On
a hot summer day a stag being thirsty, come to a pool of dear water for a
drink. He saw his own reflection in the pool as in a looking glass. He could
not help admiring his beauty,
“What
a lovely creature I am I” he said to himself. “How fine my pair of branching horns
are!“ But the stag felt ashamed of his slender legs. “What a pity!” said he,
“that such a fine Creature should have such thin and ugly legs!”
The
stag then drank his fill at the clear pool. Just then a shrill blast of horns
and the crashing of horses reached his ears. To his great horror he saw a party
of hunters with their hounds rushing to the spot. The stag at once scented
danger and ran off in the opposite direction. The hunters pursued him fast.
By
chance his horns got caught with creepers in the bush and he could not run
away. Soon the hounds were upon him and tore him to pieces.
“Alas!”
said the dying stag, “I despised my legs that would have saved me, but my horns
which were my glory brought about my death.”
