A Countryman’s son by accident trod upon a Serpent’s
tail, which turned and bit him so that he died. The father
in a rage got his axe, and pursuing the Serpent, cut off part
of its tail. So the Serpent in revenge began stinging several
of the Farmer’s cattle and caused him severe loss. Well, the
Farmer thought it best to make it up with the Serpent, and
brought food and honey to the mouth of its lair, and said
to it: ‘Let’s forget and forgive; perhaps you were right to
punish my son, and take vengeance on my cattle, but
surely I was right in trying to revenge him; now that we
are both satisfied why should not we be friends again?’
‘No, no,’ said the Serpent; ‘take away your gifts; you
can never forget the death of your son, nor I the loss of
my tail.’
Moral Lesson: Injuries may be forgiven, but not forgotten.
―
Aesop
