A Singing-bird was confined in a cage which hung outside a window, and had a way of singing at night when all other birds were asleep.One night a Bat came and clung to the bars of the cage, and asked the Bird why she was silent by day and sang only at night."I have a very good reason for doing so," said the Bird: "it was once when I was singing in the daytime that a fowler was attracted by my voice, and set his nets for me and caught me.Since then I have never sung except by night."But the Bat replied, "It is no use your doing that now when you are a prisoner: if only you had done so before you were caught, you might still have been free."Precautions are useless after the event.
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THE CAGE-BIRD AND THE BAT
A Singing-bird was confined in a cage which hung outside a window, and had a way of singing at night when all other birds were asleep.One night a Bat came and clung to the bars of the cage, and asked the Bird why she was silent by day and sang only at night."I have a very good reason for doing so," said the Bird: "it was once when I was singing in the daytime that a fowler was attracted by my voice, and set his nets for me and caught me.Since then I have never sung except by night."But the Bat replied, "It is no use your doing that now when you are a prisoner: if only you had done so before you were caught, you might still have been free."Precautions are useless after the event.