Tara

12 Prevention

1	A Swallow was busily removing seeds from a field when some passing Birds observed him and said:
2	Fair Swallow, why do you move too and fro? There is plenty of seed in this field for all of us.
3	The Swallow did reply: Good Birds, be not for food but the prevention, I remove and eat these seeds.
4	For the Farmer is sowing hemp and without your aid, it will be at your peril.
5	The Birds replied: We thank you kind sir for alerting us. As we prefer the sweeter tastes of barley,
6	Than to feast on such bitter seeds.
7	With that, the Birds flew away, leaving the Swallow to continue its work.
8	So it was that much of the hemp seed remained and grew and was harvested,
9	And strong rope and netting was made from its stalks.
10	And come the following season, the farmer trapped many of the Birds that had ignored the Swallow.
11	To the trapped birds, the Swallow said thus: Alas foolish Birds, what did I tell you?
12	Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow up to your ruin.