{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_21/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_21","id":"gutenberg_21","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/21","summary":null,"tags":["Aesop's fables -- Translations into English","Category: Classics of Literature","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Fables, Greek -- Translations into English"],"text":"THREE HUNDRED\n\u00c6SOP\u2019S FABLES\n\n\nLITERALLY TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK\n\n\nBy the\nRev. George Fyler Townsend, M.A.\n\n\nLONDON\nGEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS\n\n\nTHE BROADWAY, LUDGATE\nNEW YORK: 416 BROOME STREET\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS\n\n PREFACE\n LIFE OF AESOP\n AESOP\u2019S FABLES\n The Lion And The Mouse\n The Wolf And The Lamb\n The Ass And The Grasshopper\n The Wolf and the Crane\n The Father And His Sons\n The Bat And The Weasels\n The Cock and the Jewel\n The Swallow and the Crow\n The Kingdom of the Lion\n The Traveler and His Dog\n The Ants and the Grasshopper\n The Hare and the Tortoise\n The Charcoal-Burner And The Fuller\n The Boy Hunting Locusts\n The Fisherman Piping\n The Dog and the Shadow\n Hercules and the Wagoner\n The Mole and His Mother\n The Herdsman and the Lost Bull\n The Fawn and His Mother\n The Ass, the Fox, and the Lion\n The Flies and the Honey-Pot\n The Lioness\n The Farmer and the Snake\n The Man and the Lion\n The Pomegranate, Apple-Tree, and Bramble\n The Farmer and the Stork\n The Mountain in Labor\n The Bear and the Fox\n The Tortoise and the Eagle\n The Fox and the Goat\n The Raven and the Swan\n The Thirsty Pigeon\n The Dog in the Manger\n The Oxen and the Axle-Trees\n The Farmer and the Cranes\n The Sick Lion\n The Bear and the Two Travelers\n The Fox Who Had Lost His Tail\n The Cat and the Cock\n The Wolf in Sheep\u2019s Clothing\n The Goat and the Goatherd\n The Boasting Traveler\n The Lion in Love\n The Miser\n The Porker, the Sheep, and the Goat\n The Boy and the Filberts\n The Frogs Asking for a King\n The Laborer and the Snake\n The Lion, the Mouse, and the Fox\n The Horse and Groom\n The Ass and the Mule\n The Ass and the Lapdog\n The Oxen and the Butchers\n The Shepherd\u2019s Boy and the Wolf\n The Boys and the Frogs\n The Salt Merchant and His Ass\n The Mischievous Dog\n The Goatherd and the Wild Goats\n The Man and His Two Sweethearts\n The Sick Stag\n The Boy and the Nettles\n The Astronomer\n The Wolves and the Sheep\n The Cat and the Birds\n The Vain Jackdaw\n The Kid and the Wolf\n The Old Woman and the Physician\n The Ox and the Frog\n The Farmer and His Sons\n The Heifer and the Ox\n The Fighting Cocks and the Eagle\n The Charger and the Miller\n The Fox and the Monkey\n The Horse and His Rider\n The Belly and the Members\n The Widow and Her Little Maidens\n The Vine and the Goat\n Jupiter and the Monkey\n The Hawk, the Kite, and the Pigeons\n The Dolphins, the Whales, and the Sprat\n The Swallow, the Serpent, and the Court of Justice\n The Two Pots\n The Shepherd and the Wolf\n The Crab and Its Mother\n The Father and His Two Daughters\n The Thief and His Mother\n The Old Man and Death\n The Fir-Tree and the Bramble\n The \u00c6thiop\n The Mouse, the Frog, and the Hawk\n The Fisherman and His Nets\n The Wolf and the Sheep\n The Old Woman and the Wine-Jar\n The Man Bitten by a Dog\n The Huntsman and the Fisherman\n The Fox and the Crow\n The Widow and the Sheep\n The Playful Ass\n The Stag in the Ox-Stall\n The Two Dogs\n The Wild Ass and the Lion\n The Lion and the Dolphin\n The Eagle and the Arrow\n The Sick Kite\n The Lion and the Boar\n The Mice in Council\n The One-Eyed Doe\n The Mice and the Weasels\n The Shepherd and the Sea\n The Ass, the Cock, and the Lion\n The Rivers and the Sea\n The Wild Boar and the Fox\n The Milk-Woman and Her Pail\n The Bee and Jupiter\n The Wolf and the Housedog\n The Three Tradesmen\n The Ass Carrying the Image\n The Master and His Dogs\n The Old Hound\n The Two Travelers and the Axe\n The Old Lion\n The Wolf and the Shepherds\n The Seaside Travelers\n The Ass and His Shadow\n The Ass and His Masters\n Mercury and the Sculptor\n The Fox and the Woodcutter\n The Oak and the Reeds\n The Lion in a Farmyard\n The Wolf and the Lion\n The Birdcatcher, the Partridge, and the Cock\n The Ant and the Dove\n The Hares and the Frogs\n The Monkey and the Fishermen\n The Swan and the Goose\n The Doe and the Lion\n The Fisherman and the Little Fish\n The Hunter and the Woodman\n The Swollen Fox\n The Two Frogs\n The Lamp\n The Camel and the Arab\n The Miller, His Son, and Their Ass\n The Cat and the Mice\n The Mouse and the Bull\n The Dog and the Cook\n The Thieves and the Cock\n The Dancing Monkeys\n The Farmer and the Fox\n The Traveler and Fortune\n The Seagull and the Kite\n The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox\n The Philosopher, the Ants, and Mercury\n The Peasant and the Eagle\n The Fox and the Leopard\n The Lion and the Hare\n The Image of Mercury and the Carpenter\n The Lion, the Fox, and the Ass\n The Bull and the Goat\n The Bald Knight\n The Oaks and Jupiter\n The Monkeys and Their Mother\n The Hare and the Hound\n The Shepherd and the Dog\n The Oak and the Woodcutters\n The Wasp and the Snake\n The Peacock and the Crane\n The Hen and the Golden Eggs\n The Ass and the Frogs\n The Crow and the Raven\n The Trees and the Axe\n The Wolves and the Sheepdogs\n The Bull, the Lioness, and the Wild-Boar Hunter\n The Bowman and Lion\n The Camel\n The Crab and the Fox\n The Ass and the Old Shepherd\n The Fox and the Hedgehog\n The Woman and Her Hen\n The Kites and the Swans\n The Dog and the Hare\n The Hares and the Foxes\n The Bull and the Calf\n The Stag, the Wolf, and the Sheep\n The Eagle, the Cat, and the Wild Sow\n The Wolf and the Fox\n The Mule\n The Prophet\n The Two Frogs\n The Serpent and the Eagle\n The Crow and the Pitcher\n The Thief and the Innkeeper\n The Hart and the Vine\n The Gnat and the Lion\n The Fox and the Grapes\n The Walnut-Tree\n The Kid and the Wolf\n The Monkey and the Dolphin\n The Horse and the Stag\n The Jackdaw and the Doves\n The Fox and the Monkey\n The Man and His Wife\n The Man, the Horse, the Ox, and the Dog\n The Thief and the Housedog\n The Apes and the Two Travelers\n The Fox and the Lion\n The Weasel and the Mice\n The Boy Bathing\n The Peacock and Juno\n The Wolf and the Shepherd\n The Hares and the Lions\n The Seller of Images\n The Hawk and the Nightingale\n The Lark and Her Young Ones\n The Dog, the Cock, and the Fox\n The Geese and the Cranes\n The Ass and the Wolf\n The Goat and the Ass\n The Lion and the Bull\n The Fox and the Mask\n The Grasshopper and the Owl\n The Fowler and the Viper\n The Horse and the Ass\n The Lion and the Three Bulls\n The Wolf and the Goat\n The Fly and the Draught-Mule\n The Fishermen\n The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse\n The Wolf, the Fox, and the Ape\n The Wasps, the Partridges, and the Farmer\n The Brother and the Sister\n The Dogs and the Fox\n The Blind Man and the Whelp\n The Cobbler Turned Doctor\n The Wolf and the Horse\n The Two Men Who Were Enemies\n The Gamecocks and the Partridge\n The Fox and the Lion\n The Quack Frog\n The Lion, the Wolf, and the Fox\n The Dog\u2019s House\n The North Wind and the Sun\n The Crow and Mercury\n The Fox and the Crane\n The Wolf and the Lion\n The Birds, the Beasts, and the Bat\n The Spendthrift and the Swallow\n The Trumpeter Taken Prisoner\n The Owl and the Birds\n The Goods and the Ills\n The Ass in the Lion\u2019s Skin\n The Sparrow and the Hare\n The Flea and the Ox\n The Ass and His Purchaser\n The Dove and the Crow\n The Man and the Satyr\n Jupiter, Neptune, Minerva, and Momus\n The Eagle and the Jackdaw\n The Eagle and the Fox\n The Two Bags\n The Bitch and Her Whelps\n The Stag at the Pool\n The Lark Burying Her Father\n The Gnat and the Bull\n The Monkey and the Camel\n The Dogs and the Hides\n The Jackdaw and the Fox\n Mercury and the Workmen\n The Peasant and the Apple-Tree\n The Two Soldiers and the Robber\n The Shepherd and the Sheep\n The Trees Under the Protection of the Gods\n The Flea and the Wrestler\n The Lion and the Fox\n Truth and the Traveler\n The Manslayer\n The Lion and the Eagle\n The Ass and His Driver\n The Thrush and the Fowler\n The Mother and the Wolf\n The Hen and the Swallow\n The Rose and the Amaranth\n The Travelers and the Plane-Tree\n The Ass and the Horse\n The Crow and the Sheep\n The Fox and the Bramble\n The Ass and the Charger\n The Lion, Jupiter, and the Elephant\n The Dog and the Oyster\n The Mules and the Robbers\n The Lamb and the Wolf\n The Partridge and the Fowler\n The Flea and the Man\n The Rich Man and the Tanner\n The Viper and the File\n The Lion and the Shepherd\n The Camel and Jupiter\n The Panther and the Shepherds\n The Eagle and the Kite\n The Eagle and His Captor\n The King\u2019s Son and the Painted Lion\n The Cat and Venus\n The Eagle and the Beetle\n The She-Goats and Their Beards\n The Bald Man and the Fly\n The Shipwrecked Man and the Sea\n The Buffoon and the Countryman\n The Crow and the Serpent\n The Hunter and the Horseman\n The Olive-Tree and the Fig-Tree\n The Frogs\u2019 Complaint Against the Sun\n The Brazier and His Dog\n FOOTNOTES\n INDEX\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE\n\n\nThe Tale, the Parable, and the Fable are all common and popular modes\nof conveying instruction. Each is distinguished by its own special\ncharacteristics. The Tale consists simply in the narration of a story\neither founded on facts, or created solely by the imagination, and not\nnecessarily associated with the teaching of any moral lesson. The\nParable is the designed use of language purposely intended to convey a\nhidden and secret meaning other than that contained in the words\nthemselves; and which may or may not bear a special reference to the\nhearer, or reader. The Fable partly agrees with, and partly differs\nfrom both of these. It will contain, like the Tale, a short but real\nnarrative; it will seek, like the Parable, to convey a hidden meaning,\nand that not so much by the use of language, as by the skilful\nintroduction of fictitious characters; and yet, unlike to either Tale\nor Parable, it will ever keep in view, as its high prerogative, and\ninseparable attribute, the great purpose of instruction, and will\nnecessarily seek to inculcate some moral maxim, social duty, or\npolitical truth. The true Fable, if it rise to its high requirements,\never aims at one great end and purpose\u2014the representation of human\nmotive, and the improvement of human conduct, and yet it so conceals\nits design under the disguise of fictitious characters, by clothing\nwith speech the animals of the field, the birds of the air, the trees\nof the wood, or the beasts of the forest, that the reader shall receive\nadvice without perceiving the presence of the adviser. Thus the\nsuperiority of the counsellor, which often renders counsel unpalatable,\nis kept out of view, and the lesson comes with the greater acceptance\nwhen the reader is led, unconsciously to himself, to have his\nsympathies enlisted in behalf of what is pure, honourable, and\npraiseworthy, and to have his indignation excited against what is low,\nignoble, and unworthy. The true fabulist, therefore, discharges a most\nimportant function. He is neither a narrator, nor an allegorist. He is\na great teacher, a corrector of morals, a censor of vice, and a\ncommender of virtue. In this consists the superiority of the Fable over\nthe Tale or the Parable. The fabulist is to create a laugh, but yet,\nunder a merry guise, to convey instruction. Ph\u00e6drus, the great imitator\nof \u00c6sop, plainly indicates this double purpose to be the true office of\nthe writer of fables.\n\n    Duplex libelli dos est: quod risum movet,\n    Et quod prudenti vitam consilio monet.\n\nThe continual observance of this twofold aim creates the charm, and\naccounts for the universal favour, of the fables of \u00c6sop. \u201cThe fable,\u201d\nsays Professor K. O. Mueller, \u201coriginated in Greece in an intentional\ntravestie of human affairs. The \u2018ainos,\u2019 as its name denotes, is an\nadmonition, or rather a reproof, veiled, either from fear of an excess\nof frankness, or from a love of fun and jest, beneath the fiction of an\noccurrence happening among beasts; and wherever we have any ancient and\nauthentic account of the \u00c6sopian fables, we find it to be the same.\u201d[1]\n\nThe construction of a fable involves a minute attention to (1), the\nnarration itself; (2), the deduction of the moral; and (3), a careful\nmaintenance of the individual characteristics of the fictitious\npersonages introduced into it. The narration should relate to one\nsimple action, consistent with itself, and neither be overladen with a\nmultiplicity of details, nor distracted by a variety of circumstances.\nThe moral or lesson should be so plain, and so intimately interwoven\nwith, and so necessarily dependent on, the narration, that every reader\nshould be compelled to give to it the same undeniable interpretation.\nThe introduction of the animals or fictitious characters should be\nmarked with an unexceptionable care and attention to their natural\nattributes, and to the qualities attributed to them by universal\npopular consent. The Fox should be always cunning, the Hare timid, the\nLion bold, the Wolf cruel, the Bull strong, the Horse proud, and the\nAss patient. Many of these fables are characterized by the strictest\nobservance of these rules. They are occupied with one short narrative,\nfrom which the moral naturally flows, and with which it is intimately\nassociated. \u201c\u2019Tis the simple manner,\u201d says Dodsley,[2] \u201cin which the\nmorals of \u00c6sop are interwoven with his fables that distinguishes him,\nand gives him the preference over all other mythologists. His \u2018Mountain\ndelivered of a Mouse,\u2019 produces the moral of his fable in ridicule of\npompous pretenders; and his Crow, when she drops her cheese, lets fall,\nas it were by accident, the strongest admonition against the power of\nflattery. There is no need of a separate sentence to explain it; no\npossibility of impressing it deeper, by that load we too often see of\naccumulated reflections.\u201d[3] An equal amount of praise is due for the\nconsistency with which the characters of the animals, fictitiously\nintroduced, are marked. While they are made to depict the motives and\npassions of men, they retain, in an eminent degree, their own special\nfeatures of craft or counsel, of cowardice or courage, of generosity or\nrapacity.\n\nThese terms of praise, it must be confessed, cannot be bestowed on all\nthe fables in this collection. Many of them lack that unity of design,\nthat close connection of the moral with the narrative, that wise choice\nin the introduction of the animals, which constitute the charm and\nexcellency of true \u00c6sopian fable. This inferiority of some to others is\nsufficiently accounted for in the history of the origin and descent of\nthese fables. The great bulk of them are not the immediate work of\n\u00c6sop. Many are obtained from ancient authors prior to the time in which\nhe lived. Thus, the fable of the \u201cHawk and the Nightingale\u201d is related\nby Hesiod;[4] the \u201cEagle wounded by an Arrow, winged with its own\nfeathers,\u201d by \u00c6schylus;[5] the \u201cFox avenging his wrongs on the Eagle,\u201d\nby Archilochus.