Dead Men, Tell No Tales (1)

"First of all, I'm going to tell you, an illustration about Opportunity. It was started when a Traveller, met a Statue of man," the Moon mentioned. "And a discussion ensued, between the Traveller and the statue, about how it got there.

The Traveller enquired, "The ancient Greeks's stories, are jumble, nevertheless, this dissaray, makes them interesting. Tell me, O image, what statue are you?" The statue narrated, "The religious system of the Greeks, is the embodiment of beauty. No other worship that has ever existed so encouraged the taste for art as this. Its literature, its mythological stories, its idols and its temples, still control and to a great extent, shape the art ideas of the world. Its devotees, have above all other people possessed a perception of beauty of form and a fondness for representing it.

The people of Greece, appear to have originally come from the North-western part of Asia Minor. They were called the Hellenes. The Worship which they brought from Asia, was the worship of the "Heaven-Father," the unseenpone who dwells in ether, whose temple is the sky, and whose altar is properly placed upon the mountaintop. The Hindus called the same being Dyaus-pitar; the Romans, Diovis-pater or Jupiter; the Greeks, Zeuspater. One can readily see the resemblance between these names, and the evidence they bear to the fact that, these nations, all came originally from one common stock.

As the primal Greek race separated into various parts of Greece different forms, began to arise. As sailors from other lands arrived on their shores, they brought their own gods with them, and thus many new gods, were introduced into Greece.

The lively imagination of the Greeks and the out-door life of their primitive state, produced a number of tales and legends about the gods. Some of these were based on the tales with which their forefathers were familiar in their early home in Asia. The people lived in separate villages. Wandering minstrels and merchants, carried these tales of gods and heroes, from village to village. Poets then caught them up, and adorned them with the touches of a livelier fancy. Thus soon, a rich and luxuriant system of legendary lore, was in possession of the whole people.

Just as is the case with other nations, the beings called gods by the Greeks, are but the personifications of the powers and objects of nature, and the legends but represent the courses of nature and its operations. To these primitive notions imagination, afterwards added, and poetry clothed the whole with a warm glow. Thus was formed the popular Greek faith.

I was Caerus, the personification of opportunity, luck and favorable moments, the same as Kairos, an Ancient Greek word meaning the right, critical, or opportune moment. Kairos has a qualitative, permanent nature."

The Traveller was curioused, "Thus, why did you stand on tip-toe? Say, if the cause you may reveal!"

The statue disclosed, "I was represented as a young and beautiful god. Opportunity obviously never got old, and beauty was always opportune, flourishing in its own season. I stood on tiptoe, because I was always running."

"And why you had a pair of wings on your feet?" the Traveller wanted to know more, "I had wings in my feet, to fly with the wind. I was prone to soar, if neglected, I returned no more." the statue uncovered. "And why did you hold a razor in your right hand?" added the Traveller. "I hold a razor, or else scales balanced on a sharp edge—attributed illustrating the fleeting instant in which occasions appear and disappear. As a sign to men, that I am sharper than any sharp edge." the statue explained. 

"Why does your hair hang over your face?" the Traveller urged. "I was shown with only one lock of hair. I could easily be seized by the hair hanging over my face—creeping down over the eyebrows—when I was arriving."

"And why, was the back of your head, bald?" the Traveller investigated. "Once I had passed by, no one could grasp me, the back of my head, being bald. The moment of action was gone with my hair: a neglected occasion, couldn't be recovered." 

"Why did the artist fashion you?" the Traveller interrogated, "For your sake, O stranger, and he set me up in the porch as a lesson. Just as Hermes had been taken to be the protector of thieves, Opportunity had been called their maker. I had a bad influence in the matter of thefts, humans spent huge resources and efforts in perfecting locks and keys and passwords, and every kind of safety measures, with the help of which they hope to outwit Opportunity. But as they lock some doors, they inevitably leaved others open. And as expected, I went on flying as swiftly as ever, providing amazing surprises to everyone, and making not only thieves, but also lovers. In addition, I produced every kind of such humans as were nicknamed "opportunists," on account of their ability to quickly seize, whatever advantage, I, Caerus, the great seducer, appeared, to offer them.

On the other hand, a man or woman of judgment, usually thinks that things such as "opportunity" are not entities, or powers, let alone divinities, but the produce of diligent men. And being such their nature, they could be arranged or put under control." 

The statue notified, "Men of old invented this particular image, so that our efforts would not be undermined by laziness or hesitation.

Though often, other things happened. In history, there were righteous people who lived in the period between Adam and Noah, alayhimussalam, and who had followers, held them as models. After their death, their friends who used to emulate them said, 'If we make statues of them, it will be more pleasing to us in our worship and will remind us of them.' So, they built statues of them, and, after they had died and others came after them, something evil crept into their minds saying, 'Your forefathers used to worship them, and through that worshipping, they got rain.' So they worshipped them! In this manner, O stranger, careful and good judgment, was required if you were dealing with statues."

[Part 2]

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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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