A philosopher strolled through a garden and remarked, "Look at that enormous pumpkin growing on that scrawny vine! God should have honored the pumpkins with a lofty position, growing in trees instead of on the ground. I would arrange things differently if I were in charge!"
Then, to escape the heat of the day, the philosopher went and rested beneath a shady tree. As he sat there dozing, an acorn fell down on his head.
"Dear Lord!" he exclaimed. "If that had been a pumpkin, it might have killed me. God really does know best how everything should be arranged!"
Inspired by: Mille Fabulae et Una, a collection of Latin fables that I've edited, free to read online. I am not translating the Latin here; instead, I am just telling a 100-word version of the fable.
Notes: This is fable 881 in the book, which does not appear in Perry's catalog, but it is found in La Fontaine's fables. The story is also told about Nasruddin: Walnuts and Watermelons.
(illustration by Billinghurst)
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