[6] Many of them again are of later origin, and are to\nbe traced to the monks of the middle ages: and yet this collection,\nthough thus made up of fables both earlier and later than the era of\n\u00c6sop, rightfully bears his name, because he composed so large a number\n(all framed in the same mould, and conformed to the same fashion, and\nstamped with the same lineaments, image, and superscription) as to\nsecure to himself the right to be considered the father of Greek\nfables, and the founder of this class of writing, which has ever since\nborne his name, and has secured for him, through all succeeding ages,\nthe position of the first of moralists.[7]\n\nThe fables were in the first instance only narrated by \u00c6sop, and for a\nlong time were handed down by the uncertain channel of oral tradition.\nSocrates is mentioned by Plato[8] as having employed his time while in\nprison, awaiting the return of the sacred ship from Delphos which was\nto be the signal of his death, in turning some of these fables into\nverse, but he thus versified only such as he remembered. Demetrius\nPhalereus, a philosopher at Athens about 300 B.C., is said to have made\nthe first collection of these fables. Ph\u00e6drus, a slave by birth or by\nsubsequent misfortunes, and admitted by Augustus to the honours of a\nfreedman, imitated many of these fables in Latin iambics about the\ncommencement of the Christian era. Aphthonius, a rhetorician of\nAntioch, A.D. 315, wrote a treatise on, and converted into Latin prose,\nsome of these fables. This translation is the more worthy of notice, as\nit illustrates a custom of common use, both in these and in later\ntimes. The rhetoricians and philosophers were accustomed to give the\nFables of \u00c6sop as an exercise to their scholars, not only inviting them\nto discuss the moral of the tale, but also to practice and to perfect\nthemselves thereby in style and rules of grammar, by making for\nthemselves new and various versions of the fables. Ausonius,[9] the\nfriend of the Emperor Valentinian, and the latest poet of eminence in\nthe Western Empire, has handed down some of these fables in verse,\nwhich Julianus Titianus, a contemporary writer of no great name,\ntranslated into prose. Avienus, also a contemporary of Ausonius, put\nsome of these fables into Latin elegiacs, which are given by Nevelet\n(in a book we shall refer to hereafter), and are occasionally\nincorporated with the editions of Ph\u00e6drus.\n\nSeven centuries elapsed before the next notice is found of the Fables\nof \u00c6sop. During this long period these fables seem to have suffered an\neclipse, to have disappeared and to have been forgotten; and it is at\nthe commencement of the fourteenth century, when the Byzantine emperors\nwere the great patrons of learning, and amidst the splendors of an\nAsiatic court, that we next find honours paid to the name and memory of\n\u00c6sop. Maximus Planudes, a learned monk of Constantinople, made a\ncollection of about a hundred and fifty of these fables. Little is\nknown of his history. Planudes, however, was no mere recluse, shut up\nin his monastery. He took an active part in public affairs. In 1327\nA.D. he was sent on a diplomatic mission to Venice by the Emperor\nAndronicus the Elder. This brought him into immediate contact with the\nWestern Patriarch, whose interests he henceforth advocated with so much\nzeal as to bring on him suspicion and persecution from the rulers of\nthe Eastern Church. Planudes has been exposed to a two-fold accusation.\nHe is charged on the one hand with having had before him a copy of\nBabrias (to whom we shall have occasion to refer at greater length in\nthe end of this Preface), and to have had the bad taste \u201cto transpose,\u201d\nor to turn his poetical version into prose: and he is asserted, on the\nother hand, never to have seen the Fables of \u00c6sop at all, but to have\nhimself invented and made the fables which he palmed off under the name\nof the famous Greek fabulist. The truth lies between these two\nextremes. Planudes may have invented some few fables, or have inserted\nsome that were current in his day; but there is an abundance of\nunanswerable internal evidence to prove that he had an acquaintance\nwith the veritable fables of \u00c6sop, although the versions he had access\nto were probably corrupt, as contained in the various translations and\ndisquisitional exercises of the rhetoricians and philosophers. His\ncollection is interesting and important, not only as the parent source\nor foundation of the earlier printed versions of \u00c6sop, but as the\ndirect channel of attracting to these fables the attention of the\nlearned.\n\nThe eventual re-introduction, however, of these Fables of \u00c6sop to their\nhigh place in the general literature of Christendom, is to be looked\nfor in the West rather than in the East. The calamities gradually\nthickening round the Eastern Empire, and the fall of Constantinople,\n1453 A.D. combined with other events to promote the rapid restoration\nof learning in Italy; and with that recovery of learning the revival of\nan interest in the Fables of \u00c6sop is closely identified. These fables,\nindeed, were among the first writings of an earlier antiquity that\nattracted attention. They took their place beside the Holy Scriptures\nand the ancient classic authors, in the minds of the great students of\nthat day. Lorenzo Valla, one of the most famous promoters of Italian\nlearning, not only translated into Latin the Iliad of Homer and the\nHistories of Herodotus and Thucydides, but also the Fables of \u00c6sop.\n\nThese fables, again, were among the books brought into an extended\ncirculation by the agency of the printing press. Bonus Accursius, as\nearly as 1475\u20131480, printed the collection of these fables, made by\nPlanudes, which, within five years afterwards, Caxton translated into\nEnglish, and printed at his press in Westminster Abbey, 1485.[10] It\nmust be mentioned also that the learning of this age has left permanent\ntraces of its influence on these fables,[11] by causing the\ninterpolation with them (as a \u03ba\u03c4\u1fc6\u03bc\u03b1 \u03b5\u1f30\u03c2 \u1f30\u03b5\u03b9) of some of those amusing\nstories which were so frequently introduced into the public discourses\nof the great preachers of those days, and of which specimens are yet to\nbe found in the extant sermons of Jean Raulin, Meffreth, and Gabriel\nBarlette.[12] The publication of this era which most probably has\ninfluenced these fables, is the \u201cLiber Facetiarum,\u201d[13] a book\nconsisting of a hundred jests and stories, by the celebrated Poggio\nBracciolini, published A.D. 1471, from which the two fables of the\n\u201cMiller, his Son, and the Ass,\u201d and the \u201cFox and the Woodcutter,\u201d are\nundoubtedly selected.\n\nThe knowledge of these fables rapidly spread from Italy into Germany,\nand their popularity was increased by the favour and sanction given to\nthem by the great fathers of the Reformation, who frequently used them\nas vehicles for satire and protest against the tricks and abuses of the\nRomish ecclesiastics. The zealous and renowned Camerarius, who took an\nactive part in the preparation of the Confession of Augsburgh, found\ntime, amidst his numerous avocations, to prepare a version for the\nstudents in the University of T\u00fcbingen, in which he was a professor.\nMartin Luther translated twenty of these fables, and was urged by\nMelancthon to complete the whole; while Gottfried Arnold, the\ncelebrated Lutheran theologian, and librarian to Frederick I., king of\nPrussia, mentions that the great Reformer valued the Fables of \u00c6sop\nnext after the Holy Scriptures. In 1546 A.D. the second printed edition\nof the collection of the Fables made by Planudes, was issued from the\nprinting-press of Robert Stephens, in which were inserted some\nadditional fables from a MS. in the Biblioth\u00eaque du Roy at Paris.\n\nThe greatest advance, however, towards a re-introduction of the Fables\nof \u00c6sop to a place in the literature of the world, was made in the\nearly part of the seventeenth century. In the year 1610, a learned\nSwiss, Isaac Nicholas Nevelet, sent forth the third printed edition of\nthese fables, in a work entitled \u201cMythologia \u00c6sopica.\u201d This was a noble\neffort to do honour to the great fabulist, and was the most perfect\ncollection of \u00c6sopian fables ever yet published. It consisted, in\naddition to the collection of fables given by Planudes and reprinted in\nthe various earlier editions, of one hundred and thirty-six new fables\n(never before published) from MSS. in the Library of the Vatican, of\nforty fables attributed to Aphthonius, and of forty-three from Babrias.\nIt also contained the Latin versions of the same fables by Ph\u00e6drus,\nAvienus, and other authors. This volume of Nevelet forms a complete\n\u201cCorpus Fabularum \u00c6sopicarum;\u201d and to his labours \u00c6sop owes his\nrestoration to universal favour as one of the wise moralists and great\nteachers of mankind. During the interval of three centuries which has\nelapsed since the publication of this volume of Nevelet\u2019s, no book,\nwith the exception of the Holy Scriptures, has had a wider circulation\nthan \u00c6sop\u2019s Fables. They have been translated into the greater number\nof the languages both of Europe and of the East, and have been read,\nand will be read, for generations, alike by Jew, Heathen, Mohammedan,\nand Christian. They are, at the present time, not only engrafted into\nthe literature of the civilized world, but are familiar as household\nwords in the common intercourse and daily conversation of the\ninhabitants of all countries.\n\nThis collection of Nevelet\u2019s is the great culminating point in the\nhistory of the revival of the fame and reputation of \u00c6sopian Fables. It\nis remarkable, also, as containing in its preface the germ of an idea,\nwhich has been since proved to have been correct by a strange chain of\ncircumstances. Nevelet intimates an opinion, that a writer named\nBabrias would be found to be the veritable author of the existing form\nof \u00c6sopian Fables. This intimation has since given rise to a series of\ninquiries, the knowledge of which is necessary, in the present day, to\na full understanding of the true position of \u00c6sop in connection with\nthe writings that bear his name.\n\nThe history of Babrias is so strange and interesting, that it might not\nunfitly be enumerated among the curiosities of literature. He is\ngenerally supposed to have been a Greek of Asia Minor, of one of the\nIonic Colonies, but the exact period in which he lived and wrote is yet\nunsettled. He is placed, by one critic,[14] as far back as the\ninstitution of the Achaian League, B.C. 250; by another as late as the\nEmperor Severus, who died A.D. 235; while others make him a\ncontemporary with Ph\u00e6drus in the time of Augustus. At whatever time he\nwrote his version of \u00c6sop, by some strange accident it seems to have\nentirely disappeared, and to have been lost sight of. His name is\nmentioned by Avienus; by Suidas, a celebrated critic, at the close of\nthe eleventh century, who gives in his lexicon several isolated verses\nof his version of the fables; and by John Tzetzes, a grammarian and\npoet of Constantinople, who lived during the latter half of the twelfth\ncentury. Nevelet, in the preface to the volume which we have described,\npoints out that the Fables of Planudes could not be the work of \u00c6sop,\nas they contain a reference in two places to \u201cHoly monks,\u201d and give a\nverse from the Epistle of St. James as an \u201cEpimith\u201d to one of the\nfables, and suggests Babrias as their author. Francis Vavassor,[15] a\nlearned French jesuit, entered at greater length on this subject, and\nproduced further proofs from internal evidence, from the use of the\nword Pir\u00e6us in describing the harbour of Athens, a name which was not\ngiven till two hundred years after \u00c6sop, and from the introduction of\nother modern words, that many of these fables must have been at least\ncommitted to writing posterior to the time of \u00c6sop, and more boldly\nsuggests Babrias as their author or collector.[16] These various\nreferences to Babrias induced Dr. Richard Bentley, at the close of the\nseventeenth century, to examine more minutely the existing versions of\n\u00c6sop\u2019s Fables, and he maintained that many of them could, with a slight\nchange of words, be resolved into the Scazonic[17] iambics, in which\nBabrias is known to have written: and, with a greater freedom than the\nevidence then justified, he put forth, in behalf of Babrias, a claim to\nthe exclusive authorship of these fables. Such a seemingly extravagant\ntheory, thus roundly asserted, excited much opposition. Dr. Bentley[18]\nmet with an able antagonist in a member of the University of Oxford,\nthe Hon. Mr. Charles Boyle,[19] afterwards Earl of Orrery. Their\nletters and disputations on this subject, enlivened on both sides with\nmuch wit and learning, will ever bear a conspicuous place in the\nliterary history of the seventeenth century. The arguments of Dr.\nBentley were yet further defended a few years later by Mr. Thomas\nTyrwhitt, a well-read scholar, who gave up high civil distinctions that\nhe might devote himself the more unreservedly to literary pursuits. Mr.\nTyrwhitt published, A.D. 1776, a Dissertation on Babrias, and a\ncollection of his fables in choliambic metre found in a MS. in the\nBodleian Library at Oxford. Francesco de Furia, a learned Italian,\ncontributed further testimony to the correctness of the supposition\nthat Babrias had made a veritable collection of fables by printing from\na MS. contained in the Vatican library several fables never before\npublished. In the year 1844, however, new and unexpected light was\nthrown upon this subject. A veritable copy of Babrias was found in a\nmanner as singular as were the MSS. of Quinctilian\u2019s Institutes, and of\nCicero\u2019s Orations by Poggio in the monastery of St. Gall A.D. 1416. M.\nMenoides, at the suggestion of M. Villemain, Minister of Public\nInstruction to King Louis Philippe, had been entrusted with a\ncommission to search for ancient MSS., and in carrying out his\ninstructions he found a MS. at the convent of St. Laura, on Mount\nAthos, which proved to be a copy of the long suspected and wished-for\ncholiambic version of Babrias. This MS. was found to be divided into\ntwo books, the one containing a hundred and twenty-five, and the other\nninety-five fables. This discovery attracted very general attention,\nnot only as confirming, in a singular manner, the conjectures so boldly\nmade by a long chain of critics, but as bringing to light valuable\nliterary treasures tending to establish the reputation, and to confirm\nthe antiquity and authenticity of the great mass of \u00c6sopian Fable. The\nFables thus recovered were soon published. They found a most worthy\neditor in the late distinguished Sir George Cornewall Lewis, and a\ntranslator equally qualified for his task, in the Reverend James\nDavies, M.A., sometime a scholar of Lincoln College, Oxford, and\nhimself a relation of their English editor. Thus, after an eclipse of\nmany centuries, Babrias shines out as the earliest, and most reliable\ncollector of veritable \u00c6sopian Fables.