A Sparrow berated a Hare for being caught by an Eagle. Right at that time a Hawk comes and captures the Sparrow.
Misery loves company.
Townsend version
A hare pounced upon by an eagle sobbed very much and uttered cries like a child. A Sparrow upbraided her and said, “Where now is thy remarkable swiftness of foot? Why were your feet so slow?” While the Sparrow was thus speaking, a hawk suddenly seized him and killed him. The Hare was comforted in her death, and expiring said, “Ah! you who so lately, when you supposed yourself safe, exulted over my calamity, have now reason to deplore a similar misfortune.”
Samuel Croxall
A HARE being seized by an Eagle, squeaked out in a most woeful manner. A Sparrow, that sat upon a tree just by, and saw it, could not forbear being unseasonably witty, but called out, and said to the Hare: So ho! what, sit there and be killed! Pr’ythee, up and away; I dare say, if you would but try, so swift a creature as you are, would easily escape from the Eagle. As he was going on with his cruel raillery, down came a Hawk, and snapped him up; and, notwithstanding his vain cries and lamentations, fell a devouring of him in an instant. The Hare, who was just expiring, yet received comfort from this accident, even in the agonies of death; and addressing her last words to the Sparrow, said, You who just now insulted my misfortunes with so much security, as you thought, may please to show us how well you can bear the like, now it has befallen you.
THE APPLICATION
Nothing is more impertinent than for people to be giving their opinion and advice, in cases, in which, were they to be their own, themselves would be as much at a loss what to do. But so great an itch have most men to be directors in the affairs of others, either to show the superiority of their understanding, or their own security and exemption from the ills they wou.d [sic] have removed, that they forwardly and conceitedly obtrude their counsel, even at the hazard of their own safety and reputation. There have been instances of those who, either officiously, or for the jest’s sake, have spent much of their time in reading lectures of economy to the rest of the world; when, at the same time, their own ill husbandry has been such, that they were forced to quit their dwellings, and take lodgings; while their goods were sold to make a composition for the debts they owed to petty tradesmen. Without giving more examples of this kind, of which every one may furnish himself with enough from his own observation, we canot but conclude, that none are greater objects of ridicule, than they who thus merrily assume a character, which at the same time, by some incidents of their life, they convince us of their being so unfit for.
Thomas Bewick (The Sparrow and The Hare)
A Hare being seized by an Eagle, squeaked out in a most woful manner. A Sparrow, that sat upon a tree just by, and saw the affair, could not forbear being unseasonably witty, but called out to the Hare: So, ho! what, sit there and be killed! prithee up and away; I dare say if you would but try, so swift a creature as you are would easily escape from an Eagle. As he was going on with his cruel raillery, down came a Hawk and snapped him up, and notwithstanding his cries and lamentations, fell to devour him in an instant. The Hare, who was just expiring, addressing her last words to the Sparrow, said, You who just now insulted my misfortune, with so much security as you thought, may please to shew us how well you can bear the like, now it has befallen you.
APPLICATION.
To insult people in distress, is the characteristic of a cruel, indiscreet, and giddy temper; and he must surely have a very bad heart, and no very good head, who can look on the day of grief, and the hour of distress, as a time for impertinent raillery. If any other arguments were necessary, or might be supposed capable of enforcing moral precepts on those who cannot be actuated by humanity, it might be added, that the vicissitudes of human affairs render such behaviour imprudent, as well as barbarous; since we cannot tell how soon we may be ourselves reduced to lament the woes which are now the objects of our derision: for nobody knows whose turn may be the next.
JBR Collection
A Hare being seized by an Eagle, cried out in a piteous manner. A Sparrow sitting on a tree close by, so far from pitying the poor animal, made merry at his expense. “Why did you stay there to be taken?” said he. “Could not so swift a creature as you are have easily escaped from an Eagle?” Just then a Hawk swooped down and carried off the Sparrow, who, when he felt the Hawk’s talons in his sides, cried still more loudly than the Hare. The Hare, in the agonies of death, received comfort from the fact that the fate of the mocking Sparrow was no better than his own.
