Thinking Out Loud ~ A Lesson from Aesop’s Fables about Consequences

Today’s Thinking Out Loud reflection is on Aesop’s Fable, The Mistress and Her Servants. Aesop’s Fables is available for free download here.

The Fable

“A Widow, thrifty and industrious, had two servants, whom she

kept pretty hard at work. They were not allowed to lie long abed in

the mornings, but the old lady had them up and doing as soon as the

cock crew. They disliked intensely having to get up at such an

hour, especially in winter-time: and they thought that if it were

not for the cock waking up their Mistress so horribly early, they

could sleep longer. So they caught it and wrung its neck. But they

weren’t prepared for the consequences. For what happened was that

their Mistress, not hearing the cock crow as usual, waked them up

earlier than ever, and set them to work in the middle of the

night.

”

Note: I live near a large park with wilderness trails, warnings of rattlesnakes, coyotes, mountain lions, javelinas and more. I do not stray off the created trails. I witnessed a hawk diving toward an open space and snagging a squirrel. Good for the hawk, tough for the squirrel. There are consequences in nature. There are also consequences in our lives. Although we cannot foresee what will happen, we can predict outcomes with a high degree of accuracy. For example, if I continually show up late for work, I’ll be fired. Conversely, if I apply myself and work hard, I’ll succeed. Consequences can be good or bad. We have a choice.