a stag had fallen sick. he had just strength enough to gather some food and find a quiet clearing in the woods, where he lay down to wait until his strength should return. the animals heard about the stag's illness and came to ask after his health. of course, they were all hungry, and helped themselves freely to the stag's food; and as you would expect, the stag soon starved to death.

good will is worth nothing unless it is accompanied by good acts.

one cold stormy day a goatherd drove his goats for shelter into a cave, where a number of wild goats had also found their way. the shepherd wanted to make the wild goats part of his flock; so he fed them well. but to his own flock, he gave only just enough food to keep them alive. when the weather cleared, and the shepherd led the goats out to feed, the wild goats scampered off to the hills.

"is that the thanks i get for feeding you and treating you so well?" complained the shepherd.

"do not expect us to join your flock," replied one of the wild goats. "we know how you would treat us later on, if some strangers should come as we did."

it is unwise to treat old friends badly for the sake of new ones.

a young fellow, who was very popular among his boon companions as a good spender, quickly wasted his fortune trying to live up to his reputation. then one fine day in early spring he found himself with not a penny left, and no property save the clothes he wore.

he was to meet some jolly young men that morning, and he was at his wits' end how to get enough money to keep up appearances. just then a swallow flew by, twittering merrily, and the young man, thinking summer had come, hastened off to a clothes dealer, to whom he sold all the clothes he wore down to his very tunic.

a few days later a change in weather brought a severe frost; and the poor swallow and that foolish young man in his light tunic, and with his arms and knees bare, could scarcely keep life in their shivering bodies.

one swallow does not make a summer.