The Chameleon
By
Aesop
Two travellers happened on their journey to be engaged in a warm dispute about the colour of the Chameleon. One of them affirmed it was blue, that he had seen it with his own eyes upon the naked branch of a tree, feeding on the air in a very clear day. The other strongly asserted it was green, and that he had viewed it very closely and minutely upon the broad leaf of a fig-tree. Both of them were positive, and the dispute was rising to a quarrel; but a third person luckily coming by, they agreed to refer the question to his decision. “Gentlemen,” said the arbitrator, with a smile of great self-satisfaction, “you could not have been more lucky in your reference, as I happen to have caught one of them last night; but, indeed, you are both mistaken, for the creature is totally black.” “Black, impossible!” “Nay,” quoth the umpire, with great assurance, “the matter may be soon decided, for I immediately enclosed my chameleon in a little paper box, and here it is.” So saying, he drew it out of his pocket, opened his box, and, lo! it was as white as snow. The positive disputants looked equally surprised and equally confounded; while the sagacious reptile, assuming the air of a philosopher, thus admonished them: “Ye children of men, learn diffidence and moderation in your opinions. ‘Tis true, you happen in this present instance to be all in the right, and have only considered the subject under different circumstances, but, pray, for the future allow others to have eyesight as well as yourselves; nor wonder if every one prefers the testimony of his own senses to those of another.”
((Learn diffidence and moderation in your opinions.))