\n\nHaving thus given a complete synopsis of the origin, descent, and\nhistory of these fables, it only remains to explain the reasons which\nhave induced the Publishers to prepare a new edition of \u00c6sop, and to\nstate the grounds on which they hope to establish a claim for support\nand public approval in their undertaking. They boldly assert that the\nnew light thrown upon these fables by the discovery of the metrical\nversion by Babrias, renders a new translation an inevitable necessity.\nThe two chief existing English versions of \u00c6sop are those by Archdeacon\nCroxall, and by the late Rev. Thomas James, canon of Peterborough. The\nfirst of these deviates so very far from the text, that it degenerates\ninto a parody. The fables are so padded, diluted, and altered, as to\ngive very little idea to the reader either of the terseness or the\nmeaning of the original. The second of these is an improvement on its\npredecessor, but Mr. James, either out of compliance with the wishes of\nthe publishers, or in condescension to the taste prevalent some twenty\nyears ago, has so freely introduced as the point of the fable\nconventional English sayings which are not sanctioned by the Greek, and\nwhich in many instances are scarcely equivalent to it, that his version\nfrequently approaches a paraphrase rather than a translation.\n\nThe Publishers therefore ground their first claim for public approval\non the necessity of a new translation. They trust further that their\npresent work will have met that necessity in a satisfactory manner.\nThey have sought to give as nearly a literal translation as possible of\nthe Greek text; and they hope that if the reader should miss the\nsmoothness and thoroughly English tone which characterized the previous\nversion of these fables, he will be more than repaid by gaining a\nnearer approach to the spirit, thoughts, and (in some cases) to the\nepigrammatic terseness of the original. The Publishers trust to\nvindicate, on another ground, their claims to a share of public\npatronage. They have inserted a hundred new fables, and they have the\nsatisfaction of knowing that this edition, on which they have spared no\npains nor cost, will afford a larger choice, and greater variety, to\nthe numerous and increasing circle of the admirers of \u00c6sopian Fables.\nWhatever be the result of their labours, they will be content to have\ncontributed towards promoting a wider acquaintance with fables, the\nwisdom, excellency, and wonderful suitableness of which to every\ncondition of humanity has been attested and confirmed by the experience\nof so many generations; and which in all ages, amidst the ever changing\nfluctuations of human opinion, are adapted alike to amuse the young,\nand to instruct the thoughtful, and are well fitted to teach all who\nstudy them lessons useful for their guidance in every position of\npolitical, social, civil, or domestic life.\n\nThe Editor must claim the privilege of adding a few words on a matter\npersonal to himself. He has already within the last few months been\nconnected with one edition of \u00c6sop, and it may seem strange that he\nshould be willing to undertake the superintendence of another. His\nanswer is, that the two works on which he has been engaged were totally\ndistinct, and entirely independent of each other. The first was a\nrequest to furnish new morals and applications to a definite number of\nfables; Ihe other was a commission to add a large number of additional\nfables and to make a wholly new translation. The necessity of a new and\nimproved translation the Editor then recognized, and would have\nwillingly undertaken. It was a wish he had much at heart, and when the\nproposal was voluntarily made to him by the present Publishers, to\nundertake the task of a new translation of an enlarged number of \u00c6sop\u2019s\nFables, he saw no reason for refusing the offer because of his prior\ndischarge of a totally different design; and he resolved to comply with\nthe request submitted to him, and to do his best towards the attainment\nof so desirable an object as a purer translation and more literal\nrendering of fables so justly celebrated.\n\nThe following are the sources from which the present translation has\nbeen prepared:\u2014\n\nBabrii Fabul\u00e6 \u00c6sope\u00e6. George Cornewall Lewis. Oxford, 1846.\n\nBabrii Fabul\u00e6 \u00c6sope\u00e6. E codice manuscripto partem secundam edidit.\nGeorge Cornewall Lewis. London: Parker, 1857.\n\nMythologica \u00c6sopica. Opera et studia Isaaci Nicholai Neveleti.\nFrankfort, 1610.\n\nFabul\u00e6 \u00c6sopiac\u00e6, quales ante Planudem ferebantur cura et studio\nFrancisci de Furia. Lipsi\u00e6, 1810.\n\n\u0391\u1f30\u03c3\u03c9\u03c0\u03b5\u1f76\u03c9\u03bd \u039c\u03c5\u03b8\u1ff6\u03bd \u03a3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b1\u03b3\u03c9\u03b3\u03ae. Ex recognitione Caroli Halmii. Lipsi\u00e6, 1851\n\nPh\u00e6dri Fabul\u00e6 Esopi\u00e6. Delphin Classics. 1822.\n\n\nGEORGE FYLER TOWNSEND\n\n\n\n\nLIFE OF AESOP\n\n\nThe Life and History of \u00c6sop is involved, like that of Homer, the most\nfamous of Greek poets, in much obscurity. Sardis, the capital of Lydia;\nSamos, a Greek island; Mesembria, an ancient colony in Thrace; and\nCoti\u00e6um, the chief city of a province of Phrygia, contend for the\ndistinction of being the birthplace of \u00c6sop. Although the honour thus\nclaimed cannot be definitely assigned to any one of these places, yet\nthere are a few incidents now generally accepted by scholars as\nestablished facts, relating to the birth, life, and death of \u00c6sop. He\nis, by an almost universal consent, allowed to have been born about the\nyear 620 B.C., and to have been by birth a slave. He was owned by two\nmasters in succession, both inhabitants of Samos, Xanthus and Jadmon,\nthe latter of whom gave him his liberty as a reward for his learning\nand wit. One of the privileges of a freedman in the ancient republics\nof Greece, was the permission to take an active interest in public\naffairs; and \u00c6sop, like the philosophers Ph\u00e6do, Menippus, and\nEpictetus, in later times, raised himself from the indignity of a\nservile condition to a position of high renown. In his desire alike to\ninstruct and to be instructed, he travelled through many countries, and\namong others came to Sardis, the capital of the famous king of Lydia,\nthe great patron, in that day, of learning and of learned men. He met\nat the court of Cr\u0153sus with Solon, Thales, and other sages, and is\nrelated so to have pleased his royal master by the part he took in the\nconversations held with these philosophers, that he applied to him an\nexpression which has since passed into a proverb, \u201c\u03bc\u1fb6\u03bb\u03bb\u03bf\u03bd \u1f41 \u03a6\u03c1\u03cd\u03be.\u201d \u201cThe\nPhrygian has spoken better than all.\u201d\n\nOn the invitation of Cr\u0153sus he fixed his residence at Sardis, and was\nemployed by that monarch in various difficult and delicate affairs of\nState. In his discharge of these commissions he visited the different\npetty republics of Greece. At one time he is found in Corinth, and at\nanother in Athens, endeavouring, by the narration of some of his wise\nfables, to reconcile the inhabitants of those cities to the\nadministration of their respective rulers Periander and Pisistratus.\nOne of these ambassadorial missions, undertaken at the command of\nCr\u0153sus, was the occasion of his death. Having been sent to Delphi with\na large sum of gold for distribution among the citizens, he was so\nprovoked at their covetousness that he refused to divide the money, and\nsent it back to his master. The Delphians, enraged at this treatment,\naccused him of impiety, and, in spite of his sacred character as\nambassador, executed him as a public criminal. This cruel death of \u00c6sop\nwas not unavenged. The citizens of Delphi were visited with a series of\ncalamities, until they made a public reparation of their crime; and,\n\u201cThe blood of \u00c6sop\u201d became a well-known adage, bearing witness to the\ntruth that deeds of wrong would not pass unpunished. Neither did the\ngreat fabulist lack posthumous honours; for a statue was erected to his\nmemory at Athens, the work of Lysippus, one of the most famous of Greek\nsculptors. Ph\u00e6drus thus immortalizes the event:\u2014\n\n    \u00c6sopo ingentem statuam posuere Attici,\n    Servumque collocarunt \u00e6tern\u00e2 in basi:\n    Patere honoris scirent ut cuncti viam;\n    Nec generi tribui sed virtuti gloriam.\n\nThese few facts are all that can be relied on with any degree of\ncertainty, in reference to the birth, life, and death of \u00c6sop. They\nwere first brought to light, after a patient search and diligent\nperusal of ancient authors, by a Frenchman, M. Claude Gaspard Bachet de\nMezeriac, who declined the honour of being tutor to Louis XIII. of\nFrance, from his desire to devote himself exclusively to literature. He\npublished his Life of \u00c6sop, Anno Domini 1632. The later investigations\nof a host of English and German scholars have added very little to the\nfacts given by M. Mezeriac. The substantial truth of his statements has\nbeen confirmed by later criticism and inquiry. It remains to state,\nthat prior to this publication of M. Mezeriac, the life of \u00c6sop was\nfrom the pen of Maximus Planudes, a monk of Constantinople, who was\nsent on an embassy to Venice by the Byzantine Emperor Andronicus the\nelder, and who wrote in the early part of the fourteenth century. His\nlife was prefixed to all the early editions of these fables, and was\nrepublished as late as 1727 by Archdeacon Croxall as the introduction\nto his edition of \u00c6sop. This life by Planudes contains, however, so\nsmall an amount of truth, and is so full of absurd pictures of the\ngrotesque deformity of \u00c6sop, of wondrous apocryphal stories, of lying\nlegends, and gross anachronisms, that it is now universally condemned\nas false, puerile, and unauthentic.[20] It is given up in the present\nday, by general consent, as unworthy of the slightest credit.\n\n\n\n\nAESOP\u2019S FABLES\n\n\n\n\nThe Lion And The Mouse\n\n\nA LION was awakened from sleep by a Mouse running over his face. Rising\nup angrily, he caught him and was about to kill him, when the Mouse\npiteously entreated, saying: \u201cIf you would only spare my life, I would\nbe sure to repay your kindness.\u201d The Lion laughed and let him go. It\nhappened shortly after this that the Lion was caught by some hunters,\nwho bound him by strong ropes to the ground. The Mouse, recognizing his\nroar, came and gnawed the rope with his teeth, and set him free,\nexclaiming:\n\n\u201cYou ridiculed the idea of my ever being able to help you, not\nexpecting to receive from me any repayment of your favour; now you know\nthat it is possible for even a Mouse to confer benefits on a Lion.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Wolf And The Lamb\n\n\nWOLF, meeting with a Lamb astray from the fold, resolved not to lay\nviolent hands on him, but to find some plea to justify to the Lamb the\nWolf\u2019s right to eat him. He thus addressed him: \u201cSirrah, last year you\ngrossly insulted me.\u201d \u201cIndeed,\u201d bleated the Lamb in a mournful tone of\nvoice, \u201cI was not then born.\u201d Then said the Wolf, \u201cYou feed in my\npasture.\u201d \u201cNo, good sir,\u201d replied the Lamb, \u201cI have not yet tasted\ngrass.\u201d Again said the Wolf, \u201cYou drink of my well.\u201d \u201cNo,\u201d exclaimed\nthe Lamb, \u201cI never yet drank water, for as yet my mother\u2019s milk is both\nfood and drink to me.\u201d Upon which the Wolf seized him and ate him up,\nsaying, \u201cWell! I won\u2019t remain supperless, even though you refute every\none of my imputations.\u201d The tyrant will always find a pretext for his\ntyranny.\n\n\n\n\nThe Ass And The Grasshopper\n\n\nAN ASS having heard some Grasshoppers chirping, was highly enchanted;\nand, desiring to possess the same charms of melody, demanded what sort\nof food they lived on to give them such beautiful voices. They replied,\n\u201cThe dew.\u201d The Ass resolved that he would live only upon dew, and in a\nshort time died of hunger.\n\n\n\n\nThe Wolf and the Crane\n\n\nA WOLF who had a bone stuck in his throat hired a Crane, for a large\nsum, to put her head into his mouth and draw out the bone. When the\nCrane had extracted the bone and demanded the promised payment, the\nWolf, grinning and grinding his teeth, exclaimed: \u201cWhy, you have surely\nalready had a sufficient recompense, in having been permitted to draw\nout your head in safety from the mouth and jaws of a wolf.\u201d\n\nIn serving the wicked, expect no reward, and be thankful if you escape\ninjury for your pains.\n\n\n\n\nThe Father And His Sons\n\n\nA FATHER had a family of sons who were perpetually quarreling among\nthemselves. When he failed to heal their disputes by his exhortations,\nhe determined to give them a practical illustration of the evils of\ndisunion; and for this purpose he one day told them to bring him a\nbundle of sticks. When they had done so, he placed the faggot into the\nhands of each of them in succession, and ordered them to break it in\npieces. They tried with all their strength, and were not able to do it.\nHe next opened the faggot, took the sticks separately, one by one, and\nagain put them into his sons\u2019 hands, upon which they broke them easily.\nHe then addressed them in these words: \u201cMy sons, if you are of one\nmind, and unite to assist each other, you will be as this faggot,\nuninjured by all the attempts of your enemies; but if you are divided\namong yourselves, you will be broken as easily as these sticks.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Bat And The Weasels\n\n\nA BAT who fell upon the ground and was caught by a Weasel pleaded to be\nspared his life. The Weasel refused, saying that he was by nature the\nenemy of all birds. The Bat assured him that he was not a bird, but a\nmouse, and thus was set free. Shortly afterwards the Bat again fell to\nthe ground and was caught by another Weasel, whom he likewise entreated\nnot to eat him. The Weasel said that he had a special hostility to\nmice. The Bat assured him that he was not a mouse, but a bat, and thus\na second time escaped.\n\nIt is wise to turn circumstances to good account.\n\n\n\n\nThe Cock and the Jewel\n\n\nA COCK, scratching for food for himself and his hens, found a precious\nstone and exclaimed: \u201cIf your owner had found thee, and not I, he would\nhave taken thee up, and have set thee in thy first estate; but I have\nfound thee for no purpose. I would rather have one barleycorn than all\nthe jewels in the world.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Swallow and the Crow\n\n\nTHE SWALLOW and the Crow had a contention about their plumage. The Crow\nput an end to the dispute by saying, \u201cYour feathers are all very well\nin the spring, but mine protect me against the winter.\u201d\n\nFair weather friends are not worth much.\n\n\n\n\nThe Kingdom of the Lion\n\n\nTHE BEASTS of the field and forest had a Lion as their king. He was\nneither wrathful, cruel, nor tyrannical, but just and gentle as a king\ncould be. During his reign he made a royal proclamation for a general\nassembly of all the birds and beasts, and drew up conditions for a\nuniversal league, in which the Wolf and the Lamb, the Panther and the\nKid, the Tiger and the Stag, the Dog and the Hare, should live together\nin perfect peace and amity. The Hare said, \u201cOh, how I have longed to\nsee this day, in which the weak shall take their place with impunity by\nthe side of the strong.