FABLES. 



341 



THE SERPENT AND THE MAN. 



A Child was playing in a meadow, and by 

 chance trod upon a Serpent. The Serpent, in the 

 fury of his passion, turned up and bit the child 

 with his venomous teeth, so that he died imme- 

 diately. The Father of the child, inspired with 

 grief and revenge, took a weapon, and pursuing 

 the Serpent, before he could get into his hole, 

 struck at him and lopped off a piece of his tail. 

 The next day, hoping by stratagem to finish his 

 revenge, he brought to the Serpent's hole honey, 

 and meal, and salt, and desired him to come forth, 

 protesting that he only sought a reconciliation on 

 both sides; but the Serpent answered him with a 

 hiss to this purpose: In vain you attempt a recon- 

 ciliation; for as long as the memory of the dead 

 Child and the mangled tail subsists, it will be 

 impossible for you and I to have any charity for 

 each other. 



