Aesop Tells A Story

Aesop began as a slave in the household of an Athenian trader, by name Iadmon. One day he was amusing other slaves with a story. The story dealt with the Thirteenth Labor of Hercules. His master overheard the story and could not help laughing at the improbability of its plot.
Later in the evening the master called Aesop to entertain the family with a story.
The slave began,” In Athens was a wealthy farmer who was known Mr. Know All. He brought in a field hand who strangely enough, was called Mr. Know Nothing. From morning till evening the master drilled his new worker how he should do his tasks. But the worker went on doing his chores in his own way. “This is how I have done it some twenty years and I am set in my ways.” said he to himself. Of course it never came up half as much as his master expected.
That night Know All went home and over supper told his wife that the new field hand was proving more difficult than he imagined. Meanwhile the worker went to his quarters and told his wife that his master was a bigger fool than he thought him to be.
When asked to explain he said with shrug,” If he is such a Know All how come he did not see for what I am? To make it worse, he expects me to do his way. Why doesn’t he do it himself then?”
Iadmon at the end of the story asked his wife somewhat puzzled, “I wonder, did he mean to poke fun at me; he is a very subtle fellow.” His wife comforted him saying that a story need not upset him. “Dear, You know very well you are not a Know All. You know that and I also know that."
“Bah, what do you know?” he muttered crossly.
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