{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_11339/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_11339","id":"gutenberg_11339","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/11339","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Children & Young Adult Reading","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Fables, Greek -- Translations into English"],"text":"\u00c6SOP'S FABLES\n\n\nA NEW TRANSLATION\n\nBY V. S. VERNON JONES\n\n\nWITH AN INTRODUCTION\n\nBY G. K. CHESTERTON\n\n\nAND ILLUSTRATIONS\n\nBY ARTHUR RACKHAM\n\n\n1912 EDITION\n\n\n\n\nINTRODUCTION\n\n\n_\u00c6sop embodies an epigram not uncommon in human history; his fame\nis all the more deserved because he never deserved it. The firm\nfoundations of common sense, the shrewd shots at uncommon sense, that\ncharacterise all the Fables, belong not him but to humanity. In\nthe earliest human history whatever is authentic is universal: and\nwhatever is universal is anonymous. In such cases there is always\nsome central man who had first the trouble of collecting them, and\nafterwards the fame of creating them. He had the fame; and, on the\nwhole, he earned the fame. There must have been something great and\nhuman, something of the human future and the human past, in such a\nman: even if he only used it to rob the past or deceive the future.\nThe story of Arthur may have been really connected with the most\nfighting Christianity of falling Rome or with the most heathen\ntraditions hidden in the hills of Wales. But the word \"Mappe\" or\n\"Malory\" will always mean King Arthur; even though we find older and\nbetter origins than the Mabinogian; or write later and worse versions\nthan the \"Idylls of the King.\" The nursery fairy tales may have come\nout of Asia with the Indo-European race, now fortunately extinct; they\nmay have been invented by some fine French lady or gentleman like\nPerrault: they may possibly even be what they profess to be. But we\nshall always call the best selection of such tales \"Grimm's Tales\":\nsimply because it is the best collection.\n\nThe historical \u00c6sop, in so far as he was historical, would seem to\nhave been a Phrygian slave, or at least one not to be specially and\nsymbolically adorned with the Phrygian cap of liberty. He lived, if he\ndid live, about the sixth century before Christ, in the time of that\nCroesus whose story we love and suspect like everything else in\nHerodotus. There are also stories of deformity of feature and a ready\nribaldry of tongue: stories which (as the celebrated Cardinal said)\nexplain, though they do not excuse, his having been hurled over a high\nprecipice at Delphi. It is for those who read the Fables to judge\nwhether he was really thrown over the cliff for being ugly and\noffensive, or rather for being highly moral and correct. But there is\nno kind of doubt that the general legend of him may justly rank him\nwith a race too easily forgotten in our modern comparisons: the race\nof the great philosophic slaves. \u00c6sop may have been a fiction like\nUncle Remus: he was also, like Uncle Remus, a fact. It is a fact that\nslaves in the old world could be worshipped like \u00c6sop, or loved like\nUncle Remus. It is odd to note that both the great slaves told their\nbest stories about beasts and birds.\n\nBut whatever be fairly due to \u00c6sop, the human tradition called Fables\nis not due to him. This had gone on long before any sarcastic freedman\nfrom Phrygia had or had not been flung off a precipice; this has\nremained long after. It is to our advantage, indeed, to realise the\ndistinction; because it makes \u00c6sop more obviously effective than any\nother fabulist. Grimm's Tales, glorious as they are, were collected by\ntwo German students. And if we find it hard to be certain of a German\nstudent, at least we know more about him than We know about a Phrygian\nslave. The truth is, of course, that \u00c6sop's Fables are not \u00c6sop's\nfables, any more than Grimm's Fairy Tales were ever Grimm's fairy\ntales. But the fable and the fairy tale are things utterly distinct.\nThere are many elements of difference; but the plainest is plain\nenough. There can be no good fable with human beings in it. There can\nbe no good fairy tale without them.\n\n\u00c6sop, or Babrius (or whatever his name was), understood that, for\na fable, all the persons must be impersonal. They must be like\nabstractions in algebra, or like pieces in chess. The lion must always\nbe stronger than the wolf, just as four is always double of two. The\nfox in a fable must move crooked, as the knight in chess must move\ncrooked. The sheep in a fable must march on, as the pawn in chess must\nmarch on. The fable must not allow for the crooked captures of the\npawn; it must not allow for what Balzac called \"the revolt of a sheep\"\nThe fairy tale, on the other hand, absolutely revolves on the pivot\nof human personality. If no hero were there to fight the dragons, we\nshould not even know that they were dragons. If no adventurer were\ncast on the undiscovered island--it would remain undiscovered. If the\nmiller's third son does not find the enchanted garden where the seven\nprincesses stand white and frozen--why, then, they will remain white\nand frozen and enchanted. If there is no personal prince to find the\nSleeping Beauty she will simply sleep. Fables repose upon quite the\nopposite idea; that everything is itself, and will in any case speak\nfor itself. The wolf will be always wolfish; the fox will be always\nfoxy. Something of the same sort may have been meant by the animal\nworship, in which Egyptian and Indian and many other great peoples\nhave combined. Men do not, I think, love beetles or cats or crocodiles\nwith a wholly personal love; they salute them as expressions of that\nabstract and anonymous energy in nature which to any one is awful, and\nto an atheist must be frightful. So in all the fables that are or are\nnot \u00c6sop's all the animal forces drive like inanimate forces, like\ngreat rivers or growing trees. It is the limit and the loss of all\nsuch things that they cannot be anything but themselves: it is their\ntragedy that they could not lose their souls.\n\nThis is the immortal justification of the Fable: that we could not\nteach the plainest truths so simply without turning men into chessmen.\nWe cannot talk of such simple things without using animals that do\nnot talk at all. Suppose, for a moment, that you turn the wolf into a\nwolfish baron, or the fox into a foxy diplomatist. You will at once\nremember that even barons are human, you will be unable to forget\nthat even diplomatists are men. You will always be looking for that\naccidental good-humour that should go with the brutality of any brutal\nman; for that allowance for all delicate things, including virtue,\nthat should exist in any good diplomatist. Once put a thing on two\nlegs instead of four and pluck it of feathers and you cannot help\nasking for a human being, either heroic, as in the fairy tales, or\nun-heroic, as in the modern novels.\n\nBut by using animals in this austere and arbitrary style as they are\nused on the shields of heraldry or the hieroglyphics of the ancients,\nmen have really succeeded in handing down those tremendous truths that\nare called truisms. If the chivalric lion be red and rampant, it is\nrigidly red and rampant; if the sacred ibis stands anywhere on one\nleg, it stands on one leg for ever. In this language, like a large\nanimal alphabet, are written some of the first philosophic certainties\nof men. As the child learns A for Ass or B for Bull or C for Cow, so\nman has learnt here to connect the simpler and stronger creatures with\nthe simpler and stronger truths. That a flowing stream cannot befoul\nits own fountain, and that any one who says it does is a tyrant and a\nliar; that a mouse is too weak to fight a lion, but too strong for the\ncords that can hold a lion; that a fox who gets most out of a flat\ndish may easily get least out of a deep dish; that the crow whom the\ngods forbid to sing, the gods nevertheless provide with cheese; that\nwhen the goat insults from a mountain-top it is not the goat that\ninsults, but the mountain: all these are deep truths deeply graven on\nthe rocks wherever men have passed. It matters nothing how old they\nare, or how new; they are the alphabet of humanity, which like so\nmany forms of primitive picture-writing employs any living symbol\nin preference to man. These ancient and universal tales are all of\nanimals; as the latest discoveries in the oldest pre-historic caverns\nare all of animals. Man, in his simpler states, always felt that he\nhimself was something too mysterious to be drawn. But the legend he\ncarved under these cruder symbols was everywhere the same; and whether\nfables began with \u00c6sop or began with Adam, whether they were German\nand medi\u00e6val as Reynard the Fox, or as French and Renaissance as\nLa Fontaine, the upshot is everywhere essentially the same: that\nsuperiority is always insolent, because it is always accidental; that\npride goes before a fall; and that there is such a thing as being too\nclever by half. You will not find any other legend but this written\nupon the rocks by any hand of man. There is every type and time of\nfable: but there is only one moral to the fable; because there is only\none moral to everything_.\n\nG. K. CHESTERTON\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS\n\n\nTHE FOX AND THE GRAPES\n\nTHE GOOSE THAT LAID THE GOLDEN EGGS\n\nTHE CAT AND THE MICE\n\nTHE MISCHIEVOUS DOG\n\nTHE CHARCOAL-BURNER AND THE FULLER\n\nTHE MICE IN COUNCIL\n\nTHE BAT AND THE WEASELS\n\nTHE DOG AND THE SOW\n\nTHE FOX AND THE CROW\n\nTHE HORSE AND THE GROOM\n\nTHE WOLF AND THE LAMB\n\nTHE PEACOCK AND THE CRANE\n\nTHE CAT AND THE BIRDS\n\nTHE SPENDTHRIFT AND THE SWALLOW\n\nTHE OLD WOMAN AND THE DOCTOR\n\nTHE MOON AND HER MOTHER\n\nMERCURY AND THE WOODMAN\n\nTHE ASS, THE FOX, AND THE LION\n\nTHE LION AND THE MOUSE\n\nTHE CROW AND THE PITCHER\n\nTHE BOYS AND THE FROGS\n\nTHE NORTH WIND AND THE SUN\n\nTHE MISTRESS AND HER SERVANTS\n\nTHE GOODS AND THE ILLS\n\nTHE HARES AND THE FROGS\n\nTHE FOX AND THE STORK\n\nTHE WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING\n\nTHE STAG IN THE OX-STALL\n\nTHE MILKMAID AND HER PAIL\n\nTHE DOLPHINS, THE WHALES, AND THE SPRAT\n\nTHE FOX AND THE MONKEY\n\nTHE ASS AND THE LAP-DOG\n\nTHE FIR-TREE AND THE BRAMBLE\n\nTHE FROGS' COMPLAINT AGAINST THE SUN\n\nTHE DOG, THE COCK, AND THE FOX\n\nTHE GNAT AND THE BULL\n\nTHE BEAR AND THE TRAVELLERS\n\nTHE SLAVE AND THE LION\n\nTHE FLEA AND THE MAN\n\nTHE BEE AND JUPITER\n\nTHE OAK AND THE REEDS\n\nTHE BLIND MAN AND THE CUB\n\nTHE BOY AND THE SNAILS\n\nTHE APES AND THE TWO TRAVELLERS\n\nTHE ASS AND HIS BURDENS\n\nTHE SHEPHERD'S BOY AND THE WOLF\n\nTHE FOX AND THE GOAT\n\nTHE FISHERMAN AND THE SPRAT\n\nTHE BOASTING TRAVELLER\n\nTHE CRAB AND HIS MOTHER\n\nTHE ASS AND HIS SHADOW\n\nTHE FARMER AND HIS SONS\n\nTHE DOG AND THE COOK\n\nTHE MONKEY AS KING\n\nTHE THIEVES AND THE COCK\n\nTHE FARMER AND FORTUNE\n\nJUPITER AND THE MONKEY\n\nFATHER AND SONS\n\nTHE LAMP\n\nTHE OWL AND THE BIRDS\n\nTHE ASS IN THE LION'S SKIN\n\nTHE SHE-GOATS AND THEIR BEARDS\n\nTHE OLD LION\n\nTHE BOY BATHING\n\nTHE QUACK FROG\n\nTHE SWOLLEN FOX\n\nTHE MOUSE, THE FROG, AND THE HAWK\n\nTHE BOY AND THE NETTLES\n\nTHE PEASANT AND THE APPLE-TREE\n\nTHE JACKDAW AND THE PIGEONS\n\nJUPITER AND THE TORTOISE\n\nTHE DOG IN THE MANGER\n\nTHE TWO BAGS\n\nTHE OXEN AND THE AXLETREES\n\nTHE BOY AND THE FILBERTS\n\nTHE FROGS ASKING FOR A KING\n\nTHE OLIVE-TREE AND THE FIG-TREE\n\nTHE LION AND THE BOAR\n\nTHE WALNUT-TREE\n\nTHE MAN AND THE LION\n\nTHE TORTOISE AND THE EAGLE\n\nTHE KID ON THE HOUSETOP\n\nTHE FOX WITHOUT A TAIL\n\nTHE VAIN JACKDAW\n\nTHE TRAVELLER AND HIS DOG\n\nTHE SHIPWRECKED MAN AND THE SEA\n\nTHE WILD BOAR AND THE FOX\n\nMERCURY AND THE SCULPTOR\n\nTHE FAWN AND HIS MOTHER\n\nTHE FOX AND THE LION\n\nTHE EAGLE AND HIS CAPTOR\n\nTHE BLACKSMITH AND HIS DOG\n\nTHE STAG AT THE POOL\n\nTHE DOG AND THE SHADOW\n\nMERCURY AND THE TRADESMEN\n\nTHE MICE AND THE WEASELS\n\nTHE PEACOCK AND JUNO\n\nTHE BEAR AND THE FOX\n\nTHE ASS AND THE OLD PEASANT\n\nTHE OX AND THE FROG\n\nTHE MAN AND THE IMAGE\n\nHERCULES AND THE WAGGONER\n\nTHE POMEGRANATE, THE APPLE-TREE, AND THE BRAMBLE\n\nTHE LION, THE BEAR, AND THE FOX\n\nTHE BLACKAMOOR\n\nTHE TWO SOLDIERS AND THE ROBBER\n\nTHE LION AND THE WILD ASS\n\nTHE MAN AND THE SATYR\n\nTHE IMAGE-SELLER\n\nTHE EAGLE AND THE ARROW\n\nTHE RICH MAN AND THE TANNER\n\nTHE WOLF, THE MOTHER, AND HER CHILD\n\nTHE OLD WOMAN AND THE WINE-JAR\n\nTHE LIONESS AND THE VIXEN\n\nTHE VIPER AND THE FILE\n\nTHE CAT AND THE COCK\n\nTHE HARE AND THE TORTOISE\n\nTHE SOLDIER AND HIS HORSE\n\nTHE OXEN AND THE BUTCHERS\n\nTHE WOLF AND THE LION\n\nTHE SHEEP, THE WOLF, AND THE STAG\n\nTHE LION AND THE THREE BULLS\n\nTHE HORSE AND HIS RIDER\n\nTHE GOAT AND THE VINE\n\nTHE TWO POTS\n\nTHE OLD HOUND\n\nTHE CLOWN AND THE COUNTRYMAN\n\nTHE LARK AND THE FARMER\n\nTHE LION AND THE ASS\n\nTHE PROPHET\n\nTHE HOUND AND THE HARE\n\nTHE LION, THE MOUSE, AND THE FOX\n\nTHE TRUMPETER TAKEN PRISONER\n\nTHE WOLF AND THE CRANE\n\nTHE EAGLE, THE CAT, AND THE WILD SOW\n\nTHE WOLF AND THE SHEEP\n\nTHE TUNNY-FISH AND THE DOLPHIN\n\nTHE THREE TRADESMEN\n\nTHE MOUSE AND THE BULL\n\nTHE HARE AND THE HOUND\n\nTHE TOWN MOUSE AND THE COUNTRY MOUSE\n\nTHE LION AND THE BULL\n\nTHE WOLF, THE FOX, AND THE APE\n\nTHE EAGLE AND THE COCKS\n\nTHE ESCAPED JACKDAW\n\nTHE FARMER AND THE FOX\n\nVENUS AND THE CAT\n\nTHE CROW AND THE SWAN\n\nTHE STAG WITH ONE EYE\n\nTHE FLY AND THE DRAUGHT-MULE\n\nTHE COCK AND THE JEWEL\n\nTHE WOLF AND THE SHEPHERD\n\nTHE FARMER AND THE STORK\n\nTHE CHARGER AND THE MILLER\n\nTHE GRASSHOPPER AND THE OWL\n\nTHE GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANTS\n\nTHE FARMER AND THE VIPER\n\nTHE TWO FROGS\n\nTHE COBBLER TURNED DOCTOR\n\nTHE ASS, THE COCK, AND THE LION\n\nTHE BELLY AND THE MEMBERS\n\nTHE BALD MAN AND THE FLY\n\nTHE ASS AND THE WOLF\n\nTHE MONKEY AND THE CAMEL\n\nTHE SICK MAN AND THE DOCTOR\n\nTHE TRAVELLERS AND THE PLANE-TREE\n\nTHE FLEA AND THE OX\n\nTHE BIRDS, THE BEASTS, AND THE BAT\n\nTHE MAN AND HIS TWO SWEETHEARTS\n\nTHE EAGLE, THE JACKDAW, AND THE SHEPHERD\n\nTHE WOLF AND THE BOY\n\nTHE MILLER, HIS SON, AND THEIR ASS\n\nTHE STAG AND THE VINE\n\nTHE LAMB CHASED BY A WOLF\n\nTHE ARCHER AND THE LION\n\nTHE WOLF AND THE GOAT\n\nTHE SICK STAG\n\nTHE ASS AND THE MULE\n\nBROTHER AND SISTER\n\nTHE HEIFER AND THE OX\n\nTHE KINGDOM OF THE LION\n\nTHE ASS AND HIS DRIVER\n\nTHE LION AND THE HARE\n\nTHE WOLVES AND THE DOGS\n\nTHE BULL AND THE CALF\n\nTHE TREES AND THE AXE\n\nTHE ASTRONOMER\n\nTHE LABOURER AND THE SNAKE\n\nTHE CAGE-BIRD AND THE BAT\n\nTHE ASS AND HIS PURCHASER\n\nTHE KID AND THE WOLF\n\nTHE DEBTOR AND HIS SOW\n\nTHE BALD HUNTSMAN\n\nTHE HERDSMAN AND THE LOST BULL\n\nTHE MULE\n\nTHE HOUND AND THE FOX\n\nTHE FATHER AND HIS DAUGHTERS\n\nTHE THIEF AND THE INNKEEPER\n\nTHE PACK-ASS AND THE WILD ASS\n\nTHE ASS AND HIS MASTERS\n\nTHE PACK-ASS, THE WILD ASS, AND THE LION\n\nTHE ANT\n\nTHE FROGS AND THE WELL\n\nTHE CRAB AND THE FOX\n\nTHE FOX AND THE GRASSHOPPER\n\nTHE FARMER, HIS BOY, AND THE ROOKS\n\nTHE ASS AND THE DOG\n\nTHE ASS CARRYING THE IMAGE\n\nTHE ATHENIAN AND THE THEBAN\n\nTHE GOATHERD AND THE GOAT\n\nTHE SHEEP AND THE DOG\n\nTHE SHEPHERD AND THE WOLF\n\nTHE LION, JUPITER, AND THE ELEPHANT\n\nTHE PIG AND THE SHEEP\n\nTHE GARDENER AND HIS DOG\n\nTHE RIVERS AND THE SEA\n\nTHE LION IN LOVE\n\nTHE BEE-KEEPER\n\nTHE WOLF AND THE HORSE\n\nTHE BAT, THE BRAMBLE, AND THE SEAGULL\n\nTHE DOG AND THE WOLF\n\nTHE WASP AND THE SNAKE\n\nTHE EAGLE AND THE BEETLE\n\nTHE FOWLER AND THE LARK\n\nTHE FISHERMAN PIPING\n\nTHE WEASEL AND THE MAN\n\nTHE PLOUGHMAN, THE ASS, AND THE OX\n\nDEMADES AND HIS FABLE\n\nTHE MONKEY AND THE DOLPHIN\n\nTHE CROW AND THE SNAKE\n\nTHE DOGS AND THE FOX\n\nTHE NIGHTINGALE AND THE HAWK\n\nTHE ROSE AND THE AMARANTH\n\nTHE MAN, THE HORSE, THE OX, AND THE DOG\n\nTHE WOLVES, THE SHEEP, AND THE RAM\n\nTHE SWAN\n\nTHE SNAKE AND JUPITER\n\nTHE WOLF AND HIS SHADOW\n\nTHE PLOUGHMAN AND THE WOLF\n\nMERCURY AND THE MAN BITTEN BY AN ANT\n\nTHE WILY LION\n\nTHE PARROT AND THE CAT\n\nTHE STAG AND THE LION\n\nTHE IMPOSTOR\n\nTHE DOGS AND THE HIDES\n\nTHE LION, THE FOX, AND THE ASS\n\nTHE FOWLER, THE PARTRIDGE, AND THE COCK\n\nTHE GNAT AND THE LION\n\nTHE FARMER AND HIS DOGS\n\nTHE EAGLE AND THE FOX\n\nTHE BUTCHER AND HIS CUSTOMERS\n\nHERCULES AND MINERVA\n\nTHE FOX WHO SERVED A LION\n\nTHE QUACK DOCTOR\n\nTHE LION, THE WOLF, AND THE FOX\n\nHERCULES AND PLUTUS\n\nTHE FOX AND THE LEOPARD\n\nTHE FOX AND THE HEDGEHOG\n\nTHE CROW AND THE RAVEN\n\nTHE WITCH\n\nTHE OLD MAN AND DEATH\n\nTHE MISER\n\nTHE FOXES AND THE RIVER\n\nTHE HORSE AND THE STAG\n\nTHE FOX AND THE BRAMBLE\n\nTHE FOX AND THE SNAKE\n\nTHE LION, THE FOX, AND THE STAG\n\nTHE MAN WHO LOST HIS SPADE\n\nTHE PARTRIDGE AND THE FOWLER\n\nTHE RUNAWAY SLAVE\n\nTHE HUNTER AND THE WOODMAN\n\nTHE SERPENT AND THE EAGLE\n\nTHE ROGUE AND THE ORACLE\n\nTHE HORSE AND THE ASS\n\nTHE DOG CHASING A WOLF\n\nGRIEF AND HIS DUE\n\nTHE HAWK, THE KITE, AND THE PIGEONS\n\nTHE WOMAN AND THE FARMER\n\nPROMETHEUS AND THE MAKING OF MAN\n\nTHE SWALLOW AND THE CROW\n\nTHE HUNTER AND THE HORSEMAN\n\nTHE GOATHERD AND THE WILD GOATS\n\nTHE NIGHTINGALE AND THE SWALLOW\n\nTHE TRAVELLER AND FORTUNE\n\n\n\n\nLIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS\n\n\n=IN COLOUR=\n\n\nTHE HARE AND THE TORTOISE\n\nTHE MOON AND HER MOTHER\n\nTHE FIR-TREE AND THE BRAMBLE\n\nTHE CRAB AND HIS MOTHER\n\nTHE QUACK FROG\n\nTHE SHIPWRECKED MAN AND THE SEA\n\nTHE BLACKAMOOR\n\nTHE TWO POTS\n\nVENUS AND THE CAT\n\nTHE TRAVELLERS AND THE PLANE-TREE\n\nTHE TREES AND THE AXE\n\nTHE LION, JUPITER, AND THE ELEPHANT\n\nTHE GNAT AND THE LION\n\n\n=IN BLACK AND WHITE=\n\n\nTHE FOX AND THE GRAPES\n\nTHE FOX AND THE CROW\n\nTHE CAT AND THE BIRDS\n\nTHE CROW AND THE PITCHER\n\nTHE NORTH WIND AND THE SUN\n\nTHE FOX AND THE STORK\n\nTHE GNAT AND THE BULL\n\nTHE FLEA AND THE MAN\n\nTHE OAK AND THE REEDS\n\nTHE THIEVES AND THE COCK\n\nTHE OWL AND THE BIRDS\n\nTHE ASS IN THE LION'S SKIN\n\nTHE BOY BATHING\n\nTHE DOG IN THE MANGER\n\nTHE FROGS ASKING FOR A KING\n\nKING LOG\n\nTHE FOX WITHOUT A TAIL\n\nTHE FOX AND THE LION\n\nTHE DOG AND THE SHADOW\n\nTHE BEAR AND THE FOX\n\nTHE OX AND THE FROG\n\nTHE MAN AND THE SATYR\n\nTHE OLD WOMAN AND THE WINE-JAR\n\nTHE CAT AND THE COCK\n\nTHE SHEEP, THE WOLF, AND THE STAG\n\nTHE GOAT AND THE VINE\n\nTHE HOUND AND THE HARE\n\nTHE WOLF AND THE CRANE\n\nTHE TOWN MOUSE AND THE COUNTRY MOUSE\n\nTHE WOLF, THE FOX, AND THE APE\n\nTHE COCK AND THE JEWEL\n\nTHE GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANTS\n\nTHE BALD MAN AND THE FLY\n\nTHE MONKEY AND THE CAMEL\n\nTHE MILLER, HIS SON, AND THEIR ASS\n\nTHE WOLF AND THE GOAT\n\nTHE KINGDOM OF THE LION\n\nTHE KID AND THE WOLF\n\nTHE MULE\n\nTHE FROGS AND THE WELL\n\nTHE GOATHERD AND THE GOAT\n\nTHE WOLF AND THE HORSE\n\nTHE FISHERMAN PIPING\n\nTHE MONKEY AND THE DOLPHIN\n\nTHE WOLF AND HIS SHADOW\n\nTHE LION, THE FOX, AND THE ASS\n\nTHE GNAT AND THE LION\n\nTHE FOX AND THE LEOPARD\n\nTHE MISER\n\nTHE HUNTER AND THE WOODMAN\n\nTHE HORSE AND THE ASS\n\n\n\n\n\u00c6SOP'S FABLES\n\n\n\n\nTHE FOX AND THE GRAPES\n\n\nA hungry Fox saw some fine bunches of Grapes hanging from a vine that\nwas trained along a high trellis, and did his best to reach them by\njumping as high as he could into the air. But it was all in vain, for\nthey were just out of reach: so he gave up trying, and walked away\nwith an air of dignity and unconcern, remarking, \"I thought those\nGrapes were ripe, but I see now they are quite sour.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE GOOSE THAT LAID THE GOLDEN EGGS\n\n\nA Man and his Wife had the good fortune to possess a Goose which laid\na Golden Egg every day. Lucky though they were, they soon began to\nthink they were not getting rich fast enough, and, imagining the bird\nmust be made of gold inside, they decided to kill it in order to\nsecure the whole store of precious metal at once. But when they cut it\nopen they found it was just like any other goose. Thus, they neither\ngot rich all at once, as they had hoped, nor enjoyed any longer the\ndaily addition to their wealth.\n\n    Much wants more and loses all.\n\n\n\n\nTHE CAT AND THE MICE\n\n\nThere was once a house that was overrun with Mice. A Cat heard of\nthis, and said to herself, \"That's the place for me,\" and off she went\nand took up her quarters in the house, and caught the Mice one by one\nand ate them. At last the Mice could stand it no longer, and they\ndetermined to take to their holes and stay there. \"That's awkward,\"\nsaid the Cat to herself: \"the only thing to do is to coax them out by\na trick.\" So she considered a while, and then climbed up the wall and\nlet herself hang down by her hind legs from a peg, and pretended to\nbe dead. By and by a Mouse peeped out and saw the Cat hanging there.\n\"Aha!\" it cried, \"you're very clever, madam, no doubt: but you may\nturn yourself into a bag of meal hanging there, if you like, yet you\nwon't catch us coming anywhere near you.\"\n\n    If you are wise you won't be deceived by the innocent airs of\n    those whom you have once found to be dangerous.\n\n\n\n\nTHE MISCHIEVOUS DOG\n\n\nThere was once a Dog who used to snap at people and bite them without\nany provocation, and who was a great nuisance to every one who came to\nhis master's house. So his master fastened a bell round his neck to\nwarn people of his presence. The Dog was very proud of the bell, and\nstrutted about tinkling it with immense satisfaction. But an old dog\ncame up to him and said, \"The fewer airs you give yourself the better,\nmy friend. You don't think, do you, that your bell was given you as a\nreward of merit? On the contrary, it is a badge of disgrace.\"\n\n    Notoriety is often mistaken for fame.\n\n\n\n\nTHE CHARCOAL-BURNER AND THE FULLER\n\n\nThere was once a Charcoal-burner who lived and worked by himself.\nA Fuller, however, happened to come and settle in the same\nneighbourhood; and the Charcoal-burner, having made his acquaintance\nand finding he was an agreeable sort of fellow, asked him if he would\ncome and share his house: \"We shall get to know one another better\nthat way,\" he said, \"and, beside, our household expenses will be\ndiminished.\" The Fuller thanked him, but replied, \"I couldn't think\nof it, sir: why, everything I take such pains to whiten would be\nblackened in no time by your charcoal.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE MICE IN COUNCIL\n\n\nOnce upon a time all the Mice met together in Council, and discussed\nthe best means of securing themselves against the attacks of the cat.\nAfter several suggestions had been debated, a Mouse of some standing\nand experience got up and said, \"I think I have hit upon a plan which\nwill ensure our safety in the future, provided you approve and carry\nit out. It is that we should fasten a bell round the neck of our enemy\nthe cat, which will by its tinkling warn us of her approach.\" This\nproposal was warmly applauded, and it had been already decided to\nadopt it, when an old Mouse got upon his feet and said, \"I agree with\nyou all that the plan before us is an admirable one: but may I ask who\nis going to bell the cat?\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE BAT AND THE WEASELS\n\n\nA Bat fell to the ground and was caught by a Weasel, and was just\ngoing to be killed and eaten when it begged to be let go. The Weasel\nsaid he couldn't do that because he was an enemy of all birds on\nprinciple. \"Oh, but,\" said the Bat, \"I'm not a bird at all: I'm a\nmouse.\" \"So you are,\" said the Weasel, \"now I come to look at you\";\nand he let it go. Some time after this the Bat was caught in just the\nsame way by another Weasel, and, as before, begged for its life. \"No,\"\nsaid the Weasel, \"I never let a mouse go by any chance.\" \"But I'm not\na mouse,\" said the Bat; \"I'm a bird.\" \"Why, so you are,\" said the\nWeasel; and he too let the Bat go.\n\n    Look and see which way the wind blows before you commit yourself.\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOG AND THE SOW\n\n\nA Dog and a Sow were arguing and each claimed that its own young ones\nwere finer than those of any other animal. \"Well,\" said the Sow at\nlast, \"mine can see, at any rate, when they come into the world: but\nyours are born blind.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE FOX AND THE CROW\n\n\nA Crow was sitting on a branch of a tree with a piece of cheese in her\nbeak when a Fox observed her and set his wits to work to discover\nsome way of getting the cheese. Coming and standing under the tree he\nlooked up and said, \"What a noble bird I see above me! Her beauty is\nwithout equal, the hue of her plumage exquisite. If only her voice is\nas sweet as her looks are fair, she ought without doubt to be Queen of\nthe Birds.\" The Crow was hugely flattered by this, and just to show\nthe Fox that she could sing she gave a loud caw. Down came the cheese,\nof course, and the Fox, snatching it up, said, \"You have a voice,\nmadam, I see: what you want is wits.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE HORSE AND THE GROOM\n\n\nThere was once a Groom who used to spend long hours clipping and\ncombing the Horse of which he had charge, but who daily stole a\nportion of his allowance of oats, and sold it for his own profit. The\nHorse gradually got into worse and worse condition, and at last cried\nto the Groom, \"If you really want me to look sleek and well, you must\ncomb me less and feed me more.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE WOLF AND THE LAMB\n\n\nA Wolf came upon a Lamb straying from the flock, and felt some\ncompunction about taking the life of so helpless a creature without\nsome plausible excuse; so he cast about for a grievance and said\nat last, \"Last year, sirrah, you grossly insulted me.\" \"That is\nimpossible, sir,\" bleated the Lamb, \"for I wasn't born then.\" \"Well,\"\nretorted the Wolf, \"you feed in my pastures.\" \"That cannot be,\"\nreplied the Lamb, \"for I have never yet tasted grass.\" \"You drink from\nmy spring, then,\" continued the Wolf. \"Indeed, sir,\" said the poor\nLamb, \"I have never yet drunk anything but my mother's milk.\" \"Well,\nanyhow,\" said the Wolf, \"I'm not going without my dinner\": and he\nsprang upon the Lamb and devoured it without more ado.\n\n\n\n\nTHE PEACOCK AND THE CRANE\n\n\nA Peacock taunted a Crane with the dullness of her plumage. \"Look at\nmy brilliant colours,\" said she, \"and see how much finer they are than\nyour poor feathers.\" \"I am not denying,\" replied the Crane, \"that\nyours are far gayer than mine; but when it comes to flying I can\nsoar into the clouds, whereas you are confined to the earth like any\ndunghill cock.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE CAT AND THE BIRDS\n\n\nA Cat heard that the Birds in an aviary were ailing. So he got himself\nup as a doctor, and, taking with him a set of the instruments proper\nto his profession, presented himself at the door, and inquired after\nthe health of the Birds. \"We shall do very well,\" they replied,\nwithout letting him in, \"when we've seen the last of you.\"\n\n    A villain may disguise himself, but he will not deceive the wise.\n\n\n\n\nTHE SPENDTHRIFT AND THE SWALLOW\n\n\nA Spendthrift, who had wasted his fortune, and had nothing left but\nthe clothes in which he stood, saw a Swallow one fine day in early\nspring. Thinking that summer had come, and that he could now do\nwithout his coat, he went and sold it for what it would fetch. A\nchange, however, took place in the weather, and there came a sharp\nfrost which killed the unfortunate Swallow. When the Spendthrift saw\nits dead body he cried, \"Miserable bird! Thanks to you I am perishing\nof cold myself.\"\n\n    One swallow does not make summer.