📖 Story
The book of Kalila and Dimna tells that a dove lived at the top of a very tall palm tree with such a long trunk that hardly anyone could reach its top. Every year the dove worked very hard to build her nest. She flew back and forth gathering twigs and straw from the ground and carried them up to the top of the palm. Then she laid her eggs and sat on them for many long days until they hatched.
The dove loved her palm tree very much. From the top she could see the green fields, the shining river, and the faraway village. Every morning she sang a lovely coo, "Hoo, hoo," and the sparrows woke up and answered her. She dreamed of seeing her chicks grow up and fly with her over the fields, and of teaching them how to find grain and how to drink from the river.
But in that land lived a cunning fox who knew when the chicks would hatch. Every year he came and stood under the palm tree and shouted in a frightening voice, "Dove! Throw your chicks down to me, or I'll climb up and take you and your chicks together!" The dove was very afraid. She believed he could climb, so she gave him what he asked for, weeping.
After the fox left, the dove would sit alone in her empty nest for many long, sad days. She told herself, "What can I do? I'm small, and the fox is strong and cunning." She didn't ask anyone or tell anyone; she hid her sadness and fear in her heart. The next spring she would build her nest again, hoping the fox wouldn't come back, but he always did.
One year, as the dove sat sadly in her nest, with her eggs about to hatch, a heron passed by. The heron was a bird with long legs and a long neck who lived by the river and was known for his wisdom. He saw the dove looking sad and asked, "What's the matter, Dove? Why do you look so troubled?"
The dove told him her story about the fox. "Every year he comes and threatens me, and I'm afraid he'll climb up to me." The heron thought for a moment, then said, "Dove, have you ever seen a fox climb a palm tree as tall as this? A fox can never do that. He only frightens you with words, because he knows you believe his threats."
The heron added, "Dove, why didn't you ask anyone before? A problem we hide grows bigger inside us, but if we talk about it, we may find someone who can see a solution." "I was embarrassed," said the dove, "and I thought no one could help me." "Wisdom is asking for help when we need it," said the heron, "and there's no shame in that."
Then the heron said, "When he comes this time, tell him confidently: I won't throw my chicks down to you. Climb up if you can! If you climb, my chicks and I will fly far away, and if you can't, you'll get nothing." The dove was amazed. "Really? Can it be that simple?" "Yes," said the heron. "Sometimes fear makes things look bigger than they are."
A few days later, the eggs hatched, and soft little chicks came out. The fox came as usual, stood under the palm, and shouted, "Dove, throw your chicks down to me, or I'll climb up to you!" The dove took a deep breath, then said in a steady voice, "I won't throw you anything, Fox. Climb up if you can!"
The fox stood under the palm tree staring up, trying to frighten her even more. "I'm climbing now! I'm climbing!" he said. He began scratching the trunk with his claws, but he didn't rise at all. The dove laughed to herself. She knew the heron had told the truth, and that the fear she had lived with for years had been built on empty words.
The fox was surprised, for this was the first time the dove hadn't been afraid. He thought for a moment, then said, "Who taught you to say that?" The dove answered innocently, "The heron who lives by the river taught me." The fox was angry inside, and he said to himself, "I'll go to this wise bird and teach him not to meddle in my business."
The fox went to the river and found the heron standing on the bank, gazing at the water. He came up to him with false politeness and said, "Heron, you are a wise bird, and everyone talks about your cleverness. I want to ask you a question: if the wind blows from the right, where do you put your head?" "I put it under my left wing," said the heron.
The fox spoke in a soft, sweet voice and smiled a wide smile, praising the heron's beautiful gray feathers, his long legs, and his graceful neck. The heron liked praise, so he began to feel proud and held his head high, and he forgot to ask himself, "Why has the fox come to me? What does he want from me?"
"And if it blows from the left?" asked the fox. "I put it under my right wing," said the heron. "And if it blows from every side?" asked the fox. "I put it under both my wings," said the heron. "Amazing!" said the fox slyly. "How do you do that? Show me. I don't think anyone can do such a thing!"
The heron answered every question feeling prouder and prouder, because after every answer the fox said, "What a genius of a bird you are! I've never heard anything so clever in my life!" The frogs at the edge of the river watched anxiously and whispered to each other, "Watch out, Heron!"
The heron, proud of himself, was about to tuck his head under his wings and close his eyes in front of the fox. But at the last moment, he remembered the advice he had given the dove: "The fox depends on others believing him." So he stopped, raised his head, gave the fox a long look, and took two steps into the water, where the fox couldn't reach him.
"Fox," said the heron, "I nearly forgot my own advice to others! Whoever tricks the dove with threats can trick me with flattery. I won't close my eyes in front of you." The fox was disappointed. He knew his trick had been uncovered, so he went back to his den ashamed, and he never bothered the dove or the heron again.
Then the heron said, "Fox, you are clever, but you use your cleverness for tricks and harm. If you used it for good, everyone would love you." The fox stood silent for a moment, then turned and walked away. It is said that after that he began finding his own food in the fields and forests, and no longer depended on frightening the weak.
From that day on, the heron visited the dove and her chicks, telling them about his day with the fox. He would laugh and say, "I learned that good advice is something I must follow myself, not just give to others." The dove's chicks grew up and flew safely in the sky.
Every evening, the dove's chicks asked their mother, "Mama, tell us the story of the fox and the heron!" She told it to them, and at the end she said, "My little ones, don't believe everyone who frightens you, or everyone who praises you. Always think with your own minds, and ask the wise." The chicks learned these words by heart and repeated them to each other.
