The Widow And The Sheep
A certain poor widow had one solitary Sheep. At shearing time, wishing
to take his fleece and to avoid expense, she sheared him herself,
but used the shears so unskillfully that with the fleece she sheared
the flesh. The Sheep, writhing with pain, said, "Why do you hurt me
so, Mistress? What weight can my blood add to the wool? If you want
my flesh, there is the butcher, who will kill me in an instant; but
if you want my fleece and wool, there is the shearer, who will shear
and not hurt me."
The least outlay is not always the greatest gain.
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