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The Swallows’ Advice

A farmer was sowing his field with hemp seeds while a swallow and some other birds sat on the fence watching him.

“Beware of that man,” said the Swallow solemnly.

“Why should we be afraid of him?” asked the other birds.

“That farmer is sowing hemp seed,” replied the swallow.  “It is most important that you pick up every seed that he drops.  You will live to regret it if you don’t.”

But of course, the silly birds paid no heed to the Swallows’ advice.  So, with the coming of the spring rains, the hemp grew up.  And one day the hemp was made into cord, and of the cord nets were made.  Many of the birds that had despised the Swallows’ advice were caught in the nets made of the very hemp that was grown from the seeds they had failed to pick up.

‘Unless the seed of evil is destroyed it will grow up to destroy us’