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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