 |
| Artist: John Thompson |
Olympus to present Jupiter some honey fresh from her combs.
Jupiter, delighted with the offering of honey, promised to give
whatever she should ask. She therefore besought him, saying,
"Give me, I pray thee, a sting, that if any mortal shall approach
to take my honey, I may kill him." Jupiter was much displeased,
for he loved the race of man, but could not refuse the request
because of his promise. He thus answered the Bee: "You shall
have your request, but it will be at the peril of your own life.
For if you use your sting, it shall remain in the wound you make,
and then you will die from the loss of it." ~Aesop's Fables
Moral: "He who prays hard against his neighbor, brings a curse upon himself." or "Evil wishes, like chickens, come home to roost."
![]()
I see the moral differently, but before we get into that, let's consider the following:
I think the bee in the story is misunderstood. Like most villains, she has her own side to this. She was less forgiving of humans than Jupiter. Let's face it. He's a god. He can afford more benevolence than the bee who is in the trenches every day with these thieves. She wanted to protect her creation. Now, she might have been a little on the selfish side from Jupiter's viewpoint, but that's food for her tribe, and humans can find other sources of food themselves. Her people can't. From Jupiter's perspective, he loves human beings, and she's put him in an awkward position, so he had to even the playing field.
Protecting what you love and cherish, your sustenance, etc.. usually comes at a cost. While the moral of Aesop's story might be to not curse your enemies, I see it more as "evaluate what you cherish and be sure it's worth the price."
Are you wasting precious energy and time on things that no longer serve you? Are you fighting with the gods (insert your idea of deity or non-deity here) or yourself in letting go of that thing? Are you willing to give up your life for it? Is it worth focusing on?
I've always taught my children to choose their battles wisely. Not every conflict deserves a battle. Not everything I have protected (including my personal 'sacred cows') has been worth the price paid for it. Sometimes, we humans tend to no longer want something, but if another person pays attention to it, it suddenly becomes precious again.
The bee in Aesop's story is now forced to choose her battles wisely, because she will lose her life when she stings. Let us choose more carefully than she.
Something to think about.
Sláinte,
Kallan
P.S. Don't forget to check out the giveaway from yesterday's Stew!
I think the bee in the story is misunderstood. Like most villains, she has her own side to this. She was less forgiving of humans than Jupiter. Let's face it. He's a god. He can afford more benevolence than the bee who is in the trenches every day with these thieves. She wanted to protect her creation. Now, she might have been a little on the selfish side from Jupiter's viewpoint, but that's food for her tribe, and humans can find other sources of food themselves. Her people can't. From Jupiter's perspective, he loves human beings, and she's put him in an awkward position, so he had to even the playing field.
Protecting what you love and cherish, your sustenance, etc.. usually comes at a cost. While the moral of Aesop's story might be to not curse your enemies, I see it more as "evaluate what you cherish and be sure it's worth the price."
Are you wasting precious energy and time on things that no longer serve you? Are you fighting with the gods (insert your idea of deity or non-deity here) or yourself in letting go of that thing? Are you willing to give up your life for it? Is it worth focusing on?
I've always taught my children to choose their battles wisely. Not every conflict deserves a battle. Not everything I have protected (including my personal 'sacred cows') has been worth the price paid for it. Sometimes, we humans tend to no longer want something, but if another person pays attention to it, it suddenly becomes precious again.
The bee in Aesop's story is now forced to choose her battles wisely, because she will lose her life when she stings. Let us choose more carefully than she.
Something to think about.
Sláinte,
Kallan
P.S. Don't forget to check out the giveaway from yesterday's Stew!