The Stag And His Reflection

Summary

This story illustrates a moral lesson about the dangers of vanity and the importance of appreciating one's true strengths. It follows a stag who admires his antlers but feels ashamed of his legs. However, when threatened by a panther, the stag's prized antlers become a hindrance, while his legs, which he undervalued, could have saved him. The narrative highlights how external beauty or adornments can be deceptive, and it emphasizes the value of embracing and recognizing one's authentic attributes, which often prove more crucial in crucial situations.

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A Stag, drinking from a crystal spring, saw himself mirrored in the clear water. He greatly admired the graceful arch of his antlers, but he was very much ashamed of his spindling legs.

THE STAG AND HIS REFLECTION

“How can it be,” he sighed, “that I should be cursed with such legs when I have so magnificent a crown.”

At that moment he scented a panther and in an instant was bounding away through the forest. But as he ran his wide-spreading antlers caught in the branches of the trees, and soon the Panther overtook him. Then the Stag perceived that the legs of which he was so ashamed would have saved him had it not been for the useless ornaments on his head.