Page:Anecdotescatechi00spiruoft.djvu/103

 Tartars, was  highly  displeased  with  the  officers  of his  array. He held  a council  of  war  and  concluded that nothing  short  of  putting  them  all  to  death would be  sufficient  punishment. His ministers  were in great  consternation  at  this  decision,  and  knew  not what to  do. The court  jester  helped  them  out  of the  dilemma. He said  to  the  sultan: “You  are quite right. The officers  richly  deserve  to  be  beheaded. Then we  shall  have  no  cause  for  alarm. You shall  take  the  standard,  and  I will  strap  the drum round  my  shoulders. We two  shall  be  able  to vanquish  the  enemy  without  any  one’s  help.”  This speech brought  the  sultan  to  his  senses; his  anger melted away  and  he  forgave  the  officers. One who is angry  does  not  consider  the  consequences  of  his actions.

Anger is  a bad  counsellor. A shepherd boy  was guarding a flock  of  sheep  in  a mountainous  region. One day  while  sitting  on  a rock  he  fell  asleep,  and kept nodding  his  head. The ram,  which  was  close by, thought  the  shepherd  was  challenging  him  to  a wrestling  match,  so  he  took  a run  and  butted  him with his  horns. The boy,  awakened  from  his  slumbers in  so  ungentle  a fashion,  was  in  a great  rage; in his  anger  he  seized  the  ram  by  the  horns  and  flung it to  a distance. The animal  fell  backward  and  was precipitated down  a steep  declivity. The sheep  — about a hundred  in  number  — followed  the  ram  and also fell  headlong  into  the  abyss. The shepherd  tore his hair  in  despair,  but  what  good  did  that  do? The