Avaricious and Envious

: Aesop's Fables

Two neighbours came before Jupiter and prayed him to grant

their hearts' desire. Now the one was full of avarice, and the

other eaten up with envy. So to punish them both, Jupiter granted

that each might have whatever he wished for himself, but only on

condition that his neighbour had twice as much. The Avaricious

man prayed to have a room full of gold. No sooner said than done;

but all his joy was turned to grief when he found that his

neighbour had two rooms full of the precious metal. Then came the

turn of the Envious man, who could not bear to think that his

neighbour had any joy at all. So he prayed that he might have one

of his own eyes put out, by which means his companion would become

totally blind.



Vices are their own punishment.