\u201d And after the Hare said this, he ran for his\nlife.\n\n\n\n\nThe Traveler and His Dog\n\n\nA TRAVELER about to set out on a journey saw his Dog stand at the door\nstretching himself. He asked him sharply: \u201cWhy do you stand there\ngaping? Everything is ready but you, so come with me instantly.\u201d The\nDog, wagging his tail, replied: \u201cO, master! I am quite ready; it is you\nfor whom I am waiting.\u201d\n\nThe loiterer often blames delay on his more active friend.\n\n\n\n\nThe Ants and the Grasshopper\n\n\nTHE ANTS were spending a fine winter\u2019s day drying grain collected in\nthe summertime. A Grasshopper, perishing with famine, passed by and\nearnestly begged for a little food. The Ants inquired of him, \u201cWhy did\nyou not treasure up food during the summer?\u201d He replied, \u201cI had not\nleisure enough. I passed the days in singing.\u201d They then said in\nderision: \u201cIf you were foolish enough to sing all the summer, you must\ndance supperless to bed in the winter.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Hare and the Tortoise\n\n\nA HARE one day ridiculed the short feet and slow pace of the Tortoise,\nwho replied, laughing: \u201cThough you be swift as the wind, I will beat\nyou in a race.\u201d The Hare, believing her assertion to be simply\nimpossible, assented to the proposal; and they agreed that the Fox\nshould choose the course and fix the goal. On the day appointed for the\nrace the two started together. The Tortoise never for a moment stopped,\nbut went on with a slow but steady pace straight to the end of the\ncourse. The Hare, lying down by the wayside, fell fast asleep. At last\nwaking up, and moving as fast as he could, he saw the Tortoise had\nreached the goal, and was comfortably dozing after her fatigue.\n\nSlow but steady wins the race.\n\n\n\n\nThe Charcoal-Burner And The Fuller\n\n\nA CHARCOAL-BURNER carried on his trade in his own house. One day he met\na friend, a Fuller, and entreated him to come and live with him, saying\nthat they should be far better neighbors and that their housekeeping\nexpenses would be lessened. The Fuller replied, \u201cThe arrangement is\nimpossible as far as I am concerned, for whatever I should whiten, you\nwould immediately blacken again with your charcoal.\u201d\n\nLike will draw like.\n\n\n\n\nThe Boy Hunting Locusts\n\n\nA BOY was hunting for locusts. He had caught a goodly number, when he\nsaw a Scorpion, and mistaking him for a locust, reached out his hand to\ntake him. The Scorpion, showing his sting, said: \u201cIf you had but\ntouched me, my friend, you would have lost me, and all your locusts\ntoo!\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Fisherman Piping\n\n\nA FISHERMAN skilled in music took his flute and his nets to the\nseashore. Standing on a projecting rock, he played several tunes in the\nhope that the fish, attracted by his melody, would of their own accord\ndance into his net, which he had placed below. At last, having long\nwaited in vain, he laid aside his flute, and casting his net into the\nsea, made an excellent haul of fish. When he saw them leaping about in\nthe net upon the rock he said: \u201cO you most perverse creatures, when I\npiped you would not dance, but now that I have ceased you do so\nmerrily.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Dog and the Shadow\n\n\nA DOG, crossing a bridge over a stream with a piece of flesh in his\nmouth, saw his own shadow in the water and took it for that of another\nDog, with a piece of meat double his own in size. He immediately let go\nof his own, and fiercely attacked the other Dog to get his larger piece\nfrom him. He thus lost both: that which he grasped at in the water,\nbecause it was a shadow; and his own, because the stream swept it away.\n\n\n\n\nHercules and the Wagoner\n\n\nA CARTER was driving a wagon along a country lane, when the wheels sank\ndown deep into a rut. The rustic driver, stupefied and aghast, stood\nlooking at the wagon, and did nothing but utter loud cries to Hercules\nto come and help him. Hercules, it is said, appeared and thus addressed\nhim: \u201cPut your shoulders to the wheels, my man. Goad on your bullocks,\nand never more pray to me for help, until you have done your best to\nhelp yourself, or depend upon it you will henceforth pray in vain.\u201d\n\nSelf-help is the best help.\n\n\n\n\nThe Mole and His Mother\n\n\nA MOLE, a creature blind from birth, once said to his Mother: \u201cI am\nsure than I can see, Mother!\u201d In the desire to prove to him his\nmistake, his Mother placed before him a few grains of frankincense, and\nasked, \u201cWhat is it?\u201d The young Mole said, \u201cIt is a pebble.\u201d His Mother\nexclaimed: \u201cMy son, I am afraid that you are not only blind, but that\nyou have lost your sense of smell.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Herdsman and the Lost Bull\n\n\nA HERDSMAN tending his flock in a forest lost a Bull-calf from the\nfold. After a long and fruitless search, he made a vow that, if he\ncould only discover the thief who had stolen the Calf, he would offer a\nlamb in sacrifice to Hermes, Pan, and the Guardian Deities of the\nforest. Not long afterwards, as he ascended a small hillock, he saw at\nits foot a Lion feeding on the Calf. Terrified at the sight, he lifted\nhis eyes and his hands to heaven, and said: \u201cJust now I vowed to offer\na lamb to the Guardian Deities of the forest if I could only find out\nwho had robbed me; but now that I have discovered the thief, I would\nwillingly add a full-grown Bull to the Calf I have lost, if I may only\nsecure my own escape from him in safety.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Fawn and His Mother\n\n\nA YOUNG FAWN once said to his Mother, \u201cYou are larger than a dog, and\nswifter, and more used to running, and you have your horns as a\ndefense; why, then, O Mother! do the hounds frighten you so?\u201d She\nsmiled, and said: \u201cI know full well, my son, that all you say is true.\nI have the advantages you mention, but when I hear even the bark of a\nsingle dog I feel ready to faint, and fly away as fast as I can.\u201d\n\nNo arguments will give courage to the coward.\n\n\n\n\nThe Ass, the Fox, and the Lion\n\n\nTHE ASS and the Fox, having entered into partnership together for their\nmutual protection, went out into the forest to hunt. They had not\nproceeded far when they met a Lion. The Fox, seeing imminent danger,\napproached the Lion and promised to contrive for him the capture of the\nAss if the Lion would pledge his word not to harm the Fox. Then, upon\nassuring the Ass that he would not be injured, the Fox led him to a\ndeep pit and arranged that he should fall into it. The Lion, seeing\nthat the Ass was secured, immediately clutched the Fox, and attacked\nthe Ass at his leisure.\n\n\n\n\nThe Flies and the Honey-Pot\n\n\nA NUMBER of Flies were attracted to a jar of honey which had been\noverturned in a housekeeper\u2019s room, and placing their feet in it, ate\ngreedily. Their feet, however, became so smeared with the honey that\nthey could not use their wings, nor release themselves, and were\nsuffocated. Just as they were expiring, they exclaimed, \u201cO foolish\ncreatures that we are, for the sake of a little pleasure we have\ndestroyed ourselves.\u201d\n\nPleasure bought with pains, hurts.\n\n\n\n\nThe Lioness\n\n\nA CONTROVERSY prevailed among the beasts of the field as to which of\nthe animals deserved the most credit for producing the greatest number\nof whelps at a birth. They rushed clamorously into the presence of the\nLioness and demanded of her the settlement of the dispute. \u201cAnd you,\u201d\nthey said, \u201chow many sons have you at a birth?\u201d The Lioness laughed at\nthem, and said: \u201cWhy! I have only one; but that one is altogether a\nthoroughbred Lion.\u201d\n\nThe value is in the worth, not in the number.\n\n\n\n\nThe Farmer and the Snake\n\n\nONE WINTER a Farmer found a Snake stiff and frozen with cold. He had\ncompassion on it, and taking it up, placed it in his bosom. The Snake\nwas quickly revived by the warmth, and resuming its natural instincts,\nbit its benefactor, inflicting on him a mortal wound. \u201cOh,\u201d cried the\nFarmer with his last breath, \u201cI am rightly served for pitying a\nscoundrel.\u201d\n\nThe greatest kindness will not bind the ungrateful.\n\n\n\n\nThe Man and the Lion\n\n\nA MAN and a Lion traveled together through the forest. They soon began\nto boast of their respective superiority to each other in strength and\nprowess. As they were disputing, they passed a statue carved in stone,\nwhich represented \u201ca Lion strangled by a Man.\u201d The traveler pointed to\nit and said: \u201cSee there! How strong we are, and how we prevail over\neven the king of beasts.\u201d The Lion replied: \u201cThis statue was made by\none of you men. If we Lions knew how to erect statues, you would see\nthe Man placed under the paw of the Lion.\u201d\n\nOne story is good, till another is told.\n\n\n\n\nThe Pomegranate, Apple-Tree, and Bramble\n\n\nTHE POMEGRANATE and Apple-Tree disputed as to which was the most\nbeautiful. When their strife was at its height, a Bramble from the\nneighboring hedge lifted up its voice, and said in a boastful tone:\n\u201cPray, my dear friends, in my presence at least cease from such vain\ndisputings.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Farmer and the Stork\n\n\nA FARMER placed nets on his newly-sown plowlands and caught a number of\nCranes, which came to pick up his seed. With them he trapped a Stork\nthat had fractured his leg in the net and was earnestly beseeching the\nFarmer to spare his life. \u201cPray save me, Master,\u201d he said, \u201cand let me\ngo free this once. My broken limb should excite your pity. Besides, I\nam no Crane, I am a Stork, a bird of excellent character; and see how I\nlove and slave for my father and mother. Look too, at my feathers\u2014they\nare not the least like those of a Crane.\u201d The Farmer laughed aloud and\nsaid, \u201cIt may be all as you say, I only know this: I have taken you\nwith these robbers, the Cranes, and you must die in their company.\u201d\n\nBirds of a feather flock together.\n\n\n\n\nThe Mountain in Labor\n\n\nA MOUNTAIN was once greatly agitated. Loud groans and noises were\nheard, and crowds of people came from all parts to see what was the\nmatter. While they were assembled in anxious expectation of some\nterrible calamity, out came a Mouse.\n\nDon\u2019t make much ado about nothing.\n\n\n\n\nThe Bear and the Fox\n\n\nA BEAR boasted very much of his philanthropy, saying that of all\nanimals he was the most tender in his regard for man, for he had such\nrespect for him that he would not even touch his dead body. A Fox\nhearing these words said with a smile to the Bear, \u201cOh! that you would\neat the dead and not the living.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Tortoise and the Eagle\n\n\nA TORTOISE, lazily basking in the sun, complained to the sea-birds of\nher hard fate, that no one would teach her to fly. An Eagle, hovering\nnear, heard her lamentation and demanded what reward she would give him\nif he would take her aloft and float her in the air. \u201cI will give you,\u201d\nshe said, \u201call the riches of the Red Sea.\u201d \u201cI will teach you to fly\nthen,\u201d said the Eagle; and taking her up in his talons he carried her\nalmost to the clouds suddenly he let her go, and she fell on a lofty\nmountain, dashing her shell to pieces. The Tortoise exclaimed in the\nmoment of death: \u201cI have deserved my present fate; for what had I to do\nwith wings and clouds, who can with difficulty move about on the\nearth?\u201d\n\nIf men had all they wished, they would be often ruined.\n\n\n\n\nThe Fox and the Goat\n\n\nA FOX one day fell into a deep well and could find no means of escape.\nA Goat, overcome with thirst, came to the same well, and seeing the\nFox, inquired if the water was good. Concealing his sad plight under a\nmerry guise, the Fox indulged in a lavish praise of the water, saying\nit was excellent beyond measure, and encouraging him to descend. The\nGoat, mindful only of his thirst, thoughtlessly jumped down, but just\nas he drank, the Fox informed him of the difficulty they were both in\nand suggested a scheme for their common escape. \u201cIf,\u201d said he, \u201cyou\nwill place your forefeet upon the wall and bend your head, I will run\nup your back and escape, and will help you out afterwards.\u201d The Goat\nreadily assented and the Fox leaped upon his back. Steadying himself\nwith the Goat\u2019s horns, he safely reached the mouth of the well and made\noff as fast as he could. When the Goat upbraided him for breaking his\npromise, he turned around and cried out, \u201cYou foolish old fellow! If\nyou had as many brains in your head as you have hairs in your beard,\nyou would never have gone down before you had inspected the way up, nor\nhave exposed yourself to dangers from which you had no means of\nescape.\u201d\n\nLook before you leap.\n\n\n\n\nThe Raven and the Swan\n\n\nA RAVEN saw a Swan and desired to secure for himself the same beautiful\nplumage. Supposing that the Swan\u2019s splendid white color arose from his\nwashing in the water in which he swam, the Raven left the altars in the\nneighborhood where he picked up his living, and took up residence in\nthe lakes and pools. But cleansing his feathers as often as he would,\nhe could not change their color, while through want of food he\nperished.\n\nChange of habit cannot alter Nature.\n\n\n\n\nThe Thirsty Pigeon\n\n\nA PIGEON, oppressed by excessive thirst, saw a goblet of water painted\non a signboard. Not supposing it to be only a picture, she flew towards\nit with a loud whir and unwittingly dashed against the signboard,\njarring herself terribly. Having broken her wings by the blow, she fell\nto the ground, and was caught by one of the bystanders.\n\nZeal should not outrun discretion.\n\n\n\n\nThe Dog in the Manger\n\n\nA DOG lay in a manger, and by his growling and snapping prevented the\noxen from eating the hay which had been placed for them. \u201cWhat a\nselfish Dog!\u201d said one of them to his companions; \u201che cannot eat the\nhay himself, and yet refuses to allow those to eat who can.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Oxen and the Axle-Trees\n\n\nA HEAVY WAGON was being dragged along a country lane by a team of Oxen.\nThe Axle-trees groaned and creaked terribly; whereupon the Oxen,\nturning round, thus addressed the wheels: \u201cHullo there! why do you make\nso much noise? We bear all the labor, and we, not you, ought to cry\nout.\u201d\n\nThose who suffer most cry out the least.\n\n\n\n\nThe Farmer and the Cranes\n\n\nSOME CRANES made their feeding grounds on some plowlands newly sown\nwith wheat. For a long time the Farmer, brandishing an empty sling,\nchased them away by the terror he inspired; but when the birds found\nthat the sling was only swung in the air, they ceased to take any\nnotice of it and would not move. The Farmer, on seeing this, charged\nhis sling with stones, and killed a great number. The remaining birds\nat once forsook his fields, crying to each other, \u201cIt is time for us to\nbe off to Liliput: for this man is no longer content to scare us, but\nbegins to show us in earnest what he can do.