"Art not afraid, Akiba? Thy doings may be discovered, and thou wilt be
punished for disobeying the decree."
"Listen, and I will relate to thee a parable," answered Akiba. "A fox,
walking by the river side, noticed the fishes therein swimming and
swimming to and fro, never ceasing; so he said to them, 'Why are ye
hurrying, what do ye fear?'
"'The nets of the angler,' they replied.
"'Come, then,' said the fox, 'and live with me on dry land.'
"But the fishes laughed.
"'And art thou called the wisest of the beasts?' they exclaimed; 'verily
thou art the most foolish. If we are in danger even in our element, how
much greater would be our risk in leaving it.'
"It is the same with us. We are told of the law that it is 'our life and
the prolongation of our days.' This is it when things are peaceful with
us; how much greater is our need of it then in times like these?"
It is said that it was but shortly after this when Rabbi Akiba was
imprisoned for teaching the law, and in the prison in which he was
incarcerated he found Papus, who had been condemned for some other
offense.