Prevod
A swallow built her nest in a courthouse and flew away. A snake crept up and devoured her young. When she returned and found the nest empty, she groaned in bitter grief. Another swallow tried to comfort her, saying, “Are you the only one who has ever lost her children?” She replied, “But I weep not so much for my children as because I have been wronged in the very place where those who suffer wrong find help.” The fable shows that misfortunes are harder to bear when they come from those we least expected to harm us.
Izvirnik
Χελιδὼν ἔν τινι δικαστηρίῳ νεοττοποιησαμένη ἐξέπτη· ὄφις δὲ προσερπύσας κατέφαγεν αὐτῆς τοὺς νεοττούς. δὲ ἐπανελθοῦσα καὶ τὴν καλιὰν κενὴν εὑροῦσα, ὑπερπαθοῦσα ἔστενεν· ἑτέρας δὲ χελιδόνος παρηγορεῖν αὐτὴν βουλομένης, καὶ λεγούσης ,,μόνον ἅρα σοὶ τὰ τέκνα ἀποβαλεῖν συμβέβηκεν;“ ὑποτυχοῦσα ἔφη· ,,ἀλλʼ ἔγωγε οὐ τοσοῦτον ἐπὶ τοῖς τέκνοις κλαίω, ὅσον ὅτι ἐν τούτῳ τῷ τόπῳ ἠδίκημαι, ἐν ᾧ οἱ ἀδικούμενοι βοηθοῦνται.“
Ὁ λόγος δηλοῖ, ὅτι χαλεπώτεραι γίνονται τοῖς πάσχουσιν αἱ συμφοραὶ, ὅταν ὑφʼ ὧν ἢκιστα προσεδόκησαν πάσχωσι.
