aesop's fables

"❁ the man and his two sweethearts

a middle-aged man,
whose black hair had begun to turn gray,
was in love with two women
at the same time.
one of them was much younger than him,
and the other much older.

the elder woman was ashamed
to be courted by a man younger than herself.
so whenever her admirer visited her,
she pulled out a portion of his black hairs.

the younger woman did not wish
to become the wife of an old man.
so she was determined to pull
every gray hair off of his head
that she could find.

to both of the ladies'
and the man's surprise,
the three very soon found
that he had not a hair left on his head.

those who seek to please everybody please nobody.