The Calf and the Stork
Long ago, at the edge of an ancient forest where cool waters flowed, there lived a dappled and merry calf. Intoxicated by the scent of fresh grass, this little calf took pride in his sturdy legs and forever went racing about the meadows. One spring morning, on the bank of the pond behind the reeds, he came upon an elegant stork with long, slender legs. The stork was waiting patiently to hunt, as still as a statue above the motionless water. When the calf saw the stork's delicate frame, he drew near in curiosity and began to look him over and snicker. "Hey there, brother stork, how can you keep your balance on such spindly legs, thin as twigs?" he called out.
The stork turned his head with a dignified air and regarded the calf with languid, wise eyes. "Nature has bestowed a different gift upon everyone, dear calf, and my legs are more than enough for me," he said. The haughty calf was not satisfied by this answer and went on swaggering, stamping his thick hooves upon the ground. "Were it not for these powerful legs of mine, how would I run free across the wide pastures, how would I shake the earth?" he bragged. The stork made no reply to these callow words and glided silently into the depths of the reeds. Just then the sky suddenly darkened, and a violent downpour came sweeping over the high mountains.
The parched earth turned before long into a deep sea of slimy mud. Trusting in his thick and heavy legs, the calf tried to run homeward, yet with every step he sank a little deeper into the mud. The more he floundered, the more his legs locked fast in the mire, and he stuck there helplessly where he stood. The stork he had mocked, thanks to his long and slender legs, walked gracefully over the mire without sinking. The stork lent his wing to the calf in his distress and helped him climb onto a firm rock. Understanding his mistake and the emptiness of his arrogance, the calf bowed his head in shame and thanked the stork. To belittle what seems wanting in others is the greatest mistake, for it blinds a creature to its own helplessness. Eat a big bite, but do not speak a big word.