Aesop's Fables: Townsend (1867)
268. The Trees Under the Protection of the Gods (Perry
508)
THE GODS, according to an ancient legend, made choice of certain trees
to be under their special protection. Jupiter chose the oak, Venus the
myrtle, Apollo the laurel, Cybele the pine, and Hercules the poplar. Minerva,
wondering why they had preferred trees not yielding fruit, inquired the
reason for their choice. Jupiter replied, 'It is lest we should seem to
covet the honor for the fruit.' But said Minerva, 'Let anyone say what
he will the olive is more dear to me on account of its fruit.' Then said
Jupiter, 'My daughter, you are rightly called wise; for unless what we
do is useful, the glory of it is vain.'
George Fyler Townsend's translation of the fables, first published in 1867, is
in the public domain and can be found at many websites, including Project
Gutenberg.
Illustrations come from: Aesop's Fables, by George Fyler Townsend, with
illustrations by Harrison Weir, 1867, at Google
Books. |