Some Oxen wanted the destruction of the Butchers. A wiser member of the herd said to wait; Butchers slaughter skillfully; If gone unskilled will do the job.
Do not rush to change evils.
The Oxen gathered to plot the destruction of the Butchers who they saw as the enemy. But, an older and wiser member of the herd said: “It’s true the Butchers slaughter us, but they do it skillfully. If the Butchers are destroyed we shall be subject to unskilled people and suffer greatly. Butchers or not, men will always want our meat.”
[Note: Illustration produced by AI using the above text as a prompt.]
Townsend version
The Oxen once upon a time sought to destroy the Butchers, who practiced a trade destructive to their race. They assembled on a certain day to carry out their purpose, and sharpened their horns for the contest. But one of them who was exceedingly old (for many a field had he plowed) thus spoke: “These Butchers, it is true, slaughter us, but they do so with skillful hands, and with no unnecessary pain. If we get rid of them, we shall fall into the hands of unskillful operators, and thus suffer a double death: for you may be assured, that though all the Butchers should perish, yet will men never want beef.”
Moral
Do not be in a hurry to change one evil for another.
JBR Collection
Once upon a time the Oxen took counsel together, and resolved upon ridding the land of all the Butchers, who so constantly led away the finest and fattest of their number to perish by the axe and knife. They were on the point of proceeding to carry out their plan, when a wise old Ox prayed them to reconsider their intentions. “You may be certain,” said he, “that men will not go without beef. If then we kill the Butchers, who are already expert in their trade, and who put us out of pain as quickly as possible, we shall be hacked and hewed by others, who have yet to learn the business.” This sensible reasoning prevailed, and the plan dropped to the ground.
Babrius Translation
Some oxen wish’d the butcher tribe to kill,
Who boasted a to them destructive skill.
But when they met, and now for direful fray
Whetted their horns, an ox of ancient day
Among them, who for years had borne the plough,
Said, “These at least have hands experienced, how
“To kill and carve us, not to hack and hew:
“But if we chance on men to slaughter new,
“We shall die twice. One will not lack to fell
“The ox, but one perhaps to do it well.”
A man in haste from present woes to flee
Should see his path from worse disaster free.
Boves et Coqui
Boves quondam coquos quaerebant perdere, quippe qui sibi inimicam tractabant artem. Et ideo congregabantur, iam ad proelium acuentes cornua. Unus vero illorum aliquis, valde senex, araverat enim diu, “Isti quidem,” ait, “nos peritis mactant manibus ac magno trucidant sine cruciatu. Quod si in imperitos incidemus homines, duplex tunc impendebit mors. Non deerit enim qui bovem immolet, coquus etsi defuerit.”
Moral
Qui praesens effugere cupit infortunium, providere debet ne peius quid inveniat sibi. Doctis et aequis servire dominis satius est quam scaevis parere et indoctis.
Perry #290