\n\n\n\n\nTHE OLD WOMAN AND THE DOCTOR\n\n\nAn Old Woman became almost totally blind from a disease of the eyes,\nand, after consulting a Doctor, made an agreement with him in the\npresence of witnesses that she should pay him a high fee if he\ncured her, while if he failed he was to receive nothing. The Doctor\naccordingly prescribed a course of treatment, and every time he paid\nher a visit he took away with him some article out of the house, until\nat last, when he visited her for the last time, and the cure was\ncomplete, there was nothing left. When the Old Woman saw that the\nhouse was empty she refused to pay him his fee; and, after repeated\nrefusals on her part, he sued her before the magistrates for payment\nof her debt. On being brought into court she was ready with her\ndefence. \"The claimant,\" said she, \"has stated the facts about our\nagreement correctly. I undertook to pay him a fee if he cured me, and\nhe, on his part, promised to charge nothing if he failed. Now, he says\nI am cured; but I say that I am blinder than ever, and I can prove\nwhat I say. When my eyes were bad I could at any rate see well enough\nto be aware that my house contained a certain amount of furniture and\nother things; but now, when according to him I am cured, I am entirely\nunable to see anything there at all.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE MOON AND HER MOTHER\n\n\nThe Moon once begged her Mother to make her a gown. \"How can I?\"\nreplied she; \"there's no fitting your figure. At one time you're a New\nMoon, and at another you're a Full Moon; and between whiles you're\nneither one nor the other.\"\n\n\n\n\nMERCURY AND THE WOODMAN\n\n\nA Woodman was felling a tree on the bank of a river, when his axe,\nglancing off the trunk, flew out of his hands and fell into the water.\nAs he stood by the water's edge lamenting his loss, Mercury appeared\nand asked him the reason for his grief; and on learning what had\nhappened, out of pity for his distress he dived into the river and,\nbringing up a golden axe, asked him if that was the one he had lost.\nThe Woodman replied that it was not, and Mercury then dived a second\ntime, and, bringing up a silver axe, asked if that was his. \"No, that\nis not mine either,\" said the Woodman. Once more Mercury dived into\nthe river, and brought up the missing axe. The Woodman was overjoyed\nat recovering his property, and thanked his benefactor warmly; and the\nlatter was so pleased with his honesty that he made him a present of\nthe other two axes. When the Woodman told the story to his companions,\none of these was filled with envy of his good fortune and determined\nto try his luck for himself. So he went and began to fell a tree at\nthe edge of the river, and presently contrived to let his axe drop\ninto the water. Mercury appeared as before, and, on learning that his\naxe had fallen in, he dived and brought up a golden axe, as he had\ndone on the previous occasion. Without waiting to be asked whether\nit was his or not the fellow cried, \"That's mine, that's mine,\" and\nstretched out his hand eagerly for the prize: but Mercury was so\ndisgusted at his dishonesty that he not only declined to give him the\ngolden axe, but also refused to recover for him the one he had let\nfall into the stream.\n\n    Honesty is the best policy.\n\n\n\n\nTHE ASS, THE FOX, AND THE LION\n\n\nAn Ass and a Fox went into partnership and sallied out to forage for\nfood together. They hadn't gone far before they saw a Lion coming\ntheir way, at which they were both dreadfully frightened. But the Fox\nthought he saw a way of saving his own skin, and went boldly up to the\nLion and whispered in his ear, \"I'll manage that you shall get hold of\nthe Ass without the trouble of stalking him, if you'll promise to let\nme go free.\" The Lion agreed to this, and the Fox then rejoined his\ncompanion and contrived before long to lead him by a hidden pit, which\nsome hunter had dug as a trap for wild animals, and into which he\nfell. When the Lion saw that the Ass was safely caught and couldn't\nget away, it was to the Fox that he first turned his attention, and he\nsoon finished him off, and then at his leisure proceeded to feast upon\nthe Ass.\n\n    Betray a friend, and you'll often find you have ruined yourself.\n\n\n\n\nTHE LION AND THE MOUSE\n\n\nA Lion asleep in his lair was waked up by a Mouse running over his\nface. Losing his temper he seized it with his paw and was about to\nkill it. The Mouse, terrified, piteously entreated him to spare its\nlife. \"Please let me go,\" it cried, \"and one day I will repay you for\nyour kindness.\" The idea of so insignificant a creature ever being\nable to do anything for him amused the Lion so much that he laughed\naloud, and good-humouredly let it go. But the Mouse's chance came,\nafter all. One day the Lion got entangled in a net which had been\nspread for game by some hunters, and the Mouse heard and recognised\nhis roars of anger and ran to the spot. Without more ado it set to\nwork to gnaw the ropes with its teeth, and succeeded before long in\nsetting the Lion free. \"There!\" said the Mouse, \"you laughed at me\nwhen I promised I would repay you: but now you see, even a Mouse can\nhelp a Lion.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE CROW AND THE PITCHER\n\n\nA thirsty Crow found a Pitcher with some water in it, but so little\nwas there that, try as she might, she could not reach it with her\nbeak, and it seemed as though she would die of thirst within sight of\nthe remedy. At last she hit upon a clever plan. She began dropping\npebbles into the Pitcher, and with each pebble the water rose a little\nhigher until at last it reached the brim, and the knowing bird was\nenabled to quench her thirst.\n\n    Necessity is the mother of invention.\n\n\n\n\nTHE BOYS AND THE FROGS\n\n\nSome mischievous Boys were playing on the edge of a pond, and,\ncatching sight of some Frogs swimming about in the shallow water, they\nbegan to amuse themselves by pelting them with stones, and they killed\nseveral of them. At last one of the Frogs put his head out of the\nwater and said, \"Oh, stop! stop! I beg of you: what is sport to you is\ndeath to us.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE NORTH WIND AND THE SUN\n\n\nA dispute arose between the North Wind and the Sun, each claiming\nthat he was stronger than the other. At last they agreed to try their\npowers upon a traveller, to see which could soonest strip him of his\ncloak. The North Wind had the first try; and, gathering up all his\nforce for the attack, he came whirling furiously down upon the man,\nand caught up his cloak as though he would wrest it from him by one\nsingle effort: but the harder he blew, the more closely the man\nwrapped it round himself. Then came the turn of the Sun. At first he\nbeamed gently upon the traveller, who soon unclasped his cloak and\nwalked on with it hanging loosely about his shoulders: then he shone\nforth in his full strength, and the man, before he had gone many\nsteps, was glad to throw his cloak right off and complete his journey\nmore lightly clad.\n\n    Persuasion is better than force\n\n\n\n\nTHE MISTRESS AND HER SERVANTS\n\n\nA Widow, thrifty and industrious, had two servants, whom she kept\npretty hard at work. They were not allowed to lie long abed in the\nmornings, but the old lady had them up and doing as soon as the cock\ncrew. They disliked intensely having to get up at such an hour,\nespecially in winter-time: and they thought that if it were not for\nthe cock waking up their Mistress so horribly early, they could\nsleep longer. So they caught it and wrung its neck. But they weren't\nprepared for the consequences. For what happened was that their\nMistress, not hearing the cock crow as usual, waked them up earlier\nthan ever, and set them to work in the middle of the night.\n\n\n\n\nTHE GOODS AND THE ILLS\n\n\nThere was a time in the youth of the world when Goods and Ills entered\nequally into the concerns of men, so that the Goods did not prevail\nto make them altogether blessed, nor the Ills to make them wholly\nmiserable. But owing to the foolishness of mankind the Ills multiplied\ngreatly in number and increased in strength, until it seemed as though\nthey would deprive the Goods of all share in human affairs, and banish\nthem from the earth. The latter, therefore, betook themselves to\nheaven and complained to Jupiter of the treatment they had received,\nat the same time praying him to grant them protection from the Ills,\nand to advise them concerning the manner of their intercourse with\nmen. Jupiter granted their request for protection, and decreed that\nfor the future they should not go among men openly in a body, and so\nbe liable to attack from the hostile Ills, but singly and unobserved,\nand at infrequent and unexpected intervals. Hence it is that the earth\nis full of Ills, for they come and go as they please and are never far\naway; while Goods, alas! come one by one only, and have to travel all\nthe way from heaven, so that they are very seldom seen.\n\n\n\n\nTHE HARES AND THE FROGS\n\n\nThe Hares once gathered together and lamented the unhappiness of their\nlot, exposed as they were to dangers on all sides and lacking the\nstrength and the courage to hold their own. Men, dogs, birds and\nbeasts of prey were all their enemies, and killed and devoured them\ndaily: and sooner than endure such persecution any longer, they one\nand all determined to end their miserable lives. Thus resolved\nand desperate, they rushed in a body towards a neighbouring pool,\nintending to drown themselves. On the bank were sitting a number of\nFrogs, who, when they heard the noise of the Hares as they ran, with\none accord leaped into the water and hid themselves in the depths.\nThen one of the older Hares who was wiser than the rest cried out to\nhis companions, \"Stop, my friends, take heart; don't let us destroy\nourselves after all: see, here are creatures who are afraid of us, and\nwho must, therefore, be still more timid than ourselves.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE FOX AND THE STORK\n\n\nA Fox invited a Stork to dinner, at which the only fare provided was a\nlarge flat dish of soup. The Fox lapped it up with great relish, but\nthe Stork with her long bill tried in vain to partake of the savoury\nbroth. Her evident distress caused the sly Fox much amusement. But not\nlong after the Stork invited him in turn, and set before him a pitcher\nwith a long and narrow neck, into which she could get her bill with\nease. Thus, while she enjoyed her dinner, the Fox sat by hungry and\nhelpless, for it was impossible for him to reach the tempting contents\nof the vessel.\n\n\n\n\nTHE WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING\n\n\nA Wolf resolved to disguise himself in order that he might prey upon a\nflock of sheep without fear of detection. So he clothed himself in a\nsheepskin, and slipped among the sheep when they were out at pasture.\nHe completely deceived the shepherd, and when the flock was penned\nfor the night he was shut in with the rest. But that very night as it\nhappened, the shepherd, requiring a supply of mutton for the table,\nlaid hands on the Wolf in mistake for a Sheep, and killed him with his\nknife on the spot.\n\n\n\n\nTHE STAG IN THE OX-STALL\n\n\nA Stag, chased from his lair by the hounds, took refuge in a farmyard,\nand, entering a stable where a number of oxen were stalled, thrust\nhimself under a pile of hay in a vacant stall, where he lay concealed,\nall but the tips of his horns. Presently one of the Oxen said to him,\n\"What has induced you to come in here? Aren't you aware of the risk\nyou are running of being captured by the herdsmen?\" To which he\nreplied, \"Pray let me stay for the present. When night comes I shall\neasily escape under cover of the dark.\" In the course of the afternoon\nmore than one of the farm-hands came in, to attend to the wants of\nthe cattle, but not one of them noticed the presence of the Stag, who\naccordingly began to congratulate himself on his escape and to express\nhis gratitude to the Oxen. \"We wish you well,\" said the one who had\nspoken before, \"but you are not out of danger yet. If the master\ncomes, you will certainly be found out, for nothing ever escapes his\nkeen eyes.\" Presently, sure enough, in he came, and made a great to-do\nabout the way the Oxen were kept. \"The beasts are starving,\" he cried;\n\"here, give them more hay, and put plenty of litter under them.\" As he\nspoke, he seized an armful himself from the pile where the Stag lay\nconcealed, and at once detected him. Calling his men, he had him\nseized at once and killed for the table.\n\n\n\n\nTHE MILKMAID AND HER PAIL\n\n\nA farmer's daughter had been out to milk the cows, and was returning\nto the dairy carrying her pail of milk upon her head. As she walked\nalong, she fell a-musing after this fashion: \"The milk in this pail\nwill provide me with cream, which I will make into butter and take to\nmarket to sell. With the money I will buy a number of eggs, and these,\nwhen hatched, will produce chickens, and by and by I shall have quite\na large poultry-yard. Then I shall sell some of my fowls, and with the\nmoney which they will bring in I will buy myself a new gown, which\nI shall wear when I go to the fair; and all the young fellows will\nadmire it, and come and make love to me, but I shall toss my head\nand have nothing to say to them.\" Forgetting all about the pail, and\nsuiting the action to the word, she tossed her head. Down went the\npail, all the milk was spilled, and all her fine castles in the air\nvanished in a moment!\n\n    Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOLPHINS, THE WHALES, AND THE SPRAT\n\n\nThe Dolphins quarrelled with the Whales, and before very long they\nbegan fighting with one another. The battle was very fierce, and had\nlasted some time without any sign of coming to an end, when a Sprat\nthought that perhaps he could stop it; so he stepped in and tried to\npersuade them to give up fighting and make friends. But one of the\nDolphins said to him contemptuously, \"We would rather go on fighting\ntill we're all killed than be reconciled by a Sprat like you!\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE FOX AND THE MONKEY\n\n\nA Fox and a Monkey were on the road together, and fell into a dispute\nas to which of the two was the better born. They kept it up for some\ntime, till they came to a place where the road passed through a\ncemetery full of monuments, when the Monkey stopped and looked about\nhim and gave a great sigh. \"Why do you sigh?\" said the Fox. The Monkey\npointed to the tombs and replied, \"All the monuments that you see here\nwere put up in honour of my forefathers, who in their day were eminent\nmen.\" The Fox was speechless for a moment, but quickly recovering he\nsaid, \"Oh! don't stop at any lie, sir; you're quite safe: I'm sure\nnone of your ancestors will rise up and expose you.\"\n\n    Boasters brag most when they cannot be detected.\n\n\n\n\nTHE ASS AND THE LAP-DOG\n\n\nThere was once a man who had an Ass and a Lap-dog. The Ass was housed\nin the stable with plenty of oats and hay to eat and was as well off\nas an ass could be. The little Dog was made a great pet of by his\nmaster, who fondled him and often let him lie in his lap; and if he\nwent out to dinner, he would bring back a tit-bit or two to give him\nwhen he ran to meet him on his return. The Ass had, it is true, a good\ndeal of work to do, carting or grinding the corn, or carrying the\nburdens of the farm: and ere long he became very jealous, contrasting\nhis own life of labour with the ease and idleness of the Lap-dog. At\nlast one day he broke his halter, and frisking into the house just as\nhis master sat down to dinner, he pranced and capered about, mimicking\nthe frolics of the little favourite, upsetting the table and smashing\nthe crockery with his clumsy efforts. Not content with that, he even\ntried to jump on his master's lap, as he had so often seen the dog\nallowed to do. At that the servants, seeing the danger their master\nwas in, belaboured the silly Ass with sticks and cudgels, and drove\nhim back to his stable half dead with his beating. \"Alas!\" he cried,\n\"all this I have brought on myself. Why could I not be satisfied with\nmy natural and honourable position, without wishing to imitate the\nridiculous antics of that useless little Lap-dog?\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE FIR-TREE AND THE BRAMBLE\n\n\nA Fir-tree was boasting to a Bramble, and said, somewhat\ncontemptuously, \"You poor creature, you are of no use whatever. Now,\nlook at me: I am useful for all sorts of things, particularly when men\nbuild houses; they can't do without me then.\" But the Bramble replied,\n\"Ah, that's all very well: but you wait till they come with axes and\nsaws to cut you down, and then you'll wish you were a Bramble and not\na Fir.\"\n\n    Better poverty without a care than wealth with its many\n    obligations.\n\n\n\n\nTHE FROGS' COMPLAINT AGAINST THE SUN\n\n\nOnce upon a time the Sun was about to take to himself a wife. The\nFrogs in terror all raised their voices to the skies, and Jupiter,\ndisturbed by the noise, asked them what they were croaking about. They\nreplied, \"The Sun is bad enough even while he is single, drying up our\nmarshes with his heat as he does. But what will become of us if he\nmarries and begets other Suns?\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOG, THE COCK, AND THE FOX\n\n\nA Dog and a Cock became great friends, and agreed to travel together.\nAt nightfall the Cock flew up into the branches of a tree to roost,\nwhile the Dog curled himself up inside the trunk, which was hollow. At\nbreak of day the Cock woke up and crew, as usual. A Fox heard, and,\nwishing to make a breakfast of him, came and stood under the tree and\nbegged him to come down. \"I should so like,\" said he, \"to make the\nacquaintance of one who has such a beautiful voice.\" The Cock replied,\n\"Would you just wake my porter who sleeps at the foot of the tree?\nHe'll open the door and let you in.\" The Fox accordingly rapped on the\ntrunk, when out rushed the Dog and tore him in pieces.\n\n\n\n\nTHE GNAT AND THE BULL\n\n\nA Gnat alighted on one of the horns of a Bull, and remained sitting\nthere for a considerable time. When it had rested sufficiently and was\nabout to fly away, it said to the Bull, \"Do you mind if I go now?\" The\nBull merely raised his eyes and remarked, without interest, \"It's all\none to me; I didn't notice when you came, and I shan't know when you\ngo away.\"\n\n    We may often be of more consequence in our own eyes than in the\n    eyes of our neighbours.\n\n\n\n\nTHE BEAR AND THE TRAVELLERS\n\n\nTwo Travellers were on the road together, when a Bear suddenly\nappeared on the scene. Before he observed them, one made for a tree at\nthe side of the road, and climbed up into the branches and hid there.\nThe other was not so nimble as his companion; and, as he could not\nescape, he threw himself on the ground and pretended to be dead. The\nBear came up and sniffed all round him, but he kept perfectly still\nand held his breath: for they say that a bear will not touch a dead\nbody. The Bear took him for a corpse, and went away. When the coast\nwas clear, the Traveller in the tree came down, and asked the other\nwhat it was the Bear had whispered to him when he put his mouth to\nhis ear. The other replied, \"He told me never again to travel with a\nfriend who deserts you at the first sign of danger.\"\n\n    Misfortune tests the sincerity of friendship.\n\n\n\n\nTHE SLAVE AND THE LION\n\n\nA Slave ran away from his master, by whom he had been most cruelly\ntreated, and, in order to avoid capture, betook himself into the\ndesert. As he wandered about in search of food and shelter, he came to\na cave, which he entered and found to be unoccupied. Really, however,\nit was a Lion's den, and almost immediately, to the horror of the\nwretched fugitive, the Lion himself appeared. The man gave himself\nup for lost: but, to his utter astonishment, the Lion, instead of\nspringing upon him and devouring him, came and fawned upon him, at\nthe same time whining and lifting up his paw. Observing it to be much\nswollen and inflamed, he examined it and found a large thorn embedded\nin the ball of the foot. He accordingly removed it and dressed\nthe wound as well as he could: and in course of time it healed up\ncompletely. The Lion's gratitude was unbounded; he looked upon the man\nas his friend, and they shared the cave for some time together. A day\ncame, however, when the Slave began to long for the society of his\nfellow-men, and he bade farewell to the Lion and returned to the town.\nHere he was presently recognised and carried off in chains to his\nformer master, who resolved to make an example of him, and ordered\nthat he should be thrown to the beasts at the next public spectacle in\nthe theatre. On the fatal day the beasts were loosed into the arena,\nand among the rest a Lion of huge bulk and ferocious aspect; and then\nthe wretched Slave was cast in among them. What was the amazement of\nthe spectators, when the Lion after one glance bounded up to him and\nlay down at his feet with every expression of affection and delight!\nIt was his old friend of the cave! The audience clamoured that\nthe Slave's life should be spared: and the governor of the town,\nmarvelling at such gratitude and fidelity in a beast, decreed that\nboth should receive their liberty.\n\n\n\n\nTHE FLEA AND THE MAN\n\n\nA Flea bit a Man, and bit him again, and again, till he could stand it\nno longer, but made a thorough search for it, and at last succeeded\nin catching it. Holding it between his finger and thumb, he said--or\nrather shouted, so angry was he--\"Who are you, pray, you wretched\nlittle creature, that you make so free with my person?\" The Flea,\nterrified, whimpered in a weak little voice, \"Oh, sir! pray let me\ngo; don't kill me! I am such a little thing that I can't do you much\nharm.\" But the Man laughed and said, \"I am going to kill you now, at\nonce: whatever is bad has got to be destroyed, no matter how slight\nthe harm it does.\"\n\n    Do not waste your pity on a scamp.\n\n\n\n\nTHE BEE AND JUPITER\n\n\nA Queen Bee from Hymettus flew up to Olympus with some fresh honey\nfrom the hive as a present to Jupiter, who was so pleased with the\ngift that he promised to give her anything she liked to ask for. She\nsaid she would be very grateful if he would give stings to the bees,\nto kill people who robbed them of their honey. Jupiter was greatly\ndispleased with this request, for he loved mankind: but he had given\nhis word, so he said that stings they should have. The stings he gave\nthem, however, were of such a kind that whenever a bee stings a man\nthe sting is left in the wound and the bee dies.\n\n    Evil wishes, like fowls, come home to roost.\n\n\n\n\nTHE OAK AND THE REEDS\n\n\nAn Oak that grew on the bank of a river was uprooted by a severe\ngale of wind, and thrown across the stream. It fell among some Reeds\ngrowing by the water, and said to them, \"How is it that you, who are\nso frail and slender, have managed to weather the storm, whereas I,\nwith all my strength, have been torn up by the roots and hurled into\nthe river?\" \"You were stubborn,\" came the reply, \"and fought against\nthe storm, which proved stronger than you: but we bow and yield to\nevery breeze, and thus the gale passed harmlessly over our heads.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE BLIND MAN AND THE CUB\n\n\nThere was once a Blind Man who had so fine a sense of touch that, when\nany animal was put into his hands, he could tell what it was merely by\nthe feel of it. One day the Cub of a Wolf was put into his hands, and\nhe was asked what it was. He felt it for some time, and then said,\n\"Indeed, I am not sure whether it is a Wolf's Cub or a Fox's: but this\nI know--it would never do to trust it in a sheepfold.\"\n\n    Evil tendencies are early shown.\n\n\n\n\nTHE BOY AND THE SNAILS\n\n\nA Farmer's Boy went looking for Snails, and, when he had picked up\nboth his hands full, he set about making a fire at which to roast\nthem; for he meant to eat them. When it got well alight and the Snails\nbegan to feel the heat, they gradually withdrew more and more into\ntheir shells with the hissing noise they always make when they do so.\nWhen the Boy heard it, he said, \"You abandoned creatures, how can you\nfind heart to whistle when your houses are burning?\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE APES AND THE TWO TRAVELLERS\n\n\nTwo men were travelling together, one of whom never spoke the truth,\nwhereas the other never told a lie: and they came in the course of\ntheir travels to the land of Apes. The King of the Apes, hearing of\ntheir arrival, ordered them to be brought before him; and by way of\nimpressing them with his magnificence, he received them sitting on\na throne, while the Apes, his subjects, were ranged in long rows on\neither side of him. When the Travellers came into his presence he\nasked them what they thought of him as a King. The lying Traveller\nsaid, \"Sire, every one must see that you are a most noble and mighty\nmonarch.\" \"And what do you think of my subjects?\" continued the King.\n\"They,\" said the Traveller, \"are in every way worthy of their royal\nmaster.\" The Ape was so delighted with his answer that he gave him\na very handsome present. The other Traveller thought that if his\ncompanion was rewarded so splendidly for telling a lie, he himself\nwould certainly receive a still greater reward for telling the truth;\nso, when the Ape turned to him and said, \"And what, sir, is your\nopinion?\" he replied, \"I think you are a very fine Ape, and all your\nsubjects are fine Apes too.\" The King of the Apes was so enraged at\nhis reply that he ordered him to be taken away and clawed to death.\n\n\n\n\nTHE ASS AND HIS BURDENS\n\n\nA Pedlar who owned an Ass one day bought a quantity of salt, and\nloaded up his beast with as much as he could bear. On the way home the\nAss stumbled as he was crossing a stream and fell into the water. The\nsalt got thoroughly wetted and much of it melted and drained away, so\nthat, when he got on his legs again, the Ass found his load had become\nmuch less heavy. His master, however, drove him back to town and\nbought more salt, which he added to what remained in the panniers, and\nstarted out again. No sooner had they reached a stream than the Ass\nlay down in it, and rose, as before, with a much lighter load. But his\nmaster detected the trick, and turning back once more, bought a large\nnumber of sponges, and piled them on the back of the Ass. When they\ncame to the stream the Ass again lay down: but this time, as the\nsponges soaked up large quantities of water, he found, when he got up\non his legs, that he had a bigger burden to carry than ever.\n\n    You may play a good card once too often.\n\n\n\n\nTHE SHEPHERD'S BOY AND THE WOLF\n\n\nA Shepherd's Boy was tending his flock near a village, and thought it\nwould be great fun to hoax the villagers by pretending that a Wolf was\nattacking the sheep: so he shouted out, \"Wolf! wolf!\" and when the\npeople came running up he laughed at them for their pains. He did\nthis more than once, and every time the villagers found they had been\nhoaxed, for there was no Wolf at all. At last a Wolf really did come,\nand the Boy cried, \"Wolf! wolf!\" as loud as he could: but the people\nwere so used to hearing him call that they took no notice of his cries\nfor help. And so the Wolf had it all his own way, and killed off sheep\nafter sheep at his leisure.\n\n    You cannot believe a liar even when he tells the truth.\n\n\n\n\nTHE FOX AND THE GOAT\n\n\nA Fox fell into a well and was unable to get out again. By and by a\nthirsty Goat came by, and seeing the Fox in the well asked him if the\nwater was good. \"Good?\" said the Fox, \"it's the best water I ever\ntasted in all my life. Come down and try it yourself.\" The Goat\nthought of nothing but the prospect of quenching his thirst, and\njumped in at once. When he had had enough to drink, he looked about,\nlike the Fox, for some way of getting out, but could find none.\nPresently the Fox said, \"I have an idea. You stand on your hind legs,\nand plant your forelegs firmly against the side of the well, and then\nI'll climb on to your back, and, from there, by stepping on your\nhorns, I can get out. And when I'm out, I'll help you out too.\" The\nGoat did as he was requested, and the Fox climbed on to his back and\nso out of the well; and then he coolly walked away. The Goat called\nloudly after him and reminded him of his promise to help him out: but\nthe Fox merely turned and said, \"If you had as much sense in your head\nas you have hair in your beard you wouldn't have got into the well\nwithout making certain that you could get out again.