Aesop's Fables

A Philosopher witnessed from the shore the shipwreck of a vessel whose crew and passengers were all drowned. He inveighed against the injustice of Providence, which, for the sake of one criminal who might by chance be sailing in the ship, would allow so many innocent persons to perish. As he was indulging in these reflections, he found himself surrounded by a whole army of Ants, near whose nest he was standing. One of them climbed up and stung him, and he immediately trampled them all to death with his foot. Mercury presented himself and, striking the Philosopher with his wand, said, “And are you indeed going to make yourself a judge of the dealings of Providence, you who have yourself treated these poor Ants in a similar manner?”