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Hercules was once travelling along a narrow road when he saw

lying on the ground in front of him what appeared to be an apple,

and as he passed he stamped upon it with his heel. To his

astonishment, instead of being crushed it doubled in size; and,

on his attacking it again and smiting it with his club, it

swelled up to an enormous size and blocked up the whole road.

Upon this he dropped his club, and stood looking at it in

amazement. Just then Minerva appeared, and said to him, "Leave it

alone, my friend; that which you see before you is the apple of

discord: if you do not meddle with it, it remains small as it was

at first, but if you resort to violence it swells into the thing

you see."

THE FOX WHO SERVED A LION