This fable from Kalila and Dimna teaches us not to believe every threat we hear, and that fear makes things seem bigger than they really are. It also teaches us to beware of false praise that may hide a trick, and that the truly wise are those who follow their own advice before giving it to others.
The dove loved her palm tree very much. From the top she could see the green fields, the shining river, and the faraway village. Every morning she sang a lovely coo, "Hoo, hoo," and the sparrows woke up and answered her. She dreamed of seeing her chicks grow up and fly with her over the fields, and of teaching them how to find grain and how to drink from the river.
But in that land lived a cunning fox who knew when the chicks would hatch. Every year he came and stood under the palm tree and shouted in a frightening voice, "Dove! Throw your chicks down to me, or I'll climb up and take you and your chicks together!" The dove was very afraid. She believed he could climb, so she gave him what he asked for, weeping.
After the fox left, the dove would sit alone in her empty nest for many long, sad days. She told herself, "What can I do? I'm small, and the fox is strong and cunning." She didn't ask anyone or tell anyone; she hid her sadness and fear in her heart. The next spring she would build her nest again, hoping the fox wouldn't come back, but he always did.
One year, as the dove sat sadly in her nest, with her eggs about to hatch, a heron passed by. The heron was a bird with long legs and a long neck who lived by the river and was known for his wisdom. He saw the dove looking sad and asked, "What's the matter, Dove? Why do you look so troubled?"
The dove told him her story about the fox. "Every year he comes and threatens me, and I'm afraid he'll climb up to me." The heron thought for a moment, then said, "Dove, have you ever seen a fox climb a palm tree as tall as this? A fox can never do that. He only frightens you with words, because he knows you believe his threats."
The heron added, "Dove, why didn't you ask anyone before? A problem we hide grows bigger inside us, but if we talk about it, we may find someone who can see a solution." "I was embarrassed," said the dove, "and I thought no one could help me." "Wisdom is asking for help when we need it," said the heron, "and there's no shame in that."
Then the heron said, "When he comes this time, tell him confidently: I won't throw my chicks down to you. Climb up if you can! If you climb, my chicks and I will fly far away, and if you can't, you'll get nothing." The dove was amazed. "Really? Can it be that simple?" "Yes," said the heron. "Sometimes fear makes things look bigger than they are."
A few days later, the eggs hatched, and soft little chicks came out. The fox came as usual, stood under the palm, and shouted, "Dove, throw your chicks down to me, or I'll climb up to you!" The dove took a deep breath, then said in a steady voice, "I won't throw you anything, Fox. Climb up if you can!"
The fox stood under the palm tree staring up, trying to frighten her even more. "I'm climbing now! I'm climbing!" he said. He began scratching the trunk with his claws, but he didn't rise at all. The dove laughed to herself. She knew the heron had told the truth, and that the fear she had lived with for years had been built on empty words.
The fox was surprised, for this was the first time the dove hadn't been afraid. He thought for a moment, then said, "Who taught you to say that?" The dove answered innocently, "The heron who lives by the river taught me." The fox was angry inside, and he said to himself, "I'll go to this wise bird and teach him not to meddle in my business."
The fox went to the river and found the heron standing on the bank, gazing at the water. He came up to him with false politeness and said, "Heron, you are a wise bird, and everyone talks about your cleverness. I want to ask you a question: if the wind blows from the right, where do you put your head?" "I put it under my left wing," said the heron.
The fox spoke in a soft, sweet voice and smiled a wide smile, praising the heron's beautiful gray feathers, his long legs, and his graceful neck. The heron liked praise, so he began to feel proud and held his head high, and he forgot to ask himself, "Why has the fox come to me? What does he want from me?"
"And if it blows from the left?" asked the fox. "I put it under my right wing," said the heron. "And if it blows from every side?" asked the fox. "I put it under both my wings," said the heron. "Amazing!" said the fox slyly. "How do you do that? Show me. I don't think anyone can do such a thing!"
The heron answered every question feeling prouder and prouder, because after every answer the fox said, "What a genius of a bird you are! I've never heard anything so clever in my life!" The frogs at the edge of the river watched anxiously and whispered to each other, "Watch out, Heron!"
The heron, proud of himself, was about to tuck his head under his wings and close his eyes in front of the fox. But at the last moment, he remembered the advice he had given the dove: "The fox depends on others believing him." So he stopped, raised his head, gave the fox a long look, and took two steps into the water, where the fox couldn't reach him.
"Fox," said the heron, "I nearly forgot my own advice to others! Whoever tricks the dove with threats can trick me with flattery. I won't close my eyes in front of you." The fox was disappointed. He knew his trick had been uncovered, so he went back to his den ashamed, and he never bothered the dove or the heron again.
Then the heron said, "Fox, you are clever, but you use your cleverness for tricks and harm. If you used it for good, everyone would love you." The fox stood silent for a moment, then turned and walked away. It is said that after that he began finding his own food in the fields and forests, and no longer depended on frightening the weak.
From that day on, the heron visited the dove and her chicks, telling them about his day with the fox. He would laugh and say, "I learned that good advice is something I must follow myself, not just give to others." The dove's chicks grew up and flew safely in the sky.
Every evening, the dove's chicks asked their mother, "Mama, tell us the story of the fox and the heron!" She told it to them, and at the end she said, "My little ones, don't believe everyone who frightens you, or everyone who praises you. Always think with your own minds, and ask the wise." The chicks learned these words by heart and repeated them to each other.
This fable from Kalila and Dimna teaches us not to believe every threat we hear, and that fear makes things seem bigger than they really are. It also teaches us to beware of false praise that may hide a trick, and that the truly wise are those who follow their own advice before giving it to others.
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