The Torrent And The River

: MODERN FABLES
: Boys And Girls Bookshelf

ADAPTED FROM THE FRENCH OF LA FONTAINE





With great noise and much tumult a torrent fell down the mountain side.

All fled before it; horror followed it; it made the country round it

tremble.



Only one traveler, who was flying from robbers that were following

after him, dared to cross the stream, and put it as a barrier between

him and the men who were pursuing him. This gave him c
nfidence although

the robbers still followed. So when he reached the edge of a broad

river, that seemed to him to be an image of sleep, it looked so soft and

peaceable and quiet, he rode his horse into the water to cross it. It

had no high banks, but a little beach sloped from the meadow down to

meet the water, which looked so peaceful that it seemed as if a little

child might cross it, to gather flowers on the other side, and so the

traveler thought it held no danger for him.



But the quiet river was very deep, and though it made no noise, its

current ran so strongly that it lifted both the horse and rider on its

waves and carried them away, and drowned them.



Quiet people are stronger than the noisy.



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