\u201d\n\nIf words suffice not, blows must follow.\n\n\n\n\nThe Sick Lion\n\n\nA LION, unable from old age and infirmities to provide himself with\nfood by force, resolved to do so by artifice. He returned to his den,\nand lying down there, pretended to be sick, taking care that his\nsickness should be publicly known. The beasts expressed their sorrow,\nand came one by one to his den, where the Lion devoured them. After\nmany of the beasts had thus disappeared, the Fox discovered the trick\nand presenting himself to the Lion, stood on the outside of the cave,\nat a respectful distance, and asked him how he was. \u201cI am very\nmiddling,\u201d replied the Lion, \u201cbut why do you stand without? Pray enter\nwithin to talk with me.\u201d \u201cNo, thank you,\u201d said the Fox. \u201cI notice that\nthere are many prints of feet entering your cave, but I see no trace of\nany returning.\u201d\n\nHe is wise who is warned by the misfortunes of others.\n\n\n\n\nThe Bear and the Two Travelers\n\n\nTWO MEN were traveling together, when a Bear suddenly met them on their\npath. One of them climbed up quickly into a tree and concealed himself\nin the branches. The other, seeing that he must be attacked, fell flat\non the ground, and when the Bear came up and felt him with his snout,\nand smelt him all over, he held his breath, and feigned the appearance\nof death as much as he could. The Bear soon left him, for it is said he\nwill not touch a dead body. When he was quite gone, the other Traveler\ndescended from the tree, and jocularly inquired of his friend what it\nwas the Bear had whispered in his ear. \u201cHe gave me this advice,\u201d his\ncompanion replied. \u201cNever travel with a friend who deserts you at the\napproach of danger.\u201d\n\nMisfortune tests the sincerity of friends.\n\n\n\n\nThe Fox Who Had Lost His Tail\n\n\nA FOX caught in a trap escaped, but in so doing lost his tail.\nThereafter, feeling his life a burden from the shame and ridicule to\nwhich he was exposed, he schemed to convince all the other Foxes that\nbeing tailless was much more attractive, thus making up for his own\ndeprivation. He assembled a good many Foxes and publicly advised them\nto cut off their tails, saying that they would not only look much\nbetter without them, but that they would get rid of the weight of the\nbrush, which was a very great inconvenience. One of them interrupting\nhim said, \u201cIf you had not yourself lost your tail, my friend, you would\nnot thus counsel us.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Cat and the Cock\n\n\nA CAT caught a Cock, and pondered how he might find a reasonable excuse\nfor eating him. He accused him of being a nuisance to men by crowing in\nthe nighttime and not permitting them to sleep. The Cock defended\nhimself by saying that he did this for the benefit of men, that they\nmight rise in time for their labours. The Cat replied, \u201cAlthough you\nabound in specious apologies, I shall not remain supperless;\u201d and he\nmade a meal of him.\n\n\n\n\nThe Wolf in Sheep\u2019s Clothing\n\n\nONCE UPON A TIME a Wolf resolved to disguise his appearance in order to\nsecure food more easily. Encased in the skin of a sheep, he pastured\nwith the flock deceiving the shepherd by his costume. In the evening he\nwas shut up by the shepherd in the fold; the gate was closed, and the\nentrance made thoroughly secure. But the shepherd, returning to the\nfold during the night to obtain meat for the next day, mistakenly\ncaught up the Wolf instead of a sheep, and killed him instantly.\n\nHarm seek, harm find.\n\n\n\n\nThe Goat and the Goatherd\n\n\nA GOATHERD had sought to bring back a stray goat to his flock. He\nwhistled and sounded his horn in vain; the straggler paid no attention\nto the summons. At last the Goatherd threw a stone, and breaking its\nhorn, begged the Goat not to tell his master. The Goat replied, \u201cWhy,\nyou silly fellow, the horn will speak though I be silent.\u201d\n\nDo not attempt to hide things which cannot be hid.\n\n\n\n\nThe Boasting Traveler\n\n\nA MAN who had traveled in foreign lands boasted very much, on returning\nto his own country, of the many wonderful and heroic feats he had\nperformed in the different places he had visited. Among other things,\nhe said that when he was at Rhodes he had leaped to such a distance\nthat no man of his day could leap anywhere near him as to that, there\nwere in Rhodes many persons who saw him do it and whom he could call as\nwitnesses. One of the bystanders interrupted him, saying: \u201cNow, my good\nman, if this be all true there is no need of witnesses. Suppose this to\nbe Rhodes, and leap for us.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Lion in Love\n\n\nA LION demanded the daughter of a woodcutter in marriage. The Father,\nunwilling to grant, and yet afraid to refuse his request, hit upon this\nexpedient to rid himself of his importunities. He expressed his\nwillingness to accept the Lion as the suitor of his daughter on one\ncondition: that he should allow him to extract his teeth, and cut off\nhis claws, as his daughter was fearfully afraid of both. The Lion\ncheerfully assented to the proposal. But when the toothless, clawless\nLion returned to repeat his request, the Woodman, no longer afraid, set\nupon him with his club, and drove him away into the forest.\n\n\n\n\nThe Miser\n\n\nA MISER sold all that he had and bought a lump of gold, which he buried\nin a hole in the ground by the side of an old wall and went to look at\ndaily. One of his workmen observed his frequent visits to the spot and\ndecided to watch his movements. He soon discovered the secret of the\nhidden treasure, and digging down, came to the lump of gold, and stole\nit. The Miser, on his next visit, found the hole empty and began to\ntear his hair and to make loud lamentations. A neighbor, seeing him\novercome with grief and learning the cause, said, \u201cPray do not grieve\nso; but go and take a stone, and place it in the hole, and fancy that\nthe gold is still lying there. It will do you quite the same service;\nfor when the gold was there, you had it not, as you did not make the\nslightest use of it.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Porker, the Sheep, and the Goat\n\n\nA young Pig was shut up in a fold-yard with a Goat and a Sheep. On one\noccasion the shepherd laid hold of him, when he grunted, and squeaked,\nand resisted violently. The Sheep and the Goat complained of his\ndistressing cries, and said, \u201cHe often handles us, and we do not cry\nout.\u201d To this he replied, \u201cYour handling and mine are very different\nthings. He catches you only for your wool, or your milk, but he lays\nhold on me for my very life.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Boy and the Filberts\n\n\nA BOY put his hand into a pitcher full of filberts. He grasped as many\nas he could possibly hold, but when he tried to pull out his hand, he\nwas prevented from doing so by the neck of the pitcher. Unwilling to\nlose his filberts, and yet unable to withdraw his hand, he burst into\ntears and bitterly lamented his disappointment. A bystander said to\nhim, \u201cBe satisfied with half the quantity, and you will readily draw\nout your hand.\u201d\n\nDo not attempt too much at once.\n\n\n\n\nThe Frogs Asking for a King\n\n\nTHE FROGS, grieved at having no established Ruler, sent ambassadors to\nJupiter entreating for a King. Perceiving their simplicity, he cast\ndown a huge log into the lake. The Frogs were terrified at the splash\noccasioned by its fall and hid themselves in the depths of the pool.\nBut as soon as they realized that the huge log was motionless, they\nswam again to the top of the water, dismissed their fears, climbed up,\nand began squatting on it in contempt. After some time they began to\nthink themselves ill-treated in the appointment of so inert a Ruler,\nand sent a second deputation to Jupiter to pray that he would set over\nthem another sovereign. He then gave them an Eel to govern them. When\nthe Frogs discovered his easy good nature, they sent yet a third time\nto Jupiter to beg him to choose for them still another King. Jupiter,\ndispleased with all their complaints, sent a Heron, who preyed upon the\nFrogs day by day till there were none left to croak upon the lake.\n\n\n\n\nThe Laborer and the Snake\n\n\nA SNAKE, having made his hole close to the porch of a cottage,\ninflicted a mortal bite on the Cottager\u2019s infant son. Grieving over his\nloss, the Father resolved to kill the Snake. The next day, when it came\nout of its hole for food, he took up his axe, but by swinging too\nhastily, missed its head and cut off only the end of its tail. After\nsome time the Cottager, afraid that the Snake would bite him also,\nendeavored to make peace, and placed some bread and salt in the hole.\nThe Snake, slightly hissing, said: \u201cThere can henceforth be no peace\nbetween us; for whenever I see you I shall remember the loss of my\ntail, and whenever you see me you will be thinking of the death of your\nson.\u201d\n\nNo one truly forgets injuries in the presence of him who caused the\ninjury.\n\n\n\n\nThe Lion, the Mouse, and the Fox\n\n\nA LION, fatigued by the heat of a summer\u2019s day, fell fast asleep in his\nden. A Mouse ran over his mane and ears and woke him from his slumbers.\nHe rose up and shook himself in great wrath, and searched every corner\nof his den to find the Mouse. A Fox seeing him said: \u201cA fine Lion you\nare, to be frightened of a Mouse.\u201d \u201c\u2019Tis not the Mouse I fear,\u201d said\nthe Lion; \u201cI resent his familiarity and ill-breeding.\u201d\n\nLittle liberties are great offenses.\n\n\n\n\nThe Horse and Groom\n\n\nA GROOM used to spend whole days in currycombing and rubbing down his\nHorse, but at the same time stole his oats and sold them for his own\nprofit. \u201cAlas!\u201d said the Horse, \u201cif you really wish me to be in good\ncondition, you should groom me less, and feed me more.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Ass and the Mule\n\n\nA MULETEER set forth on a journey, driving before him an Ass and a\nMule, both well laden. The Ass, as long as he traveled along the plain,\ncarried his load with ease, but when he began to ascend the steep path\nof the mountain, felt his load to be more than he could bear. He\nentreated his companion to relieve him of a small portion, that he\nmight carry home the rest; but the Mule paid no attention to the\nrequest. The Ass shortly afterwards fell down dead under his burden.\nNot knowing what else to do in so wild a region, the Muleteer placed\nupon the Mule the load carried by the Ass in addition to his own, and\nat the top of all placed the hide of the Ass, after he had skinned him.\nThe Mule, groaning beneath his heavy burden, said to himself: \u201cI am\ntreated according to my deserts. If I had only been willing to assist\nthe Ass a little in his need, I should not now be bearing, together\nwith his burden, himself as well.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Ass and the Lapdog\n\n\nA MAN had an Ass, and a Maltese Lapdog, a very great beauty. The Ass\nwas left in a stable and had plenty of oats and hay to eat, just as any\nother Ass would. The Lapdog knew many tricks and was a great favourite\nwith his master, who often fondled him and seldom went out to dine\nwithout bringing him home some tidbit to eat. The Ass, on the contrary,\nhad much work to do in grinding the corn-mill and in carrying wood from\nthe forest or burdens from the farm. He often lamented his own hard\nfate and contrasted it with the luxury and idleness of the Lapdog, till\nat last one day he broke his cords and halter, and galloped into his\nmaster\u2019s house, kicking up his heels without measure, and frisking and\nfawning as well as he could. He next tried to jump about his master as\nhe had seen the Lapdog do, but he broke the table and smashed all the\ndishes upon it to atoms. He then attempted to lick his master, and\njumped upon his back. The servants, hearing the strange hubbub and\nperceiving the danger of their master, quickly relieved him, and drove\nout the Ass to his stable with kicks and clubs and cuffs. The Ass, as\nhe returned to his stall beaten nearly to death, thus lamented: \u201cI have\nbrought it all on myself! Why could I not have been contented to labor\nwith my companions, and not wish to be idle all the day like that\nuseless little Lapdog!\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Oxen and the Butchers\n\n\nTHE OXEN once upon a time sought to destroy the Butchers, who practiced\na trade destructive to their race. They assembled on a certain day to\ncarry out their purpose, and sharpened their horns for the contest. But\none of them who was exceedingly old (for many a field had he plowed)\nthus spoke: \u201cThese Butchers, it is true, slaughter us, but they do so\nwith skillful hands, and with no unnecessary pain. If we get rid of\nthem, we shall fall into the hands of unskillful operators, and thus\nsuffer a double death: for you may be assured, that though all the\nButchers should perish, yet will men never want beef.\u201d\n\nDo not be in a hurry to change one evil for another.\n\n\n\n\nThe Shepherd\u2019s Boy and the Wolf\n\n\nA SHEPHERD-BOY, who watched a flock of sheep near a village, brought\nout the villagers three or four times by crying out, \u201cWolf! Wolf!\u201d and\nwhen his neighbors came to help him, laughed at them for their pains.\nThe Wolf, however, did truly come at last. The Shepherd-boy, now really\nalarmed, shouted in an agony of terror: \u201cPray, do come and help me; the\nWolf is killing the sheep;\u201d but no one paid any heed to his cries, nor\nrendered any assistance. The Wolf, having no cause of fear, at his\nleisure lacerated or destroyed the whole flock.\n\nThere is no believing a liar, even when he speaks the truth.\n\n\n\n\nThe Boys and the Frogs\n\n\nSOME BOYS, playing near a pond, saw a number of Frogs in the water and\nbegan to pelt them with stones. They killed several of them, when one\nof the Frogs, lifting his head out of the water, cried out: \u201cPray stop,\nmy boys: what is sport to you, is death to us.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Salt Merchant and His Ass\n\n\nA PEDDLER drove his Ass to the seashore to buy salt. His road home lay\nacross a stream into which his Ass, making a false step, fell by\naccident and rose up again with his load considerably lighter, as the\nwater melted the sack. The Peddler retraced his steps and refilled his\npanniers with a larger quantity of salt than before. When he came again\nto the stream, the Ass fell down on purpose in the same spot, and,\nregaining his feet with the weight of his load much diminished, brayed\ntriumphantly as if he had obtained what he desired. The Peddler saw\nthrough his trick and drove him for the third time to the coast, where\nhe bought a cargo of sponges instead of salt. The Ass, again playing\nthe fool, fell down on purpose when he reached the stream, but the\nsponges became swollen with water, greatly increasing his load. And\nthus his trick recoiled on him, for he now carried on his back a double\nburden.\n\n\n\n\nThe Mischievous Dog\n\n\nA DOG used to run up quietly to the heels of everyone he met, and to\nbite them without notice. His master suspended a bell about his neck so\nthat the Dog might give notice of his presence wherever he went.