The Wolf and Lycophron
Once upon a time, at the edge of an ancient forest where cool waters flowed, lived a young shepherd named Lycophron. Lycophron grazed his sheep on green meadows and protected them like the apple of his eye. Deep in the forest, however, resided a cunning wolf who always roamed hungry. This wolf watched for an opportunity to snatch a delicious lamb from the shepherd's flock. Shepherd Lycophron had no mercy on the wolf and drove him away from his hut wherever he saw him.
On a sunny noon, the hungry wolf began to wander secretly around the meadow again. Hiding behind the trees, he set about watching curiously what the shepherd was doing. Meanwhile, Lycophron had lit a big fire in front of his wooden hut. The shepherd and his friends were enjoying a lamb roasted to perfection. When the wolf saw the shepherd eating a lamb from his own flock, he could not believe his eyes. Emerging slowly from the bushes, he took a few steps toward the shepherd's hut.
"Hey Lycophron, if I had snatched a lamb, the whole village would run after me," he called out. "Now you eat your own lamb, but nobody gets angry at you," he said in a hurt voice. Hearing the wolf's voice, Shepherd Lycophron put down the meat in his hand and looked at him in astonishment. Shaking his head with an aggrieved demeanor, the wolf walked toward the depths of the forest. Facing the wolf's rightful words, the shepherd did not know what to say and sank into silence. From that day on, Lycophron began to think about his own behavior before blaming others.
People sometimes do not hesitate to forbid others from things they deem fair for themselves. Practice what you preach.