[Aesop’s fables]

Predictor, who couldn’t predict his own distress

Retold by Panchamee Hewavissenti

A soothsayer, beside a huge tree in the street was engaged in telling the future of people who passes by him. He would stop a person, glance from top to bottom, perhaps examine palms or birthmarks and tell the particular person of profession, of marriage, of children, of unfavourable periods which are to come by and the like.

The soothsayer’s neighbour rushed to him breaking the news that a group of burglars had plundered his house. The soothsayer hurriedly and downheartedly ran towards his house to see what had happened.

Alas! only the four walls of the house were left, the rest had been carried off by bandits. The despondent fortuneteller walked back towards the street, mourning. A passerby whispered to another “This man used to see everyone’s fate, but he was unable to see his own distress”.

Moral of the story

The story depicts that the nature of people is always to inspect what would befall on others. They try less often to find out what would happen to them. Some people lead unfortunate lives but foretell others what would happen to them if they do not follow a certain way of life.