\"\n\n    Look before your leap.\n\n\n\n\nTHE FISHERMAN AND THE SPRAT\n\n\nA Fisherman cast his net into the sea, and when he drew it up again it\ncontained nothing but a single Sprat that begged to be put back into\nthe water. \"I'm only a little fish now,\" it said, \"but I shall grow\nbig one day, and then if you come and catch me again I shall be of\nsome use to you.\" But the Fisherman replied, \"Oh, no, I shall keep you\nnow I've got you: if I put you back, should I ever see you again? Not\nlikely!\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE BOASTING TRAVELLER\n\n\nA Man once went abroad on his travels, and when he came home he\nhad wonderful tales to tell of the things he had done in foreign\ncountries. Among other things, he said he had taken part in a\njumping-match at Rhodes, and had done a wonderful jump which no one\ncould beat. \"Just go to Rhodes and ask them,\" he said; \"every one will\ntell you it's true.\" But one of those who were listening said, \"If you\ncan jump as well as all that, we needn't go to Rhodes to prove it.\nLet's just imagine this is Rhodes for a minute: and now--jump!\"\n\n    Deeds, not words.\n\n\n\n\nTHE CRAB AND HIS MOTHER\n\n\nAn Old Crab said to her son, \"Why do you walk sideways like that, my\nson? You ought to walk straight.\" The Young Crab replied, \"Show me\nhow, dear mother, and I'll follow your example.\" The Old Crab tried,\nbut tried in vain, and then saw how foolish she had been to find fault\nwith her child.\n\n    Example is better than precept.\n\n\n\n\nTHE ASS AND HIS SHADOW\n\n\nA certain man hired an Ass for a journey in summertime, and started\nout with the owner following behind to drive the beast. By and by, in\nthe heat of the day, they stopped to rest, and the traveller wanted to\nlie down in the Ass's Shadow; but the owner, who himself wished to be\nout of the sun, wouldn't let him do that; for he said he had hired the\nAss only, and not his Shadow: the other maintained that his bargain\nsecured him complete control of the Ass for the time being. From words\nthey came to blows; and while they were belabouring each other the Ass\ntook to his heels and was soon out of sight.\n\n\n\n\nTHE FARMER AND HIS SONS\n\n\nA Farmer, being at death's door, and desiring to impart to his Sons a\nsecret of much moment, called them round him and said, \"My sons, I am\nshortly about to die; I would have you know, therefore, that in my\nvineyard there lies a hidden treasure. Dig, and you will find it.\" As\nsoon as their father was dead, the Sons took spade and fork and turned\nup the soil of the vineyard over and over again, in their search for\nthe treasure which they supposed to lie buried there. They found none,\nhowever: but the vines, after so thorough a digging, produced a crop\nsuch as had never before been seen.\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOG AND THE COOK\n\n\nA rich man once invited a number of his friends and acquaintances to\na banquet. His dog thought it would be a good opportunity to invite\nanother Dog, a friend of his; so he went to him and said, \"My master\nis giving a feast: there'll be a fine spread, so come and dine with me\nto-night.\" The Dog thus invited came, and when he saw the preparations\nbeing made in the kitchen he said to himself, \"My word, I'm in luck:\nI'll take care to eat enough to-night to last me two or three days.\"\nAt the same time he wagged his tail briskly, by way of showing his\nfriend how delighted he was to have been asked. But just then the Cook\ncaught sight of him, and, in his annoyance at seeing a strange Dog in\nthe kitchen, caught him up by the hind legs and threw him out of the\nwindow. He had a nasty fall, and limped away as quickly as he could,\nhowling dismally. Presently some other dogs met him, and said, \"Well,\nwhat sort of a dinner did you get?\" To which he replied, \"I had a\nsplendid time: the wine was so good, and I drank so much of it, that I\nreally don't remember how I got out of the house!\"\n\n    Be shy of favours bestowed at the expense of others.\n\n\n\n\nTHE MONKEY AS KING\n\n\nAt a gathering of all the animals the Monkey danced and delighted them\nso much that they made him their King. The Fox, however, was very much\ndisgusted at the promotion of the Monkey: so having one day found a\ntrap with a piece of meat in it, he took the Monkey there and said to\nhim, \"Here is a dainty morsel I have found, sire; I did not take it\nmyself, because I thought it ought to be reserved for you, our King.\nWill you be pleased to accept it?\" The Monkey made at once for the\nmeat and got caught in the trap. Then he bitterly reproached the Fox\nfor leading him into danger; but the Fox only laughed and said, \"O\nMonkey, you call yourself King of the Beasts and haven't more sense\nthan to be taken in like that!\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE THIEVES AND THE COCK\n\n\nSome Thieves broke into a house, and found nothing worth taking except\na Cock, which they seized and carried off with them. When they were\npreparing their supper, one of them caught up the Cock, and was about\nto wring his neck, when he cried out for mercy and said, \"Pray do not\nkill me: you will find me a most useful bird, for I rouse honest men\nto their work in the morning by my crowing.\" But the Thief replied\nwith some heat, \"Yes, I know you do, making it still harder for us to\nget a livelihood. Into the pot you go!\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE FARMER AND FORTUNE\n\n\nA Farmer was ploughing one day on his farm when he turned up a pot of\ngolden coins with his plough. He was overjoyed at his discovery, and\nfrom that time forth made an offering daily at the shrine of the\nGoddess of the Earth. Fortune was displeased at this, and came to him\nand said, \"My man, why do you give Earth the credit for the gift which\nI bestowed upon you? You never thought of thanking me for your good\nluck; but should you be unlucky enough to lose what you have gained\nI know very well that I, Fortune, should then come in for all the\nblame.\"\n\n    Show gratitude where gratitude is due.\n\n\n\n\nJUPITER AND THE MONKEY\n\n\nJupiter issued a proclamation to all the beasts, and offered a\nprize to the one who, in his judgment, produced the most beautiful\noffspring. Among the rest came the Monkey, carrying a baby monkey in\nher arms, a hairless, flat-nosed little fright. When they saw it, the\ngods all burst into peal on peal of laughter; but the Monkey hugged\nher little one to her, and said, \"Jupiter may give the prize to\nwhomsoever he likes: but I shall always think my baby the most\nbeautiful of them all.\"\n\n\n\n\nFATHER AND SONS\n\n\nA certain man had several Sons who were always quarrelling with one\nanother, and, try as he might, he could not get them to live together\nin harmony. So he determined to convince them of their folly by the\nfollowing means. Bidding them fetch a bundle of sticks, he invited\neach in turn to break it across his knee. All tried and all failed:\nand then he undid the bundle, and handed them the sticks one by one,\nwhen they had no difficulty at all in breaking them. \"There, my boys,\"\nsaid he, \"united you will be more than a match for your enemies: but\nif you quarrel and separate, your weakness will put you at the mercy\nof those who attack you.\"\n\n    Union is strength.\n\n\n\n\nTHE LAMP\n\n\nA Lamp, well filled with oil, burned with a clear and steady light,\nand began to swell with pride and boast that it shone more brightly\nthan the sun himself. Just then a puff of wind came and blew it out.\nSome one struck a match and lit it again, and said, \"You just keep\nalight, and never mind the sun. Why, even the stars never need to be\nrelit as you had to be just now.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE OWL AND THE BIRDS\n\n\nThe Owl is a very wise bird; and once, long ago, when the first oak\nsprouted in the forest, she called all the other Birds together and\nsaid to them, \"You see this tiny tree? If you take my advice, you will\ndestroy it now when it is small: for when it grows big, the mistletoe\nwill appear upon it, from which birdlime will be prepared for your\ndestruction.\" Again, when the first flax was sown, she said to them,\n\"Go and eat up that seed, for it is the seed of the flax, out of which\nmen will one day make nets to catch you.\" Once more, when she saw the\nfirst archer, she warned the Birds that he was their deadly enemy, who\nwould wing his arrows with their own feathers and shoot them. But they\ntook no notice of what she said: in fact, they thought she was rather\nmad, and laughed at her. When, however, everything turned out as she\nhad foretold, they changed their minds and conceived a great respect\nfor her wisdom. Hence, whenever she appears, the Birds attend upon\nher in the hope of hearing something that may be for their good. She,\nhowever, gives them advice no longer, but sits moping and pondering on\nthe folly of her kind.\n\n\n\n\nTHE ASS IN THE LION'S SKIN\n\n\nAn Ass found a Lion's Skin, and dressed himself up in it. Then he went\nabout frightening every one he met, for they all took him to be a\nlion, men and beasts alike, and took to their heels when they saw\nhim coming. Elated by the success of his trick, he loudly brayed in\ntriumph. The Fox heard him, and recognised him at once for the Ass he\nwas, and said to him, \"Oho, my friend, it's you, is it? I, too, should\nhave been afraid if I hadn't heard your voice.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE SHE-GOATS AND THEIR BEARDS\n\n\nJupiter granted beards to the She-Goats at their own request, much\nto the disgust of the he-Goats, who considered this to be an\nunwarrantable invasion of their rights and dignities. So they sent a\ndeputation to him to protest against his action. He, however, advised\nthem not to raise any objections. \"What's in a tuft of hair?\" said he.\n\"Let them have it if they want it. They can never be a match for you\nin strength.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE OLD LION\n\n\nA Lion, enfeebled by age and no longer able to procure food for\nhimself by force, determined to do so by cunning. Betaking himself to\na cave, he lay down inside and feigned to be sick: and whenever any of\nthe other animals entered to inquire after his health, he sprang upon\nthem and devoured them. Many lost their lives in this way, till one\nday a Fox called at the cave, and, having a suspicion of the truth,\naddressed the Lion from outside instead of going in, and asked him how\nhe did. He replied that he was in a very bad way: \"But,\" said he, \"why\ndo you stand outside? Pray come in.\" \"I should have done so,\" answered\nthe Fox, \"if I hadn't noticed that all the footprints point towards\nthe cave and none the other way.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE BOY BATHING\n\n\nA Boy was bathing in a river and got out of his depth, and was in\ngreat danger of being drowned. A man who was passing along a road\nheard his cries for help, and went to the riverside and began to scold\nhim for being so careless as to get into deep water, but made no\nattempt to help him. \"Oh, sir,\" cried the Boy, \"please help me first\nand scold me afterwards.\"\n\n    Give assistance, not advice, in a crisis.\n\n\n\n\nTHE QUACK FROG\n\n\nOnce upon a time a Frog came forth from his home in the marshes and\nproclaimed to all the world that he was a learned physician, skilled\nin drugs and able to cure all diseases. Among the crowd was a Fox, who\ncalled out, \"You a doctor! Why, how can you set up to heal others when\nyou cannot even cure your own lame legs and blotched and wrinkled\nskin?\"\n\n    Physician, heal thyself.\n\n\n\n\nTHE SWOLLEN FOX\n\n\nA hungry Fox found in a hollow tree a quantity of bread and meat,\nwhich some shepherds had placed there against their return. Delighted\nwith his find he slipped in through the narrow aperture and greedily\ndevoured it all. But when he tried to get out again he found himself\nso swollen after his big meal that he could not squeeze through the\nhole, and fell to whining and groaning over his misfortune. Another\nFox, happening to pass that way, came and asked him what the matter\nwas; and, on learning the state of the case, said, \"Well, my friend, I\nsee nothing for it but for you to stay where you are till you shrink\nto your former size; you'll get out then easily enough.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE MOUSE, THE FROG, AND THE HAWK\n\n\nA Mouse and a Frog struck up a friendship; they were not well mated,\nfor the Mouse lived entirely on land, while the Frog was equally\nat home on land or in the water. In order that they might never be\nseparated, the Frog tied himself and the Mouse together by the leg\nwith a piece of thread. As long as they kept on dry land all went\nfairly well; but, coming to the edge of a pool, the Frog jumped in,\ntaking the Mouse with him, and began swimming about and croaking with\npleasure. The unhappy Mouse, however, was soon drowned, and floated\nabout on the surface in the wake of the Frog. There he was spied by a\nHawk, who pounced down on him and seized him in his talons. The Frog\nwas unable to loose the knot which bound him to the Mouse, and thus\nwas carried off along with him and eaten by the Hawk.\n\n\n\n\nTHE BOY AND THE NETTLES\n\n\nA Boy was gathering berries from a hedge when his hand was stung by a\nNettle. Smarting with the pain, he ran to tell his mother, and said\nto her between his sobs, \"I only touched it ever so lightly, mother.\"\n\"That's just why you got stung, my son,\" she said; \"if you had grasped\nit firmly, it wouldn't have hurt you in the least.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE PEASANT AND THE APPLE-TREE\n\n\nA Peasant had an Apple-tree growing in his garden, which bore no\nfruit, but merely served to provide a shelter from the heat for the\nsparrows and grasshoppers which sat and chirped in its branches.\nDisappointed at its barrenness he determined to cut it down, and went\nand fetched his axe for the purpose. But when the sparrows and the\ngrasshoppers saw what he was about to do, they begged him to spare\nit, and said to him, \"If you destroy the tree we shall have to seek\nshelter elsewhere, and you will no longer have our merry chirping to\nenliven your work in the garden.\" He, however, refused to listen to\nthem, and set to work with a will to cut through the trunk. A few\nstrokes showed that it was hollow inside and contained a swarm of bees\nand a large store of honey. Delighted with his find he threw down his\naxe, saying, \"The old tree is worth keeping after all.\"\n\n    Utility is most men's test of worth.\n\n\n\n\nTHE JACKDAW AND THE PIGEONS\n\n\nA Jackdaw, watching some Pigeons in a farmyard, was filled with envy\nwhen he saw how well they were fed, and determined to disguise himself\nas one of them, in order to secure a share of the good things they\nenjoyed. So he painted himself white from head to foot and joined the\nflock; and, so long as he was silent, they never suspected that he\nwas not a pigeon like themselves. But one day he was unwise enough\nto start chattering, when they at once saw through his disguise and\npecked him so unmercifully that he was glad to escape and join his own\nkind again. But the other jackdaws did not recognise him in his white\ndress, and would not let him feed with them, but drove him away: and\nso he became a homeless wanderer for his pains.\n\n\n\n\nJUPITER AND THE TORTOISE\n\n\nJupiter was about to marry a wife, and determined to celebrate the\nevent by inviting all the animals to a banquet. They all came except\nthe Tortoise, who did not put in an appearance, much to Jupiter's\nsurprise. So when he next saw the Tortoise he asked him why he had not\nbeen at the banquet. \"I don't care for going out,\" said the Tortoise;\n\"there's no place like home.\" Jupiter was so much annoyed by this\nreply that he decreed that from that time forth the Tortoise should\ncarry his house upon his back, and never be able to get away from home\neven if he wished to.\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOG IN THE MANGER\n\n\nA Dog was lying in a Manger on the hay which had been put there for\nthe cattle, and when they came and tried to eat, he growled and\nsnapped at them and wouldn't let them get at their food. \"What a\nselfish beast,\" said one of them to his companions; \"he can't eat\nhimself and yet he won't let those eat who can.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE TWO BAGS\n\n\nEvery man carries Two Bags about with him, one in front and one\nbehind, and both are packed full of faults. The Bag in front contains\nhis neighbours' faults, the one behind his own. Hence it is that men\ndo not see their own faults, but never fail to see those of others.\n\n\n\n\nTHE OXEN AND THE AXLETREES\n\n\nA pair of Oxen were drawing a heavily loaded waggon along the highway,\nand, as they tugged and strained at the yoke, the Axletrees creaked\nand groaned terribly. This was too much for the Oxen, who turned round\nindignantly and said, \"Hullo, you there! Why do you make such a noise\nwhen we do all the work?\"\n\n    They complain most who suffer least.\n\n\n\n\nTHE BOY AND THE FILBERTS\n\n\nA Boy put his hand into a jar of Filberts, and grasped as many as his\nfist could possibly hold. But when he tried to pull it out again, he\nfound he couldn't do so, for the neck of the jar was too small to\nallow of the passage of so large a handful. Unwilling to lose his nuts\nbut unable to withdraw his hand, he burst into tears. A bystander, who\nsaw where the trouble lay, said to him, \"Come, my boy, don't be so\ngreedy: be content with half the amount, and you'll be able to get\nyour hand out without difficulty.\"\n\n    Do not attempt too much at once.\n\n\n\n\nTHE FROGS ASKING FOR A KING\n\n\nTime was when the Frogs were discontented because they had no one to\nrule over them: so they sent a deputation to Jupiter to ask him to\ngive them a King. Jupiter, despising the folly of their request, cast\na log into the pool where they lived, and said that that should be\ntheir King. The Frogs were terrified at first by the splash, and\nscuttled away into the deepest parts of the pool; but by and by, when\nthey saw that the log remained motionless, one by one they ventured to\nthe surface again, and before long, growing bolder, they began to feel\nsuch contempt for it that they even took to sitting upon it. Thinking\nthat a King of that sort was an insult to their dignity, they sent to\nJupiter a second time, and begged him to take away the sluggish King\nhe had given them, and to give them another and a better one. Jupiter,\nannoyed at being pestered in this way, sent a Stork to rule over them,\nwho no sooner arrived among them than he began to catch and eat the\nFrogs as fast as he could.\n\n\n\n\nTHE OLIVE-TREE AND THE FIG-TREE\n\n\nAn Olive-tree taunted a Fig-tree with the loss of her leaves at a\ncertain season of the year. \"You,\" she said, \"lose your leaves every\nautumn, and are bare till the spring: whereas I, as you see, remain\ngreen and flourishing all the year round.\" Soon afterwards there came\na heavy fall of snow, which settled on the leaves of the Olive so that\nshe bent and broke under the weight; but the flakes fell harmlessly\nthrough the bare branches of the Fig, which survived to bear many\nanother crop.\n\n\n\n\nTHE LION AND THE BOAR\n\n\nOne hot and thirsty day in the height of summer a Lion and a Boar came\ndown to a little spring at the same moment to drink. In a trice they\nwere quarrelling as to who should drink first. The quarrel soon became\na fight and they attacked one another with the utmost fury. Presently,\nstopping for a moment to take breath, they saw some vultures seated on\na rock above evidently waiting for one of them to be killed, when they\nwould fly down and feed upon the carcase. The sight sobered them at\nonce, and they made up their quarrel, saying, \"We had much better be\nfriends than fight and be eaten by vultures.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE WALNUT-TREE\n\n\nA Walnut-tree, which grew by the roadside, bore every year a plentiful\ncrop of nuts. Every one who passed by pelted its branches with sticks\nand stones, in order to bring down the fruit, and the tree suffered\nseverely. \"It is hard,\" it cried, \"that the very persons who enjoy my\nfruit should thus reward me with insults and blows.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE MAN AND THE LION\n\n\nA Man and a Lion were companions on a journey, and in the course of\nconversation they began to boast about their prowess, and each claimed\nto be superior to the other in strength and courage. They were still\narguing with some heat when they came to a cross-road where there\nwas a statue of a Man strangling a Lion. \"There!\" said the Man\ntriumphantly, \"look at that! Doesn't that prove to you that we are\nstronger than you?\" \"Not so fast, my friend,\" said the Lion: \"that is\nonly your view of the case. If we Lions could make statues, you may be\nsure that in most of them you would see the Man underneath.\"\n\n    There are two sides to every question.\n\n\n\n\nTHE TORTOISE AND THE EAGLE\n\n\nA Tortoise, discontented with his lowly life, and envious of the birds\nhe saw disporting themselves in the air, begged an Eagle to teach him\nto fly. The Eagle protested that it was idle for him to try, as nature\nhad not provided him with wings; but the Tortoise pressed him with\nentreaties and promises of treasure, insisting that it could only be\na question of learning the craft of the air. So at length the Eagle\nconsented to do the best he could for him, and picked him up in his\ntalons. Soaring with him to a great height in the sky he then let him\ngo, and the wretched Tortoise fell headlong and was dashed to pieces\non a rock.\n\n\n\n\nTHE KID ON THE HOUSETOP\n\n\nA Kid climbed up on to the roof of an outhouse, attracted by the\ngrass and other things that grew in the thatch; and as he stood there\nbrowsing away, he caught sight of a Wolf passing below, and jeered at\nhim because he couldn't reach him. The Wolf only looked up and said,\n\"I hear you, my young friend; but it is not you who mock me, but the\nroof on which you are standing.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE FOX WITHOUT A TAIL\n\n\nA fox once fell into a trap, and after a struggle managed to get free,\nbut with the loss of his brush. He was then so much ashamed of his\nappearance that he thought life was not worth living unless he could\npersuade the other Foxes to part with their tails also, and thus\ndivert attention from his own loss. So he called a meeting of all the\nFoxes, and advised them to cut off their tails: \"They're ugly things\nanyhow,\" he said, \"and besides they're heavy, and it's tiresome to be\nalways carrying them about with you.\" But one of the other Foxes said,\n\"My friend, if you hadn't lost your own tail, you wouldn't be so keen\non getting us to cut off ours.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE VAIN JACKDAW\n\n\nJupiter announced that he intended to appoint a king over the birds,\nand named a day on which they were to appear before his throne, when\nhe would select the most beautiful of them all to be their ruler.\nWishing to look their best on the occasion they repaired to the banks\nof a stream, where they busied themselves in washing and preening\ntheir feathers. The Jackdaw was there along with the rest, and\nrealised that, with his ugly plumage, he would have no chance of being\nchosen as he was: so he waited till they were all gone, and then\npicked up the most gaudy of the feathers they had dropped, and\nfastened them about his own body, with the result that he looked gayer\nthan any of them. When the appointed day came, the birds assembled\nbefore Jupiter's throne; and, after passing them in review, he was\nabout to make the Jackdaw king, when all the rest set upon the\nking-elect, stripped him of his borrowed plumes, and exposed him for\nthe Jackdaw that he was.\n\n\n\n\nTHE TRAVELLER AND HIS DOG\n\n\nA Traveller was about to start on a journey, and said to his Dog, who\nwas stretching himself by the door, \"Come, what are you yawning for?\nHurry up and get ready: I mean you to go with me.\" But the Dog merely\nwagged his tail and said quietly, \"I'm ready, master: it's you I'm\nwaiting for.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE SHIPWRECKED MAN AND THE SEA\n\n\nA Shipwrecked Man cast up on the beach fell asleep after his struggle\nwith the waves. When he woke up, he bitterly reproached the Sea for\nits treachery in enticing men with its smooth and smiling surface,\nand then, when they were well embarked, turning in fury upon them and\nsending both ship and sailors to destruction. The Sea arose in the\nform of a woman, and replied, \"Lay not the blame on me, O sailor, but\non the Winds. By nature I am as calm and safe as the land itself: but\nthe Winds fall upon me with their gusts and gales, and lash me into a\nfury that is not natural to me.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE WILD BOAR AND THE FOX\n\n\nA Wild Boar was engaged in whetting his tusks upon the trunk of a tree\nin the forest when a Fox came by and, seeing what he was at, said to\nhim, \"Why are you doing that, pray? The huntsmen are not out to-day,\nand there are no other dangers at hand that I can see.\" \"True, my\nfriend,\" replied the Boar, \"but the instant my life is in danger I\nshall need to use my tusks. There'll be no time to sharpen them then.\"\n\n\n\n\nMERCURY AND THE SCULPTOR\n\n\nMercury was very anxious to know in what estimation he was held by\nmankind; so he disguised himself as a man and walked into a Sculptor's\nstudio, where there were a number of statues finished and ready for\nsale. Seeing a statue of Jupiter among the rest, he inquired the price\nof it. \"A crown,\" said the Sculptor. \"Is that all?\" said he, laughing;\n\"and\" (pointing to one of Juno) \"how much is that one?\" \"That,\" was\nthe reply, \"is half a crown.\" \"And how much might you be wanting for\nthat one over there, now?\" he continued, pointing to a statue of\nhimself. \"That one?\" said the Sculptor; \"Oh, I'll throw him in for\nnothing if you'll buy the other two.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE FAWN AND HIS MOTHER\n\n\nA Hind said to her Fawn, who was now well grown and strong, \"My son,\nNature has given you a powerful body and a stout pair of horns, and I\ncan't think why you are such a coward as to run away from the hounds.\"\nJust then they both heard the sound of a pack in full cry, but at a\nconsiderable distance. \"You stay where you are,\" said the Hind; \"never\nmind me\": and with that she ran off as fast as her legs could carry\nher.\n\n\n\n\nTHE FOX AND THE LION\n\n\nA Fox who had never seen a Lion one day met one, and was so terrified\nat the sight of him that he was ready to die with fear. After a time\nhe met him again, and was still rather frightened, but not nearly so\nmuch as he had been when he met him first. But when he saw him for the\nthird time he was so far from being afraid that he went up to him and\nbegan to talk to him as if he had known him all his life.\n\n\n\n\nTHE EAGLE AND HIS CAPTOR\n\n\nA Man once caught an Eagle, and after clipping his wings turned him\nloose among the fowls in his hen-house, where he moped in a corner,\nlooking very dejected and forlorn. After a while his Captor was glad\nenough to sell him to a neighbour, who took him home and let his wings\ngrow again. As soon as he had recovered the use of them, the Eagle\nflew out and caught a hare, which he brought home and presented to his\nbenefactor. A fox observed this, and said to the Eagle, \"Don't waste\nyour gifts on him! Go and give them to the man who first caught you;\nmake _him_ your friend, and then perhaps he won't catch you and clip\nyour wings a second time.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE BLACKSMITH AND HIS DOG\n\n\nA Blacksmith had a little Dog, which used to sleep when his master was\nat work, but was very wide awake indeed when it was time for meals.\nOne day his master pretended to be disgusted at this, and when he had\nthrown him a bone as usual, he said, \"What on earth is the good of a\nlazy cur like you? When I am hammering away at my anvil, you just curl\nup and go to sleep: but no sooner do I stop for a mouthful of food\nthan you wake up and wag your tail to be fed.