Aesop is a legendary figure of whom many ancient writers speak of. In his early years, he was quite possibly a slave, but eventually earned his freedom. He was arrested in the Greek city of Delphi for insulting the Delphians, and thrown off a cliff to his death. Aesop was said to have written 725 fables which still exist and which were meant for entertainment purposes, but which also convey a moral or practical message to readers. In this post (Putin and Poo) we’ll look at one such fable The Bear and the Bees. It goes as follows:
A Bear roaming the woods in search of berries happened on a fallen tree in which a swarm of Bees had stored their honey. The Bear began to nose around the log very carefully to find out if the Bees were at home. Just then one of the swarm came home from the clover field with a load of sweets. Guessing what the Bear was after, the Bee flew at him, stung him sharply and then disappeared into the hollow log.
“The Bear lost his temper in an instant, and sprang upon the log tooth and claw, to destroy the nest. But this only brought out the whole swarm. The poor Bear had to take to his heels, and he was able to save himself only by diving into a pool of water.”
The moral of the fable is that “It is wiser to bear a single injury in silence than to provoke a thousand by flying into a rage.” Because the bear is symbolic of Russia even as the eagle is symbolic of the U.S., this fable brings to mind the belligerent in the current war in Europe. Because Russia is waging war on a peaceful neighboring nation (Ukraine) after having invaded them and after having destroyed much of Ukraine’s country at a huge cost in Ukrainian lives, this fable appears especially relevant today. The bees, of course, are the allied countries in Europe and the swarm would be symbolic of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance.
In real life, bears do seek out honey, and even bees, themselves, are an important source of protein to the bears:
Bears endure stings to get the prized pupae, larvae, and eggs in the brood comb of a hive. Protective adult bees sting bears’ faces and ears but have a hard time penetrating the fur on the rest of the body. After bears get the brood comb and perhaps some honey, they hurry away and shake bees out of their fur like they shake water.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev routinely threaten retaliation against NATO and the West for arming Ukraine, as the Ukrainians fight bravely for their freedom and survival. The Russian adventure has alarmed Sweden with its history of neutrality and Finland which has felt the wrath of Russia, itself, in the past to join the NATO alliance. Moldova and the Baltic States fear (with some justification) that they will be next to face the hungry bear.
If Aesop lived today, he might caution Russia against further aggression or increasing the level of hostilities, lest the swarm of bees arrive.
Another way of interpreting the title of the fable is “Sometimes it’s best to walk away and let things be.” Of course, withdrawing from Ukraine is only the first step, because of the sheer scale of destruction and loss of life that occurred after Russia crossed the border into Ukraine on one pretext or another. Compensation for the damage inflicted is certainly indicated. There must be some sort of reckoning in the courts as far as crimes go (including the crime of kidnapping Ukrainian children, the number of which approaches 20,000.). These children must be returned to their homes and parents (assuming their homes and parents still exist) or at least their homeland.
No one, whether in Ukraine, Europe and the U.S., and likely even Russia, itself, wants another war on an even greater scale. President Putin can end all of this by withdrawing his army behind the borders of his own country.
