Mind Exerciser #4

Well, I think it's time for another of Aesop's Fables. As I said the last time, I am quite a fan of them and love to rewrite them for children, keeping out the violence and brutality. They have lessons, you know, and oftentimes there is more than one lesson that can be applied to a particular one. I think it's fun to look at them here from time to time and see what applications can be made by various people. The last time, I saw a particular message, but other people saw other things and no one was wrong. In fact, everyone--especially the teenagers--had wonderful words of wisdom. As is usually the case, various folks see various things and that's what makes them so interesting! So, here is the one I picked for today; it's not one of the more familiar ones. I like it that these fables are writings that you can "tamper" with and not worry about infringing anyone's copyright. After all, they've been passed down for generations and you can find multiple versions of most of them, anyway. So I altered it just a bit, but it's basically the same fable which I encountered in my resources.

See what morals, cautions, or words of wisdom you can glean from this one. I have a teaching that stands out to me, which I'm about to write down now. I'll post my "insights" on Friday, and I'm curious as to how many folks see what I'm seeing as a lesson. Here goes:

The Swallow and the Other Birds

There once was a time when a farmer had sowed some seeds in a very large field. An older Swallow and some other birds, who were a good deal younger, were hopping about picking up their feed. The Swallow pointed out certain seeds which had been sown among the other ones and said to the younger birds: "Beware of this farmer. See these larger seeds? They are hemp seeds that he has sown among the others. Be careful to pick up every one of them, or you will be sorry later."

The younger birds paid no heed to the Swallow's warning and only ate the smaller seeds, which were more to their liking. By and by, the hemp grew and the farmer used it to make into cord and of the cord, nets were made. Many a bird that had despised the Swallow's advice were caught in the nets made of that very hemp.

Remember, there is no right or wrong, and no winner. Any Scripture references which may apply are welcome too. Let me hear from you before Friday!