The travellers and the plane-tree

Two Travellers were walking along a bare and dusty road in the heat of a summer's day. Coming presently to a Plane-tree, they joyfully¹ turned aside to shelter from the burning rays of the sun in the keep shade of its spreading branches.

 

As they rested, looking up into the tree, one of them remarked to his companion, "What a useless tree the Plane is! It bears no fruit and is of no service to man at all."

 

The Plane-tree interrupted him with indignation. "You ungrateful creature!" it cried: "you come and take shelter under me from the scorching² sun, and then, in the very act of enjoying the cool shade of my foliage³, you abuse me and call me good for nothing!"

 

Many a service is met with ingratitude⁴.

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