A stag, whose joints had become stiff with old age, with great pains could get together a large heap of fodder good enough, as he thought, to last him for the remainder of his days.
He stretched himself out upon it, and, now dozing, now nibbling, made up his mind to wait quietly for this end.
He had always been of a carefree and lively turn and had made in his time many friends. These now came to him in great numbers to see him and wish him farewell. While engaged in friendly talk over past adventures and old times, what more natural than that they should help themselves to a little of the food that seemed so plentifully stored around him.
The end of the matter was that the poor Stag died. Not because of sickness or old age, but due to starvation. As all the food that the Stag had gathered his friends had eaten and left him with nothing.
Moral: Thoughtless friends bring more hurt than profit.
