We often make false estimates, valuing our ornamental traits over our practical ones.
A stag, drinking from a clear lake, admired the beauty of his antlers reflected in the water. At the same time, he noticed the slenderness of his legs and lamented, “What a pity that such a fine creature should have such spindly legs! I would be truly noble if my legs matched the grandeur of my horns.”
In the midst of his reflection, he heard the cry of a pack of hounds. He fled swiftly through the forest, easily outpacing his pursuers. However, when he entered a dense wood, his antlers became entangled in the branches, and he was trapped until the hounds caught up and tore him to pieces. In his final moments, he lamented, “How poorly we judge our true strengths! The legs I despised could have saved me, but my prized antlers led to my downfall.”
