Man's Ingratitude
Illustration★★★★There is a story of a poor man that went often to a forest to gather sticks, where suddenly one day he heard the voice of a man in distress. Making towards it, he found a rich neighbour fallen into a deep pit; and together with him an ape, a lion, and a serpent. He made his moan, being endangered both of the pit and of the beasts. Pity and charity moved the poor man to help the rich, and that seldom moves the rich to help the poor.
He lets down the cord wherewith he bound his sticks, and up comes the ape. Again he puts for the man, and the lion ascends. A third offer he makes, and the serpent takes the advantage. Last he draweth up Flowers from Old English Gardens the man, who, freed by his help from instant death, promised him a bounteous requital, if on the next day he did visit him.
The poor man affying his word, came to him accordingly in a hopeful expectation of reward. But now the rich man would not know him.
He hath forgotten that ever he stood in any need of him, and impudently denies him any recompense. The discomforted poor man is fain to travel the forest again for his fuel, where the ape spying him, had ready broken, with his teeth and nails, sticks enough for his burden; there was his utmost gratitude. Another day coming, the lion approacheth him, presenting to him divers laden camels, which driving home and disburdening, he found precious treasure that enriched him. A third time, upon other occasions travelling the forest, the serpent, creeping, salutes him with a precious stone in her mouth, letting it fall at her saver’s feet.
The intent of the fable is to demonstrate that beasts and serpents condemn man of ingratitude (Ps. cxviii. 27).
The point
A poor man rescues a rich neighbor from a pit along with an ape, lion, and serpent; later the animals reward his kindness while the rich man shows ingratitude.