寓言故事|The travellers and the plane-tree

Two Travellers were walking along a bare and dusty road in the heat of a summer's day. Coming presently to a Plane-tree, they joyfully^{1 turned aside to shelter from the burning rays of the sun in the keep shade of its spreading branches.}

As they rested, looking up into the tree, one of them remarked to his companion, What a useless tree the Plane is! It bears no fruit and is of no service to man at all.

The Plane-tree interrupted him with indignation. You ungrateful creature! it cried: you come and take shelter under me from the scorching^{2 sun, and then, in the very act of enjoying the cool shade of my foliage3, you abuse me and call me good for nothing!}

Many a service is met with ingratitude^4.