CHAPTER VI 



THE NUT-WEEVIL 



TF a peaceful home, a good stomach and a 

 secure livelihood are enough to bring 

 happiness, then the Nut-Weevil is truly a 

 happy creature, more so even than the fa- 

 mous Rat who retired into a Dutch cheese. 

 The hermit of the fabuHst ^ had kept up 

 certain relations with the world, the source 

 of all his troubles. One day, a deputation 

 from the Rat folk came to ask him for a 

 trifling alms. The recluse listened to their 

 complaints with an unwilling ear; he told 

 them that he could not help them, promised 

 to pray for them and shut the door without 

 further ado. 



Hard though he was upon the needs of 

 others, this visit of famished beggars must 

 have disturbed his digestion somewhat: 

 history does not tell us so, but we are at 

 liberty to believe it. The hermit of the 



1 Jean de La Fontaine (i 621-1695). — Translator's Note. 

 117 



