Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1830-07-07
From tie Massachusetts Journal.
DISCONTENT.-A FABLE.

Once there was fairy that had more
benevolent and enlarged views than most
of her species. She said her people had
done very wrong in conlining all their
gifts to mankind, who had long since
ceased to be worthy Of their class slip
pers, magic rings, wonderful mirrors, ana
pretty little luck-pence; her heart burn
ed to be of service to the brute creation.
So she stepped up to COW, which was
grazing by the way side. "Cow' said
she, "what do you wish for most in the
whole world? If you will tell Inc, you
shall have it," The fairy was not much
bigger than grasshoppcr and the old
COW thought it was very presumPtuous IN
her to pretend to have so much power.
"However, there is no telling" thought
the COW; ''for these little musquctoes
that do me so much mischief are a great
deal smaller than she is" Then the
COW said, "If might have my wish,
would be bird. ! do not like to be tied
up in the barn every night, and never be
allowed to go but into one pasture. The
birds have no troubles; they are free and
happy. They can fly away from danger,
and IN winter they can warm themselves
by the sun. Then they are at liberty to
20 all round the world, and gather inior-
nation from every country. l am weary
of this life of servitudc and sameness. p
When the fairy heard these words, she
touched her with her little wand, and the
COW changed to a bird, and flew merrily
away. Soon after, the fairy met robin;
and she said, "Pretty robin what should
you m ost like in the world - l should
like to be a whale," said the bird 81
think it is very degrading to be such a
little mite of creature as am; | always
look on every thing large with envy
Besides should like to live away down
under the water, because l should be so
safe there; hawks could not find me or
the guns OF cruel men reach me-" The
fairy thought he was foolish bird; but
she did as he wished her; and he plunged
into the water with mighty noise. As
the fairy stood on the scashorc, she saw
another great whale, alar off; and she
jumped into an Argonant shell, and went
to the whale to ask him if he were hap
py. "No am not" replied the whale;
''but ! am sure | should be, ifl had been
horse, instead of being a whale
These beautiful creatures do not have to
wait upon themselves ; they are fed and
tended, and their coats brus he'd to shine
like the sun. No harpooncrs pursue
them; no sword-fsh and threshcr unite
to torment them; they live in plenty, and
die in peaceful old age" cit is very
strange" said the fairy, ''that every
one should be unhappy where God has
placed them; how true it is that each ono
knows his own sorrows better than anoth-
er." She granted the whale his wish,
and flew. away, well contcnted that she
had that day done three benevolent ac-
tons.
The next year, the kind-hcarted fairy
sought out the creatures she had chang
ed, and asked them if they were happy.
"Oh, I was very silly" said the COW,
"when ! changed the petty troubles |
had known and tried, for greater ones /
had never heard of. was fool to think
there was more freedom in the air than
on the earth have lived in perpetual
terror Of the hawks and guns. When /
was a COW, / used to have my calves to
play with, at least for little while; but
now the cruel boys steal my eggs before
they are hatchcd-Oh,. / wish / were
n COW again, with nothing to do but to
give portion of my milk, which l can
spare just as well as not, for sweet food
and comfortable lodging. The fairy
changed her to a COW; and the grass
tasted swccter to her than it ever did,
Upon inquiry, it was found that the 9TH
ers were as unhappy as she had BEEN
The whale wounded by sword-fsh and
pursuedby harpoons, was dying to breathe
the sweet air of heaven once more, and
to build its nest among the green summer
boughs; while the horse, whipped and
goaded during the day, s. tied up through
the night, longed for the freedom Of the
waves again.
MoRAL.-And thus il is with mortals.
Evry one wishes to be what he is not
The poor man thinks that poverty is pc
culiar for its trials and temptations I; that
if he were rich, he should certainly be
good, benevolent and happy. The rich
man, in the midst Of his possessions, is
often weary Of world that has no new
excitement TO offer; frcttcd by ten thou
sand pretended claims on his generosity; /;
embttered by ingraiitudc, and sickencd
with the hcartlcss fattcry of contcnding