The Ungrateful Travelers and the Plane Tree
Illustration★★★★One day in summer, oppressed with the noontide sun, perceiving a plane-tree near at hand, made straight for it, and throwing themselves on the ground, rested under its shade. Looking up, as they lay, towards the tree, they said one to another, “What a useless tree to man is this barren plane!” But the plane-tree answered them, “Ungrateful creatures! at the very moment you are enjoying benefit from me, you rail at me as being good for nothing.”
Aesop.
The point
Travelers enjoying shade from a plane tree criticized it as useless until the tree replied they were ungrateful—enjoying its very benefit while condemning it.
Audience
Adults
Tone
Convicting
To tell aloud
under a minute · 78 words