\"\n\n    Those who will not work deserve to starve.\n\n\n\n\nTHE STAG AT THE POOL\n\n\nA thirsty Stag went down to a pool to drink. As he bent over the\nsurface he saw his own reflection in the water, and was struck with\nadmiration for his fine spreading antlers, but at the same time he\nfelt nothing but disgust for the weakness and slenderness of his legs.\nWhile he stood there looking at himself, he was seen and attacked by\na Lion; but in the chase which ensued, he soon drew away from his\npursuer, and kept his lead as long as the ground over which he ran was\nopen and free of trees. But coming presently to a wood, he was caught\nby his antlers in the branches, and fell a victim to the teeth and\nclaws of his enemy. \"Woe is me!\" he cried with his last breath; \"I\ndespised my legs, which might have saved my life: but I gloried in my\nhorns, and they have proved my ruin.\"\n\n    What is worth most is often valued least.\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOG AND THE SHADOW\n\n\nA Dog was crossing a plank bridge over a stream with a piece of meat\nin his mouth, when he happened to see his own reflection in the water.\nHe thought it was another dog with a piece of meat twice as big; so\nhe let go his own, and flew at the other dog to get the larger piece.\nBut, of course, all that happened was that he got neither; for one was\nonly a shadow, and the other was carried away by the current.\n\n\n\n\nMERCURY AND THE TRADESMEN\n\n\nWhen Jupiter was creating man, he told Mercury to make an infusion of\nlies, and to add a little of it to the other ingredients which went to\nthe making of the Tradesmen. Mercury did so, and introduced an equal\namount into each in turn--the tallow-chandler, and the greengrocer,\nand the haberdasher, and all, till he came to the horse-dealer, who\nwas last on the list, when, finding that he had a quantity of the\ninfusion still left, he put it all into him. This is why all Tradesmen\nlie more or less, but they none of them lie like a horse-dealer.\n\n\n\n\nTHE MICE AND THE WEASELS\n\n\nThere was war between the Mice and the Weasels, in which the Mice\nalways got the worst of it, numbers of them being killed and eaten by\nthe Weasels. So they called a council of war, in which an old Mouse\ngot up and said, \"It's no wonder we are always beaten, for we have no\ngenerals to plan our battles and direct our movements in the field.\"\nActing on his advice, they chose the biggest Mice to be their leaders,\nand these, in order to be distinguished from the rank and file,\nprovided themselves with helmets bearing large plumes of straw. They\nthen led out the Mice to battle, confident of victory: but they were\ndefeated as usual, and were soon scampering as fast as they could to\ntheir holes. All made their way to safety without difficulty except\nthe leaders, who were so hampered by the badges of their rank that\nthey could not get into their holes, and fell easy victims to their\npursuers.\n\n    Greatness carries its own penalties.\n\n\n\n\nTHE PEACOCK AND JUNO\n\n\nThe Peacock was greatly discontented because he had not a beautiful\nvoice like the nightingale, and he went and complained to Juno about\nit. \"The nightingale's song,\" said he, \"is the envy of all the birds;\nbut whenever I utter a sound I become a laughing-stock.\" The goddess\ntried to console him by saying, \"You have not, it is true, the power\nof song, but then you far excel all the rest in beauty: your neck\nflashes like the emerald and your splendid tail is a marvel of\ngorgeous colour.\" But the Peacock was not appeased. \"What is the use,\"\nsaid he, \"of being beautiful, with a voice like mine?\" Then Juno\nreplied, with a shade of sternness in her tones, \"Fate has allotted to\nall their destined gifts: to yourself beauty, to the eagle strength,\nto the nightingale song, and so on to all the rest in their degree;\nbut you alone are dissatisfied with your portion. Make, then, no more\ncomplaints. For, if your present wish were granted, you would quickly\nfind cause for fresh discontent.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE BEAR AND THE FOX\n\n\nA Bear was once bragging about his generous feelings, and saying how\nrefined he was compared with other animals. (There is, in fact, a\ntradition that a Bear will never touch a dead body.) A Fox, who heard\nhim talking in this strain, smiled and said, \"My friend, when you are\nhungry, I only wish you _would_ confine your attention to the dead and\nleave the living alone.\"\n\n    A hypocrite deceives no one but himself.\n\n\n\n\nTHE ASS AND THE OLD PEASANT\n\n\nAn old Peasant was sitting in a meadow watching his Ass, which was\ngrazing close by, when all of a sudden he caught sight of armed men\nstealthily approaching. He jumped up in a moment, and begged the Ass\nto fly with him as fast as he could, \"Or else,\" said he, \"we shall\nboth be captured by the enemy.\" But the Ass just looked round lazily\nand said, \"And if so, do you think they'll make me carry heavier loads\nthan I have to now?\" \"No,\" said his master. \"Oh, well, then,\" said the\nAss, \"I don't mind if they do take me, for I shan't be any worse off.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE OX AND THE FROG\n\n\nTwo little Frogs were playing about at the edge of a pool when an Ox\ncame down to the water to drink, and by accident trod on one of them\nand crushed the life out of him. When the old Frog missed him, she\nasked his brother where he was. \"He is dead, mother,\" said the little\nFrog; \"an enormous big creature with four legs came to our pool this\nmorning and trampled him down in the mud.\" \"Enormous, was he? Was he\nas big as this?\" said the Frog, puffing herself out to look as big\nas possible. \"Oh! yes, _much_ bigger,\" was the answer. The Frog puffed\nherself out still more. \"Was he as big as this?\" said she. \"Oh! yes,\nyes, mother, _MUCH_ bigger,\" said the little Frog. And yet again she\npuffed and puffed herself out till she was almost as round as a ball.\n\"As big as...?\" she began--but then she burst.\n\n\n\n\nTHE MAN AND THE IMAGE\n\n\nA poor Man had a wooden Image of a god, to which he used to pray daily\nfor riches. He did this for a long time, but remained as poor as ever,\ntill one day he caught up the Image in disgust and hurled it with all\nhis strength against the wall. The force of the blow split open the\nhead and a quantity of gold coins fell out upon the floor. The Man\ngathered them up greedily, and said, \"O you old fraud, you! When I\nhonoured you, you did me no good whatever: but no sooner do I treat\nyou to insults and violence than you make a rich man of me!\"\n\n\n\n\nHERCULES AND THE WAGGONER\n\n\nA Waggoner was driving his team along a muddy lane with a full load\nbehind them, when the wheels of his waggon sank so deep in the mire\nthat no efforts of his horses could move them. As he stood there,\nlooking helplessly on, and calling loudly at intervals upon Hercules\nfor assistance, the god himself appeared, and said to him, \"Put your\nshoulder to the wheel, man, and goad on your horses, and then you may\ncall on Hercules to assist you. If you won't lift a finger to help\nyourself, you can't expect Hercules or any one else to come to your\naid.\"\n\n    Heaven helps those who help themselves.\n\n\n\n\nTHE POMEGRANATE, THE APPLE-TREE, AND THE BRAMBLE\n\n\nA Pomegranate and an Apple-tree were disputing about the quality of\ntheir fruits, and each claimed that its own was the better of the two.\nHigh words passed between them, and a violent quarrel was imminent,\nwhen a Bramble impudently poked its head out of a neighbouring hedge\nand said, \"There, that's enough, my friends; don't let us quarrel.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE LION, THE BEAR, AND THE FOX\n\n\nA Lion and a Bear were fighting for possession of a kid, which they\nhad both seized at the same moment. The battle was long and fierce,\nand at length both of them were exhausted, and lay upon the ground\nseverely wounded and gasping for breath. A Fox had all the time been\nprowling round and watching the fight: and when he saw the combatants\nlying there too weak to move, he slipped in and seized the kid, and\nran off with it. They looked on helplessly, and one said to the other,\n\"Here we've been mauling each other all this while, and no one the\nbetter for it except the Fox!\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE BLACKAMOOR\n\n\nA Man once bought an Ethiopian slave, who had a black skin like all\nEthiopians; but his new master thought his colour was due to his\nlate owner's having neglected him, and that all he wanted was a good\nscrubbing. So he set to work with plenty of soap and hot water, and\nrubbed away at him with a will, but all to no purpose: his skin\nremained as black as ever, while the poor wretch all but died from the\ncold he caught.\n\n\n\n\nTHE TWO SOLDIERS AND THE ROBBER\n\n\nTwo Soldiers travelling together were set upon by a Robber. One of\nthem ran away, but the other stood his ground, and laid about him so\nlustily with his sword that the Robber was fain to fly and leave\nhim in peace. When the coast was clear the timid one ran back, and,\nflourishing his weapon, cried in a threatening voice, \"Where is he?\nLet me get at him, and I'll soon let him know whom he's got to deal\nwith.\" But the other replied, \"You are a little late, my friend: I\nonly wish you had backed me up just now, even if you had done no more\nthan speak, for I should have been encouraged, believing your words to\nbe true. As it is, calm yourself, and put up your sword: there is no\nfurther use for it. You may delude others into thinking you're as\nbrave as a lion: but I know that, at the first sign of danger, you run\naway like a hare.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE LION AND THE WILD ASS\n\n\nA Lion and a Wild Ass went out hunting together: the latter was to run\ndown the prey by his superior speed, and the former would then come\nup and despatch it. They met with great success; and when it came to\nsharing the spoil the Lion divided it all into three equal portions.\n\"I will take the first,\" said he, \"because I am King of the beasts; I\nwill also take the second, because, as your partner, I am entitled to\nhalf of what remains; and as for the third--well, unless you give it\nup to me and take yourself off pretty quick, the third, believe me,\nwill make you feel very sorry for yourself!\"\n\n    Might makes right.\n\n\n\n\nTHE MAN AND THE SATYR\n\n\nA Man and a Satyr became friends, and determined to live together. All\nwent well for a while, until one day in winter-time the Satyr saw the\nMan blowing on his hands. \"Why do you do that?\" he asked. \"To warm\nmy hands,\" said the Man. That same day, when they sat down to supper\ntogether, they each had a steaming hot bowl of porridge, and the Man\nraised his bowl to his mouth and blew on it. \"Why do you do that?\"\nasked the Satyr. \"To cool my porridge,\" said the Man. The Satyr got up\nfrom the table. \"Good-bye,\" said he, \"I'm going: I can't be friends\nwith a man who blows hot and cold with the same breath.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE IMAGE-SELLER\n\n\nA certain man made a wooden Image of Mercury, and exposed it for sale\nin the market. As no one offered to buy it, however, he thought he\nwould try to attract a purchaser by proclaiming the virtues of the\nImage. So he cried up and down the market, \"A god for sale! a god for\nsale! One who'll bring you luck and keep you lucky!\" Presently one of\nthe bystanders stopped him and said, \"If your god is all you make\nhim out to be, how is it you don't keep him and make the most of him\nyourself?\" \"I'll tell you why,\" replied he; \"he brings gain, it is\ntrue, but he takes his time about it; whereas I want money at once.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE EAGLE AND THE ARROW\n\n\nAn Eagle sat perched on a lofty rock, keeping a sharp look-out for\nprey. A huntsman, concealed in a cleft of the mountain and on the\nwatch for game, spied him there and shot an Arrow at him. The shaft\nstruck him full in the breast and pierced him through and through. As\nhe lay in the agonies of death, he turned his eyes upon the Arrow.\n\"Ah! cruel fate!\" he cried, \"that I should perish thus: but oh! fate\nmore cruel still, that the Arrow which kills me should be winged with\nan Eagle's feathers!\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE RICH MAN AND THE TANNER\n\n\nA Rich Man took up his residence next door to a Tanner, and found the\nsmell of the tan-yard so extremely unpleasant that he told him he must\ngo. The Tanner delayed his departure, and the Rich Man had to speak\nto him several times about it; and every time the Tanner said he was\nmaking arrangements to move very shortly. This went on for some time,\ntill at last the Rich Man got so used to the smell that he ceased to\nmind it, and troubled the Tanner with his objections no more.\n\n\n\n\nTHE WOLF, THE MOTHER, AND HER CHILD\n\n\nA hungry Wolf was prowling about in search of food. By and by,\nattracted by the cries of a Child, he came to a cottage. As he\ncrouched beneath the window, he heard the Mother say to the Child,\n\"Stop crying, do! or I'll throw you to the Wolf.\" Thinking she really\nmeant what she said, he waited there a long time in the expectation of\nsatisfying his hunger. In the evening he heard the Mother fondling her\nChild and saying, \"If the naughty Wolf comes, he shan't get my little\none: Daddy will kill him.\" The Wolf got up in much disgust and walked\naway: \"As for the people in that house,\" said he to himself, \"you\ncan't believe a word they say.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE OLD WOMAN AND THE WINE-JAR\n\n\nAn old Woman picked up an empty Wine-jar which had once contained a\nrare and costly wine, and which still retained some traces of its\nexquisite bouquet. She raised it to her nose and sniffed at it again\nand again. \"Ah,\" she cried, \"how delicious must have been the liquid\nwhich has left behind so ravishing a smell.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE LIONESS AND THE VIXEN\n\n\nA Lioness and a Vixen were talking together about their young, as\nmothers will, and saying how healthy and well-grown they were, and\nwhat beautiful coats they had, and how they were the image of their\nparents. \"My litter of cubs is a joy to see,\" said the Fox; and then\nshe added, rather maliciously, \"But I notice you never have more than\none.\" \"No,\" said the Lioness grimly, \"but that one's a lion.\"\n\n    Quality, not quantity.\n\n\n\n\nTHE VIPER AND THE FILE\n\n\nA Viper entered a carpenter's shop, and went from one to another of\nthe tools, begging for something to eat. Among the rest, he addressed\nhimself to the File, and asked for the favour of a meal. The File\nreplied in a tone of pitying contempt, \"What a simpleton you must be\nif you imagine you will get anything from me, who invariably take from\nevery one and never give anything in return.\"\n\n    The covetous are poor givers.\n\n\n\n\nTHE CAT AND THE COCK\n\n\nA Cat pounced on a Cock, and cast about for some good excuse for\nmaking a meal off him, for Cats don't as a rule eat Cocks, and she\nknew she ought not to. At last she said, \"You make a great nuisance of\nyourself at night by crowing and keeping people awake: so I am going\nto make an end of you.\" But the Cock defended himself by saying that\nhe crowed in order that men might wake up and set about the day's work\nin good time, and that they really couldn't very well do without him.\n\"That may be,\" said the Cat, \"but whether they can or not, I'm not\ngoing without my dinner\"; and she killed and ate him.\n\n    The want of a good excuse never kept a villain from crime.\n\n\n\n\nTHE HARE AND THE TORTOISE\n\n\nA Hare was one day making fun of a Tortoise for being so slow upon his\nfeet. \"Wait a bit,\" said the Tortoise; \"I'll run a race with you, and\nI'll wager that I win.\" \"Oh, well,\" replied the Hare, who was much\namused at the idea, \"let's try and see\"; and it was soon agreed that\nthe fox should set a course for them, and be the judge. When the time\ncame both started off together, but the Hare was soon so far ahead\nthat he thought he might as well have a rest: so down he lay and fell\nfast asleep. Meanwhile the Tortoise kept plodding on, and in time\nreached the goal. At last the Hare woke up with a start, and dashed on\nat his fastest, but only to find that the Tortoise had already won the\nrace.\n\n    Slow and steady wins the race.\n\n\n\n\nTHE SOLDIER AND HIS HORSE\n\n\nA Soldier gave his Horse a plentiful supply of oats in time of war,\nand tended him with the utmost care, for he wished him to be strong to\nendure the hardships of the field, and swift to bear his master, when\nneed arose, out of the reach of danger. But when the war was over he\nemployed him on all sorts of drudgery, bestowing but little attention\nupon him, and giving him, moreover, nothing but chaff to eat. The time\ncame when war broke out again, and the Soldier saddled and bridled his\nHorse, and, having put on his heavy coat of mail, mounted him to ride\noff and take the field. But the poor half-starved beast sank down\nunder his weight, and said to his rider, \"You will have to go into\nbattle on foot this time. Thanks to hard work and bad food, you have\nturned me from a Horse into an ass; and you cannot in a moment turn me\nback again into a Horse.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE OXEN AND THE BUTCHERS\n\n\nOnce upon a time the Oxen determined to be revenged upon the Butchers\nfor the havoc they wrought in their ranks, and plotted to put them to\ndeath on a given day. They were all gathered together discussing how\nbest to carry out the plan, and the more violent of them were engaged\nin sharpening their horns for the fray, when an old Ox got up upon his\nfeet and said, \"My brothers, you have good reason, I know, to hate\nthese Butchers, but, at any rate, they understand their trade and do\nwhat they have to do without causing unnecessary pain. But if we kill\nthem, others, who have no experience, will be set to slaughter us, and\nwill by their bungling inflict great sufferings upon us. For you may\nbe sure that, even though all the Butchers perish, mankind will never\ngo without their beef.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE WOLF AND THE LION\n\n\nA wolf stole a lamb from the flock, and was carrying it off to devour\nit at his leisure when he met a Lion, who took his prey away from him\nand walked off with it. He dared not resist, but when the Lion had\ngone some distance he said, \"It is most unjust of you to take what's\nmine away from me like that.\" The Lion laughed and called out in\nreply, \"It was justly yours, no doubt! The gift of a friend, perhaps,\neh?\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE SHEEP, THE WOLF, AND THE STAG\n\n\nA Stag once asked a Sheep to lend him a measure of wheat, saying that\nhis friend the Wolf would be his surety. The Sheep, however, was\nafraid that they meant to cheat her; so she excused herself, saying,\n\"The Wolf is in the habit of seizing what he wants and running off\nwith it without paying, and you, too, can run much faster than I. So\nhow shall I be able to come up with either of you when the debt falls\ndue?\"\n\n    Two blacks do not make a white.\n\n\n\n\nTHE LION AND THE THREE BULLS\n\n\nThree Bulls were grazing in a meadow, and were watched by a Lion, who\nlonged to capture and devour them, but who felt that he was no match\nfor the three so long as they kept together. So he began by false\nwhispers and malicious hints to foment jealousies and distrust among\nthem. This stratagem succeeded so well that ere long the Bulls grew\ncold and unfriendly, and finally avoided each other and fed each one\nby himself apart. No sooner did the Lion see this than he fell upon\nthem one by one and killed them in turn.\n\n    The quarrels of friends are the opportunities of foes.\n\n\n\n\nTHE HORSE AND HIS RIDER\n\n\nA Young Man, who fancied himself something of a horseman, mounted\na Horse which had not been properly broken in, and was exceedingly\ndifficult to control. No sooner did the Horse feel his weight in the\nsaddle than he bolted, and nothing would stop him. A friend of the\nRider's met him in the road in his headlong career, and called out,\n\"Where are you off to in such a hurry?\" To which he, pointing to the\nHorse, replied, \"I've no idea: ask him.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE GOAT AND THE VINE\n\n\nA Goat was straying in a vineyard, and began to browse on the tender\nshoots of a Vine which bore several fine bunches of grapes. \"What have\nI done to you,\" said the Vine, \"that you should harm me thus? Isn't\nthere grass enough for you to feed on? All the same, even if you eat\nup every leaf I have, and leave me quite bare, I shall produce\nwine enough to pour over you when you are led to the altar to be\nsacrificed.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE TWO POTS\n\n\nTwo Pots, one of earthenware and the other of brass, were carried away\ndown a river in flood. The Brazen Pot urged his companion to keep\nclose by his side, and he would protect him. The other thanked him,\nbut begged him not to come near him on any account: \"For that,\" he\nsaid, \"is just what I am most afraid of. One touch from you and I\nshould be broken in pieces.\"\n\n    Equals make the best friends.\n\n\n\n\nTHE OLD HOUND\n\n\nA Hound who had served his master well for years, and had run down\nmany a quarry in his time, began to lose his strength and speed owing\nto age. One day, when out hunting, his master started a powerful wild\nboar and set the Hound at him. The latter seized the beast by the ear,\nbut his teeth were gone and he could not retain his hold; so the\nboar escaped. His master began to scold him severely, but the Hound\ninterrupted him with these words: \"My will is as strong as ever,\nmaster, but my body is old and feeble. You ought to honour me for what\nI have been instead of abusing me for what I am.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE CLOWN AND THE COUNTRYMAN\n\n\nA Nobleman announced his intention of giving a public entertainment in\nthe theatre, and offered splendid prizes to all who had any novelty\nto exhibit at the performance. The announcement attracted a crowd of\nconjurers, jugglers, and acrobats, and among the rest a Clown, very\npopular with the crowd, who let it be known that he was going to\ngive an entirely new turn. When the day of the performance came,\nthe theatre was filled from top to bottom some time before the\nentertainment began. Several performers exhibited their tricks, and\nthen the popular favourite came on empty-handed and alone. At once\nthere was a hush of expectation: and he, letting his head fall upon\nhis breast, imitated the squeak of a pig to such perfection that the\naudience insisted on his producing the animal, which, they said, he\nmust have somewhere concealed about his person. He, however, convinced\nthem that there was no pig there, and then the applause was deafening.\nAmong the spectators was a Countryman, who disparaged the Clown's\nperformance and announced that he would give a much superior\nexhibition of the same trick on the following day. Again the theatre\nwas filled to overflowing, and again the Clown gave his imitation\namidst the cheers of the crowd. The Countryman, meanwhile, before\ngoing on the stage, had secreted a young porker under his smock; and\nwhen the spectators derisively bade him do better if he could, he gave\nit a pinch in the ear and made it squeal loudly. But they all with one\nvoice shouted out that the Clown's imitation was much more true to\nlife. Thereupon he produced the pig from under his smock and said\nsarcastically, \"There, that shows what sort of judges you are!\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE LARK AND THE FARMER\n\n\nA Lark nested in a field of corn, and was rearing her brood under\ncover of the ripening grain. One day, before the young were fully\nfledged, the Farmer came to look at the crop, and, finding it\nyellowing fast, he said, \"I must send round word to my neighbours to\ncome and help me reap this field.\" One of the young Larks overheard\nhim, and was very much frightened, and asked her mother whether they\nhadn't better move house at once. \"There's no hurry,\" replied she;\n\"a man who looks to his friends for help will take his time about a\nthing.\" In a few days the Farmer came by again, and saw that the grain\nwas overripe and falling out of the ears upon the ground. \"I must put\nit off no longer,\" he said; \"This very day I'll hire the men and set\nthem to work at once.\" The Lark heard him and said to her young,\n\"Come, my children, we must be off: he talks no more of his friends\nnow, but is going to take things in hand himself.\"\n\n    Self-help is the best help.\n\n\n\n\nTHE LION AND THE ASS\n\n\nA Lion and an Ass set up as partners and went a-hunting together. In\ncourse of time they came to a cave in which there were a number of\nwild goats. The Lion took up his stand at the mouth of the cave, and\nwaited for them to come out; while the Ass went inside and brayed for\nall he was worth in order to frighten them out into the open. The Lion\nstruck them down one by one as they appeared; and when the cave was\nempty the Ass came out and said, \"Well, I scared them pretty well,\ndidn't I?\" \"I should think you did,\" said the Lion: \"why, if I hadn't\nknown you were an Ass, I should have turned and run myself.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE PROPHET\n\n\nA Prophet sat in the market-place and told the fortunes of all who\ncared to engage his services. Suddenly there came running up one who\ntold him that his house had been broken into by thieves, and that they\nhad made off with everything they could lay hands on. He was up in a\nmoment, and rushed off, tearing his hair and calling down curses on\nthe miscreants. The bystanders were much amused, and one of them said,\n\"Our friend professes to know what is going to happen to others,\nbut it seems he's not clever enough to perceive what's in store for\nhimself.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE HOUND AND THE HARE\n\n\nA young Hound started a Hare, and, when he caught her up, would at one\nmoment snap at her with his teeth as though he were about to kill her,\nwhile at another he would let go his hold and frisk about her, as if\nhe were playing with another dog. At last the Hare said, \"I wish you\nwould show yourself in your true colours! If you are my friend, why do\nyou bite me? If you are my enemy, why do you play with me?\"\n\n    He is no friend who plays double.\n\n\n\n\nTHE LION, THE MOUSE, AND THE FOX\n\n\nA Lion was lying asleep at the mouth of his den when a Mouse ran over\nhis back and tickled him so that he woke up with a start and began\nlooking about everywhere to see what it was that had disturbed him. A\nFox, who was looking on, thought he would have a joke at the expense\nof the Lion; so he said, \"Well, this is the first time I've seen a\nLion afraid of a Mouse.\" \"Afraid of a Mouse?\" said the Lion testily:\n\"not I! It's his bad manners I can't stand.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE TRUMPETER TAKEN PRISONER\n\n\nA Trumpeter marched into battle in the van of the army and put courage\ninto his comrades by his warlike tunes. Being captured by the enemy,\nhe begged for his life, and said, \"Do not put me to death; I have\nkilled no one: indeed, I have no weapons, but carry with me only my\ntrumpet here.\" But his captors replied, \"That is only the more reason\nwhy we should take your life; for, though you do not fight yourself,\nyou stir up others to do so.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE WOLF AND THE CRANE\n\n\nA Wolf once got a bone stuck in his throat. So he went to a Crane and\nbegged her to put her long bill down his throat and pull it out. \"I'll\nmake it worth your while,\" he added. The Crane did as she was asked,\nand got the bone out quite easily. The Wolf thanked her warmly, and\nwas just turning away, when she cried, \"What about that fee of mine?\"\n\"Well, what about it?\" snapped the Wolf, baring his teeth as he spoke;\n\"you can go about boasting that you once put your head into a Wolf's\nmouth and didn't get it bitten off. What more do you want?