One day, an old, exhausted heron stood on the shore, as if saddened. Cancer, without coming close to her, asked her:
- Why are you standing aside and refusing food?
The heron answered:
- Listen, friend! I eat fish, but I heard fishermen discussing how to be sure to catch all the fish here. Now we are facing starvation. I'm so worried that food doesn't appeal to me anymore.
Then all the fish thought: “In this situation, you can turn to the heron for help. Let's ask her what we should do. After all, one can be in an alliance with an enemy who brings benefit, but one cannot be in an alliance with a friend who harms: after all, benefit or harm are essential signs of a friend or an enemy.”
The fish asked the heron:
- Is there any means of salvation?
The heron answered:
“One thing will help you: you need to move to other waters.” I can take you there.
Pisces agreed to this out of fear. And the insidious heron took the fish one by one and ate them. Then the cancer turned to the heron:
- Heron, take me there too!
The heron became interested in trying the crayfish meat, and she took it in her beak and carried it. When a heron was carrying a crayfish along the shore, he saw fish bones scattered on the ground and thought: “I’m lost, unfortunate one! All that remains is to act according to the circumstances. Danger must be feared before it comes; and when you see that she is nearby, fight her, throwing away fear. When the one who is being attacked does not see any salvation ahead, then he acts wisely if he goes into battle against the enemy and dies in battle. If without a fight you face certain death, and a fight only poses a danger to your life, you must choose a fight.”
When the heron stretched out its neck to swallow the crayfish, it grabbed its throat with its claws and bit it off.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru