Esopo 18

Ξύλα καὶ ἐλαία.

Ξύλα ποτὲ ἐπορεύθη τοῦ χειροτονῆσαι ἐφ’ ἑαυτῶν βασιλέα καὶ εἶπαν τῇ ἐλαίᾳ· “Βασίλευσον ἐφ’ ἡμῶν.” Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ἡ ἐλαία· ” Ἀφεῖσα τὴν πιότητά μου ἣν ἐδόξασεν ἐν ἐμοὶ ὁ θεὸς καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι, πορευθῶ ἄρχειν τῶν ξύλων;” Καὶ εἶπαν τὰ ξύλα τῇ συκῇ· “Δεῦρο, βασίλευσον ἐφ’ ἡμῶν.” Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτὴ ἡ συκῆ· ” Ἀφεῖσα τὴν γλυκύτητά μου καὶ τὸ γέννημά μου τὸ ἀγαθόν, πορευθῶ τοῦ ἄρχειν τῶν ξύλων;” Καὶ εἶπαν τὰ ξύλα πρὸς τὴν ῥάμνον· “Δεῦρο, βασίλευσον ἐφ’ ἡμῶν.” Καὶ εἶπεν ἡ ῥαμνος πρὸς τὰ ξύλα· “Εἰ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ ὑμεῖς χρίετέ με εἰς βασιλέα ἐφ’ ὑμῶν, δεῦτε ὑπόστητε ἐν τῇ σκέπῃ μου· καὶ εἰ μή, ἐξέλθοι πῦρ ἐκ τῆς ῥάμνον καὶ καταφάγοι τὰς κέδρους τοῦ Λιβάνου.”

Referência do texto grego (Chambry 253)
CHAMBRY, Émile (ed.). Aesopi Fabulae. Paris: Société d’Édition “Les Belles Lettres”, 1925-1926, p.414-415.