The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-03-24

n bles. A fable is short and
- very simple story that is sup
posed TO illustrate a truth.
For example. here Is one:
THE hares were arguing in meet
ing one day that all animals should
have equal rights. A Hon arose and
said: friends. your words sound
grand, but you have neither the teeth
nor the claws that we have"
OF course. II is clear that IL the lions
had been arguing for equal rights. the
hares would have said nothing. SO
this fable could have been made 10 H.
lustrate n great truth. In two ways.
But there is no question about the
next one:
"A wolf. passing hut. looked In at
the door and saw some Shepherds eat
Ing mutton for dinner. Calling out TO
them. he said:
What a row you would make "
you caught me doing the same
thing"
Which, after all. is only another
view Of equal rights.
I.
The great writer OF fables was a
slave named Aesop. Where he was
born. nobody knows. The date OF his
birth was about 500 g. c.. twenty
five hundred wears ego. 4 great num-
Der of learned men have written about
him. and one. Frenchmau. devoted
several wears n trying 10 learn the
facts Of his life. This shows that
being n slave is an accident OF social
conditions. but being a thinker is
matter Of another kind. No one has
ever cared 10 write the life or the man
that owned Aesop. In fact. Aesop
seems to have been owned by two
masters. one OF whom gave him hia
liberty. because he was impressed by
his learning and wit
Once free. the former slave raised
himself 10 high position. He trav-
eled IN many countries No one
knows what books he read. but every
ono knows the book he wrote-which
after all. is more to the point He
visited MANY cities NJ the ancieu,
world. and was invited By Croesus to
live AT sardis,
Croesus. YOU NAV remember. was
said to he the richest man who ever
lived. So VIC say in these days. "as
rich as Croesus" when We speak OF
n very wealthy man. Like the oil.
sugar and steel gentlemen of today.
Croesus made it n custom 10 give
away money; not 10 colleges and
libraries. but after the manner OF
his time
One day he sent Aesop to a town
called Delphi. 10 distribute large
sum among its people. Every one of
them was so anxious TO get II all that
Aesop was disGusted with them. and
sent II back to the king. For this.
the people killed him; q sad end for
a man who had money TO give away,
III
If they had not killed Aesop, ne
might have written one more fable
about being greedy. say something
like this:
There was once a very rich man
who called his private secretary to
him. and said:
Sidt chIc, Heip dls IL cphpi' VI
million dollars. Go down Broadway.
and ask the first ten people you meet
how much money tney need 20 make
them happy. Get the names and ad-
dress Of each. and bring them 10
me-"
So Clarence started in at Forty
second street and Broadway. and
walked south. The first man he met
ne said TO him:
II never give to charity" He mis-
understood the question. The next
person was q newsboy. He under
stood the question all right. and
threw a SNOWFALL at Clarence.
The next tnres people told him he
was crazy.
The sixth was lady. who com
planned TO an officer that this gent
insulted me"
Clarence had Il good deal of trorble
convincing the Judge that what he WAS
doing was following directions. But
he did SO. and the Judge sent him
home. with the advice mot to act like
a fool again"
AS Clarence was leaving the court
room. a well-dressed man said TO him:
rs that straight about old man So
and-So wanting to give away two mill
Hon dollars?"
Clarence nodded
well. then, why in that Is. why
did you not see me first7 ! live In his
ward. and control more than half the
voters there"
10 distribute money gratis is to do IL
with system.
Aesop discovered that.