Pagina 223 van 274

Demades the orator was once speaking in the Assembly at Athens;

but the people were very inattentive to what he was saying, so he

stopped and said, "Gentlemen, I should like to tell you one of

Aesop's fables." This made every one listen intently. Then

Demades began: "Demeter, a Swallow, and an Eel were once

travelling together, and came to a river without a bridge: the

Swallow flew over it, and the Eel swam across"; and then he

stopped. "What happened to Demeter?" cried several people in the

audience. "Demeter," he replied, "is very angry with you for

listening to fables when you ought to be minding public

business."

THE MONKEY AND THE DOLPHIN