Chapter 109
A shepherd moved his flock down near the seashore so that the sheep could graze there, and as he looked at the sea lying in a smooth and breathless calm, he was overcome by a strong desire to sail over it. So he sold all his sheep and bought a cargo of dates. Then he loaded a vessel with the dates and set sail. He had not gone very far when a storm arose. His ship was wrecked, and his dates and cargo were lost. He himself had great difficulty escaping the sea and reaching land. Not long after this incident, when the sea was calm again, one of his friends, who had joined him on a walk along the seashore, began admiring its repose.
“Watch out, my good fellow,” the shepherd remarked. “That smooth surface is only on the lockout for your dates.”
Once bitten twice shy.
