The Advantage Of Knowledge

: MODERN FABLES
: Boys And Girls Bookshelf

ADAPTED FROM THE FRENCH OF LA FONTAINE





Two citizens lived beside each other in a town in France. The one was

rich and had a fine house, and a garden, horses, and carriages, and

servants to wait on him. But he was stupid, for when he was a boy at

school he learned nothing. The other man was poor in gold and silver,

but he was rich in knowledge, and full of wisdom, and he knew all the

beauty a d the glory of the world.



These two held constant arguments. The rich man said that nothing in the

world should be held in honor but riches, and that the wise and learned

should bow to him because of all his wealth.



"My friend," he often said, "what use is it to read so many books? They

do not bring you money! You have a small house, you wear the same coat

in the winter that you do in summer."



The wise man could not always answer back, he had too much to say, and

often kept silence.



But a war broke out. All the town, in which the two men lived, was

broken down, and both men had to leave it to seek their fortune in

another place. The rich man, who had lost his money, was now poor indeed,

for he had nothing, and wandered through the world getting nothing but

scorn for his ignorance. But the wise man was welcomed everywhere, and

received with honor because of all the wisdom and the knowledge that he

brought with him.



Knowledge is power.