Safed the Sage, the famous parable-telling creation of William Eleazar Barton, emerges to dispense poignant portions of worldly wisdom. For the author, parables are an underappreciated method of tutoring others in morality, of introducing the comparisons and contrasts of life and its events, that they gain a grounding in dealing with affairs wisely and with discernment. For William Barton, gaining this insight via anecdotes is a stepping down to reflecting...