FABLES. 



317 



THE PLOUGHMAN AND FORTUNE. 



As a Ploughman was turning" up the soil, his 

 plough uncovered a treasure which had been 

 hidden there. Transported with joy, he seized 

 upon it, and fervently began to thank.the ground 

 for being so liberal to him. Eortune passing by, 

 observed what he was about, and could not forbear 

 shewing her resentment at it. You stupid creature,' 

 said she, to lie thus thanking the ground, and take 

 no notice of me! If you had lost such a treasure, 

 instead of finding one, I should have been the first 

 you would have laid the blame upon. 



APPLICATION. 



Ho\v often do we ascribe our success or mis- 

 fortunes to wrong causes! Vanity sometimes leads 

 us to consider our prosperity as the natural result 



