A Bear roaming the woods in search of berries happened on a fallen tree in which a swarm of Bees had stored their honey. Instead he struck at the drinking horn, hanging at the Countryman's belt, and into it let fly the poison of his fangs. When he had finished talking, an old Fox arose, and said, smiling: Master Fox, kindly turn around for a moment, and you shall have your answer. When he saw how gaily the birds flew about and how the Hare and the Chipmunk and all the other animals ran nimbly by, always eager to see everything there was to be seen, the Tortoise felt very sad and discontented. Though he was well fed, he had much work to do; besides, the Master hardly ever took any notice of him. Besides, it was well known, he said, that men hunt Foxes simply for their tails, which they cut off as prizes of the hunt. At last the Shepherd got so used to seeing the Wolf about that he forgot how wicked he could be. You may have a very smart coat, he said, but you would be a great deal better off if you had a little more smartness inside your head and less on your ribs, the way I am. And this is the story he told his mother about his adventures. By trying to please everybody, he had pleased nobody, and lost his Ass besides.
It is one thing to say that something should be done, but quite a different matter to do it.