\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE EAGLE, THE CAT, AND THE WILD SOW\n\n\nAn Eagle built her nest at the top of a high tree; a Cat with her\nfamily occupied a hollow in the trunk half-way down; and a Wild Sow\nand her young took up their quarters at the foot. They might have got\non very well as neighbours had it not been for the evil cunning of the\nCat. Climbing up to the Eagle's nest she said to the Eagle, \"You and I\nare in the greatest possible danger. That dreadful creature, the Sow,\nwho is always to be seen grubbing away at the foot of the tree, means\nto uproot it, that she may devour your family and mine at her ease.\"\nHaving thus driven the Eagle almost out of her senses with terror, the\nCat climbed down the tree, and said to the Sow, \"I must warn you\nagainst that dreadful bird, the Eagle. She is only waiting her chance\nto fly down and carry off one of your little pigs when you take them\nout, to feed her brood with.\" She succeeded in frightening the Sow as\nmuch as the Eagle. Then she returned to her hole in the trunk, from\nwhich, feigning to be afraid, she never came forth by day. Only by\nnight did she creep out unseen to procure food for her kittens. The\nEagle, meanwhile was afraid to stir from her nest, and the Sow dared\nnot leave her home among the roots: so that in time both they and\ntheir families perished of hunger, and their dead bodies supplied the\nCat with ample food for her growing family.\n\n\n\n\nTHE WOLF AND THE SHEEP\n\n\nA Wolf was worried and badly bitten by dogs, and lay a long time for\ndead. By and by he began to revive, and, feeling very hungry, called\nout to a passing Sheep and said, \"Would you kindly bring me some water\nfrom the stream close by? I can manage about meat, if only I could\nget something to drink.\" But this Sheep was no fool. \"I can quite\nunderstand\", said he, \"that if I brought you the water, you would have\nno difficulty about the meat. Good-morning.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE TUNNY-FISH AND THE DOLPHIN\n\n\nA Tunny-fish was chased by a Dolphin and splashed through the water at\na great rate, but the Dolphin gradually gained upon him, and was just\nabout to seize him when the force of his flight carried the Tunny on\nto a sandbank. In the heat of the chase the Dolphin followed him, and\nthere they both lay out of the water, gasping for dear life. When the\nTunny saw that his enemy was doomed like himself, he said, \"I don't\nmind having to die now: for I see that he who is the cause of my death\nis about to share the same fate.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE THREE TRADESMEN\n\n\nThe citizens of a certain city were debating about the best material\nto use in the fortifications which were about to be erected for the\ngreater security of the town. A Carpenter got up and advised the use\nof wood, which he said was readily procurable and easily worked. A\nStone-mason objected to wood on the ground that it was so inflammable,\nand recommended stones instead. Then a Tanner got on his legs and\nsaid, \"In my opinion there's nothing like leather.\"\n\n    Every man for himself.\n\n\n\n\nTHE MOUSE AND THE BULL\n\n\nA Bull gave chase to a Mouse which had bitten him in the nose: but the\nMouse was too quick for him and slipped into a hole in a wall. The\nBull charged furiously into the wall again and again until he was\ntired out, and sank down on the ground exhausted with his efforts.\nWhen all was quiet, the Mouse darted out and bit him again. Beside\nhimself with rage he started to his feet, but by that time the Mouse\nwas back in his hole again, and he could do nothing but bellow and\nfume in helpless anger. Presently he heard a shrill little voice say\nfrom inside the wall, \"You big fellows don't always have it your own\nway, you see: sometimes we little ones come off best.\"\n\n    The battle is not always to the strong.\n\n\n\n\nTHE HARE AND THE HOUND\n\n\nA Hound started a Hare from her form, and pursued her for some\ndistance; but as she gradually gained upon him, he gave up the chase.\nA rustic who had seen the race met the Hound as he was returning, and\ntaunted him with his defeat. \"The little one was too much for you,\"\nsaid he. \"Ah, well,\" said the Hound, \"don't forget it's one thing to\nbe running for your dinner, but quite another to be running for your\nlife.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE TOWN MOUSE AND THE COUNTRY MOUSE\n\n\nA Town Mouse and a Country Mouse were acquaintances, and the Country\nMouse one day invited his friend to come and see him at his home in\nthe fields. The Town Mouse came, and they sat down to a dinner of\nbarleycorns and roots, the latter of which had a distinctly earthy\nflavour. The fare was not much to the taste of the guest, and\npresently he broke out with \"My poor dear friend, you live here no\nbetter than the ants. Now, you should just see how I fare! My larder\nis a regular horn of plenty. You must come and stay with me, and\nI promise you you shall live on the fat of the land.\" So when he\nreturned to town he took the Country Mouse with him, and showed him\ninto a larder containing flour and oatmeal and figs and honey and\ndates. The Country Mouse had never seen anything like it, and sat down\nto enjoy the luxuries his friend provided: but before they had well\nbegun, the door of the larder opened and some one came in. The two\nMice scampered off and hid themselves in a narrow and exceedingly\nuncomfortable hole. Presently, when all was quiet, they ventured out\nagain; but some one else came in, and off they scuttled again. This\nwas too much for the visitor. \"Good-bye,\" said he, \"I'm off. You live\nin the lap of luxury, I can see, but you are surrounded by dangers;\nwhereas at home I can enjoy my simple dinner of roots and corn in\npeace.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE LION AND THE BULL\n\n\nA Lion saw a fine fat Bull pasturing among a herd of cattle and cast\nabout for some means of getting him into his clutches; so he sent him\nword that he was sacrificing a sheep, and asked if he would do him the\nhonour of dining with him. The Bull accepted the invitation, but, on\narriving at the Lion's den, he saw a great array of saucepans and\nspits, but no sign of a sheep; so he turned on his heel and walked\nquietly away. The Lion called after him in an injured tone to ask the\nreason, and the Bull turned round and said, \"I have reason enough.\nWhen I saw all your preparations it struck me at once that the victim\nwas to be a Bull and not a sheep.\"\n\n    The net is spread in vain in sight of the bird.\n\n\n\n\nTHE WOLF, THE FOX, AND THE APE\n\n\nA Wolf charged a Fox with theft, which he denied, and the case was\nbrought before an Ape to be tried. When he had heard the evidence on\nboth sides, the Ape gave judgment as follows: \"I do not think,\" he\nsaid, \"that you, O Wolf, ever lost what you claim; but all the same I\nbelieve that you, Fox, are guilty of the theft, in spite of all your\ndenials.\"\n\n    The dishonest get no credit, even if they act honestly.\n\n\n\n\nTHE EAGLE AND THE COCKS\n\n\nThere were two Cocks in the same farmyard, and they fought to decide\nwho should be master. When the fight was over, the beaten one went and\nhid himself in a dark corner; while the victor flew up on to the roof\nof the stables and crowed lustily. But an Eagle espied him from high\nup in the sky, and swooped down and carried him off. Forthwith the\nother Cock came out of his corner and ruled the roost without a rival.\n\n    Pride comes before a fall.\n\n\n\n\nTHE ESCAPED JACKDAW\n\n\nA Man caught a Jackdaw and tied a piece of string to one of its legs,\nand then gave it to his children for a pet. But the Jackdaw didn't at\nall like having to live with people; so, after a while, when he seemed\nto have become fairly tame and they didn't watch him so closely, he\nslipped away and flew back to his old haunts. Unfortunately, the\nstring was still on his leg, and before long it got entangled in the\nbranches of a tree and the Jackdaw couldn't get free, try as he would.\nHe saw it was all up with him, and cried in despair, \"Alas, in gaining\nmy freedom I have lost my life.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE FARMER AND THE FOX\n\n\nA Farmer was greatly annoyed by a Fox, which came prowling about his\nyard at night and carried off his fowls. So he set a trap for him and\ncaught him; and in order to be revenged upon him, he tied a bunch of\ntow to his tail and set fire to it and let him go. As ill-luck would\nhave it, however, the Fox made straight for the fields where the corn\nwas standing ripe and ready for cutting. It quickly caught fire and\nwas all burnt up, and the Farmer lost all his harvest.\n\n    Revenge is a two-edged sword.\n\n\n\n\nVENUS AND THE CAT\n\n\nA Cat fell in love with a handsome young man, and begged the goddess\nVenus to change her into a woman. Venus was very gracious about it,\nand changed her at once into a beautiful maiden, whom the young man\nfell in love with at first sight and shortly afterwards married. One\nday Venus thought she would like to see whether the Cat had changed\nher habits as well as her form; so she let a mouse run loose in the\nroom where they were. Forgetting everything, the young woman had no\nsooner seen the mouse than up she jumped and was after it like a shot:\nat which the goddess was so disgusted that she changed her back again\ninto a Cat.\n\n\n\n\nTHE CROW AND THE SWAN\n\n\nA Crow was filled with envy on seeing the beautiful white plumage of a\nSwan, and thought it was due to the water in which the Swan constantly\nbathed and swam. So he left the neighbourhood of the altars, where he\ngot his living by picking up bits of the meat offered in sacrifice,\nand went and lived among the pools and streams. But though he bathed\nand washed his feathers many times a day, he didn't make them any\nwhiter, and at last died of hunger into the bargain.\n\n    You may change your habits, but not your nature.\n\n\n\n\nTHE STAG WITH ONE EYE\n\n\nA Stag, blind of one eye, was grazing close to the sea-shore and kept\nhis sound eye turned towards the land, so as to be able to perceive\nthe approach of the hounds, while the blind eye he turned towards the\nsea, never suspecting that any danger would threaten him from that\nquarter. As it fell out, however, some sailors, coasting along the\nshore, spied him and shot an arrow at him, by which he was mortally\nwounded. As he lay dying, he said to himself, \"Wretch that I am! I\nbethought me of the dangers of the land, whence none assailed me: but\nI feared no peril from the sea, yet thence has come my ruin.\"\n\n    Misfortune often assails us from an unexpected quarter.\n\n\n\n\nTHE FLY AND THE DRAUGHT-MULE\n\n\nA Fly sat on one of the shafts of a cart and said to the Mule who was\npulling it, \"How slow you are! Do mend your pace, or I shall have to\nuse my sting as a goad.\" The Mule was not in the least disturbed.\n\"Behind me, in the cart,\" said he, \"sits my master. He holds the\nreins, and flicks me with his whip, and him I obey, but I don't want\nany of your impertinence. _I_ know when I may dawdle and when I may\nnot.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE COCK AND THE JEWEL\n\n\nA Cock, scratching the ground for something to eat, turned up a Jewel\nthat had by chance been dropped there. \"Ho!\" said he, \"a fine thing\nyou are, no doubt, and, had your owner found you, great would his joy\nhave been. But for me! give me a single grain of corn before all the\njewels in the world.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE WOLF AND THE SHEPHERD\n\n\nA Wolf hung about near a flock of sheep for a long time, but made no\nattempt to molest them. The Shepherd at first kept a sharp eye on him,\nfor he naturally thought he meant mischief: but as time went by and\nthe Wolf showed no inclination to meddle with the flock, he began to\nlook upon him more as a protector than as an enemy: and when one day\nsome errand took him to the city, he felt no uneasiness at leaving\nthe Wolf with the sheep. But as soon as his back was turned the\nWolf attacked them and killed the greater number. When the Shepherd\nreturned and saw the havoc he had wrought, he cried, \"It serves me\nright for trusting my flock to a Wolf.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE FARMER AND THE STORK\n\n\nA Farmer set some traps in a field which he had lately sown with corn,\nin order to catch the cranes which came to pick up the seed. When he\nreturned to look at his traps he found several cranes caught, and\namong them a Stork, which begged to be let go, and said, \"You ought\nnot to kill me: I am not a crane, but a Stork, as you can easily see\nby my feathers, and I am the most honest and harmless of birds.\" But\nthe Farmer replied, \"It's nothing to me what you are: I find you among\nthese cranes, who ruin my crops, and, like them, you shall suffer.\"\n\n    If you choose bad companions no one will believe that you are\n    anything but bad yourself.\n\n\n\n\nTHE CHARGER AND THE MILLER\n\n\nA Horse, who had been used to carry his rider into battle, felt\nhimself growing old and chose to work in a mill instead. He now no\nlonger found himself stepping out proudly to the beating of the drums,\nbut was compelled to slave away all day grinding the corn. Bewailing\nhis hard lot, he said one day to the Miller, \"Ah me! I was once a\nsplendid war-horse, gaily caparisoned, and attended by a groom\nwhose sole duty was to see to my wants. How different is my present\ncondition! I wish I had never given up the battlefield for the mill.\"\nThe Miller replied with asperity, \"It's no use your regretting the\npast. Fortune has many ups and downs: you must just take them as they\ncome.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE GRASSHOPPER AND THE OWL\n\n\nAn Owl, who lived in a hollow tree, was in the habit of feeding by\nnight and sleeping by day; but her slumbers were greatly disturbed\nby the chirping of a Grasshopper, who had taken up his abode in the\nbranches. She begged him repeatedly to have some consideration for her\ncomfort, but the Grasshopper, if anything, only chirped the louder. At\nlast the Owl could stand it no longer, but determined to rid\nherself of the pest by means of a trick. Addressing herself to the\nGrasshopper, she said in her pleasantest manner, \"As I cannot sleep\nfor your song, which, believe me, is as sweet as the notes of Apollo's\nlyre, I have a mind to taste some nectar, which Minerva gave me\nthe other day. Won't you come in and join me?\" The Grasshopper was\nflattered by the praise of his song, and his mouth, too, watered at\nthe mention of the delicious drink, so he said he would be delighted.\nNo sooner had he got inside the hollow where the Owl was sitting than\nshe pounced upon him and ate him up.\n\n\n\n\nTHE GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANTS\n\n\nOne fine day in winter some Ants were busy drying their store of corn,\nwhich had got rather damp during a long spell of rain. Presently up\ncame a Grasshopper and begged them to spare her a few grains, \"For,\"\nshe said, \"I'm simply starving.\" The Ants stopped work for a moment,\nthough this was against their principles. \"May we ask,\" said they,\n\"what you were doing with yourself all last summer? Why didn't you\ncollect a store of food for the winter?\" \"The fact is,\" replied the\nGrasshopper, \"I was so busy singing that I hadn't the time.\" \"If you\nspent the summer singing,\" replied the Ants, \"you can't do better than\nspend the winter dancing.\" And they chuckled and went on with their\nwork.\n\n\n\n\nTHE FARMER AND THE VIPER\n\n\nOne winter a Farmer found a Viper frozen and numb with cold, and out\nof pity picked it up and placed it in his bosom. The Viper was no\nsooner revived by the warmth than it turned upon its benefactor and\ninflicted a fatal bite upon him; and as the poor man lay dying, he\ncried, \"I have only got what I deserved, for taking compassion on so\nvillainous a creature.\"\n\n    Kindness is thrown away upon the evil.\n\n\n\n\nTHE TWO FROGS\n\n\nTwo Frogs were neighbours. One lived in a marsh, where there was\nplenty of water, which frogs love: the other in a lane some distance\naway, where all the water to be had was that which lay in the ruts\nafter rain. The Marsh Frog warned his friend and pressed him to come\nand live with him in the marsh, for he would find his quarters there\nfar more comfortable and--what was still more important--more safe.\nBut the other refused, saying that he could not bring himself to move\nfrom a place to which he had become accustomed. A few days afterwards\na heavy waggon came down the lane, and he was crushed to death under\nthe wheels.\n\n\n\n\nTHE COBBLER TURNED DOCTOR\n\n\nA very unskilful Cobbler, finding himself unable to make a living at\nhis trade, gave up mending boots and took to doctoring instead. He\ngave out that he had the secret of a universal antidote against all\npoisons, and acquired no small reputation, thanks to his talent for\npuffing himself. One day, however, he fell very ill; and the King of\nthe country bethought him that he would test the value of his remedy.\nCalling, therefore, for a cup, he poured out a dose of the antidote,\nand, under pretence of mixing poison with it, added a little water,\nand commanded him to drink it. Terrified by the fear of being\npoisoned, the Cobbler confessed that he knew nothing about medicine,\nand that his antidote was worthless. Then the King summoned his\nsubjects and addressed them as follows: \"What folly could be greater\nthan yours? Here is this Cobbler to whom no one will send his boots\nto be mended, and yet you have not hesitated to entrust him with your\nlives!\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE ASS, THE COCK, AND THE LION\n\n\nAn Ass and a Cock were in a cattle-pen together. Presently a Lion, who\nhad been starving for days, came along and was just about to fall\nupon the Ass and make a meal of him when the Cock, rising to his full\nheight and flapping his wings vigorously, uttered a tremendous crow.\nNow, if there is one thing that frightens a Lion, it is the crowing of\na Cock: and this one had no sooner heard the noise than he fled.\nThe Ass was mightily elated at this, and thought that, if the Lion\ncouldn't face a Cock, he would be still less likely to stand up to an\nAss: so he ran out and pursued him. But when the two had got well out\nof sight and hearing of the Cock, the Lion suddenly turned upon the\nAss and ate him up.\n\n    False confidence often leads to disaster.\n\n\n\n\nTHE BELLY AND THE MEMBERS\n\n\nThe Members of the Body once rebelled against the Belly. \"You,\" they\nsaid to the Belly, \"live in luxury and sloth, and never do a stroke of\nwork; while we not only have to do all the hard work there is to be\ndone, but are actually your slaves and have to minister to all your\nwants. Now, we will do so no longer, and you can shift for yourself\nfor the future.\" They were as good as their word, and left the Belly\nto starve. The result was just what might have been expected: the\nwhole Body soon began to fail, and the Members and all shared in the\ngeneral collapse. And then they saw too late how foolish they had\nbeen.\n\n\n\n\nTHE BALD MAN AND THE FLY\n\n\nA Fly settled on the head of a Bald Man and bit him. In his eagerness\nto kill it, he hit himself a smart slap. But the Fly escaped, and said\nto him in derision, \"You tried to kill me for just one little bite;\nwhat will you do to yourself now, for the heavy smack you have just\ngiven yourself?\" \"Oh, for that blow I bear no grudge,\" he replied,\n\"for I never intended myself any harm; but as for you, you\ncontemptible insect, who live by sucking human blood, I'd have borne a\ngood deal more than that for the satisfaction of dashing the life out\nof you!\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE ASS AND THE WOLF\n\n\nAn Ass was feeding in a meadow, and, catching sight of his enemy the\nWolf in the distance, pretended to be very lame and hobbled painfully\nalong. When the Wolf came up, he asked the Ass how he came to be so\nlame, and the Ass replied that in going through a hedge he had trodden\non a thorn, and he begged the Wolf to pull it out with his teeth, \"In\ncase,\" he said, \"when you eat me, it should stick in your throat and\nhurt you very much.\" The Wolf said he would, and told the Ass to lift\nup his foot, and gave his whole mind to getting out the thorn. But the\nAss suddenly let out with his heels and fetched the Wolf a fearful\nkick in the mouth, breaking his teeth; and then he galloped off at\nfull speed. As soon as he could speak the Wolf growled to himself,\n\"It serves me right: my father taught me to kill, and I ought to have\nstuck to that trade instead of attempting to cure.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE MONKEY AND THE CAMEL\n\n\nAt a gathering of all the beasts the Monkey gave an exhibition of\ndancing and entertained the company vastly. There was great applause\nat the finish, which excited the envy of the Camel and made him desire\nto win the favour of the assembly by the same means. So he got up from\nhis place and began dancing, but he cut such a ridiculous figure as he\nplunged about, and made such a grotesque exhibition of his ungainly\nperson, that the beasts all fell upon him with ridicule and drove him\naway.\n\n\n\n\nTHE SICK MAN AND THE DOCTOR\n\n\nA Sick Man received a visit from his Doctor, who asked him how he was.\n\"Fairly well, Doctor,\" said he, \"but I find I sweat a great deal.\"\n\"Ah,\" said the Doctor, \"that's a good sign.\" On his next visit he\nasked the same question, and his patient replied, \"I'm much as usual,\nbut I've taken to having shivering fits, which leave me cold all\nover.\" \"Ah,\" said the Doctor, \"that's a good sign too.\" When he came\nthe third time and inquired as before about his patient's health, the\nSick Man said that he felt very feverish. \"A very good sign,\" said the\nDoctor; \"you are doing very nicely indeed.\" Afterwards a friend came\nto see the invalid, and on asking him how he did, received this reply:\n\"My dear friend, I'm dying of good signs.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE TRAVELLERS AND THE PLANE-TREE\n\n\nTwo Travellers were walking along a bare and dusty road in the heat of\na summer's day. Coming presently to a Plane-tree, they joyfully turned\naside to shelter from the burning rays of the sun in the deep shade of\nits spreading branches. As they rested, looking up into the tree, one\nof them remarked to his companion, \"What a useless tree the Plane is!\nIt bears no fruit and is of no service to man at all.\" The Plane-tree\ninterrupted him with indignation. \"You ungrateful creature!\" it cried:\n\"you come and take shelter under me from the scorching sun, and then,\nin the very act of enjoying the cool shade of my foliage, you abuse me\nand call me good for nothing!\"\n\n    Many a service is met with ingratitude.\n\n\n\n\nTHE FLEA AND THE OX\n\n\nA Flea once said to an Ox, \"How comes it that a big strong fellow like\nyou is content to serve mankind, and do all their hard work for them,\nwhile I, who am no bigger than you see, live on their bodies and drink\nmy fill of their blood, and never do a stroke for it all?\" To which\nthe Ox replied, \"Men are very kind to me, and so I am grateful to\nthem: they feed and house me well, and every now and then they show\ntheir fondness for me by patting me on the head and neck.\" \"They'd pat\nme, too,\" said the Flea, \"if I let them: but I take good care they\ndon't, or there would be nothing left of me.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE BIRDS, THE BEASTS, AND THE BAT\n\n\nThe Birds were at war with the Beasts, and many battles were fought\nwith varying success on either side. The Bat did not throw in his lot\ndefinitely with either party, but when things went well for the Birds\nhe was found fighting in their ranks; when, on the other hand, the\nBeasts got the upper hand, he was to be found among the Beasts. No one\npaid any attention to him while the war lasted: but when it was over,\nand peace was restored, neither the Birds nor the Beasts would have\nanything to do with so double-faced a traitor, and so he remains to\nthis day a solitary outcast from both.\n\n\n\n\nTHE MAN AND HIS TWO SWEETHEARTS\n\n\nA Man of middle age, whose hair was turning grey, had two Sweethearts,\nan old woman and a young one. The elder of the two didn't like having\na lover who looked so much younger than herself; so, whenever he came\nto see her, she used to pull the dark hairs out of his head to make\nhim look old. The younger, on the other hand, didn't like him to look\nso much older than herself, and took every opportunity of pulling out\nthe grey hairs, to make him look young. Between them, they left not a\nhair in his head, and he became perfectly bald.\n\n\n\n\nTHE EAGLE, THE JACKDAW, AND THE SHEPHERD\n\n\nOne day a Jackdaw saw an Eagle swoop down on a lamb and carry it off\nin its talons. \"My word,\" said the Jackdaw, \"I'll do that myself.\" So\nit flew high up into the air, and then came shooting down with a\ngreat whirring of wings on to the back of a big ram. It had no sooner\nalighted than its claws got caught fast in the wool, and nothing it\ncould do was of any use: there it stuck, flapping away, and only\nmaking things worse instead of better. By and by up came the Shepherd.\n\"Oho,\" he said, \"so that's what you'd be doing, is it?\" And he\ntook the Jackdaw, and clipped its wings and carried it home to his\nchildren. It looked so odd that they didn't know what to make of it.\n\"What sort of bird is it, father?\" they asked. \"It's a Jackdaw,\" he\nreplied, \"and nothing but a Jackdaw: but it wants to be taken for an\nEagle.\"\n\n    If you attempt what is beyond your power, your trouble will be\n    wasted and you court not only misfortune but ridicule.\n\n\n\n\nTHE WOLF AND THE BOY\n\n\nA Wolf, who had just enjoyed a good meal and was in a playful mood,\ncaught sight of a Boy lying flat upon the ground, and, realising that\nhe was trying to hide, and that it was fear of himself that made him\ndo this, he went up to him and said, \"Aha, I've found you, you see;\nbut if you can say three things to me, the truth of which cannot be\ndisputed, I will spare your life.\" The Boy plucked up courage and\nthought for a moment, and then he said, \"First, it is a pity you saw\nme; secondly, I was a fool to let myself be seen; and thirdly, we all\nhate wolves because they are always making unprovoked attacks upon our\nflocks.\" The Wolf replied, \"Well, what you say is true enough from\nyour point of view; so you may go.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE MILLER, HIS SON, AND THEIR ASS\n\n\nA Miller, accompanied by his young Son, was driving his Ass to market\nin hopes of finding a purchaser for him. On the road they met a troop\nof girls, laughing and talking, who exclaimed, \"Did you ever see such\na pair of fools? To be trudging along the dusty road when they might\nbe riding!\" The Miller thought there was sense in what they said;\nso he made his Son mount the Ass, and himself walked at the side.\nPresently they met some of his old cronies, who greeted them and said,\n\"You'll spoil that Son of yours, letting him ride while you toil along\non foot! Make him walk, young lazybones! It'll do him all the good in\nthe world.\" The Miller followed their advice, and took his Son's place\non the back of the Ass while the boy trudged along behind. They had\nnot gone far when they overtook a party of women and children, and the\nMiller heard them say, \"What a selfish old man! He himself rides in\ncomfort, but lets his poor little boy follow as best he can on his own\nlegs!\" So he made his Son get up behind him. Further along the road\nthey met some travellers, who asked the Miller whether the Ass he was\nriding was his own property, or a beast hired for the occasion. He\nreplied that it was his own, and that he was taking it to market to\nsell. \"Good heavens!\" said they, \"with a load like that the poor beast\nwill be so exhausted by the time he gets there that no one will look\nat him. Why, you'd do better to carry him!\" \"Anything to please you,\"\nsaid the old man, \"we can but try.