\nThinking it a mark of distinction, the Dog grew proud of his bell and\nwent tinkling it all over the marketplace. One day an old hound said to\nhim: \u201cWhy do you make such an exhibition of yourself? That bell that\nyou carry is not, believe me, any order of merit, but on the contrary a\nmark of disgrace, a public notice to all men to avoid you as an ill\nmannered dog.\u201d\n\nNotoriety is often mistaken for fame.\n\n\n\n\nThe Goatherd and the Wild Goats\n\n\nA GOATHERD, driving his flock from their pasture at eventide, found\nsome Wild Goats mingled among them, and shut them up together with his\nown for the night. The next day it snowed very hard, so that he could\nnot take the herd to their usual feeding places, but was obliged to\nkeep them in the fold. He gave his own goats just sufficient food to\nkeep them alive, but fed the strangers more abundantly in the hope of\nenticing them to stay with him and of making them his own. When the\nthaw set in, he led them all out to feed, and the Wild Goats scampered\naway as fast as they could to the mountains. The Goatherd scolded them\nfor their ingratitude in leaving him, when during the storm he had\ntaken more care of them than of his own herd. One of them, turning\nabout, said to him: \u201cThat is the very reason why we are so cautious;\nfor if you yesterday treated us better than the Goats you have had so\nlong, it is plain also that if others came after us, you would in the\nsame manner prefer them to ourselves.\u201d\n\nOld friends cannot with impunity be sacrificed for new ones.\n\n\n\n\nThe Man and His Two Sweethearts\n\n\nA MIDDLE-AGED MAN, whose hair had begun to turn gray, courted two women\nat the same time. One of them was young, and the other well advanced in\nyears. The elder woman, ashamed to be courted by a man younger than\nherself, made a point, whenever her admirer visited her, to pull out\nsome portion of his black hairs. The younger, on the contrary, not\nwishing to become the wife of an old man, was equally zealous in\nremoving every gray hair she could find. Thus it came to pass that\nbetween them both he very soon found that he had not a hair left on his\nhead.\n\nThose who seek to please everybody please nobody.\n\n\n\n\nThe Sick Stag\n\n\nA SICK STAG lay down in a quiet corner of its pasture-ground. His\ncompanions came in great numbers to inquire after his health, and each\none helped himself to a share of the food which had been placed for his\nuse; so that he died, not from his sickness, but from the failure of\nthe means of living.\n\nEvil companions bring more hurt than profit.\n\n\n\n\nThe Boy and the Nettles\n\n\nA BOY was stung by a Nettle. He ran home and told his Mother, saying,\n\u201cAlthough it hurts me very much, I only touched it gently.\u201d \u201cThat was\njust why it stung you,\u201d said his Mother. \u201cThe next time you touch a\nNettle, grasp it boldly, and it will be soft as silk to your hand, and\nnot in the least hurt you.\u201d\n\nWhatever you do, do with all your might.\n\n\n\n\nThe Astronomer\n\n\nAN ASTRONOMER used to go out at night to observe the stars. One\nevening, as he wandered through the suburbs with his whole attention\nfixed on the sky, he fell accidentally into a deep well. While he\nlamented and bewailed his sores and bruises, and cried loudly for help,\na neighbor ran to the well, and learning what had happened said: \u201cHark\nye, old fellow, why, in striving to pry into what is in heaven, do you\nnot manage to see what is on earth?\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Wolves and the Sheep\n\n\n\u201cWHY SHOULD there always be this fear and slaughter between us?\u201d said\nthe Wolves to the Sheep. \u201cThose evil-disposed Dogs have much to answer\nfor. They always bark whenever we approach you and attack us before we\nhave done any harm. If you would only dismiss them from your heels,\nthere might soon be treaties of peace and reconciliation between us.\u201d\nThe Sheep, poor silly creatures, were easily beguiled and dismissed the\nDogs, whereupon the Wolves destroyed the unguarded flock at their own\npleasure.\n\n\n\n\nThe Cat and the Birds\n\n\nA CAT, hearing that the Birds in a certain aviary were ailing dressed\nhimself up as a physician, and, taking his cane and a bag of\ninstruments becoming his profession, went to call on them. He knocked\nat the door and inquired of the inmates how they all did, saying that\nif they were ill, he would be happy to prescribe for them and cure\nthem. They replied, \u201cWe are all very well, and shall continue so, if\nyou will only be good enough to go away, and leave us as we are.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Vain Jackdaw\n\n\nJUPITER DETERMINED, it is said, to create a sovereign over the birds,\nand made proclamation that on a certain day they should all present\nthemselves before him, when he would himself choose the most beautiful\namong them to be king. The Jackdaw, knowing his own ugliness, searched\nthrough the woods and fields, and collected the feathers which had\nfallen from the wings of his companions, and stuck them in all parts of\nhis body, hoping thereby to make himself the most beautiful of all.\nWhen the appointed day arrived, and the birds had assembled before\nJupiter, the Jackdaw also made his appearance in his many feathered\nfinery. But when Jupiter proposed to make him king because of the\nbeauty of his plumage, the birds indignantly protested, and each\nplucked from him his own feathers, leaving the Jackdaw nothing but a\nJackdaw.\n\n\n\n\nThe Kid and the Wolf\n\n\nA KID standing on the roof of a house, out of harm\u2019s way, saw a Wolf\npassing by and immediately began to taunt and revile him. The Wolf,\nlooking up, said, \u201cSirrah! I hear thee: yet it is not thou who mockest\nme, but the roof on which thou art standing.\u201d\n\nTime and place often give the advantage to the weak over the strong.\n\n\n\n\nThe Old Woman and the Physician\n\n\nAN OLD WOMAN having lost the use of her eyes, called in a Physician to\nheal them, and made this bargain with him in the presence of witnesses:\nthat if he should cure her blindness, he should receive from her a sum\nof money; but if her infirmity remained, she should give him nothing.\nThis agreement being made, the Physician, time after time, applied his\nsalve to her eyes, and on every visit took something away, stealing all\nher property little by little. And when he had got all she had, he\nhealed her and demanded the promised payment. The Old Woman, when she\nrecovered her sight and saw none of her goods in her house, would give\nhim nothing. The Physician insisted on his claim, and, as she still\nrefused, summoned her before the Judge. The Old Woman, standing up in\nthe Court, argued: \u201cThis man here speaks the truth in what he says; for\nI did promise to give him a sum of money if I should recover my sight:\nbut if I continued blind, I was to give him nothing. Now he declares\nthat I am healed. I on the contrary affirm that I am still blind; for\nwhen I lost the use of my eyes, I saw in my house various chattels and\nvaluable goods: but now, though he swears I am cured of my blindness, I\nam not able to see a single thing in it.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Ox and the Frog\n\n\nAN OX drinking at a pool trod on a brood of young frogs and crushed one\nof them to death. The Mother coming up, and missing one of her sons,\ninquired of his brothers what had become of him. \u201cHe is dead, dear\nMother; for just now a very huge beast with four great feet came to the\npool and crushed him to death with his cloven heel.\u201d The Frog, puffing\nherself out, inquired, \u201cif the beast was as big as that in size.\u201d\n\u201cCease, Mother, to puff yourself out,\u201d said her son, \u201cand do not be\nangry; for you would, I assure you, sooner burst than successfully\nimitate the hugeness of that monster.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Farmer and His Sons\n\n\nA FATHER, being on the point of death, wished to be sure that his sons\nwould give the same attention to his farm as he himself had given it.\nHe called them to his bedside and said, \u201cMy sons, there is a great\ntreasure hid in one of my vineyards.\u201d The sons, after his death, took\ntheir spades and mattocks and carefully dug over every portion of their\nland. They found no treasure, but the vines repaid their labor by an\nextraordinary and superabundant crop.\n\n\n\n\nThe Heifer and the Ox\n\n\nA HEIFER saw an Ox hard at work harnessed to a plow, and tormented him\nwith reflections on his unhappy fate in being compelled to labor.\nShortly afterwards, at the harvest festival, the owner released the Ox\nfrom his yoke, but bound the Heifer with cords and led him away to the\naltar to be slain in honour of the occasion. The Ox saw what was being\ndone, and said with a smile to the Heifer: \u201cFor this you were allowed\nto live in idleness, because you were presently to be sacrificed.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Fighting Cocks and the Eagle\n\n\nTWO GAME COCKS were fiercely fighting for the mastery of the farmyard.\nOne at last put the other to flight. The vanquished Cock skulked away\nand hid himself in a quiet corner, while the conqueror, flying up to a\nhigh wall, flapped his wings and crowed exultingly with all his might.\nAn Eagle sailing through the air pounced upon him and carried him off\nin his talons. The vanquished Cock immediately came out of his corner,\nand ruled henceforth with undisputed mastery.\n\nPride goes before destruction.\n\n\n\n\nThe Charger and the Miller\n\n\nA CHARGER, feeling the infirmities of age, was sent to work in a mill\ninstead of going out to battle. But when he was compelled to grind\ninstead of serving in the wars, he bewailed his change of fortune and\ncalled to mind his former state, saying, \u201cAh! Miller, I had indeed to\ngo campaigning before, but I was barbed from counter to tail, and a man\nwent along to groom me; and now I cannot understand what ailed me to\nprefer the mill before the battle.\u201d \u201cForbear,\u201d said the Miller to him,\n\u201charping on what was of yore, for it is the common lot of mortals to\nsustain the ups and downs of fortune.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Fox and the Monkey\n\n\nA MONKEY once danced in an assembly of the Beasts, and so pleased them\nall by his performance that they elected him their King. A Fox, envying\nhim the honour, discovered a piece of meat lying in a trap, and leading\nthe Monkey to the place where it was, said that she had found a store,\nbut had not used it, she had kept it for him as treasure trove of his\nkingdom, and counseled him to lay hold of it. The Monkey approached\ncarelessly and was caught in the trap; and on his accusing the Fox of\npurposely leading him into the snare, she replied, \u201cO Monkey, and are\nyou, with such a mind as yours, going to be King over the Beasts?\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Horse and His Rider\n\n\nA HORSE SOLDIER took the utmost pains with his charger. As long as the\nwar lasted, he looked upon him as his fellow-helper in all emergencies\nand fed him carefully with hay and corn. But when the war was over, he\nonly allowed him chaff to eat and made him carry heavy loads of wood,\nsubjecting him to much slavish drudgery and ill-treatment. War was\nagain proclaimed, however, and when the trumpet summoned him to his\nstandard, the Soldier put on his charger its military trappings, and\nmounted, being clad in his heavy coat of mail. The Horse fell down\nstraightway under the weight, no longer equal to the burden, and said\nto his master, \u201cYou must now go to the war on foot, for you have\ntransformed me from a Horse into an Ass; and how can you expect that I\ncan again turn in a moment from an Ass to a Horse?\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Belly and the Members\n\n\nTHE MEMBERS of the Body rebelled against the Belly, and said, \u201cWhy\nshould we be perpetually engaged in administering to your wants, while\nyou do nothing but take your rest, and enjoy yourself in luxury and\nself-indulgence?\u201d The Members carried out their resolve and refused\ntheir assistance to the Belly. The whole Body quickly became\ndebilitated, and the hands, feet, mouth, and eyes, when too late,\nrepented of their folly.\n\n\n\n\nThe Widow and Her Little Maidens\n\n\nA WIDOW who was fond of cleaning had two little maidens to wait on her.\nShe was in the habit of waking them early in the morning, at cockcrow.\nThe maidens, aggravated by such excessive labor, resolved to kill the\ncock who roused their mistress so early. When they had done this, they\nfound that they had only prepared for themselves greater troubles, for\ntheir mistress, no longer hearing the hour from the cock, woke them up\nto their work in the middle of the night.\n\n\n\n\nThe Vine and the Goat\n\n\nA VINE was luxuriant in the time of vintage with leaves and grapes. A\nGoat, passing by, nibbled its young tendrils and its leaves. The Vine\naddressed him and said: \u201cWhy do you thus injure me without a cause, and\ncrop my leaves? Is there no young grass left? But I shall not have to\nwait long for my just revenge; for if you now should crop my leaves,\nand cut me down to my root, I shall provide the wine to pour over you\nwhen you are led as a victim to the sacrifice.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nJupiter and the Monkey\n\n\nJUPITER ISSUED a proclamation to all the beasts of the forest and\npromised a royal reward to the one whose offspring should be deemed the\nhandsomest. The Monkey came with the rest and presented, with all a\nmother\u2019s tenderness, a flat-nosed, hairless, ill-featured young Monkey\nas a candidate for the promised reward. A general laugh saluted her on\nthe presentation of her son. She resolutely said, \u201cI know not whether\nJupiter will allot the prize to my son, but this I do know, that he is\nat least in the eyes of me his mother, the dearest, handsomest, and\nmost beautiful of all.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Hawk, the Kite, and the Pigeons\n\n\nTHE PIGEONS, terrified by the appearance of a Kite, called upon the\nHawk to defend them. He at once consented. When they had admitted him\ninto the cote, they found that he made more havoc and slew a larger\nnumber of them in one day than the Kite could pounce upon in a whole\nyear.\n\nAvoid a remedy that is worse than the disease.\n\n\n\n\nThe Dolphins, the Whales, and the Sprat\n\n\nTHE DOLPHINS and Whales waged a fierce war with each other. When the\nbattle was at its height, a Sprat lifted its head out of the waves and\nsaid that he would reconcile their differences if they would accept him\nas an umpire. One of the Dolphins replied, \u201cWe would far rather be\ndestroyed in our battle with each other than admit any interference\nfrom you in our affairs.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Swallow, the Serpent, and the Court of Justice\n\n\nA SWALLOW, returning from abroad and especially fond of dwelling with\nmen, built herself a nest in the wall of a Court of Justice and there\nhatched seven young birds. A Serpent gliding past the nest from its\nhole in the wall ate up the young unfledged nestlings. The Swallow,\nfinding her nest empty, lamented greatly and exclaimed: \u201cWoe to me a\nstranger! that in this place where all others\u2019 rights are protected, I\nalone should suffer wrong.