Fortune and the Traveller at the Well
On a hot summer day, a tired traveller came down a long road. Beside the road there was a deep and very old well. The traveller was very tired and lay down on the well stone to rest. The edge of the well was a narrow and dangerous place. But the careless man did not think about the danger and fell asleep at once.
While the man slept right on the edge, Fortune appeared like a fairy. She saw that he was about to fall and woke him up gently. The traveller opened his eyes and was very surprised to see Fortune. Fortune began to speak to the man in a slightly angry voice.
"Please wake up and move away from this dangerous place at once!" she said. "If you fall into this well, you can hurt yourself very badly," she said. "Then everybody will blame me and not your carelessness," she added.
When the man heard these words, he understood his big mistake. In fear he moved away from the well and went to a safe place. Because of his own carelessness he almost lost his life. He thanked Fortune and promised to be more careful from that day on.
People do not see their own mistakes and always blame fate. He who falls by his own fault does not cry.