WORLDLY WISEMAN
THEN I saw in my dream that Pliable went with all speed back to his own house. When his neighbors heard that he had returned, they went to visit him. They asked him all sorts of questions about his little journey, and he answered them truly.
"Well, I think you were very wise to come back home so quickly," said the first neighbor.
"You are not to be pitied. You were a fool for having anything to do with that man Graceless," said the second neighbor.
"But you showed yourself a great coward," said the third neighbor. "A man who undertakes a journey and then gives it up as soon as the road becomes rough is not to be depended upon in time of need."
Poor Pliable at first hung his head in shame. But
27