\" So they got off, tied the Ass's\nlegs together with a rope and slung him on a pole, and at last reached\nthe town, carrying him between them. This was so absurd a sight that\nthe people ran out in crowds to laugh at it, and chaffed the Father\nand Son unmercifully, some even calling them lunatics. They had then\ngot to a bridge over the river, where the Ass, frightened by the noise\nand his unusual situation, kicked and struggled till he broke the\nropes that bound him, and fell into the water and was drowned.\nWhereupon the unfortunate Miller, vexed and ashamed, made the best\nof his way home again, convinced that in trying to please all he had\npleased none, and had lost his Ass into the bargain.\n\n\n\n\nTHE STAG AND THE VINE\n\n\nA Stag, pursued by the huntsmen, concealed himself under cover of a\nthick Vine. They lost track of him and passed by his hiding-place\nwithout being aware that he was anywhere near. Supposing all danger to\nbe over, he presently began to browse on the leaves of the Vine. The\nmovement drew the attention of the returning huntsmen, and one of\nthem, supposing some animal to be hidden there, shot an arrow at a\nventure into the foliage. The unlucky Stag was pierced to the heart,\nand, as he expired, he said, \"I deserve my fate for my treachery in\nfeeding upon the leaves of my protector.\"\n\n    Ingratitude sometimes brings its own punishment.\n\n\n\n\nTHE LAMB CHASED BY A WOLF\n\n\nA Wolf was chasing a Lamb, which took refuge in a temple. The Wolf\nurged it to come out of the precincts, and said, \"If you don't, the\npriest is sure to catch you and offer you up in sacrifice on the\naltar.\" To which the Lamb replied, \"Thanks, I think I'll stay where I\nam: I'd rather be sacrificed any day than be eaten up by a Wolf.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE ARCHER AND THE LION\n\n\nAn Archer went up into the hills to get some sport with his bow, and\nall the animals fled at the sight of him with the exception of the\nLion, who stayed behind and challenged him to fight. But he shot an\narrow at the Lion and hit him, and said, \"There, you see what my\nmessenger can do: just you wait a moment and I'll tackle you myself.\"\nThe Lion, however, when he felt the sting of the arrow, ran away as\nfast as his legs could carry him. A fox, who had seen it all happen,\nsaid to the Lion, \"Come, don't be a coward: why don't you stay and\nshow fight?\" But the Lion replied, \"You won't get me to stay, not you:\nwhy, when he sends a messenger like that before him, he must himself\nbe a terrible fellow to deal with.\"\n\n    Give a wide berth to those who can do damage at a distance.\n\n\n\n\nTHE WOLF AND THE GOAT\n\n\nA Wolf caught sight of a Goat browsing above him on the scanty herbage\nthat grew on the top of a steep rock; and being unable to get at her,\ntried to induce her to come lower down. \"You are risking your life up\nthere, madam, indeed you are,\" he called out: \"pray take my advice and\ncome down here, where you will find plenty of better food.\" The Goat\nturned a knowing eye upon him. \"It's little you care whether I get\ngood grass or bad,\" said she: \"what you want is to eat me.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE SICK STAG\n\n\nA Stag fell sick and lay in a clearing in the forest, too weak to move\nfrom the spot. When the news of his illness spread, a number of the\nother beasts came to inquire after his health, and they one and all\nnibbled a little of the grass that grew round the invalid till at last\nthere was not a blade within his reach. In a few days he began to\nmend, but was still too feeble to get up and go in search of fodder;\nand thus he perished miserably of hunger owing to the thoughtlessness\nof his friends.\n\n\n\n\nTHE ASS AND THE MULE\n\n\nA certain man who had an Ass and a Mule loaded them both up one day\nand set out upon a journey. So long as the road was fairly level, the\nAss got on very well: but by and by they came to a place among the\nhills where the road was very rough and steep, and the Ass was at his\nlast gasp. So he begged the Mule to relieve him of a part of his load:\nbut the Mule refused. At last, from sheer weariness, the Ass stumbled\nand fell down a steep place and was killed. The driver was in despair,\nbut he did the best he could: he added the Ass's load to the Mule's,\nand he also flayed the Ass and put his skin on the top of the double\nload. The Mule could only just manage the extra weight, and, as he\nstaggered painfully along, he said to himself, \"I have only got what I\ndeserved: if I had been willing to help the Ass at first, I should not\nnow be carrying his load and his skin into the bargain.\"\n\n\n\n\nBROTHER AND SISTER\n\n\nA certain man had two children, a boy and a girl: and the boy was as\ngood-looking as the girl was plain. One day, as they were playing\ntogether in their mother's chamber, they chanced upon a mirror and saw\ntheir own features for the first time. The boy saw what a handsome\nfellow he was, and began to boast to his Sister about his good looks:\nshe, on her part, was ready to cry with vexation when she was aware of\nher plainness, and took his remarks as an insult to herself. Running\nto her father, she told him of her Brother's conceit, and accused him\nof meddling with his mother's things. He laughed and kissed them both,\nand said, \"My children, learn from now onwards to make a good use of\nthe glass. You, my boy, strive to be as good as it shows you to be\nhandsome; and you, my girl, resolve to make up for the plainness of\nyour features by the sweetness of your disposition.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE HEIFER AND THE OX\n\n\nA Heifer went up to an Ox, who was straining hard at the plough,\nand sympathised with him in a rather patronising sort of way on the\nnecessity of his having to work so hard. Not long afterwards there was\na festival in the village and every one kept holiday: but, whereas the\nOx was turned loose into the pasture, the Heifer was seized and led\noff to sacrifice. \"Ah,\" said the Ox, with a grim smile, \"I see now why\nyou were allowed to have such an idle time: it was because you were\nalways intended for the altar.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE KINGDOM OF THE LION\n\n\nWhen the Lion reigned over the beasts of the earth he was never cruel\nor tyrannical, but as gentle and just as a King ought to be. During\nhis reign he called a general assembly of the beasts, and drew up a\ncode of laws under which all were to live in perfect equality and\nharmony: the wolf and the lamb, the tiger and the stag, the leopard\nand the kid, the dog and the hare, all should dwell side by side in\nunbroken peace and friendship. The hare said, \"Oh! how I have longed\nfor this day when the weak take their place without fear by the side\nof the strong!\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE ASS AND HIS DRIVER\n\n\nAn Ass was being driven down a mountain road, and after jogging along\nfor a while sensibly enough he suddenly quitted the track and rushed\nto the edge of a precipice. He was just about to leap over the edge\nwhen his Driver caught hold of his tail and did his best to pull him\nback: but pull as he might he couldn't get the Ass to budge from the\nbrink. At last he gave up, crying, \"All right, then, get to the bottom\nyour own way; but it's the way to sudden death, as you'll find out\nquick enough.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE LION AND THE HARE\n\n\nA Lion found a Hare sleeping in her form, and was just going to devour\nher when he caught sight of a passing stag. Dropping the Hare, he at\nonce made for the bigger game; but finding, after a long chase, that\nhe could not overtake the stag, he abandoned the attempt and came back\nfor the Hare. When he reached the spot, however, he found she was\nnowhere to be seen, and he had to go without his dinner. \"It serves\nme right,\" he said; \"I should have been content with what I had got,\ninstead of hankering after a better prize.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE WOLVES AND THE DOGS\n\n\nOnce upon a time the Wolves said to the Dogs, \"Why should we continue\nto be enemies any longer? You are very like us in most ways: the main\ndifference between us is one of training only. We live a life of\nfreedom; but you are enslaved to mankind, who beat you, and put heavy\ncollars round your necks, and compel you to keep watch over their\nflocks and herds for them, and, to crown all, they give you nothing\nbut bones to eat. Don't put up with it any longer, but hand over the\nflocks to us, and we will all live on the fat of the land and feast\ntogether.\" The Dogs allowed themselves to be persuaded by these words,\nand accompanied the Wolves into their den. But no sooner were they\nwell inside than the Wolves set upon them and tore them to pieces.\n\n    Traitors richly deserve their fate.\n\n\n\n\nTHE BULL AND THE CALF\n\n\nA full-grown Bull was struggling to force his huge bulk through the\nnarrow entrance to a cow-house where his stall was, when a young Calf\ncame up and said to him, \"If you'll step aside a moment, I'll show you\nthe way to get through.\" The Bull turned upon him an amused look. \"I\nknew that way,\" said he, \"before you were born.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE TREES AND THE AXE\n\n\nA Woodman went into the forest and begged of the Trees the favour of a\nhandle for his Axe. The principal Trees at once agreed to so modest a\nrequest, and unhesitatingly gave him a young ash sapling, out of which\nhe fashioned the handle he desired. No sooner had he done so than he\nset to work to fell the noblest Trees in the wood. When they saw the\nuse to which he was putting their gift, they cried, \"Alas! alas! We\nare undone, but we are ourselves to blame. The little we gave has\ncost us all: had we not sacrificed the rights of the ash, we might\nourselves have stood for ages.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE ASTRONOMER\n\n\nThere was once an Astronomer whose habit it was to go out at night and\nobserve the stars. One night, as he was walking about outside the town\ngates, gazing up absorbed into the sky and not looking where he was\ngoing, he fell into a dry well. As he lay there groaning, some one\npassing by heard him, and, coming to the edge of the well, looked down\nand, on learning what had happened, said, \"If you really mean to say\nthat you were looking so hard at the sky that you didn't even see\nwhere your feet were carrying you along the ground, it appears to me\nthat you deserve all you've got.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE LABOURER AND THE SNAKE\n\n\nA Labourer's little son was bitten by a Snake and died of the wound.\nThe father was beside himself with grief, and in his anger against\nthe Snake he caught up an axe and went and stood close to the Snake's\nhole, and watched for a chance of killing it. Presently the Snake came\nout, and the man aimed a blow at it, but only succeeded in cutting off\nthe tip of its tail before it wriggled in again. He then tried to get\nit to come out a second time, pretending that he wished to make up the\nquarrel. But the Snake said, \"I can never be your friend because of my\nlost tail, nor you mine because of your lost child.\"\n\n    Injuries are never forgotten in the presence of those who caused\n    them.\n\n\n\n\nTHE CAGE-BIRD AND THE BAT\n\n\nA Singing-bird was confined in a cage which hung outside a window, and\nhad a way of singing at night when all other birds were asleep. One\nnight a Bat came and clung to the bars of the cage, and asked the Bird\nwhy she was silent by day and sang only at night. \"I have a very good\nreason for doing so,\" said the Bird: \"it was once when I was singing\nin the daytime that a fowler was attracted by my voice, and set his\nnets for me and caught me. Since then I have never sung except by\nnight.\" But the Bat replied, \"It is no use your doing that now when\nyou are a prisoner: if only you had done so before you were caught,\nyou might still have been free.\"\n\n    Precautions are useless after the event.\n\n\n\n\nTHE ASS AND HIS PURCHASER\n\n\nA Man who wanted to buy an Ass went to market, and, coming across\na likely-looking beast, arranged with the owner that he should be\nallowed to take him home on trial to see what he was like. When he\nreached home, he put him into his stable along with the other asses.\nThe newcomer took a look round, and immediately went and chose a place\nnext to the laziest and greediest beast in the stable. When the master\nsaw this he put a halter on him at once, and led him off and handed\nhim over to his owner again. The latter was a good deal surprised to\nsee him back so soon, and said, \"Why, do you mean to say you have\ntested him already?\" \"I don't want to put him through any more tests,\"\nreplied the other: \"I could see what sort of beast he is from the\ncompanion he chose for himself.\"\n\n    A man is known by the company he keeps.\n\n\n\n\nTHE KID AND THE WOLF\n\n\nA Kid strayed from the flock and was chased by a Wolf. When he saw he\nmust be caught he turned round and said to the Wolf, \"I know, sir,\nthat I can't escape being eaten by you: and so, as my life is bound to\nbe short, I pray you let it be as merry as may be. Will you not play\nme a tune to dance to before I die?\" The Wolf saw no objection to\nhaving some music before his dinner: so he took out his pipe and began\nto play, while the Kid danced before him. Before many minutes were\npassed the gods who guarded the flock heard the sound and came up to\nsee what was going on. They no sooner clapped eyes on the Wolf than\nthey gave chase and drove him away. As he ran off, he turned and\nsaid to the Kid, \"It's what I thoroughly deserve: my trade is the\nbutcher's, and I had no business to turn piper to please you.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE DEBTOR AND HIS SOW\n\n\nA Man of Athens fell into debt and was pressed for the money by his\ncreditor; but he had no means of paying at the time, so he begged for\ndelay. But the creditor refused and said he must pay at once. Then the\nDebtor fetched a Sow--the only one he had--and took her to market\nto offer her for sale. It happened that his creditor was there too.\nPresently a buyer came along and asked if the Sow produced good\nlitters. \"Yes,\" said the Debtor, \"very fine ones; and the remarkable\nthing is that she produces females at the Mysteries and males at the\nPanathenea.\" (Festivals these were: and the Athenians always sacrifice\na sow at one, and a boar at the other; while at the Dionysia they\nsacrifice a kid.) At that the creditor, who was standing by, put in,\n\"Don't be surprised, sir; why, still better, at the Dionysia this Sow\nhas kids!\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE BALD HUNTSMAN\n\n\nA Man who had lost all his hair took to wearing a wig, and one day\nhe went out hunting. It was blowing rather hard at the time, and he\nhadn't gone far before a gust of wind caught his hat and carried it\noff, and his wig too, much to the amusement of the hunt. But he quite\nentered into the joke, and said, \"Ah, well! the hair that wig is made\nof didn't stick to the head on which it grew; so it's no wonder it\nwon't stick to mine.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE HERDSMAN AND THE LOST BULL\n\n\nA Herdsman was tending his cattle when he missed a young Bull, one of\nthe finest of the herd. He went at once to look for him, but, meeting\nwith no success in his search, he made a vow that, if he should\ndiscover the thief, he would sacrifice a calf to Jupiter. Continuing\nhis search, he entered a thicket, where he presently espied a lion\ndevouring the lost Bull. Terrified with fear, he raised his hands to\nheaven and cried, \"Great Jupiter, I vowed I would sacrifice a calf\nto thee if I should discover the thief: but now a full-grown Bull\nI promise thee if only I myself escape unhurt from his clutches.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE MULE\n\n\nOne morning a Mule, who had too much to eat and too little to do,\nbegan to think himself a very fine fellow indeed, and frisked about\nsaying, \"My father was undoubtedly a high-spirited horse and I take\nafter him entirely.\" But very soon afterwards he was put into the\nharness and compelled to go a very long way with a heavy load behind\nhim. At the end of the day, exhausted by his unusual exertions, he\nsaid dejectedly to himself, \"I must have been mistaken about my\nfather; he can only have been an ass after all.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE HOUND AND THE FOX\n\n\nA Hound, roaming in the forest, spied a lion, and being well used\nto lesser game, gave chase, thinking he would make a fine quarry.\nPresently the lion perceived that he was being pursued; so, stopping\nshort, he rounded on his pursuer and gave a loud roar. The Hound\nimmediately turned tail and fled. A Fox, seeing him running away,\njeered at him and said, \"Ho! ho! There goes the coward who chased a\nlion and ran away the moment he roared!\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE FATHER AND HIS DAUGHTERS\n\n\nA Man had two Daughters, one of whom he gave in marriage to a\ngardener, and the other to a potter. After a time he thought he\nwould go and see how they were getting on; and first he went to the\ngardener's wife. He asked her how she was, and how things were going\nwith herself and her husband. She replied that on the whole they were\ndoing very well: \"But,\" she continued, \"I do wish we could have some\ngood heavy rain: the garden wants it badly.\" Then he went on to the\npotter's wife and made the same inquiries of her. She replied that she\nand her husband had nothing to complain of: \"But,\" she went on, \"I do\nwish we could have some nice dry weather, to dry the pottery.\" Her\nFather looked at her with a humorous expression on his face. \"You want\ndry weather,\" he said, \"and your sister wants rain. I was going to ask\nin my prayers that your wishes should be granted; but now it strikes\nme I had better not refer to the subject.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE THIEF AND THE INNKEEPER\n\n\nA Thief hired a room at an inn, and stayed there some days on the\nlook-out for something to steal. No opportunity, however, presented\nitself, till one day, when there was a festival to be celebrated, the\nInnkeeper appeared in a fine new coat and sat down before the door of\nthe inn for an airing. The Thief no sooner set eyes upon the coat than\nhe longed to get possession of it. There was no business doing, so he\nwent and took a seat by the side of the Innkeeper, and began talking\nto him. They conversed together for some time, and then the Thief\nsuddenly yawned and howled like a wolf. The Innkeeper asked him in\nsome concern what ailed him. The Thief replied, \"I will tell you about\nmyself, sir, but first I must beg you to take charge of my clothes\nfor me, for I intend to leave them with you. Why I have these fits\nof yawning I cannot tell: maybe they are sent as a punishment for my\nmisdeeds; but, whatever the reason, the facts are that when I have\nyawned three times I become a ravening wolf and fly at men's throats.\"\nAs he finished speaking he yawned a second time and howled again as\nbefore. The Innkeeper, believing every word he said, and terrified\nat the prospect of being confronted with a wolf, got up hastily and\nstarted to run indoors; but the Thief caught him by the coat and tried\nto stop him, crying, \"Stay, sir, stay, and take charge of my clothes,\nor else I shall never see them again.\" As he spoke he opened his mouth\nand began to yawn for the third time. The Innkeeper, mad with the fear\nof being eaten by a wolf, slipped out of his coat, which remained in\nthe other's hands, and bolted into the inn and locked the door behind\nhim; and the Thief then quietly stole off with his spoil.\n\n\n\n\nTHE PACK-ASS AND THE WILD ASS\n\n\nA Wild Ass, who was wandering idly about, one day came upon a Pack-Ass\nlying at full length in a sunny spot and thoroughly enjoying himself.\nGoing up to him, he said, \"What a lucky beast you are! Your sleek coat\nshows how well you live: how I envy you!\" Not long after the Wild Ass\nsaw his acquaintance again, but this time he was carrying a heavy\nload, and his driver was following behind and beating him with a thick\nstick. \"Ah, my friend,\" said the Wild Ass, \"I don't envy you any more:\nfor I see you pay dear for your comforts.\"\n\n    Advantages that are dearly bought are doubtful blessings.\n\n\n\n\nTHE ASS AND HIS MASTERS\n\n\nA Gardener had an Ass which had a very hard time of it, what with\nscanty food, heavy loads, and constant beating. The Ass therefore\nbegged Jupiter to take him away from the Gardener and hand him over\nto another master. So Jupiter sent Mercury to the Gardener to bid\nhim sell the Ass to a Potter, which he did. But the Ass was as\ndiscontented as ever, for he had to work harder than before: so he\nbegged Jupiter for relief a second time, and Jupiter very obligingly\narranged that he should be sold to a Tanner. But when the Ass saw what\nhis new master's trade was, he cried in despair, \"Why wasn't I content\nto serve either of my former masters, hard as I had to work and badly\nas I was treated? for they would have buried me decently, but now I\nshall come in the end to the tanning-vat.\"\n\n    Servants don't know a good master till they have served a worse.\n\n\n\n\nTHE PACK-ASS, THE WILD ASS, AND THE LION\n\n\nA Wild Ass saw a Pack-Ass jogging along under a heavy load, and\ntaunted him with the condition of slavery in which he lived, in these\nwords: \"What a vile lot is yours compared with mine! I am free as the\nair, and never do a stroke of work; and, as for fodder, I have only to\ngo to the hills and there I find far more than enough for my needs.\nBut you! you depend on your master for food, and he makes you carry\nheavy loads every day and beats you unmercifully.\" At that moment a\nLion appeared on the scene, and made no attempt to molest the Pack-Ass\nowing to the presence of the driver; but he fell upon the Wild Ass,\nwho had no one to protect him, and without more ado made a meal of\nhim.\n\n    It is no use being your own master unless you can stand up for\n    yourself.\n\n\n\n\nTHE ANT\n\n\nAnts were once men and made their living by tilling the soil. But, not\ncontent with the results of their own work, they were always casting\nlonging eyes upon the crops and fruits of their neighbours, which they\nstole, whenever they got the chance, and added to their own store. At\nlast their covetousness made Jupiter so angry that he changed them\ninto Ants. But, though their forms were changed, their nature remained\nthe same: and so, to this day, they go about among the cornfields and\ngather the fruits of others' labour, and store them up for their own\nuse.\n\n    You may punish a thief, but his bent remains.\n\n\n\n\nTHE FROGS AND THE WELL\n\n\nTwo Frogs lived together in a marsh. But one hot summer the marsh\ndried up, and they left it to look for another place to live in: for\nfrogs like damp places if they can get them. By and by they came to a\ndeep well, and one of them looked down into it, and said to the other,\n\"This looks a nice cool place: let us jump in and settle here.\" But\nthe other, who had a wiser head on his shoulders, replied, \"Not so\nfast, my friend: supposing this well dried up like the marsh, how\nshould we get out again?\"\n\n    Think twice before you act.\n\n\n\n\nTHE CRAB AND THE FOX\n\n\nA Crab once left the sea-shore and went and settled in a meadow some\nway inland, which looked very nice and green and seemed likely to be a\ngood place to feed in. But a hungry Fox came along and spied the Crab\nand caught him. Just as he was going to be eaten up, the Crab said,\n\"This is just what I deserve; for I had no business to leave my\nnatural home by the sea and settle here as though I belonged to the\nland.\"\n\n    Be content with your lot.\n\n\n\n\nTHE FOX AND THE GRASSHOPPER\n\n\nA Grasshopper sat chirping in the branches of a tree. A Fox heard her,\nand, thinking what a dainty morsel she would make, he tried to get her\ndown by a trick. Standing below in full view of her, he praised her\nsong in the most flattering terms, and begged her to descend, saying\nhe would like to make the acquaintance of the owner of so beautiful a\nvoice. But she was not to be taken in, and replied, \"You are very much\nmistaken, my dear sir, if you imagine I am going to come down: I keep\nwell out of the way of you and your kind ever since the day when I saw\nnumbers of grasshoppers' wings strewn about the entrance to a fox's\nearth.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE FARMER, HIS BOY, AND THE ROOKS\n\n\nA Farmer had just sown a field of wheat, and was keeping a careful\nwatch over it, for numbers of Rooks and starlings kept continually\nsettling on it and eating up the grain. Along with him went his Boy,\ncarrying a sling: and whenever the Farmer asked for the sling the\nstarlings understood what he said and warned the Rooks and they were\noff in a moment. So the Farmer hit on a trick. \"My lad,\" said he, \"we\nmust get the better of these birds somehow. After this, when I want\nthe sling, I won't say 'sling,' but just 'humph!' and you must then\nhand me the sling quickly.\" Presently back came the whole flock.\n\"Humph!\" said the Farmer; but the starlings took no notice, and he\nhad time to sling several stones among them, hitting one on the head,\nanother in the legs, and another in the wing, before they got out of\nrange. As they made all haste away they met some cranes, who asked\nthem what the matter was. \"Matter?\" said one of the Rooks; \"it's those\nrascals, men, that are the matter. Don't you go near them. They have\na way of saying one thing and meaning another which has just been the\ndeath of several of our poor friends.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE ASS AND THE DOG\n\n\nAn Ass and a Dog were on their travels together, and, as they went\nalong, they found a sealed packet lying on the ground. The Ass picked\nit up, broke the seal, and found it contained some writing, which he\nproceeded to read out aloud to the Dog. As he read on it turned out\nto be all about grass and barley and hay--in short, all the kinds of\nfodder that Asses are fond of. The Dog was a good deal bored with\nlistening to all this, till at last his impatience got the better of\nhim, and he cried, \"Just skip a few pages, friend, and see if there\nisn't something about meat and bones.\" The Ass glanced all through the\npacket, but found nothing of the sort, and said so. Then the Dog said\nin disgust, \"Oh, throw it away, do: what's the good of a thing like\nthat?\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE ASS CARRYING THE IMAGE\n\n\nA certain man put an Image on the back of his Ass to take it to one of\nthe temples of the town. As they went along the road all the people\nthey met uncovered and bowed their heads out of reverence for the\nImage; but the Ass thought they were doing it out of respect for\nhimself, and began to give himself airs accordingly. At last he became\nso conceited that he imagined he could do as he liked, and, by way of\nprotest against the load he was carrying, he came to a full stop and\nflatly declined to proceed any further. His driver, finding him so\nobstinate, hit him hard and long with his stick, saying the while,\n\"Oh, you dunder-headed idiot, do you suppose it's come to this, that\nmen pay worship to an Ass?\"\n\n    Rude shocks await those who take to themselves the credit that is\n    due to others.\n\n\n\n\nTHE ATHENIAN AND THE THEBAN\n\n\nAn Athenian and a Theban were on the road together, and passed the\ntime in conversation, as is the way of travellers. After discussing\na variety of subjects they began to talk about heroes, a topic that\ntends to be more fertile than edifying. Each of them was lavish in his\npraises of the heroes of his own city, until eventually the Theban\nasserted that Hercules was the greatest hero who had ever lived on\nearth, and now occupied a foremost place among the gods; while the\nAthenian insisted that Theseus was far superior, for his fortune had\nbeen in every way supremely blessed, whereas Hercules had at one time\nbeen forced to act as a servant. And he gained his point, for he was a\nvery glib fellow, like all Athenians; so that the Theban, who was no\nmatch for him in talking, cried at last in some disgust, \"All right,\nhave your way; I only hope that, when our heroes are angry with us,\nAthens may suffer from the anger of Hercules, and Thebes only from\nthat of Theseus.