THE HORSE AND THE GRASSHOPPERS.
Reading edition
A HORSE, while feeding in a meadow, frightened the grasshoppers at his feet, so that they flew up thickly on every side. Some chickens, discovering this, gathered around and accompanied him, eagerly devouring the insects. The horse did not notice them for a time and continued to move slowly along, thus providing them with an abundant supply. But, at length spying them at their repast, he suddenly raised his head, saying:
“How are you going to pay me back for all this trouble I am taking for you?”
At which one of the chickens replied:
“You don’t eat grasshoppers yourself, neither are you going out of your way to stir them up for us. Why, then, should we pay you at all?”
The horse, not able to answer this question, began sullenly to feed again, when the chicken continued:
“If you had done us this favor willingly and kindly, we would have eaten the grasshoppers and returned you our thanks; but, as you do it against your will, we will eat them just the same, and return you nothing.”
In serving our own interests we sometimes, without intending it, serve the interest of others. It is better to do this graciously and make them our friends than to do it grudgingly and make them our enemies.
