Fable of the Cock and the Diamond
Rijksmuseum

Fable of the Cock and the Diamond

1608

CC0 — Public Domain
Rijksmuseum

While scratching for food a cock accidentally stumbles upon a large diamond in a dunghill. This beast fable has been recounted and illustrated in various ways since antiquity. The message is always the same: what use are diamonds if I am looking for food? This moralizing message teaches us that wealth alone is worth nothing.

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