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Two Travellers were walking along a bare and dusty road in the

heat of a summer's day. Coming presently to a Plane-tree, they

joyfully turned aside to shelter from the burning rays of the sun

in the deep shade of its spreading branches. As they rested,

looking up into the tree, one of them remarked to his companion,

"What a useless tree the Plane is! It bears no fruit and is of no

service to man at all." The Plane-tree interrupted him with

indignation. "You ungrateful creature!" it cried: "you come and

take shelter under me from the scorching sun, and then, in the

very act of enjoying the cool shade of my foliage, you abuse me

and call me good for nothing!"

Many a service is met with ingratitude.

THE FLEA AND THE OX