, for no other reason but to see whether he could meet with any one that would join society with him. So soon, therefore, as these two saw each other, they began to have a friendship one for another; and the Gardener first accosted the Bear, who, in return, made him a profound reverence. After some compliments passed between them, the Gardener made the Bear a sign to follow him, and carrying him into his garden, regaled him with a world of very delicious fruit, which he had carefully preserved; so that at length they entered into a very strict friendship together; insomuch that when the Gardener was weary of working, and lay down to take a little nap, the Bear, out of affection, stayed all the while by him, and kept off the flies from his face. One day as the Gardener lay down to sleep at the foot of a tree, and the Bear stood by, according to his custom, to drive away the flies, it happened that one of those insects did light upon the Gardener's mouth, and still as the Bear drove it away from one side, it would light on the other; which put the Bear into such a passion, that he took up a great stone to kill it. It is true he did kill the fly; but at the same time he broke out two or three of the Gardener's teeth. From whence men of judgment observe, that it is better to have a prudent enemy than an ignorant friend.

Pancatantra1.22, Laf8.10, Kry4.11, TIM N333.1, J1833, Type163A*, 1586A

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