The Man The Horse The Ox And The Dog
A Horse, Ox, and Dog, driven to great straits by the cold, sought
shelter and protection from Man. He received them kindly, lighted
a fire, and warmed them. He let the Horse make free with his oats,
gave the Ox an abundance of hay, and fed the Dog with meat from his
own table. Grateful for these favors, the animals determined to repay
him to the best of their ability. For this purpose, they divided the
term of his life between them, and each endowed one portion of it
with the qualities which chiefly characterized himself. The Horse
chose his earliest years and gave them his own attributes: hence every
man is in his youth impetuous, headstrong, and obstinate in maintaining
his own opinion. The Ox took under his patronage the next term of
life, and therefore man in his middle age is fond of work, devoted
to labor, and resolute to amass wealth and to husband his resources.
The end of life was reserved for the Dog, wherefore the old man is
often snappish, irritable, hard to please, and selfish, tolerant only
of his own household, but averse to strangers and to all who do not
administer to his comfort or to his necessities.
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