Epictetus (c. 50-c. 135 AD) was a Greek Stoic philosopher. He believed
that philosophy should be a way of life and not just a theoretical
study.
In this story, Epictetus is reminding us to focus only on what we can
control - our own actions - and not spend time worrying about what we
can't control. Happiness can only be achieved when we accept what we
can't control and adopt the most positive outlook we can.
By adapting famous animal parables, the Pocket Philosophy series seeks
to introduce inquisitive readers of all ages - from 1 to 100! - to the
biggest names in philosophy.