The Cock and the Jewel

From The Fables of Æesop:



A brisk young Cock, scratching for something with which to entertain his favorite hens, happened to turn up a jewel. Feeling quite sure that it was something precious, but not knowing well what to do with it, he addressed it with an air of affected wisdom as follows: "You are a very fine thing, no doubt, but you are not at all to my taste. For my part, I would rather have one grain of dear, delicious barley than all the jewels in the world."