The wisest, the oldest of all the Crabs held a grand assembly. Among the serious matters they discussed, at the suggestion of a learned president, they made the most urgent resolution which was as follows:
"Well, we are setting an example to the world without a second thought, the most vile and rude, walking backward like the rope maker; it is also true that the elders, tough in feet and hands, bring us the weight of years, we cannot overcome our habits. Every mother, from this very moment, must teach her children to walk forward; and let the teaching last until such customs are removed from the world."
"Claws at the ready, say the teachers, who thought they were clever. And, without leaving anyone behind, they order their little ones one by one to move their soft little feet gently forward, one after another."
Step by step, in the way they could, they obeyed; but seeing their mothers marching the opposite of what they had taught, forgetting the new documents, they imitated their steps, feeling more glad.
Mothers repeated their lessons, but theoretical reasons weren't enough; for in the young Crabs, an example worked better than a thousand pieces of advice.
Each teacher feels sad and blue, unable to make their school come true; so, in the end, they all abandoned the project, my friend.
The magistrates know the event, and in their full assembly they promptly repealed the new law, for they assured themselves that they were trying in vain for reform, when they didn’t know how to be the norm. And so it is: That the strength of the laws is often the example set by the kings.