One Swallow, Does Not Make a Summer!

"Yesterday," said the Moon to the Owl, "I looked down upon a small office on the side of the highway, and as it turned out, was a police station. From the window, I saw Bonobo, a policeman, and Carabao, was seemingly talking about something. Carabao stated his intent and purpose, "Mr. Bonobo, I'd like to report someone, spreading false news." Bonobo responded, "Okay, hold on a minute, let me get a form and a note."

A few minutes later, Bonobo came back and sat down, thereupon querying, "Mr. Carabao, first of all, I'm going to verify the case you're going to report," while taking out a form. "Let's see! So, are you reporting someone's spreading fake news?" Carabao replied, "Yes, I thought so, fake news!" Bonobo responds, "Alright, let's take a closer look." Writing on the form, again Bonobo was wanting to know, "Mr. Carabao, was this man, the source of the news or informing a news?" “Mmm, he delivered a news,” Carabao replied. "When the man, transported it, did he say something, kind of informing truth or fake of the news?" asked Bonobo. "Yes, he said, he didn't believe it, even though the person delivered the news, conformed it would 100% valid!" replied Carabao.

"Then, had he clarified to other sources?" asked Bonobo. “Yes, some people,” Carabao replied. "Then what was their answer?" asked Bonobo. "Some didn't know, other didn't comment, and one confirmed, but it's rather vague." Bonobo asked, "Then what was his attitude?" "He said, it's better to wait a reliable source, because he was sure that, the authorities, would provide clarification." "Then, are there any clarification from the authorities?" asked Bonobo. "Yes!" replied Carabao. "Thus, what did he do?" "Uh, he directly broadcasted the facts from the authorities, denying the news." Bonobo commented, "So, indirectly, he had clarified the news?" "Yes of course!" replied Carabao.

Bonobo sighed, leaned back on his chair, and said, "Mr. Carabao, would you like to hear an apologue?" "What was it?" asked Carabao. "Yeah... some sort of ... a short moral story." Carabao replied, "Yes, I'd like to!"

A young fellow, who was very popular among his boon companions as a good spender, quickly wasted his fortune trying to live up to his reputation. Then one fine day, in early spring, he found himself with not a penny left, and no property save the clothes he wore.

He was to meet some jolly young men that morning, and he was at his wits’ end, how to get enough money to keep up appearances. Just then a Swallow flew by, twittering merrily, and the young man, thinking summer had come, hastened off to a clothes dealer, to whom he sold all the clothes, he wore down to his very tunic.

A few days later, a change in weather brought a severe frost; and the poor swallow, and that foolish young man in his light tunic, and with his arms and knees bare, could scarcely keep life in their shivering bodies.

Mr Carabao! Let me explain about this apologue. They who frequent taverns and gaming-houses, and keep bad company, should not wonder if they are reduced in a very short time to penury and want. The wretched young fellows, who once addict themselves to such a scandalous course of life, scarcely think of or attend to any thing besides, they seem to have nothing else in their heads but how they may squander what they have got, and where they may get more when that is gone. They do not make the same use of their reason as other people, but like the jaundiced eye, view every thing in a false light, and having turned a deaf ear to all advice, and pursued their unaltered course until all their property is irrecoverably lost, when at length, misery forces upon them a sense of their situation, they still lay the blame upon any cause but the right one–their own extravagance and folly; like the Prodigal in the apologue, who would not have considered a solitary occurrence, as a general indication of the season, had not his own wicked desires blinded his understanding.

Let me tell you another apologue,

A Fisherman, in the month of May, stood angling on the bank of a river with an artificial fly. He threw his bait with so much art that a young Trout was rushing towards it, when she was prevented by her mother. “Never,” said she, “My child, be too precipitate where there is a possibility of danger. Take due time to consider, before you risk an action that may be fatal. How know you whether yon appearance be indeed a fly, or the snare of an enemy? Let some one else make the experiment before you. If it be a fly, he will very probably elude the first attack, and then the second may be made, if not with success, at least with safety.” She had no sooner uttered this caution than a Gudgeon seized upon the pretended fly, and became an example to the giddy daughter of the great importance of her mother’s counsel.

The man you are going to sue, didn't spread false news, but rather, he showed the public, that, if there was something like this, let us acted wisely.  He had taken steps to avoid mistakes as the young man did. He had followed the caution the mother Trout ordered as well. If he had taken the right steps, then, what do you expect me to do? Looking for his other faults, is it?" Carabao was silent, he stared at the wall. Then, Bonobo concluded, whispering, "Mr. Carabao, don't rush into things, study them first wisely. One swallow, does not make a summer!"

"And Allah knows best." 

Citations & References :
- Samuel Croxall, D.D., Fables of Aesop and Others, Simon Probasco
- J.B. Rundell, Aesop's Fables, Cassell, Petter and Galpin

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