Aesop | Greece
The Hen and The Swallow
A kind Hen warms the enemy's eggs in a snake's hole, while a Swallow warns her about the dangers of her kindness.
Text Version
In an old, deserted snake's hole, a Hen made her home. She was keeping some eggs warm, not her own, but those she had found in the hole.
One day, a Swallow, fluttering in the sky, saw the Hen. She swooped down, perched near, and curiously asked, "Why are you warming the eggs of a fierce foe?"
The Hen replied, "I found them here, alone and cold. No creature deserves to be left alone, not even a foe's child."
The Swallow nodded, spreading her wings and preparing to take flight again. "Just remember, not all creatures think as kindly as you."
With that, she soared into the sky, leaving the Hen to her task.
