A Hare was very popular with the other beasts who all
claimed to be her friends. But one day she heard the
hounds approaching and hoped to escape them by the aid
of her many Friends. So, she went to the horse, and asked
him to carry her away from the hounds on his back. But
he declined, stating that he had important work to do for
his master. ‘He felt sure,’ he said, ‘that all her other friends
would come to her assistance.’ She then applied to the
bull, and hoped that he would repel the hounds with his
horns. The bull replied: ‘I am very sorry, but I have an
appointment with a lady; but I feel sure that our friend the
goat will do what you want.’ The goat, however, feared
that his back might do her some harm if he took her upon
it. The ram, he felt sure, was the proper friend to apply to.
So she went to the ram and told him the case. The ram
replied: ‘Another time, my dear friend. I do not like to
interfere on the present occasion, as hounds have been
known to eat sheep as well as hares.’ The Hare then
applied, as a last hope, to the calf, who regretted that he
was unable to help her, as he did not like to take the
responsibility upon himself, as so many older persons than himself had declined the task. By this time the hounds
were quite near, and the Hare took to her heels and
luckily escaped.
Moral Lesson: He that has many friends, has no friends.
―
Aesop
