Leading from the Middle

Caption: Ambrose Bierce and pal. Microsoft Copilot, 2024

The Dog and the Reflection
A Dog passing over a stream on a plank saw his reflection in
the water.
You ugly brute! he cried; how dare you
look at me in that insolent way.
He made a grab in the water, and, getting hold of what he
supposed was the other dog?s lip, lifted out a fine piece
of meat which a butcher?s boy had dropped into the
stream.
The Dog and the Physician
A Dog that had seen a Physician attending the burial of a
wealthy patient, said: When do you expect to dig it
up?
Why should I dig it up? the Physician asked.
When I bury a bone, said the Dog, it is
with an intention to uncover it later and pick it.
The bones that I bury, said the Physician,
are those that I can no longer pick.
The Disinterested Arbiter
Two Dogs who had been fighting for a bone, without advantage
to either, referred their dispute to a Sheep. The Sheep
patiently heard their statements, then flung the bone into a
pond.
Why did you do that? said the Dogs.
Because, replied the Sheep, I am a
vegetarian.
_____________
Ambrose Bierce was one of America?s greatest writers. Wittily dark, caustic and critical, his writing survived his mysterious disappearance in Mexico and is an ongoing influence in American literature.
I'm guessing he inspired George Ade, 1866 - 1944.
Why?
Ambrose Bierce's Fantastic Fables came out in 1899. George Ade's Fables in Slang appeared in 1900. Mr. Ade had his own inimitable style, but the whimsy evident in Bierce is in plentiful supply in Ade's writing.
Several of Ade's fables are in this blog's archive. Enter George Ade in the search box and enjoy the many I have included along with my commentary as to how these fables relate to the world of work.

*Source: FANTASTIC FABLES By AMBROSE BIERCE
New York and London:
G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS, The Knickerbocker Press 1899


Summertime Discount of 20%.For many more insightful (and eternal) workplace fables from all eras and cultures, get a copy of this book. Order from BookBaby:



Copyright all text John Lubans 2024

 

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