As twilight approached, a heavy mist settled on the ground and the animals began to return home. Up in the tall oak tree sat Ollie the Owl, his eyes wide open, watching for any signs of movement below. Joy soon filled his heart when he noticed a little rabbit approach a big tree.
Ollie blinked his eyes, making every effort to remember if he had seen the rabbit before. Sure enough, a moment later a small hedgehog came up along the path from the other side.
“You are late tonight, fill your tummy with acorns before bedtime today,” said the rabbit.
“Aye. Thank you,” said the hedgehog, “but luckily, I was above in the sweet chestnut tree eating my fill when I saw the moon shining on the ground. Then a moment later I’m here. What can be your reason for such late hours, neighbor?”
“I came up, as usual, the whole last week about this hour or a little later, and now I’m seeing that it won’t do: my digestion suffers. O I trust,” he added with a sigh, “that an old bachelor like me shan’t be obliged to give it up altogether.”
But the young ones would not listen to advice. However, his words weighed in their minds, and when in a day or two’s time, instead of the moon and stars, a sharp knife crossed the heavens and red lightning gleamed in the sky followed by loud thunder, and the poor little creatures came scurrying towards the giant oak tree, their hangouts, they sought shelter under its thick foliage.
But the night grew worse and worse, and every moment they expected to see the large branches come down upon them.
“Will you never have it in your wisdom,” said Ollie from his perch, “to give up your moonlight rambles, and your night and day concentration upon your stomachs?”
No sooner had he done speaking than down came a heavy branch of the oak on the spot where the rabbit and the hedgehog had sat.
“The safe, the safe!” squeaked the hedgehog.
“And the wise! wise! wise!” croaked Ollie.
“It does not always follow,” said the hedgehog, “that the old have wisdom.”
Moral
Beware of the advice you accept.