How then came they to know of Job's
sad condition? Some say they had wreaths, others say trees (each
representing an absent friend), and when any friend was in distress the
one representing him straightway began to wither. Rava said, "Hence the
proverb, 'Either a friend as the friends of Job, or death.'"

_Bava Bathra_, fol. 16, col. 2.

Rashi tenders this explanation, that Job and his friends had
each wreaths with their names engraved on them, and if
affliction befell any one his name upon the wreath would change
color.

Rabbi Yochanan says that Rabbi Meir knew three hundred fables about
foxes, but we have only three of them, viz, "The fathers have eaten sour
grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge" (Ezek. xviii. 2);
"Just balances and just weights" (Lev. xix. 36); "The righteous is
delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead" (Prov. xi.
8).

_Sanhedrin_, fol. 38, col. 2, and fol. 39, col. 1.

Quite apropos to this we glean the following from Rashi:--A fox
once induced a wolf to enter a Jewish dwelling to help the
inmates to get ready the Sabbath meal. No sooner did he enter
than the whole household set upon him, and so belabored him with
cudgels that he was obliged to flee for his life. For this trick
the wolf was indignant at the fox, and sought to kill him, but
he pacified him with the remark, "They would not have beaten
thee if thy father had not on a former occasion belied
confidence, and eaten up the choicest pieces that were set aside
for the meal." "What!" rejoined the wolf, "the fathers have
eaten sour grapes, and shall the children's teeth be set on
edge?" "Well," interrupted the fox, "come with me now and I will
show thee a place where thou mayest eat and be satisfied." He
thereupon took him to a well, across the top of which rested a
transverse axle with a rope coiled round it, to each extremity
of which a bucket was attached. The fox, entering the bucket,
which happened to be at the top, soon descended by his own
weight to the bottom of the well, and thereby raised the other
bucket to the top. On the wolf inquiring at the fox why he had
gone down there, he replied, because he knew there was meat and
cheese to eat and be satisfied, in proof of which he pointed to
a cheese, which happened to be the reflection of the moon on the
water. Upon which the wolf inquired, "And