The Cage Bird and the Bat

A singing bird was confined in a cage which hung outside a window, and had a way of singing at night when all other birds were asleep.

One night a Bat came and clung to the bars of the cage, and asked the Bird why she was silent by day and sang only at night. “I have a very good reason for doing so,” said the Bird. “It was when I was singing in the daytime that a fowler was attracted by my voice, and set his nets for me and caught me. Since then I have never sung except by night.” But the Bat replied, “It is no use your doing that now when you are a prisoner: if only you had done so before you were caught, you might still have been free.”

“Precautions are useless after the crisis.”

Lộ tòng kim dạ bạch,
Nguyệt thị cố hương minh.