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE GOATHERD AND THE GOAT\n\n\nA Goatherd was one day gathering his flock to return to the fold, when\none of his goats strayed and refused to join the rest. He tried for a\nlong time to get her to return by calling and whistling to her, but\nthe Goat took no notice of him at all; so at last he threw a stone at\nher and broke one of her horns. In dismay, he begged her not to tell\nhis master: but she replied, \"You silly fellow, my horn would cry\naloud even if I held my tongue.\"\n\n    It's no use trying to hide what can't be hidden.\n\n\n\n\nTHE SHEEP AND THE DOG\n\n\nOnce upon a time the Sheep complained to the shepherd about the\ndifference in his treatment of themselves and his Dog. \"Your conduct,\"\nsaid they, \"is very strange and, we think, very unfair. We provide you\nwith wool and lambs and milk and you give us nothing but grass, and\neven that we have to find for ourselves: but you get nothing at all\nfrom the Dog, and yet you feed him with tit-bits from your own table.\"\nTheir remarks were overheard by the Dog, who spoke up at once and\nsaid, \"Yes, and quite right, too: where would you be if it wasn't for\nme? Thieves would steal you! Wolves would eat you! Indeed, if I didn't\nkeep constant watch over you, you would be too terrified even to\ngraze!\" The Sheep were obliged to acknowledge that he spoke the truth,\nand never again made a grievance of the regard in which he was held by\nhis master.\n\n\n\n\nTHE SHEPHERD AND THE WOLF\n\n\nA Shepherd found a Wolf's Cub straying in the pastures, and took him\nhome and reared him along with his dogs. When the Cub grew to his full\nsize, if ever a wolf stole a sheep from the flock, he used to join the\ndogs in hunting him down. It sometimes happened that the dogs failed\nto come up with the thief, and, abandoning the pursuit, returned home.\nThe Wolf would on such occasions continue the chase by himself, and\nwhen he overtook the culprit, would stop and share the feast with him,\nand then return to the Shepherd. But if some time passed without a\nsheep being carried off by the wolves, he would steal one himself\nand share his plunder with the dogs. The Shepherd's suspicions were\naroused, and one day he caught him in the act; and, fastening a rope\nround his neck, hung him on the nearest tree.\n\n    What's bred in the bone is sure to come out in the flesh.\n\n\n\n\nTHE LION, JUPITER, AND THE ELEPHANT\n\n\nThe Lion, for all his size and strength, and his sharp teeth and\nclaws, is a coward in one thing: he can't bear the sound of a cock\ncrowing, and runs away whenever he hears it. He complained bitterly\nto Jupiter for making him like that; but Jupiter said it wasn't his\nfault: he had done the best he could for him, and, considering this\nwas his only failing, he ought to be well content. The Lion, however,\nwouldn't be comforted, and was so ashamed of his timidity that he\nwished he might die. In this state of mind, he met the Elephant and\nhad a talk with him. He noticed that the great beast cocked up his\nears all the time, as if he were listening for something, and he asked\nhim why he did so. Just then a gnat came humming by, and the Elephant\nsaid, \"Do you see that wretched little buzzing insect? I'm terribly\nafraid of its getting into my ear: if it once gets in, I'm dead and\ndone for.\" The Lion's spirits rose at once when he heard this: \"For,\"\nhe said to himself, \"if the Elephant, huge as he is, is afraid of a\ngnat, I needn't be so much ashamed of being afraid of a cock, who is\nten thousand times bigger than a gnat.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE PIG AND THE SHEEP\n\n\nA Pig found his way into a meadow where a flock of Sheep were grazing.\nThe shepherd caught him, and was proceeding to carry him off to the\nbutcher's when he set up a loud squealing and struggled to get free.\nThe Sheep rebuked him for making such a to-do, and said to him, \"The\nshepherd catches us regularly and drags us off just like that, and we\ndon't make any fuss.\" \"No, I dare say not,\" replied the Pig, \"but my\ncase and yours are altogether different: he only wants you for wool,\nbut he wants me for bacon.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE GARDENER AND HIS DOG\n\n\nA Gardner's Dog fell into a deep well, from which his master used to\ndraw water for the plants in his garden with a rope and a bucket.\nFailing to get the Dog out by means of these, the Gardener went down\ninto the well himself in order to fetch him up. But the Dog thought he\nhad come to make sure of drowning him; so he bit his master as soon as\nhe came within reach, and hurt him a good deal, with the result that\nhe left the Dog to his fate and climbed out of the well, remarking,\n\"It serves me quite right for trying to save so determined a suicide.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE RIVERS AND THE SEA\n\n\nOnce upon a time all the Rivers combined to protest against the action\nof the Sea in making their waters salt. \"When we come to you,\" said\nthey to the Sea, \"we are sweet and drinkable: but when once we have\nmingled with you, our waters become as briny and unpalatable as your\nown.\" The Sea replied shortly, \"Keep away from me and you'll remain\nsweet.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE LION IN LOVE\n\n\nA Lion fell deeply in love with the daughter of a cottager and wanted\nto marry her; but her father was unwilling to give her to so fearsome\na husband, and yet didn't want to offend the Lion; so he hit upon the\nfollowing expedient. He went to the Lion and said, \"I think you will\nmake a very good husband for my daughter: but I cannot consent to your\nunion unless you let me draw your teeth and pare your nails, for my\ndaughter is terribly afraid of them.\" The Lion was so much in love\nthat he readily agreed that this should be done. When once, however,\nhe was thus disarmed, the Cottager was afraid of him no longer, but\ndrove him away with his club.\n\n\n\n\nTHE BEE-KEEPER\n\n\nA Thief found his way into an apiary when the Bee-keeper was away,\nand stole all the honey. When the Keeper returned and found the hives\nempty, he was very much upset and stood staring at them for some time.\nBefore long the bees came back from gathering honey, and, finding\ntheir hives overturned and the Keeper standing by, they made for him\nwith their stings. At this he fell into a passion and cried, \"You\nungrateful scoundrels, you let the thief who stole my honey get off\nscot-free, and then you go and sting me who have always taken such\ncare of you!\"\n\n    When you hit back make sure you have got the right man.\n\n\n\n\nTHE WOLF AND THE HORSE\n\n\nA Wolf on his rambles came to a field of oats, but, not being able to\neat them, he was passing on his way when a Horse came along. \"Look,\"\nsaid the Wolf, \"here's a fine field of oats. For your sake I have\nleft it untouched, and I shall greatly enjoy the sound of your teeth\nmunching the ripe grain.\" But the Horse replied, \"If wolves could eat\noats, my fine friend, you would hardly have indulged your ears at the\ncost of your belly.\"\n\n    There is no virtue in giving to others what is useless to oneself.\n\n\n\n\nTHE BAT, THE BRAMBLE, AND THE SEAGULL\n\n\nA Bat, a Bramble, and a Seagull went into partnership and determined\nto go on a trading voyage together. The Bat borrowed a sum of money\nfor his venture; the Bramble laid in a stock of clothes of various\nkinds; and the Seagull took a quantity of lead: and so they set out.\nBy and by a great storm came on, and their boat with all the cargo\nwent to the bottom, but the three travellers managed to reach land.\nEver since then the Seagull flies to and fro over the sea, and every\nnow and then dives below the surface, looking for the lead he's lost;\nwhile the Bat is so afraid of meeting his creditors that he hides away\nby day and only comes out at night to feed; and the Bramble catches\nhold of the clothes of every one who passes by, hoping some day to\nrecognise and recover the lost garments.\n\n    All men are more concerned to recover what they lose than to\n    acquire what they lack.\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOG AND THE WOLF\n\n\nA Dog was lying in the sun before a farmyard gate when a Wolf pounced\nupon him and was just going to eat him up; but he begged for his life\nand said, \"You see how thin I am and what a wretched meal I should\nmake you now: but if you will only wait a few days my master is going\nto give a feast. All the rich scraps and pickings will fall to me and\nI shall get nice and fat: then will be the time for you to eat me.\"\nThe Wolf thought this was a very good plan and went away. Some time\nafterwards he came to the farmyard again, and found the Dog lying out\nof reach on the stable roof. \"Come down,\" he called, \"and be eaten:\nyou remember our agreement?\" But the Dog said coolly, \"My friend, if\never you catch me lying down by the gate there again, don't you wait\nfor any feast.\"\n\n    Once bitten, twice shy.\n\n\n\n\nTHE WASP AND THE SNAKE\n\n\nA Wasp settled on the head of a Snake, and not only stung him several\ntimes, but clung obstinately to the head of his victim. Maddened with\npain the Snake tried every means he could think of to get rid of\nthe creature, but without success. At last he became desperate, and\ncrying, \"Kill you I will, even at the cost of my own life,\" he laid\nhis head with the Wasp on it under the wheel of a passing waggon, and\nthey both perished together.\n\n\n\n\nTHE EAGLE AND THE BEETLE\n\n\nAn Eagle was chasing a hare, which was running for dear life and was\nat her wits' end to know where to turn for help. Presently she espied\na Beetle, and begged it to aid her. So when the Eagle came up\nthe Beetle warned her not to touch the hare, which was under its\nprotection. But the Eagle never noticed the Beetle because it was so\nsmall, seized the hare and ate her up. The Beetle never forgot this,\nand used to keep an eye on the Eagle's nest, and whenever the Eagle\nlaid an egg it climbed up and rolled it out of the nest and broke it.\nAt last the Eagle got so worried over the loss of her eggs that she\nwent up to Jupiter, who is the special protector of Eagles, and begged\nhim to give her a safe place to nest in: so he let her lay her eggs in\nhis lap. But the Beetle noticed this and made a ball of dirt the size\nof an Eagle's egg, and flew up and deposited it in Jupiter's lap. When\nJupiter saw the dirt, he stood up to shake it out of his robe, and,\nforgetting about the eggs, he shook them out too, and they were broken\njust as before. Ever since then, they say, Eagles never lay their eggs\nat the season when Beetles are about.\n\n    The weak will sometimes find ways to avenge an insult, even upon\n    the strong.\n\n\n\n\nTHE FOWLER AND THE LARK\n\n\nA Fowler was setting his nets for little birds when a Lark came up\nto him and asked him what he was doing. \"I am engaged in founding a\ncity,\" said he, and with that he withdrew to a short distance and\nconcealed himself. The Lark examined the nets with great curiosity,\nand presently, catching sight of the bait, hopped on to them in order\nto secure it, and became entangled in the meshes. The Fowler then ran\nup quickly and captured her. \"What a fool I was!\" said she: \"but at\nany rate, if that's the kind of city you are founding, it'll be a long\ntime before you find fools enough to fill it.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE FISHERMAN PIPING\n\n\nA Fisherman who could play the flute went down one day to the\nsea-shore with his nets and his flute; and, taking his stand on a\nprojecting rock, began to play a tune, thinking that the music would\nbring the fish jumping out of the sea. He went on playing for some\ntime, but not a fish appeared: so at last he threw down his flute and\ncast his net into the sea, and made a great haul of fish. When they\nwere landed and he saw them leaping about on the shore, he cried, \"You\nrascals! you wouldn't dance when I piped: but now I've stopped, you\ncan do nothing else!\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE WEASEL AND THE MAN\n\n\nA Man once caught a Weasel, which was always sneaking about the house,\nand was just going to drown it in a tub of water, when it begged hard\nfor its life, and said to him, \"Surely you haven't the heart to put me\nto death? Think how useful I have been in clearing your house of the\nmice and lizards which used to infest it, and show your gratitude by\nsparing my life.\" \"You have not been altogether useless, I grant you,\"\nsaid the Man: \"but who killed the fowls? Who stole the meat? No, no!\nYou do much more harm than good, and die you shall.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE PLOUGHMAN, THE ASS, AND THE OX\n\n\nA Ploughman yoked his Ox and his Ass together, and set to work to\nplough his field. It was a poor makeshift of a team, but it was the\nbest he could do, as he had but a single Ox. At the end of the day,\nwhen the beasts were loosed from the yoke, the Ass said to the Ox,\n\"Well, we've had a hard day: which of us is to carry the master home?\"\nThe Ox looked surprised at the question. \"Why,\" said he, \"you, to be\nsure, as usual.\"\n\n\n\n\nDEMADES AND HIS FABLE\n\n\nDemades the orator was once speaking in the Assembly at Athens; but\nthe people were very inattentive to what he was saying, so he stopped\nand said, \"Gentlemen, I should like to tell you one of \u00c6sop's fables.\"\nThis made every one listen intently. Then Demades began: \"Demeter, a\nSwallow, and an Eel were once travelling together, and came to a river\nwithout a bridge: the Swallow flew over it, and the Eel swam across\";\nand then he stopped. \"What happened to Demeter?\" cried several people\nin the audience. \"Demeter,\" he replied, \"is very angry with you for\nlistening to fables when you ought to be minding public business.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE MONKEY AND THE DOLPHIN\n\n\nWhen people go on a voyage they often take with them lap-dogs or\nmonkeys as pets to wile away the time. Thus it fell out that a man\nreturning to Athens from the East had a pet Monkey on board with him.\nAs they neared the coast of Attica a great storm burst upon them, and\nthe ship capsized. All on board were thrown into the water, and tried\nto save themselves by swimming, the Monkey among the rest. A Dolphin\nsaw him, and, supposing him to be a man, took him on his back and\nbegan swimming towards the shore. When they got near the Pir\u00e6us, which\nis the port of Athens, the Dolphin asked the Monkey if he was an\nAthenian. The Monkey replied that he was, and added that he came of\na very distinguished family. \"Then, of course, you know the Pir\u00e6us,\"\ncontinued the Dolphin. The Monkey thought he was referring to some\nhigh official or other, and replied, \"Oh, yes, he's a very old friend\nof mine.\" At that, detecting his hypocrisy, the Dolphin was so\ndisgusted that he dived below the surface, and the unfortunate Monkey\nwas quickly drowned.\n\n\n\n\nTHE CROW AND THE SNAKE\n\n\nA hungry Crow spied a Snake lying asleep in a sunny spot, and, picking\nit up in his claws, he was carrying it off to a place where he could\nmake a meal of it without being disturbed, when the Snake reared its\nhead and bit him. It was a poisonous Snake, and the bite was fatal,\nand the dying Crow said, \"What a cruel fate is mine! I thought I had\nmade a lucky find, and it has cost me my life!\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOGS AND THE FOX\n\n\nSome Dogs once found a lion's skin, and were worrying it with their\nteeth. Just then a Fox came by, and said, \"You think yourselves very\nbrave, no doubt; but if that were a live lion you'd find his claws a\ngood deal sharper than your teeth.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE NIGHTINGALE AND THE HAWK\n\n\nA Nightingale was sitting on a bough of an oak and singing, as her\ncustom was. A hungry Hawk presently spied her, and darting to the spot\nseized her in his talons. He was just about to tear her in pieces when\nshe begged him to spare her life: \"I'm not big enough,\" she pleaded,\n\"to make you a good meal: you ought to seek your prey among the bigger\nbirds.\" The Hawk eyed her with some contempt. \"You must think me very\nsimple,\" said he, \"if you suppose I am going to give up a certain\nprize on the chance of a better of which I see at present no signs.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE ROSE AND THE AMARANTH\n\n\nA Rose and an Amaranth blossomed side by side in a garden, and the\nAmaranth said to her neighbour, \"How I envy you your beauty and your\nsweet scent! No wonder you are such a universal favourite.\" But the\nRose replied with a shade of sadness in her voice, \"Ah, my dear\nfriend, I bloom but for a time: my petals soon wither and fall, and\nthen I die. But your flowers never fade, even if they are cut; for\nthey are everlasting.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE MAN, THE HORSE, THE OX, AND THE DOG\n\n\nOne winter's day, during a severe storm, a Horse, an Ox, and a Dog\ncame and begged for shelter in the house of a Man. He readily admitted\nthem, and, as they were cold and wet, he lit a fire for their comfort:\nand he put oats before the Horse, and hay before the Ox, while he fed\nthe Dog with the remains of his own dinner. When the storm abated, and\nthey were about to depart, they determined to show their gratitude in\nthe following way. They divided the life of Man among them, and each\nendowed one part of it with the qualities which were peculiarly his\nown. The Horse took youth, and hence young men are high-mettled and\nimpatient of restraint; the Ox took middle age, and accordingly men in\nmiddle life are steady and hard-working; while the Dog took old age,\nwhich is the reason why old men are so often peevish and ill-tempered,\nand, like dogs, attached chiefly to those who look to their comfort,\nwhile they are disposed to snap at those who are unfamiliar or\ndistasteful to them.\n\n\n\n\nTHE WOLVES, THE SHEEP, AND THE RAM\n\n\nThe Wolves sent a deputation to the Sheep with proposals for a lasting\npeace between them, on condition of their giving up the sheep-dogs to\ninstant death. The foolish Sheep agreed to the terms; but an old Ram,\nwhose years had brought him wisdom, interfered and said, \"How can we\nexpect to live at peace with you? Why, even with the dogs at hand to\nprotect us, we are never secure from your murderous attacks!\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE SWAN\n\n\nThe Swan is said to sing but once in its life--when it knows that it\nis about to die. A certain man, who had heard of the song of the Swan,\none day saw one of these birds for sale in the market, and bought it\nand took it home with him. A few days later he had some friends\nto dinner, and produced the Swan, and bade it sing for their\nentertainment: but the Swan remained silent. In course of time, when\nit was growing old, it became aware of its approaching end and broke\ninto a sweet, sad song. When its owner heard it, he said angrily, \"If\nthe creature only sings when it is about to die, what a fool I was\nthat day I wanted to hear its song! I ought to have wrung its neck\ninstead of merely inviting it to sing.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE SNAKE AND JUPITER\n\n\nA Snake suffered a good deal from being constantly trodden upon by man\nand beast, owing partly to the length of his body and partly to his\nbeing unable to raise himself above the surface of the ground: so\nhe went and complained to Jupiter about the risks to which he was\nexposed. But Jupiter had little sympathy for him. \"I dare say,\" said\nhe, \"that if you had bitten the first that trod on you, the others\nwould have taken more trouble to look where they put their feet.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE WOLF AND HIS SHADOW\n\n\nA Wolf, who was roaming about on the plain when the sun was getting\nlow in the sky, was much impressed by the size of his shadow, and said\nto himself, \"I had no idea I was so big. Fancy my being afraid of a\nlion! Why, I, not he, ought to be King of the beasts\"; and, heedless\nof danger, he strutted about as if there could be no doubt at all\nabout it. Just then a lion sprang upon him and began to devour him.\n\"Alas,\" he cried, \"had I not lost sight of the facts, I shouldn't have\nbeen ruined by my fancies.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE PLOUGHMAN AND THE WOLF\n\n\nA Ploughman loosed his oxen from the plough, and led them away to the\nwater to drink. While he was absent a half-starved Wolf appeared on\nthe scene, and went up to the plough and began chewing the leather\nstraps attached to the yoke. As he gnawed away desperately in the hope\nof satisfying his craving for food, he somehow got entangled in the\nharness, and, taking fright, struggled to get free, tugging at the\ntraces as if he would drag the plough along with him. Just then the\nPloughman came back, and seeing what was happening, he cried, \"Ah, you\nold rascal, I wish you would give up thieving for good and take to\nhonest work instead.\"\n\n\n\n\nMERCURY AND THE MAN BITTEN BY AN ANT\n\n\nA Man once saw a ship go down with all its crew, and commented\nseverely on the injustice of the gods. \"They care nothing for a man's\ncharacter,\" said he, \"but let the good and the bad go to their deaths\ntogether.\" There was an ant-heap close by where he was standing, and,\njust as he spoke, he was bitten in the foot by an Ant. Turning in a\ntemper to the ant-heap he stamped upon it and crushed hundreds of\nunoffending ants. Suddenly Mercury appeared, and belaboured him with\nhis staff, saying as he did so, \"You villain, where's your nice sense\nof justice now?\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE WILY LION\n\n\nA Lion watched a fat Bull feeding in a meadow, and his mouth watered\nwhen he thought of the royal feast he would make, but he did not dare\nto attack him, for he was afraid of his sharp horns. Hunger, however,\npresently compelled him to do something: and as the use of force did\nnot promise success, he determined to resort to artifice. Going up to\nthe Bull in friendly fashion, he said to him, \"I cannot help saying\nhow much I admire your magnificent figure. What a fine head! What\npowerful shoulders and thighs! But, my dear friend, what in the world\nmakes you wear those ugly horns? You must find them as awkward as they\nare unsightly. Believe me, you would do much better without them.\" The\nBull was foolish enough to be persuaded by this flattery to have his\nhorns cut off; and, having now lost his only means of defence, fell an\neasy prey to the Lion.\n\n\n\n\nTHE PARROT AND THE CAT\n\n\nA Man once bought a Parrot and gave it the run of his house. It\nrevelled in its liberty, and presently flew up on to the mantelpiece\nand screamed away to its heart's content. The noise disturbed the Cat,\nwho was asleep on the hearthrug. Looking up at the intruder, she said,\n\"Who may you be, and where have you come from?\" The Parrot replied,\n\"Your master has just bought me and brought me home with him.\" \"You\nimpudent bird,\" said the Cat, \"how dare you, a newcomer, make a noise\nlike that? Why, I was born here, and have lived here all my life, and\nyet, if I venture to mew, they throw things at me and chase me all\nover the place.\" \"Look here, mistress,\" said the Parrot, \"you just\nhold your tongue. My voice they delight in; but yours--yours is a\nperfect nuisance.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE STAG AND THE LION\n\n\nA Stag was chased by the hounds, and took refuge in a cave, where he\nhoped to be safe from his pursuers. Unfortunately the cave contained a\nLion, to whom he fell an easy prey. \"Unhappy that I am,\" he cried, \"I\nam saved from the power of the dogs only to fall into the clutches of\na Lion.\"\n\n    Out of the frying-pan into the fire.\n\n\n\n\nTHE IMPOSTOR\n\n\nA certain man fell ill, and, being in a very bad way, he made a vow\nthat he would sacrifice a hundred oxen to the gods if they would grant\nhim a return to health. Wishing to see how he would keep his vow, they\ncaused him to recover in a short time. Now, he hadn't an ox in the\nworld, so he made a hundred little oxen out of tallow and offered\nthem up on an altar, at the same time saying, \"Ye gods, I call you to\nwitness that I have discharged my vow.\" The gods determined to be even\nwith him, so they sent him a dream, in which he was bidden to go to\nthe sea-shore and fetch a hundred crowns which he was to find there.\nHastening in great excitement to the shore, he fell in with a band of\nrobbers, who seized him and carried him off to sell as a slave: and\nwhen they sold him a hundred crowns was the sum he fetched.\n\n    Do not promise more than you can perform.\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOGS AND THE HIDES\n\n\nOnce upon a time a number of Dogs, who were famished with hunger, saw\nsome Hides steeping in a river, but couldn't get at them because the\nwater was too deep. So they put their heads together, and decided to\ndrink away at the river till it was shallow enough for them to reach\nthe Hides. But long before that happened they burst themselves with\ndrinking.\n\n\n\n\nTHE LION, THE FOX, AND THE ASS\n\n\nA Lion, a Fox, and an Ass went out hunting together. They had soon\ntaken a large booty, which the Lion requested the Ass to divide\nbetween them. The Ass divided it all into three equal parts, and\nmodestly begged the others to take their choice; at which the Lion,\nbursting with fury, sprang upon the Ass and tore him to pieces.\nThen, glaring at the Fox, he bade him make a fresh division. The Fox\ngathered almost the whole in one great heap for the Lion's share,\nleaving only the smallest possible morsel for himself. \"My dear\nfriend,\" said the Lion, \"how did you get the knack of it so well?\" The\nFox replied, \"Me? Oh, I took a lesson from the Ass.\"\n\n    Happy is he who learns from the misfortunes of others.\n\n\n\n\nTHE FOWLER, THE PARTRIDGE, AND THE COCK\n\n\nOne day, as a Fowler was sitting down to a scanty supper of herbs and\nbread, a friend dropped in unexpectedly. The larder was empty; so he\nwent out and caught a tame Partridge, which he kept as a decoy, and\nwas about to wring her neck when she cried, \"Surely you won't kill me?\nWhy, what will you do without me next time you go fowling? How will\nyou get the birds to come to your nets?\" He let her go at this, and\nwent to his hen-house, where he had a plump young Cock. When the Cock\nsaw what he was after, he too pleaded for his life, and said, \"If you\nkill me, how will you know the time of night? and who will wake you up\nin the morning when it is time to get to work?\" The Fowler, however,\nreplied, \"You are useful for telling the time, I know; but, for all\nthat, I can't send my friend supperless to bed.\" And therewith he\ncaught him and wrung his neck.\n\n\n\n\nTHE GNAT AND THE LION\n\n\nA Gnat once went up to a Lion and said, \"I am not in the least afraid\nof you: I don't even allow that you are a match for me in strength.\nWhat does your strength amount to after all? That you can scratch\nwith your claws and bite with your teeth--just like a woman in a\ntemper--and nothing more. But I'm stronger than you: if you don't\nbelieve it, let us fight and see.\" So saying, the Gnat sounded his\nhorn, and darted in and bit the Lion on the nose. When the Lion felt\nthe sting, in his haste to crush him he scratched his nose badly, and\nmade it bleed, but failed altogether to hurt the Gnat, which buzzed\noff in triumph, elated by its victory. Presently, however, it got\nentangled in a spider's web, and was caught and eaten by the spider,\nthus falling a prey to an insignificant insect after having triumphed\nover the King of the Beasts.\n\n\n\n\nTHE FARMER AND HIS DOGS\n\n\nA Farmer was snowed up in his farmstead by a severe storm, and was\nunable to go out and procure provisions for himself and his family. So\nhe first killed his sheep and used them for food; then, as the storm\nstill continued, he killed his goats; and, last of all, as the weather\nshowed no signs of improving, he was compelled to kill his oxen and\neat them. When his Dogs saw the various animals being killed and eaten\nin turn, they said to one another, \"We had better get out of this or\nwe shall be the next to go!