“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Leonardo da Vinci. (Adopted by Steve Jobs)
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A Farmer was sowing some hemp seeds in a field where a Swallow and some other birds were picking up their food.
“Beware of that man,” warned the Swallow. “Why so?” asked the others. “He sows hemp seed, so pick every one of those now or you will regret it.”
The birds paid no heed to the Swallow’s words, preferring other food.
Lo and behold, the Farmer reaped the hemp, made cord of it, and used the cords to make bird nets. And, from the nets, many birds were caught for the Farmer’s feast.
Moral of the Story: Think ahead. Wisdom sees the thing from the seed.
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Introduction – The Essential Aesop – Epilogue
Related Articles: The Google Privacy Case – 10 Year Anniversary – Business of Aesop™ No. 101 – The Porcupine and the Cave; Thinking It Through, Or, Seeing the Thing from the Seed – No. 101. The Porcupine and the Cave – The Essential Aesop™-Back to Basics Abridgment Series; He Who Feeds Us Enslaves Us – The Business of Aesop™ No. 64 – The Dog and the Wolf
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Why We Loved It: Wisdom is nothing, if not thinking ahead. Prediction. Rational prediction. Displacement of the now. Clarity of causes and effects. Seeing how things grow.
In this lesser-known fable, but critically important fable, Aesop teaches once again about thinking ahead, clearly. In The Porcupine and the Cave, Aesop showed how the friendly Porcupine grew into a problem, and in The Dog and the Wolf, he showed how dependency is easy, yet enslaving. Similarly, in this fable, the seeds were placed onto the ground, no threat today, but only later, in due time. Not everyone has the clarity to see it.
Fools forget about time. Fools forget about causes and effects. Fools forget how small things grow. Fools think about the now, and fools tend to ridicule wise predictions until it’s too late.
Hope is the last refuge of a victim, prayer is a displacement of source of power, and luck is bad life strategy. These may have their place, which, when proper, are merely secondary. Hope may be good, but a fool relies upon hope where action is available. Prayer may be good, but a fool relies upon prayer where action is available. Luck may be good, but a fool relies upon luck where action is available.
The personal harmony of clarity of wisdom, the courage to act, and the discipline to restrain are rules of sustained existence. It’s not always easy or natural. But, Father Time and Mother Nature will do what they do, without asking permission or forgiveness. So, Aesop reminds us to remember our constraints. Logical conclusions from established premises. The way to stop an effect is to stop the cause over which there is control. But, seeing it is first, because we cannot control what we do not see. The thing from the seed.
“Pay unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” Jesus ONE®: 2123
“A man said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, should I tie my camel and trust in Allah, or should I leave her untied and trust in Allah?’ The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, ‘Tie her and trust in Allah.’” Muhammad, Sunan al-Tirmidhi 2517
Trust in God, boys, and keep your powder dry.” Oliver Cromwell
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© 2013 Arnold Zegarelli and Gregg Zegarelli, Esq. Gregg can be contacted through LinkedIn. Arnold Zegarelli can be contacted through Facebook.
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