The Gnat and the Bull (A Fable of Aesop)

If you've not leafed through a book of Aesop's Fables in a while, you may be surprised at how many pithy maxims have their origin in the simple stories of this ancient Greek. I say simple because they are simple to apprehend, but they are by no means simplistic. His stories each have a point, much like Dr. Seuss or Mr. Rogers. It's not simply entertainment.

I was recently trying to find one of his fables about a gnat and a bull, to share here. Unfortunately I didn't find the story I was looking for and kept running into this one. I will share my recollection as a follow up.

The Gnat and the Bull

A Gnat flew over the meadow with much buzzing for so small a creature and settled on the tip of one of the horns of a Bull. After he had rested a short time, he made ready to fly away. But before he left he begged the Bull's pardon for having used his horn for a resting place.

"You must be very glad to have me go now," he said.

"It's all the same to me," replied the Bull. "I did not even know you were there."

We are often of greater importance in our own eyes than in the eyes of our neighbor. The smaller the mind the greater the conceit.

Here's how I remembered the story of... 

The Gnat and the Bull (Variation on a Theme)

One day as a Bull was following a trail through the mountains a Gnat buzzed around his head and asked for permission to rest on the tip of his horn. The Bull laughed and said, "Go right ahead."

They went a ways together until the came to a rickety wooden-slat bridge over a deep ravine. After sizing up the situation, the Bull carefully clambered across the bridge. When the two travelers reached the other side the Gnat said, "Boy, we sure made that one quake."

We are often of lesser importance than we think we are.

* * * 

I'll close here by sharing a Friend Link to another of my favorite tales by Aesop: Who Will Bell the Cat?

Trivia: Did you know that writers on Medium get rewarded by the
number of claps given by readers. Furthermore, a reader can
clap up to 50 times there. 

Enjoy your day. Tomorrow will be the shortest day of the year...
and then the days will begin getting longer.

Illustrations by the author.