- or Aesop Revisited.

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A hungry fox leaped up, time and again, trying to reach some luscious grapes on a vine, but they were just out of reach.

A rabbit suddenly came around the corner, and enquired what the leaping was about. "But you're a fox", said the rabbit, "and foxes don't eat grapes!"

The fox smiled, "Thanks for reminding me!" and tried to pounce on the rabbit, but was too exhausted, so the rabbit managed to escape, vowing to keep his big mouth shut in future.

Moral:

Desire can be with problems fraught;

know what you want, or end with naught.

~~~

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The Hare and The Tortoise

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A hare had heard the story about how his grandpa had been beaten in a race by a tricky tortoise. He wasn't going to let the same thing happen again, as no way was he going to fall asleep at any stage. So, he challenged a tortoise to a race.

"Oh, well", said the tortoise, "I agree to compete, but you'll probably win."

The race started, and the hare sped ahead, leaving the tortoise far behind.

While speeding along the hare looked back to gloat, and ran straight into the arms of a hungry hyena, who gobbled him down without hesitation.

The tortoise plodded on, and eventually passed a pile of fur and some bones. Looking back he wondered what they reminded him of. While doing this, he took a wrong path and fell off a cliff, smashing to bits on the rocks beneath.

The small group at the finish line got tired of waiting, so drifted off home.

Moral:

A long-shot may occasionally win a race, but a race with no winner is rarest of all.

(Those who, on Life's Highway, look back, not ahead,

Should not be surprised if they're very soon dead.)

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