The impostor

A certain man fell ill, and, being in a very bad way, he made a vow¹ that he would sacrifice a hundred oxen to the gods if they would grant him a return to health. Wishing to see how he would keep his vow, they caused him to recover in a shout time. Now he hadn't an ox in the world, so he made a hundred little oxen out of tallow and offered them up on an altar, at the same time saying, "Ye gods, I call you to witness that I have discharged my vow." The gods determined² to be even with him, so they sent him a dream, in which he was bidden to go to the seashore and fetch a hundred crowns which he was to find there. Hastening in great excitement to the shore, he fell in with a band of robbers, who seized him and carried him off to sell as a slave: and when they sold him a hundred crowns was the sum he fetched.

 

Do not promise more than you can perform.

 

有个人状况非常严重，他向众神发誓，如果能恢复健康，他一定会供奉一百头牛给众神。众神想要看看他是否能遵守诺言，很快便让他痊愈了。他其实根本没有一百头牛，于是，就用酥油做成了一百头小牛，放到供台上供奉给众神，同时嘴里还说着：“众神灵，我请你们来见证，我已经还清了自己许下的愿。”众神决定要报复他，便带他到一个梦境，在梦里，他被命令到海边去，在哪里他将找到一百个银元。他带着激动的心情赶忙跑到海边，可是却遇上了一群强盗，强盗抓住他并将他卖了去当奴隶，而卖他所得的钱正好是一百个银元，也就是他要取的总数目。

 

不要许下力所不能及的愿望。

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