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Two Pots\n\n\nA RIVER carried down in its stream two Pots, one made of earthenware\nand the other of brass. The Earthen Pot said to the Brass Pot, \u201cPray\nkeep at a distance and do not come near me, for if you touch me ever so\nslightly, I shall be broken in pieces, and besides, I by no means wish\nto come near you.\u201d\n\nEquals make the best friends.\n\n\n\n\nThe Shepherd and the Wolf\n\n\nA SHEPHERD once found the whelp of a Wolf and brought it up, and after\na while taught it to steal lambs from the neighboring flocks. The Wolf,\nhaving shown himself an apt pupil, said to the Shepherd, \u201cSince you\nhave taught me to steal, you must keep a sharp lookout, or you will\nlose some of your own flock.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Crab and Its Mother\n\n\nA CRAB said to her son, \u201cWhy do you walk so one-sided, my child? It is\nfar more becoming to go straight forward.\u201d The young Crab replied:\n\u201cQuite true, dear Mother; and if you will show me the straight way, I\nwill promise to walk in it.\u201d The Mother tried in vain, and submitted\nwithout remonstrance to the reproof of her child.\n\nExample is more powerful than precept.\n\n\n\n\nThe Father and His Two Daughters\n\n\nA MAN had two daughters, the one married to a gardener, and the other\nto a tile-maker. After a time he went to the daughter who had married\nthe gardener, and inquired how she was and how all things went with\nher. She said, \u201cAll things are prospering with me, and I have only one\nwish, that there may be a heavy fall of rain, in order that the plants\nmay be well watered.\u201d Not long after, he went to the daughter who had\nmarried the tilemaker, and likewise inquired of her how she fared; she\nreplied, \u201cI want for nothing, and have only one wish, that the dry\nweather may continue, and the sun shine hot and bright, so that the\nbricks might be dried.\u201d He said to her, \u201cIf your sister wishes for\nrain, and you for dry weather, with which of the two am I to join my\nwishes?\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Thief and His Mother\n\n\nA BOY stole a lesson-book from one of his schoolfellows and took it\nhome to his Mother. She not only abstained from beating him, but\nencouraged him. He next time stole a cloak and brought it to her, and\nshe again commended him. The Youth, advanced to adulthood, proceeded to\nsteal things of still greater value. At last he was caught in the very\nact, and having his hands bound behind him, was led away to the place\nof public execution. His Mother followed in the crowd and violently\nbeat her breast in sorrow, whereupon the young man said, \u201cI wish to say\nsomething to my Mother in her ear.\u201d She came close to him, and he\nquickly seized her ear with his teeth and bit it off. The Mother\nupbraided him as an unnatural child, whereon he replied, \u201cAh! if you\nhad beaten me when I first stole and brought to you that lesson-book, I\nshould not have come to this, nor have been thus led to a disgraceful\ndeath.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Old Man and Death\n\n\nAN OLD MAN was employed in cutting wood in the forest, and, in carrying\nthe faggots to the city for sale one day, became very wearied with his\nlong journey. He sat down by the wayside, and throwing down his load,\nbesought \u201cDeath\u201d to come. \u201cDeath\u201d immediately appeared in answer to his\nsummons and asked for what reason he had called him. The Old Man\nhurriedly replied, \u201cThat, lifting up the load, you may place it again\nupon my shoulders.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Fir-Tree and the Bramble\n\n\nA FIR-TREE said boastingly to the Bramble, \u201cYou are useful for nothing\nat all; while I am everywhere used for roofs and houses.\u201d The Bramble\nanswered: \u201cYou poor creature, if you would only call to mind the axes\nand saws which are about to hew you down, you would have reason to wish\nthat you had grown up a Bramble, not a Fir-Tree.\u201d\n\nBetter poverty without care, than riches with.\n\n\n\n\nThe \u00c6thiop\n\n\nTHE PURCHASER of a black servant was persuaded that the color of his\nskin arose from dirt contracted through the neglect of his former\nmasters. On bringing him home he resorted to every means of cleaning,\nand subjected the man to incessant scrubbings. The servant caught a\nsevere cold, but he never changed his color or complexion.\n\nWhat\u2019s bred in the bone will stick to the flesh.\n\n\n\n\nThe Mouse, the Frog, and the Hawk\n\n\nA MOUSE who always lived on the land, by an unlucky chance formed an\nintimate acquaintance with a Frog, who lived for the most part in the\nwater. The Frog, one day intent on mischief, bound the foot of the\nMouse tightly to his own. Thus joined together, the Frog first of all\nled his friend the Mouse to the meadow where they were accustomed to\nfind their food. After this, he gradually led him towards the pool in\nwhich he lived, until reaching the very brink, he suddenly jumped in,\ndragging the Mouse with him. The Frog enjoyed the water amazingly, and\nswam croaking about, as if he had done a good deed. The unhappy Mouse\nwas soon suffocated by the water, and his dead body floated about on\nthe surface, tied to the foot of the Frog. A Hawk observed it, and,\npouncing upon it with his talons, carried it aloft. The Frog, being\nstill fastened to the leg of the Mouse, was also carried off a\nprisoner, and was eaten by the Hawk.\n\nHarm hatch, harm catch.\n\n\n\n\nThe Fisherman and His Nets\n\n\nA FISHERMAN, engaged in his calling, made a very successful cast and\ncaptured a great haul of fish. He managed by a skillful handling of his\nnet to retain all the large fish and to draw them to the shore; but he\ncould not prevent the smaller fish from falling back through the meshes\nof the net into the sea.\n\n\n\n\nThe Wolf and the Sheep\n\n\nA WOLF, sorely wounded and bitten by dogs, lay sick and maimed in his\nlair. Being in want of food, he called to a Sheep who was passing, and\nasked him to fetch some water from a stream flowing close beside him.\n\u201cFor,\u201d he said, \u201cif you will bring me drink, I will find means to\nprovide myself with meat.\u201d \u201cYes,\u201d said the Sheep, \u201cif I should bring\nyou the draught, you would doubtless make me provide the meat also.\u201d\n\nHypocritical speeches are easily seen through.\n\n\n\n\nThe Old Woman and the Wine-Jar\n\n\nAN OLD WOMAN found an empty jar which had lately been full of prime old\nwine and which still retained the fragrant smell of its former\ncontents. She greedily placed it several times to her nose, and drawing\nit backwards and forwards said, \u201cO most delicious! How nice must the\nWine itself have been, when it leaves behind in the very vessel which\ncontained it so sweet a perfume!\u201d\n\nThe memory of a good deed lives.\n\n\n\n\nThe Man Bitten by a Dog\n\n\nA MAN who had been bitten by a Dog went about in quest of someone who\nmight heal him. A friend, meeting him and learning what he wanted,\nsaid, \u201cIf you would be cured, take a piece of bread, and dip it in the\nblood from your wound, and go and give it to the Dog that bit you.\u201d The\nMan who had been bitten laughed at this advice and said, \u201cWhy? If I\nshould do so, it would be as if I should beg every Dog in the town to\nbite me.\u201d\n\nBenefits bestowed upon the evil-disposed increase their means of\ninjuring you.\n\n\n\n\nThe Huntsman and the Fisherman\n\n\nA HUNTSMAN, returning with his dogs from the field, fell in by chance\nwith a Fisherman who was bringing home a basket well laden with fish.\nThe Huntsman wished to have the fish, and their owner experienced an\nequal longing for the contents of the game-bag. They quickly agreed to\nexchange the produce of their day\u2019s sport. Each was so well pleased\nwith his bargain that they made for some time the same exchange day\nafter day. Finally a neighbor said to them, \u201cIf you go on in this way,\nyou will soon destroy by frequent use the pleasure of your exchange,\nand each will again wish to retain the fruits of his own sport.\u201d\n\nAbstain and enjoy.\n\n\n\n\nThe Fox and the Crow\n\n\nA CROW having stolen a bit of meat, perched in a tree and held it in\nher beak. A Fox, seeing this, longed to possess the meat himself, and\nby a wily stratagem succeeded. \u201cHow handsome is the Crow,\u201d he\nexclaimed, \u201cin the beauty of her shape and in the fairness of her\ncomplexion! Oh, if her voice were only equal to her beauty, she would\ndeservedly be considered the Queen of Birds!\u201d This he said deceitfully;\nbut the Crow, anxious to refute the reflection cast upon her voice, set\nup a loud caw and dropped the flesh. The Fox quickly picked it up, and\nthus addressed the Crow: \u201cMy good Crow, your voice is right enough, but\nyour wit is wanting.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Widow and the Sheep\n\n\nA CERTAIN poor widow had one solitary Sheep. At shearing time, wishing\nto take his fleece and to avoid expense, she sheared him herself, but\nused the shears so unskillfully that with the fleece she sheared the\nflesh. The Sheep, writhing with pain, said, \u201cWhy do you hurt me so,\nMistress? What weight can my blood add to the wool? If you want my\nflesh, there is the butcher, who will kill me in an instant; but if you\nwant my fleece and wool, there is the shearer, who will shear and not\nhurt me.\u201d\n\nThe least outlay is not always the greatest gain.\n\n\n\n\nThe Playful Ass\n\n\nAN ASS climbed up to the roof of a building, and frisking about there,\nbroke in the tiling. The owner went up after him and quickly drove him\ndown, beating him severely with a thick wooden cudgel. The Ass said,\n\u201cWhy, I saw the Monkey do this very thing yesterday, and you all\nlaughed heartily, as if it afforded you very great amusement.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Stag in the Ox-Stall\n\n\nA STAG, roundly chased by the hounds and blinded by fear to the danger\nhe was running into, took shelter in a farmyard and hid himself in a\nshed among the oxen. An Ox gave him this kindly warning: \u201cO unhappy\ncreature! why should you thus, of your own accord, incur destruction\nand trust yourself in the house of your enemy?\u201d The Stag replied: \u201cOnly\nallow me, friend, to stay where I am, and I will undertake to find some\nfavourable opportunity of effecting my escape.\u201d At the approach of the\nevening the herdsman came to feed his cattle, but did not see the Stag;\nand even the farm-bailiff with several laborers passed through the shed\nand failed to notice him. The Stag, congratulating himself on his\nsafety, began to express his sincere thanks to the Oxen who had kindly\nhelped him in the hour of need. One of them again answered him: \u201cWe\nindeed wish you well, but the danger is not over. There is one other\nyet to pass through the shed, who has as it were a hundred eyes, and\nuntil he has come and gone, your life is still in peril.\u201d At that\nmoment the master himself entered, and having had to complain that his\noxen had not been properly fed, he went up to their racks and cried\nout: \u201cWhy is there such a scarcity of fodder? There is not half enough\nstraw for them to lie on. Those lazy fellows have not even swept the\ncobwebs away.\u201d While he thus examined everything in turn, he spied the\ntips of the antlers of the Stag peeping out of the straw. Then\nsummoning his laborers, he ordered that the Stag should be seized and\nkilled.\n\n\n\n\nThe Two Dogs\n\n\nA MAN had two dogs: a Hound, trained to assist him in his sports, and a\nHousedog, taught to watch the house. When he returned home after a good\nday\u2019s sport, he always gave the Housedog a large share of his spoil.\nThe Hound, feeling much aggrieved at this, reproached his companion,\nsaying, \u201cIt is very hard to have all this labor, while you, who do not\nassist in the chase, luxuriate on the fruits of my exertions.\u201d The\nHousedog replied, \u201cDo not blame me, my friend, but find fault with the\nmaster, who has not taught me to labor, but to depend for subsistence\non the labor of others.\u201d\n\nChildren are not to be blamed for the faults of their parents.\n\n\n\n\nThe Wild Ass and the Lion\n\n\nA WILD ASS and a Lion entered into an alliance so that they might\ncapture the beasts of the forest with greater ease. The Lion agreed to\nassist the Wild Ass with his strength, while the Wild Ass gave the Lion\nthe benefit of his greater speed. When they had taken as many beasts as\ntheir necessities required, the Lion undertook to distribute the prey,\nand for this purpose divided it into three shares. \u201cI will take the\nfirst share,\u201d he said, \u201cbecause I am King: and the second share, as a\npartner with you in the chase: and the third share (believe me) will be\na source of great evil to you, unless you willingly resign it to me,\nand set off as fast as you can.\u201d\n\nMight makes right.\n\n\n\n\nThe Lion and the Dolphin\n\n\nA LION roaming by the seashore saw a Dolphin lift up its head out of\nthe waves, and suggested that they contract an alliance, saying that of\nall the animals they ought to be the best friends, since the one was\nthe king of beasts on the earth, and the other was the sovereign ruler\nof all the inhabitants of the ocean. The Dolphin gladly consented to\nthis request. Not long afterwards the Lion had a combat with a wild\nbull, and called on the Dolphin to help him. The Dolphin, though quite\nwilling to give him assistance, was unable to do so, as he could not by\nany means reach the land. The Lion abused him as a traitor. The Dolphin\nreplied, \u201cNay, my friend, blame not me, but Nature, which, while giving\nme the sovereignty of the sea, has quite denied me the power of living\nupon the land.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Eagle and the Arrow\n\n\nAN EAGLE sat on a lofty rock, watching the movements of a Hare whom he\nsought to make his prey. An archer, who saw the Eagle from a place of\nconcealment, took an accurate aim and wounded him mortally. The Eagle\ngave one look at the arrow that had entered his heart and saw in that\nsingle glance that its feathers had been furnished by himself. \u201cIt is a\ndouble grief to me,\u201d he exclaimed, \u201cthat I should perish by an arrow\nfeathered from my own wings.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Sick Kite\n\n\nA KITE, sick unto death, said to his mother: \u201cO Mother! do not mourn,\nbut at once invoke the gods that my life may be prolonged.\u201d She\nreplied, \u201cAlas! my son, which of the gods do you think will pity you?\nIs there one whom you have not outraged by filching from their very\naltars a part of the sacrifice offered up to them?\u201d\n\nWe must make friends in prosperity if we would have their help in\nadversity.\n\n\n\n\nThe Lion and the Boar\n\n\nON A SUMMER DAY, when the great heat induced a general thirst among the\nbeasts, a Lion and a Boar came at the same moment to a small well to\ndrink. They fiercely disputed which of them should drink first, and\nwere soon engaged in the agonies of a mortal combat. When they stopped\nsuddenly to catch their breath for a fiercer renewal of the fight, they\nsaw some Vultures waiting in the distance to feast on the one that\nshould fall first. They at once made up their quarrel, saying, \u201cIt is\nbetter for us to make friends, than to become the food of Crows or\nVultures.