\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE EAGLE AND THE FOX\n\n\nAn Eagle and a Fox became great friends and determined to live near\none another: they thought that the more they saw of each other the\nbetter friends they would be. So the Eagle built a nest at the top of\na high tree, while the Fox settled in a thicket at the foot of it and\nproduced a litter of cubs. One day the Fox went out foraging for food,\nand the Eagle, who also wanted food for her young, flew down into the\nthicket, caught up the Fox's cubs, and carried them up into the tree\nfor a meal for herself and her family. When the Fox came back, and\nfound out what had happened, she was not so much sorry for the loss of\nher cubs as furious because she couldn't get at the Eagle and pay her\nout for her treachery. So she sat down not far off and cursed her. But\nit wasn't long before she had her revenge. Some villagers happened to\nbe sacrificing a goat on a neighbouring altar, and the Eagle flew down\nand carried off a piece of burning flesh to her nest. There was a\nstrong wind blowing, and the nest caught fire, with the result that\nher fledglings fell half-roasted to the ground. Then the Fox ran to\nthe spot and devoured them in full sight of the Eagle.\n\n    False faith may escape human punishment, but cannot escape the\n    divine.\n\n\n\n\nTHE BUTCHER AND HIS CUSTOMERS\n\n\nTwo Men were buying meat at a Butcher's stall in the market-place,\nand, while the Butcher's back was turned for a moment, one of them\nsnatched up a joint and hastily thrust it under the other's cloak,\nwhere it could not be seen. When the Butcher turned round, he missed\nthe meat at once, and charged them with having stolen it: but the one\nwho had taken it said he hadn't got it, and the one who had got it\nsaid he hadn't taken it. The Butcher felt sure they were deceiving\nhim, but he only said, \"You may cheat me with your lying, but you\ncan't cheat the gods, and they won't let you off so lightly.\"\n\n    Prevarication often amounts to perjury.\n\n\n\n\nHERCULES AND MINERVA\n\n\nHercules was once travelling along a narrow road when he saw lying on\nthe ground in front of him what appeared to be an apple, and as he\npassed he stamped upon it with his heel. To his astonishment, instead\nof being crushed it doubled in size; and, on his attacking it again\nand smiting it with his club, it swelled up to an enormous size and\nblocked up the whole road. Upon this he dropped his club, and stood\nlooking at it in amazement. Just then Minerva appeared, and said to\nhim, \"Leave it alone, my friend; that which you see before you is the\napple of discord: if you do not meddle with it, it remains small as it\nwas at first, but if you resort to violence it swells into the thing\nyou see.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE FOX WHO SERVED A LION\n\n\nA Lion had a Fox to attend on him, and whenever they went hunting the\nFox found the prey and the Lion fell upon it and killed it, and then\nthey divided it between them in certain proportions. But the Lion\nalways got a very large share, and the Fox a very small one, which\ndidn't please the latter at all; so he determined to set up on his own\naccount. He began by trying to steal a lamb from a flock of sheep: but\nthe shepherd saw him and set his dogs on him. The hunter was now the\nhunted, and was very soon caught and despatched by the dogs.\n\n    Better servitude with safety than freedom with danger.\n\n\n\n\nTHE QUACK DOCTOR\n\n\nA certain man fell sick and took to his bed. He consulted a number of\ndoctors from time to time, and they all, with one exception, told him\nthat his life was in no immediate danger, but that his illness would\nprobably last a considerable time. The one who took a different view\nof his case, who was also the last to be consulted, bade him prepare\nfor the worst: \"You have not twenty-four hours to live,\" said he, \"and\nI fear I can do nothing.\" As it turned out, however, he was quite\nwrong; for at the end of a few days the sick man quitted his bed and\ntook a walk abroad, looking, it is true, as pale as a ghost. In the\ncourse of his walk he met the Doctor who had prophesied his death.\n\"Dear me,\" said the latter, \"how do you do? You are fresh from the\nother world, no doubt. Pray, how are our departed friends getting on\nthere?\" \"Most comfortably,\" replied the other, \"for they have drunk\nthe water of oblivion, and have forgotten all the troubles of life. By\nthe way, just before I left, the authorities were making arrangements\nto prosecute all the doctors, because they won't let sick men die in\nthe course of nature, but use their arts to keep them alive. They were\ngoing to charge you along with the rest, till I assured them that you\nwere no doctor, but a mere impostor.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE LION, THE WOLF, AND THE FOX\n\n\nA Lion, infirm with age, lay sick in his den, and all the beasts of\nthe forest came to inquire after his health with the exception of the\nFox. The Wolf thought this was a good opportunity for paying off old\nscores against the Fox, so he called the attention of the Lion to his\nabsence, and said, \"You see, sire, that we have all come to see how\nyou are except the Fox, who hasn't come near you, and doesn't care\nwhether you are well or ill.\" Just then the Fox came in and heard the\nlast words of the Wolf. The Lion roared at him in deep displeasure,\nbut he begged to be allowed to explain his absence, and said, \"Not one\nof them cares for you so much as I, sire, for all the time I have\nbeen going round to the doctors and trying to find a cure for your\nillness.\" \"And may I ask if you have found one?\" said the Lion. \"I\nhave, sire,\" said the Fox, \"and it is this: you must flay a Wolf\nand wrap yourself in his skin while it is still warm.\" The Lion\naccordingly turned to the Wolf and struck him dead with one blow of\nhis paw, in order to try the Fox's prescription; but the Fox laughed\nand said to himself, \"That's what comes of stirring up ill-will.\"\n\n\n\n\nHERCULES AND PLUTUS\n\n\nWhen Hercules was received among the gods and was entertained at a\nbanquet by Jupiter, he responded courteously to the greetings of\nall with the exception of Plutus, the god of wealth. When Plutus\napproached him, he cast his eyes upon the ground, and turned away and\npretended not to see him. Jupiter was surprised at this conduct on his\npart, and asked why, after having been so cordial with all the other\ngods, he had behaved like that to Plutus. \"Sire,\" said Hercules, \"I\ndo not like Plutus, and I will tell you why. When we were on earth\ntogether I always noticed that he was to be found in the company of\nscoundrels.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE FOX AND THE LEOPARD\n\n\nA Fox and a Leopard were disputing about their looks, and each claimed\nto be the more handsome of the two. The Leopard said, \"Look at my\nsmart coat; you have nothing to match that.\" But the Fox replied,\n\"Your coat may be smart, but my wits are smarter still.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE FOX AND THE HEDGEHOG\n\n\nA Fox, in swimming across a rapid river, was swept away by the current\nand carried a long way downstream in spite of his struggles, until at\nlast, bruised and exhausted, he managed to scramble on to dry\nground from a backwater. As he lay there unable to move, a swarm of\nhorseflies settled on him and sucked his blood undisturbed, for he was\ntoo weak even to shake them off. A Hedgehog saw him, and asked if he\nshould brush away the flies that were tormenting him; but the Fox\nreplied, \"Oh, please, no, not on any account, for these flies have\nsucked their fill and are taking very little from me now; but, if you\ndrive them off, another swarm of hungry ones will come and suck all\nthe blood I have left, and leave me without a drop in my veins.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE CROW AND THE RAVEN\n\n\nA Crow became very jealous of a Raven, because the latter was\nregarded by men as a bird of omen which foretold the future, and was\naccordingly held in great respect by them. She was very anxious to\nget the same sort of reputation herself; and, one day, seeing some\ntravellers approaching, she flew on to a branch of a tree at the\nroadside and cawed as loud as she could. The travellers were in some\ndismay at the sound, for they feared it might be a bad omen; till one\nof them, spying the Crow, said to his companions, \"It's all right,\nmy friends, we can go on without fear, for it's only a crow and that\nmeans nothing.\"\n\n    Those who pretend to be something they are not only make\n    themselves ridiculous.\n\n\n\n\nTHE WITCH\n\n\nA Witch professed to be able to avert the anger of the gods by means\nof charms, of which she alone possessed the secret; and she drove a\nbrisk trade, and made a fat livelihood out of it. But certain persons\naccused her of black magic and carried her before the judges, and\ndemanded that she should be put to death for dealings with the Devil.\nShe was found guilty and condemned to death: and one of the judges\nsaid to her as she was leaving the dock, \"You say you can avert the\nanger of the gods. How comes it, then, that you have failed to disarm\nthe enmity of men?\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE OLD MAN AND DEATH\n\n\nAn Old Man cut himself a bundle of faggots in a wood and started to\ncarry them home. He had a long way to go, and was tired out before he\nhad got much more than half-way. Casting his burden on the ground, he\ncalled upon Death to come and release him from his life of toil. The\nwords were scarcely out of his mouth when, much to his dismay, Death\nstood before him and professed his readiness to serve him. He was\nalmost frightened out of his wits, but he had enough presence of mind\nto stammer out, \"Good sir, if you'd be so kind, pray help me up with\nmy burden again.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE MISER\n\n\nA Miser sold everything he had, and melted down his hoard of gold into\na single lump, which he buried secretly in a field. Every day he went\nto look at it, and would sometimes spend long hours gloating over his\ntreasure. One of his men noticed his frequent visits to the spot,\nand one day watched him and discovered his secret. Waiting his\nopportunity, he went one night and dug up the gold and stole it. Next\nday the Miser visited the place as usual, and, finding his treasure\ngone, fell to tearing his hair and groaning over his loss. In this\ncondition he was seen by one of his neighbours, who asked him what\nhis trouble was. The Miser told him of his misfortune; but the other\nreplied, \"Don't take it so much to heart, my friend; put a brick into\nthe hole, and take a look at it every day: you won't be any worse off\nthan before, for even when you had your gold it was of no earthly use\nto you.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE FOXES AND THE RIVER\n\n\nA number of Foxes assembled on the bank of a river and wanted to\ndrink; but the current was so strong and the water looked so deep and\ndangerous that they didn't dare to do so, but stood near the edge\nencouraging one another not to be afraid. At last one of them, to\nshame the rest, and show how brave he was, said, \"I am not a bit\nfrightened! See, I'll step right into the water!\" He had no sooner\ndone so than the current swept him off his feet. When the others saw\nhim being carried down-stream they cried, \"Don't go and leave us! Come\nback and show us where we too can drink with safety.\" But he replied,\n\"I'm afraid I can't yet: I want to go to the seaside, and this current\nwill take me there nicely. When I come back I'll show you with\npleasure.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE HORSE AND THE STAG\n\n\nThere was once a Horse who used to graze in a meadow which he had all\nto himself. But one day a Stag came into the meadow, and said he had\nas good a right to feed there as the Horse, and moreover chose all the\nbest places for himself. The Horse, wishing to be revenged upon his\nunwelcome visitor, went to a man and asked if he would help him to\nturn out the Stag. \"Yes,\" said the man, \"I will by all means; but I\ncan only do so if you let me put a bridle in your mouth and mount on\nyour back.\" The Horse agreed to this, and the two together very soon\nturned the Stag out of the pasture: but when that was done, the Horse\nfound to his dismay that in the man he had got a master for good.\n\n\n\n\nTHE FOX AND THE BRAMBLE\n\n\nIn making his way through a hedge a Fox missed his footing and caught\nat a Bramble to save himself from falling. Naturally, he got badly\nscratched, and in disgust he cried to the Bramble, \"It was your help\nI wanted, and see how you have treated me! I'd sooner have fallen\noutright.\" The Bramble, interrupting him, replied, \"You must have lost\nyour wits, my friend, to catch at me, who am myself always catching at\nothers.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE FOX AND THE SNAKE\n\n\nA Snake, in crossing a river, was carried away by the current, but\nmanaged to wriggle on to a bundle of thorns which was floating by, and\nwas thus carried at a great rate down-stream. A Fox caught sight of\nit from the bank as it went whirling along, and called out, \"Gad! the\npassenger fits the ship!\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE LION, THE FOX, AND THE STAG\n\n\nA Lion lay sick in his den, unable to provide himself with food. So\nhe said to his friend the Fox, who came to ask how he did, \"My good\nfriend, I wish you would go to yonder wood and beguile the big Stag,\nwho lives there, to come to my den: I have a fancy to make my dinner\noff a stag's heart and brains.\" The Fox went to the wood and found the\nStag and said to him, \"My dear sir, you're in luck. You know the Lion,\nour King: well, he's at the point of death, and has appointed you his\nsuccessor to rule over the beasts. I hope you won't forget that I was\nthe first to bring you the good news. And now I must be going back to\nhim; and, if you take my advice, you'll come too and be with him at\nthe last.\" The Stag was highly flattered, and followed the Fox to the\nLion's den, suspecting nothing. No sooner had he got inside than the\nLion sprang upon him, but he misjudged his spring, and the Stag got\naway with only his ears torn, and returned as fast as he could to the\nshelter of the wood. The Fox was much mortified, and the Lion, too,\nwas dreadfully disappointed, for he was getting very hungry in spite\nof his illness. So he begged the Fox to have another try at coaxing\nthe Stag to his den. \"It'll be almost impossible this time,\" said the\nFox, \"but I'll try\"; and off he went to the wood a second time, and\nfound the Stag resting and trying to recover from his fright. As soon\nas he saw the Fox he cried, \"You scoundrel, what do you mean by trying\nto lure me to my death like that? Take yourself off, or I'll do you\nto death with my horns.\" But the Fox was entirely shameless. \"What a\ncoward you were,\" said he; \"surely you didn't think the Lion meant any\nharm? Why, he was only going to whisper some royal secrets into your\near when you went off like a scared rabbit. You have rather disgusted\nhim, and I'm not sure he won't make the wolf King instead, unless you\ncome back at once and show you've got some spirit. I promise you he\nwon't hurt you, and I will be your faithful servant.\" The Stag was\nfoolish enough to be persuaded to return, and this time the Lion made\nno mistake, but overpowered him, and feasted right royally upon his\ncarcase. The Fox, meanwhile, watched his chance and, when the Lion\nwasn't looking, filched away the brains to reward him for his trouble.\nPresently the Lion began searching for them, of course without\nsuccess: and the Fox, who was watching him, said, \"I don't think it's\nmuch use your looking for the brains: a creature who twice walked into\na Lion's den can't have got any.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE MAN WHO LOST HIS SPADE\n\n\nA Man was engaged in digging over his vineyard, and one day on coming\nto work he missed his Spade. Thinking it may have been stolen by one\nof his labourers, he questioned them closely, but they one and all\ndenied any knowledge of it. He was not convinced by their denials, and\ninsisted that they should all go to the town and take oath in a temple\nthat they were not guilty of the theft. This was because he had no\ngreat opinion of the simple country deities, but thought that the\nthief would not pass undetected by the shrewder gods of the town. When\nthey got inside the gates the first thing they heard was the town\ncrier proclaiming a reward for information about a thief who had\nstolen something from the city temple. \"Well,\" said the Man to\nhimself, \"it strikes me I had better go back home again. If these town\ngods can't detect the thieves who steal from their own temples, it's\nscarcely likely they can tell me who stole my Spade.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE PARTRIDGE AND THE FOWLER\n\n\nA Fowler caught a Partridge in his nets, and was just about to wring\nits neck when it made a piteous appeal to him to spare its life and\nsaid, \"Do not kill me, but let me live and I will repay you for your\nkindness by decoying other partridges into your nets.\" \"No,\" said the\nFowler, \"I will not spare you. I was going to kill you anyhow, and\nafter that treacherous speech you thoroughly deserve your fate.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE RUNAWAY SLAVE\n\n\nA Slave, being discontented with his lot, ran away from his master. He\nwas soon missed by the latter, who lost no time in mounting his horse\nand setting out in pursuit of the fugitive. He presently came up with\nhim, and the Slave, in the hope of avoiding capture, slipped into a\ntreadmill and hid himself there. \"Aha,\" said his master, \"that's the\nvery place for you, my man!\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE HUNTER AND THE WOODMAN\n\n\nA Hunter was searching in the forest for the tracks of a lion, and,\ncatching sight presently of a Woodman engaged in felling a tree, he\nwent up to him and asked him if he had noticed a lion's footprints\nanywhere about, or if he knew where his den was. The Woodman answered,\n\"If you will come with me, I will show you the lion himself.\" The\nHunter turned pale with fear, and his teeth chattered as he replied,\n\"Oh, I'm not looking for the lion, thanks, but only for his tracks.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE SERPENT AND THE EAGLE\n\n\nAn Eagle swooped down upon a Serpent and seized it in his talons with\nthe intention of carrying it off and devouring it. But the Serpent was\ntoo quick for him and had its coils round him in a moment; and then\nthere ensued a life-and-death struggle between the two. A countryman,\nwho was a witness of the encounter, came to the assistance of the\nEagle, and succeeded in freeing him from the Serpent and enabling him\nto escape. In revenge the Serpent spat some of his poison into the\nman's drinking-horn. Heated with his exertions, the man was about to\nslake his thirst with a draught from the horn, when the Eagle knocked\nit out of his hand, and spilled its contents upon the ground.\n\n    One good turn deserves another.\n\n\n\n\nTHE ROGUE AND THE ORACLE\n\n\nA Rogue laid a wager that he would prove the Oracle at Delphi to be\nuntrustworthy by procuring from it a false reply to an inquiry by\nhimself. So he went to the temple on the appointed day with a small\nbird in his hand, which he concealed under the folds of his cloak,\nand asked whether what he held in his hand were alive or dead. If the\nOracle said \"dead,\" he meant to produce the bird alive: if the reply\nwas \"alive,\" he intended to wring its neck and show it to be dead. But\nthe Oracle was one too many for him, for the answer he got was this:\n\"Stranger, whether the thing that you hold in your hand be alive\nor dead is a matter that depends entirely on your own will.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE HORSE AND THE ASS\n\n\nA Horse, proud of his fine harness, met an Ass on the high-road. As\nthe Ass with his heavy burden moved slowly out of the way to let him\npass, the Horse cried out impatiently that he could hardly resist\nkicking him to make him move faster. The Ass held his peace, but did\nnot forget the other's insolence. Not long afterwards the Horse became\nbroken-winded, and was sold by his owner to a farmer. One day, as he\nwas drawing a dung-cart, he met the Ass again, who in turn derided him\nand said, \"Aha! you never thought to come to this, did you, you who\nwere so proud! Where are all your gay trappings now?\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE DOG CHASING A WOLF\n\n\nA Dog was chasing a Wolf, and as he ran he thought what a fine fellow\nhe was, and what strong legs he had, and how quickly they covered the\nground. \"Now, there's this Wolf,\" he said to himself, \"what a poor\ncreature he is: he's no match for me, and he knows it and so he runs\naway.\" But the Wolf looked round just then and said, \"Don't you\nimagine I'm running away from you, my friend: it's your master I'm\nafraid of.\"\n\n\n\n\nGRIEF AND HIS DUE\n\n\nWhen Jupiter was assigning the various gods their privileges, it so\nhappened that Grief was not present with the rest: but when all had\nreceived their share, he too entered and claimed his due. Jupiter was\nat a loss to know what to do, for there was nothing left for him.\nHowever, at last he decided that to him should belong the tears that\nare shed for the dead. Thus it is the same with Grief as it is with\nthe other gods. The more devoutly men render to him his due, the\nmore lavish is he of that which he has to bestow. It is not well,\ntherefore, to mourn long for the departed; else Grief, whose sole\npleasure is in such mourning, will be quick to send fresh cause for\ntears.\n\n\n\n\nTHE HAWK, THE KITE, AND THE PIGEONS\n\n\nThe Pigeons in a certain dovecote were persecuted by a Kite, who every\nnow and then swooped down and carried off one of their number. So they\ninvited a Hawk into the dovecote to defend them against their enemy.\nBut they soon repented of their folly: for the Hawk killed more of\nthem in a day than the Kite had done in a year.\n\n\n\n\nTHE WOMAN AND THE FARMER\n\n\nA Woman, who had lately lost her husband, used to go every day to his\ngrave and lament her loss. A Farmer, who was engaged in ploughing not\nfar from the spot, set eyes upon the Woman and desired to have her\nfor his wife: so he left his plough and came and sat by her side,\nand began to shed tears himself. She asked him why he wept; and he\nreplied, \"I have lately lost my wife, who was very dear to me, and\ntears ease my grief.\" \"And I,\" said she, \"have lost my husband.\" And\nso for a while they mourned in silence. Then he said, \"Since you and I\nare in like case, shall we not do well to marry and live together? I\nshall take the place of your dead husband, and you, that of my dead\nwife.\" The Woman consented to the plan, which indeed seemed reasonable\nenough: and they dried their tears. Meanwhile, a thief had come\nand stolen the oxen which the Farmer had left with his plough. On\ndiscovering the theft, he beat his breast and loudly bewailed his\nloss. When the Woman heard his cries, she came and said, \"Why, are you\nweeping still?\" To which he replied, \"Yes, and I mean it this time.\"\n\n\n\n\nPROMETHEUS AND THE MAKING OF MAN\n\n\nAt the bidding of Jupiter, Prometheus set about the creation of Man\nand the other animals. Jupiter, seeing that Mankind, the only rational\ncreatures, were far outnumbered by the irrational beasts, bade him\nredress the balance by turning some of the latter into men. Prometheus\ndid as he was bidden, and this is the reason why some people have the\nforms of men but the souls of beasts.\n\n\n\n\nTHE SWALLOW AND THE CROW\n\n\nA Swallow was once boasting to a Crow about her birth. \"I was once a\nprincess,\" said she, \"the daughter of a King of Athens, but my husband\nused me cruelly, and cut out my tongue for a slight fault. Then, to\nprotect me from further injury, I was turned by Juno into a bird.\"\n\"You chatter quite enough as it is,\" said the Crow. \"What you would\nhave been like if you hadn't lost your tongue, I can't think.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE HUNTER AND THE HORSEMAN\n\n\nA Hunter went out after game, and succeeded in catching a hare, which\nhe was carrying home with him when he met a man on horseback, who said\nto him, \"You have had some sport I see, sir,\" and offered to buy it.\nThe Hunter readily agreed; but the Horseman had no sooner got the\nhare in his hands than he set spurs to his horse and went off at full\ngallop. The Hunter ran after him for some little distance; but it soon\ndawned upon him that he had been tricked, and he gave up trying to\novertake the Horseman, and, to save his face, called after him as loud\nas he could, \"All right, sir, all right, take your hare: it was meant\nall along as a present.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE GOATHERD AND THE WILD GOATS\n\n\nA Goatherd was tending his goats out at pasture when he saw a number\nof Wild Goats approach and mingle with his flock. At the end of the\nday he drove them home and put them all into the pen together. Next\nday the weather was so bad that he could not take them out as usual:\nso he kept them at home in the pen, and fed them there. He only gave\nhis own goats enough food to keep them from starving, but he gave the\nWild Goats as much as they could eat and more; for he was very anxious\nfor them to stay, and he thought that if he fed them well they\nwouldn't want to leave him. When the weather improved, he took them\nall out to pasture again; but no sooner had they got near the hills\nthan the Wild Goats broke away from the flock and scampered off. The\nGoatherd was very much disgusted at this, and roundly abused them for\ntheir ingratitude. \"Rascals!\" he cried, \"to run away like that after\nthe way I've treated you!\" Hearing this, one of them turned round and\nsaid, \"Oh, yes, you treated us all right--too well, in fact; it was\njust that that put us on our guard. If you treat newcomers like\nourselves so much better than your own flock, it's more than likely\nthat, if another lot of strange goats joined yours, _we_ should then\nbe neglected in favour of the last comers.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE NIGHTINGALE AND THE SWALLOW\n\n\nA Swallow, conversing with a Nightingale, advised her to quit the\nleafy coverts where she made her home, and to come and live with men,\nlike herself, and nest under the shelter of their roofs. But the\nNightingale replied, \"Time was when I too, like yourself, lived among\nmen: but the memory of the cruel wrongs I then suffered makes them\nhateful to me, and never again will I approach their dwellings.\"\n\n    The scene of past sufferings revives painful memories.\n\n\n\n\nTHE TRAVELLER AND FORTUNE\n\n\nA Traveller, exhausted with fatigue after a long journey, sank down at\nthe very brink of a deep well and presently fell asleep. He was within\nan ace of falling in, when Dame Fortune appeared to him and touched\nhim on the shoulder, cautioning him to move further away. \"Wake up,\ngood sir, I pray you,\" she said; \"had you fallen into the well, the\nblame would have been thrown not on your own folly but on me, Fortune.\"\n\n\n\n\nILLUSTRATIONS\n\n\n[Illustration: THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE]\n\n[Illustration: THE MOON AND HER MOTHER]\n\n[Illustration: THE FIR-TREE AND THE BRAMBLE]\n\n[Illustration: THE CRAB AND HIS MOTHER]\n\n[Illustration: THE QUACK FROG]\n\n[Illustration: THE SHIPWRECKED MAN AND THE SEA]\n\n[Illustration: THE BLACKAMOOR]\n\n[Illustration: THE TWO POTS]\n\n[Illustration: VENUS AND THE CAT]\n\n[Illustration: THE TRAVELLERS AND THE PLANE-TREE]\n\n[Illustration: THE TREES AND THE AXE]\n\n[Illustration: THE LION, JUPITER, AND THE ELEPHANT]\n\n[Illustration: THE GNAT AND THE LION]","title":"Aesop's Fables; a new translation","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":41423}