Aesopus: De Herinaceis Viperas Hospites Eiicientibus

clipped from aesopus.pbworks.com Herinacei, hiemem adventare praesentientes, blande Viperas rogaverunt ut in propria illarum caverna adversus vim frigoris locum sibi concederent. Quod cum illae fecissent, Herinacei, huc atque illuc se provolventes, spinarum acumine Viperas pungebant et vehementi dolore torquebant. Illae, male secum actum videntes, blandis verbis orabant Herinaceos ut exirent, quandoquidem tam multis locus esset angustus nimis. Cui Herinacei: “Exeant (inquiunt) qui hic manere non possunt.” Quare Viperae, sentientes ibi locum non esse, cesserunt hospitio.

Fabula innuit quod eos in consortia non admittendos quos non eiicere possumus.

The fable said: The hedgehogs, anticipating that winter was about to arrive, sweetly asked the vipers to make room for them in their own hole, against the force of the cold. When the vipers did this, the hedgehogs rolled here and there, and they poked the vipers with the sharp points of their spines and tortured the vipers with violent pain. When the vipers saw the trouble that they were in, with sweet words they asked the hedgehogs to leave, since the place was too cramped for so many inhabitants. The hedgehogs said to the vipers, "Let those depart who cannot stand to remain here." Consequently, the vipers, realizing that there was no room there, withdrew from the quarters.

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