FABLE.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume 2, Issue 43, 15 August 1850, Page 4

FABLE.

The Bee and the Ant. A Bee was busily employed about a meadow on a fine sum mer's day, secking ho ney and providing for her house. She visited alternately every llo'.ver, loading her little flights with yellow w a\, to cmisiiuct her cc'.'.s and store rooms ; or extrat tiny the fine I; riua Irani the cops cf the marigold and the tu i|). Daring hi r cinphiyment she obsencd an Ant, \v(r.', lieing as provident aj herself, lliui adtlri Hjcd her *. " I am of your industrious pur.-uits, an I am myself as busily engaged as you. With umcmitting care 1 build my cave;,aiul form pa-sagoa which seem beyond my itienith. I provide carefully fir my youmr, and travel with them and day. lor th. m I erect granaiija mid tions, to proviso them with plenty, and secure them from heat nud- cold; n which lam ivaiiiMv jjcrsi'tiiled hy man. If Ijy ulianctt we get into their hou-sea or zinoa, a outcry i-» raisuil agiinst us, .uid wo uro peiseLMtcd ti> destruction. In g.uiU us and uumclo vs they overwhelm our cities and distioy our young in their egg. Often are ihe trees besmeared with I kuo-v not what, to prevent our c.imbiug up to letch our hard-eavued food."

" Anil arc? you surprised at tills r" obrervcd the J»ee ; *' pray do not eomp no your labour* with mine ; your toil is not conli.ied to that whic'i nature has given i « common to all, b'it yon n'taclc the heanN which others have co!Il*i tcil wilii piiins and hn/.irJ. Kven mine is t'le ul j<-ct ot your inclusions, and you destroy ■is l.ut jis you e«>!!c.;t # of the foists others s isi.dn, w!ri» you un h rinine iptdcns .in*l mc.nlo.vSi I, on* iho contrary, gather my treasures iVoin blossoms find iljxvcis i:eHn r rob them cf the'r brauly nor hirj scent. Moreover, you do iiot shntc your plunder with any one, while I io'Kct my storo mote for th; bem (U of others lb.in mysoll; my wax and my honey nre invaluable to man j (he reason, therefore, in plain why he proUcls me and uerserutes you."

UKAITin--I:I. Inviwsci: Ol> Fii.t.w. I'II.TV, — 'The Unman History furniiiies us with a remarkable exii'ii|>le oflihal piety. A lady of illust/i----•>U5 biitli, had lor some cause toon condemned io be strangled, and was sent to prison in order to be put to deilh. The gaoler, who ha I received orders lo strangle her, was touched Willi compassion fir her beauty nnil misfi rtuncs, null net being able to resolve to kill lu r determined to lit lur die of Inugjr. lie, however, consented lo allow her daughter to i-ijit her in prison, taking cjiii that she brought her mother no foo.l, Many davs elapsed, during which the daughter'* vi-its were veiy lrei|ueut : at length tlio {(.idler became surprised ihat his prisincr could exist io loag without susten-nieo. Hi* suspitions iinmedi.tti lv lost d on lh* diughlrr, whom ho now di t. nnii ed to wa'cli slilmre closely'■ lo Irs ulter ho found that she uo'irUlud her mother with her own milk. His amazement at tl.is pioin and in.'enious invention, caused him lo inform the triumvir of tliu circumstance, who immediately acquainted the pia:'or wi'li it. The latter, considering it worthy the public a'tention, rotated it in an assembly of the people. The icsult was (he pardon of the criminal; and, at tliu same time, a decree was passed, that for tliu future both mother anil daughter sl.onld be supp Jtlcd at the public expense. The Uoauiu also raised a temple upon the spot, and dedicated it to Filial I'iety. X intippe, another Unman lady, suppmted her aged lather Chnonns in a sim lar uiauuer, in order lo preserve, his life ivhi ein prison, This hist cirr'im--3t ineo Wii-i called the Wonnn Chanty." Ilotli these pit-us ittii in appealed so extra vdiaary to that people, thit , 'iey con! I only r.ceount lor them hy supposing tint filial aU'ecliuii was the lirst liw of n ituui.