Blessed Almalexia ' s Fables for Evening Content . Sotha Sil and the Stars Young Sotha Sil lay upon a patch of moss and gazed up at the stars . Driven by his great love of maths , his mind turned to counting . " I shall count every star and give each a name ! " he resolved . For hours he counted and named until , at length , his eyes tired and he drifted off to sleep . When morning came , Sotha Sil woke with a start and looked up at the sky . Alas , all the stars had vanished . He buried his face in his hands and began to weep , for he had learned a harsh lesson . You see , child , time cages all tasks . < nowiki > * * * < / nowiki > The Strongest Nix - Ox A great nix - ox trumpeted to its herd , " None of you love the master more than I ! Do you see what great burdens I bear ? " " But you are twice our size ! " the lesser nix - oxen grumbled . " Better for us to carry four bales of saltrice than struggle with six and risk great injury . " " Bah ! " the mighty nix - ox snorted . " It ' s hard work you fear , not injury . " The great beast took up its yoke and trudged out into the field . The lesser nix - oxen gathered by a fence and watched their mighty brother take up two bales of saltrice , then four bales , then six , eight , ten ! Until at last , the great nix - ox was laden with twelve full bales . " Do you see ? " it said , straining for breath . " None of you love the master more than I ! " Just then , the nix - ox ' s shell began to crack under the weight . It let out a painful bellow and collapsed under the bales — crushed to death . The lesser nix - oxen sighed and shook their heads . " Poor fool . He learned too late that there is no mortal strength without limits . " < nowiki > * * * < / nowiki > The Tale of the Frozen Guar A lonely guar struggled through the Ashlands on a cold , moonless night . The wind was frosty and bitter and chilled the animal to the bone . " Alas ! " it cried , " I will die here , alone in the cold . " Just then , the guar caught sight of a faint orange glow in the distance . " A campfire ? " it barked hopefully , " It must be ! It must be ! " The guar raced toward the light , its feet growing warmer with every step . Soon , the cold gave way to a sweltering heat . The air grew thick and acrid , searing the guar ' s nostrils and lungs . But still , it hurried on , barking , " It must be a campfire ! It must be ! It must be ! " Finally , the guar reached the orange glow . Alas , it was not a campfire , but a great flow of lava . The guar , so seduced by the warmth , gave this truth no heed . It sprinted to the lava ' s edge and tripped on a loose stone . With one last joyful bark , the beast landed headfirst in the fiery liquid and died . So you see , child , a fool ' s thirst for safety carries its own risks . < nowiki > * * * < / nowiki > The Most Beautiful ] Netch A netch mother once said to her calf , " You , my darling , are the most beautiful netchling in all these isles . No bull is worthy of you ! " For years the netch ' s vanity grew . Many worthy bulls approached her with loving intent , but she rebuffed them all , saying , " Do you not know that I am the most beautiful netch in all these isles ? None of you are worthy of me ! " At length , the netch grew old and weary . " Alas , I shall die alone ! " she cried . A young netch couple passed her by and sighed at her wretched condition . " We must be cautious with our calves , " the betty said . " Smothering a child with praise does nothing but harm . "