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A Wild Boar was engaged in whetting his tusks upon the trunk of a

tree in the forest when a Fox came by and, seeing what he was at,

said to him, "Why are you doing that, pray? The huntsmen are not

out to-day, and there are no other dangers at hand that I can

see." "True, my friend," replied the Boar, "but the instant my

life is in danger I shall need to use my tusks. There'll be no

time to sharpen them then."

MERCURY AND THE SCULPTOR