Æsop. (Sixth century B.C.) - Fables
The Man and the Serpent
A COUNTRYMAN’S *** by accident trod upon a Serpent’s tail, which turned and bit him so that he died. The ****** in a rage got his axe, and pursuing the Serpent, cut off part of its tail. So the Serpent in revenge began stinging several of the Farmer’s cattle and caused him severe loss. Well, the Farmer thought it best to make it up with the Serpent, and brought food and honey to the mouth of its lair, and said to it: “Let’s forget and forgive; perhaps you were right to punish my ***, and take vengeance on my cattle, but surely I was right in trying to revenge him; now that we are both satisfied why should not we be friends again?”
“No, no,” said the Serpent; “take away your gifts; you can never forget the death of
your ***, nor I the loss of my tail.”
“INJURIES MAY BE FORGIVEN, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN.”
I Win