The Young Man and the Swallow

070. THE YOUNG MAN AND THE SWALLOW. A prodigal young spendthrift, who had wasted his whole patrimony in taverns and gaming-houses, among lewd, idle company, was taking a melancholy walk near a brook. It was in the month of January, and happened to be one of those warm, sunshiny days, which sometimes smile upon us even in that wintry season of the year; and to make it the more flattering, a swallow, which had made its appearance, by mistake, too soon, flew skimming along upon the surface of the water.
The giddy youth observing this, without any farther consideration, concluded that summer was now come, and that he should have little or no occasion for clothes, so went and pawned them at the broker's, and ventured the money for one stake more among his sharping companions.
When this, too, was gone, the same way with the rest, he took another solitary walk in the same place as before. But the weather being severe and frosty, had made everything look with an aspect very different from what it did before; the brook was quite frozen over, and the poor swallow lay dead upon the banks of it; the very sight of which cooled the young spark's brains, and coming to a kind of sense of his misery, he reproached the deceased bird, as the author of all his misfortunes: "Ah, wretch that thou wert;" says he, "thou hast undone both thyself and me, who was so credulous as to depend upon thee." [more info]

The Young Man and the Swallow

095. THE YOUNG MAN AND THE SWALLOW. A prodigal young spendthrift, who had wasted his whole patrimony in taverns and gaming-houses, among lewd, idle company, was taking a melancholy walk near a brook. It was in the month of January, and happened to be one of those warm, sunshiny days, which sometimes smile upon us even in that wintry season of the year; and to make it the more flattering, a swallow, which had made its appearance, by mistake, too soon, flew skimming along upon the surface of the water.
The giddy youth observing this, without any farther consideration, concluded that summer was now come, and that he should have little or no occasion for clothes, so went and pawned them at the broker's, and ventured the money for one stake more among his sharping companions.
When this, too, was gone, the same way with the rest, he took another solitary walk in the same place as before. But the weather being severe and frosty, had made everything look with an aspect very different from what it did before; the brook was quite frozen over, and the poor swallow lay dead upon the banks of it; the very sight of which cooled the young spark's brains, and coming to a kind of sense of his misery, he reproached the deceased bird, as the author of all his misfortunes: "Ah, wretch that thou wert;" says he, "thou hast undone both thyself and me, who was so credulous as to depend upon thee." [more info]

The Young Man and the Swallow

2.44. THE YOUNG MAN AND THE SWALLOW. A prodigal young spendthrift, who had wasted his whole patrimony in taverns and gaming houses among lewd, idle company, was taking a melancholy walk near a brook. It was in the month of January, and happened to be one of those warm sunshiny days which sometimes smile upon us even in that wintry season of the year; and to make it the more flattering, a swallow, which had made its appearance by mistake too soon, flew skimming along upon the surface of the water. The giddy youth, observing this, without any further consideration, concluded that summer was now come, and that he should have little or no occasion for clothes, so went and pawned them at the broker's, and ventured the money for one stake more, among his sharping companions.
When this too was gone the same way with the rest, he took another solitary walk in the same place as before. But the weather, being severe and frosty, had made everything look with an aspect very different from what it did before: the brook was quite frozen over, and the poor swallow lay dead upon the bank of it; the very sight of which cooled the young spark's brains, and coming to a kind of sense of his misery, he reproached the deceased bird as the author of all his misfortunes: Ah, wretch that thou wert! says he, thou hast undone both thyself and me, who was so credulous as to depend upon thee.
MORAL. Some will listen to no conviction but what they derive from fatal experience. [more info]

The Young Man and Swallow

095. THE YOUNG MAN AND SWALLOW. You will find the fable in English on this page; scroll down to see if there are multiple English versions. [more info]

The Spendthrift and the Swallow

085. THE SPENDTHRIFT AND THE SWALLOW. A young fellow, who was very popular among his boon companions as a good spender, quickly wasted his fortune trying to live up to his reputation. Then one fine day in early spring he found himself with not a penny left, and no property save the clothes he wore.
He was to meet some jolly young men that morning, and he was at his wits' end how to get enough money to keep up appearances. Just then a Swallow flew by, twittering merrily, and the young man, thinking summer had come, hastened off to a clothes dealer, to whom he sold all the clothes he wore down to his very tunic.
A few days later a change in weather brought a severe frost; and the poor swallow and that foolish young man in his light tunic, and with his arms and knees bare, could scarcely keep life in their shivering bodies.
One swallow does not make a summer. [more info]