The Elm tree and the Vine.
An extravagant young Vine, vainly ambitious of independency, and fond of rambling at large, despised the alliance of a stately Elm that grew near, and courted her embraces. Having risen to some small height without any kind of support, she shot forth her flimsy branches to a very uncommon and superfluous length; calling on her neighbor to take notice how little she wanted his assistance. Poor infatuated shrub, replied the Elm, how inconsistent is thy conduct! Wouldst thou be truly independent, thou shouldst carefully apply those juices to the enlargement of thy stem, which thou lavishest in vain upon unnecessary foliage. I shortly shall behold thee groveling on the ground; yet countenanced, indeed, by many of the human race, who intoxicated with vanity,
have despised economy; and who, to support for a moment their empty boast of independence, have exhausted the very source of it in frivolous expenses.
[Retrieved from http://www.archive.org/stream/aesopsfables00dodsrich/aesopsfables00dodsrich_djvu.txt with scannos fixed.]
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