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Mice in Council\n\n\nTHE MICE summoned a council to decide how they might best devise means\nof warning themselves of the approach of their great enemy the Cat.\nAmong the many plans suggested, the one that found most favour was the\nproposal to tie a bell to the neck of the Cat, so that the Mice, being\nwarned by the sound of the tinkling, might run away and hide themselves\nin their holes at his approach. But when the Mice further debated who\namong them should thus \u201cbell the Cat,\u201d there was no one found to do it.\n\n\n\n\nThe One-Eyed Doe\n\n\nA DOE blind in one eye was accustomed to graze as near to the edge of\nthe cliff as she possibly could, in the hope of securing her greater\nsafety. She turned her sound eye towards the land that she might get\nthe earliest tidings of the approach of hunter or hound, and her\ninjured eye towards the sea, from whence she entertained no\nanticipation of danger. Some boatmen sailing by saw her, and taking a\nsuccessful aim, mortally wounded her. Yielding up her last breath, she\ngasped forth this lament: \u201cO wretched creature that I am! to take such\nprecaution against the land, and after all to find this seashore, to\nwhich I had come for safety, so much more perilous.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Mice and the Weasels\n\n\nTHE WEASELS and the Mice waged a perpetual war with each other, in\nwhich much blood was shed. The Weasels were always the victors. The\nMice thought that the cause of their frequent defeats was that they had\nno leaders set apart from the general army to command them, and that\nthey were exposed to dangers from lack of discipline. They therefore\nchose as leaders Mice that were most renowned for their family descent,\nstrength, and counsel, as well as those most noted for their courage in\nthe fight, so that they might be better marshaled in battle array and\nformed into troops, regiments, and battalions. When all this was done,\nand the army disciplined, and the herald Mouse had duly proclaimed war\nby challenging the Weasels, the newly chosen generals bound their heads\nwith straws, that they might be more conspicuous to all their troops.\nScarcely had the battle begun, when a great rout overwhelmed the Mice,\nwho scampered off as fast as they could to their holes. The generals,\nnot being able to get in on account of the ornaments on their heads,\nwere all captured and eaten by the Weasels.\n\nThe more honour the more danger.\n\n\n\n\nThe Shepherd and the Sea\n\n\nA SHEPHERD, keeping watch over his sheep near the shore, saw the Sea\nvery calm and smooth, and longed to make a voyage with a view to\ncommerce. He sold all his flock, invested it in a cargo of dates, and\nset sail. But a very great tempest came on, and the ship being in\ndanger of sinking, he threw all his merchandise overboard, and barely\nescaped with his life in the empty ship. Not long afterwards when\nsomeone passed by and observed the unruffled calm of the Sea, he\ninterrupted him and said, \u201cIt is again in want of dates, and therefore\nlooks quiet.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Ass, the Cock, and the Lion\n\n\nAN ASS and a Cock were in a straw-yard together when a Lion, desperate\nfrom hunger, approached the spot. He was about to spring upon the Ass,\nwhen the Cock (to the sound of whose voice the Lion, it is said, has a\nsingular aversion) crowed loudly, and the Lion fled away as fast as he\ncould. The Ass, observing his trepidation at the mere crowing of a Cock\nsummoned courage to attack him, and galloped after him for that\npurpose. He had run no long distance, when the Lion, turning about,\nseized him and tore him to pieces.\n\nFalse confidence often leads into danger.\n\n\n\n\nThe Rivers and the Sea\n\n\nTHE RIVERS joined together to complain to the Sea, saying, \u201cWhy is it\nthat when we flow into your tides so potable and sweet, you work in us\nsuch a change, and make us salty and unfit to drink?\u201d The Sea,\nperceiving that they intended to throw the blame on him, said, \u201cPray\ncease to flow into me, and then you will not be made briny.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Wild Boar and the Fox\n\n\nA WILD BOAR stood under a tree and rubbed his tusks against the trunk.\nA Fox passing by asked him why he thus sharpened his teeth when there\nwas no danger threatening from either huntsman or hound. He replied, \u201cI\ndo it advisedly; for it would never do to have to sharpen my weapons\njust at the time I ought to be using them.\u201d\n\nTo be well prepared for war is the best guarantee of peace.\n\n\n\n\nThe Milk-Woman and Her Pail\n\n\nA FARMER\u2019S daughter was carrying her Pail of milk from the field to the\nfarmhouse, when she fell a-musing. \u201cThe money for which this milk will\nbe sold, will buy at least three hundred eggs. The eggs, allowing for\nall mishaps, will produce two hundred and fifty chickens. The chickens\nwill become ready for the market when poultry will fetch the highest\nprice, so that by the end of the year I shall have money enough from my\nshare to buy a new gown. In this dress I will go to the Christmas\nparties, where all the young fellows will propose to me, but I will\ntoss my head and refuse them every one.\u201d At this moment she tossed her\nhead in unison with her thoughts, when down fell the milk pail to the\nground, and all her imaginary schemes perished in a moment.\n\n\n\n\nThe Bee and Jupiter\n\n\nA BEE from Mount Hymettus, the queen of the hive, ascended to Olympus\nto present Jupiter some honey fresh from her combs. Jupiter, delighted\nwith the offering of honey, promised to give whatever she should ask.\nShe therefore besought him, saying, \u201cGive me, I pray thee, a sting,\nthat if any mortal shall approach to take my honey, I may kill him.\u201d\nJupiter was much displeased, for he loved the race of man, but could\nnot refuse the request because of his promise. He thus answered the\nBee: \u201cYou shall have your request, but it will be at the peril of your\nown life. For if you use your sting, it shall remain in the wound you\nmake, and then you will die from the loss of it.\u201d\n\nEvil wishes, like chickens, come home to roost.\n\n\n\n\nThe Wolf and the Housedog\n\n\nA WOLF, meeting a big well-fed Mastiff with a wooden collar about his\nneck asked him who it was that fed him so well and yet compelled him to\ndrag that heavy log about wherever he went. \u201cThe master,\u201d he replied.\nThen said the Wolf: \u201cMay no friend of mine ever be in such a plight;\nfor the weight of this chain is enough to spoil the appetite.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Three Tradesmen\n\n\nA GREAT CITY was besieged, and its inhabitants were called together to\nconsider the best means of protecting it from the enemy. A Bricklayer\nearnestly recommended bricks as affording the best material for an\neffective resistance. A Carpenter, with equal enthusiasm, proposed\ntimber as a preferable method of defense. Upon which a Currier stood up\nand said, \u201cSirs, I differ from you altogether: there is no material for\nresistance equal to a covering of hides; and nothing so good as\nleather.\u201d\n\nEvery man for himself.\n\n\n\n\nThe Ass Carrying the Image\n\n\nAN ASS once carried through the streets of a city a famous wooden\nImage, to be placed in one of its Temples. As he passed along, the\ncrowd made lowly prostration before the Image. The Ass, thinking that\nthey bowed their heads in token of respect for himself, bristled up\nwith pride, gave himself airs, and refused to move another step. The\ndriver, seeing him thus stop, laid his whip lustily about his shoulders\nand said, \u201cO you perverse dull-head! it is not yet come to this, that\nmen pay worship to an Ass.\u201d\n\nThey are not wise who give to themselves the credit due to others.\n\n\n\n\nThe Master and His Dogs\n\n\nA CERTAIN MAN, detained by a storm in his country house, first of all\nkilled his sheep, and then his goats, for the maintenance of his\nhousehold. The storm still continuing, he was obliged to slaughter his\nyoke oxen for food. On seeing this, his Dogs took counsel together, and\nsaid, \u201cIt is time for us to be off, for if the master spare not his\noxen, who work for his gain, how can we expect him to spare us?\u201d\n\nHe is not to be trusted as a friend who mistreats his own family.\n\n\n\n\nThe Old Hound\n\n\nA HOUND, who in the days of his youth and strength had never yielded to\nany beast of the forest, encountered in his old age a boar in the\nchase. He seized him boldly by the ear, but could not retain his hold\nbecause of the decay of his teeth, so that the boar escaped. His\nmaster, quickly coming up, was very much disappointed, and fiercely\nabused the dog. The Hound looked up and said, \u201cIt was not my fault\nmaster: my spirit was as good as ever, but I could not help my\ninfirmities. I rather deserve to be praised for what I have been, than\nto be blamed for what I am.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Two Travelers and the Axe\n\n\nTWO MEN were journeying together. One of them picked up an axe that lay\nupon the path, and said, \u201cI have found an axe.\u201d \u201cNay, my friend,\u201d\nreplied the other, \u201cdo not say \u2018I,\u2019 but \u2018We\u2019 have found an axe.\u201d They\nhad not gone far before they saw the owner of the axe pursuing them,\nand he who had picked up the axe said, \u201cWe are undone.\u201d \u201cNay,\u201d replied\nthe other, \u201ckeep to your first mode of speech, my friend; what you\nthought right then, think right now. Say \u2018I,\u2019 not \u2018We\u2019 are undone.\u201d\n\nHe who shares the danger ought to share the prize.\n\n\n\n\nThe Old Lion\n\n\nA LION, worn out with years and powerless from disease, lay on the\nground at the point of death. A Boar rushed upon him, and avenged with\na stroke of his tusks a long-remembered injury. Shortly afterwards the\nBull with his horns gored him as if he were an enemy. When the Ass saw\nthat the huge beast could be assailed with impunity, he let drive at\nhis forehead with his heels. The expiring Lion said, \u201cI have\nreluctantly brooked the insults of the brave, but to be compelled to\nendure such treatment from thee, a disgrace to Nature, is indeed to die\na double death.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Wolf and the Shepherds\n\n\nA WOLF, passing by, saw some Shepherds in a hut eating a haunch of\nmutton for their dinner. Approaching them, he said, \u201cWhat a clamor you\nwould raise if I were to do as you are doing!\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Seaside Travelers\n\n\nSOME TRAVELERS, journeying along the seashore, climbed to the summit of\na tall cliff, and looking over the sea, saw in the distance what they\nthought was a large ship. They waited in the hope of seeing it enter\nthe harbor, but as the object on which they looked was driven nearer to\nshore by the wind, they found that it could at the most be a small\nboat, and not a ship. When however it reached the beach, they\ndiscovered that it was only a large faggot of sticks, and one of them\nsaid to his companions, \u201cWe have waited for no purpose, for after all\nthere is nothing to see but a load of wood.\u201d\n\nOur mere anticipations of life outrun its realities.\n\n\n\n\nThe Ass and His Shadow\n\n\nA TRAVELER hired an Ass to convey him to a distant place. The day being\nintensely hot, and the sun shining in its strength, the Traveler\nstopped to rest, and sought shelter from the heat under the Shadow of\nthe Ass. As this afforded only protection for one, and as the Traveler\nand the owner of the Ass both claimed it, a violent dispute arose\nbetween them as to which of them had the right to the Shadow. The owner\nmaintained that he had let the Ass only, and not his Shadow. The\nTraveler asserted that he had, with the hire of the Ass, hired his\nShadow also. The quarrel proceeded from words to blows, and while the\nmen fought, the Ass galloped off.\n\nIn quarreling about the shadow we often lose the substance.\n\n\n\n\nThe Ass and His Masters\n\n\nAN ASS, belonging to an herb-seller who gave him too little food and\ntoo much work made a petition to Jupiter to be released from his\npresent service and provided with another master. Jupiter, after\nwarning him that he would repent his request, caused him to be sold to\na tile-maker. Shortly afterwards, finding that he had heavier loads to\ncarry and harder work in the brick-field, he petitioned for another\nchange of master. Jupiter, telling him that it would be the last time\nthat he could grant his request, ordained that he be sold to a tanner.\nThe Ass found that he had fallen into worse hands, and noting his\nmaster\u2019s occupation, said, groaning: \u201cIt would have been better for me\nto have been either starved by the one, or to have been overworked by\nthe other of my former masters, than to have been bought by my present\nowner, who will even after I am dead tan my hide, and make me useful to\nhim.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nMercury and the Sculptor\n\n\nMERCURY once determined to learn in what esteem he was held among\nmortals. For this purpose he assumed the character of a man and visited\nin this disguise a Sculptor\u2019s studio having looked at various statues,\nhe demanded the price of two figures of Jupiter and Juno. When the sum\nat which they were valued was named, he pointed to a figure of himself,\nsaying to the Sculptor, \u201cYou will certainly want much more for this, as\nit is the statue of the Messenger of the Gods, and author of all your\ngain.\u201d The Sculptor replied, \u201cWell, if you will buy these, I\u2019ll fling\nyou that into the bargain.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Fox and the Woodcutter\n\n\nA FOX, running before the hounds, came across a Woodcutter felling an\noak and begged him to show him a safe hiding-place. The Woodcutter\nadvised him to take shelter in his own hut, so the Fox crept in and hid\nhimself in a corner. The huntsman soon came up with his hounds and\ninquired of the Woodcutter if he had seen the Fox. He declared that he\nhad not seen him, and yet pointed, all the time he was speaking, to the\nhut where the Fox lay hidden. The huntsman took no notice of the signs,\nbut believing his word, hastened forward in the chase. As soon as they\nwere well away, the Fox departed without taking any notice of the\nWoodcutter: whereon he called to him and reproached him, saying, \u201cYou\nungrateful fellow, you owe your life to me, and yet you leave me\nwithout a word of thanks.\u201d The Fox replied, \u201cIndeed, I should have\nthanked you fervently if your deeds had been as good as your words, and\nif your hands had not been traitors to your speech.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Oak and the Reeds\n\n\nA VERY LARGE OAK was uprooted by the wind and thrown across a stream.\nIt fell among some Reeds, which it thus addressed: \u201cI wonder how you,\nwho are so light and weak, are not entirely crushed by these strong\nwinds.\u201d They replied, \u201cYou fight and contend with the wind, and\nconsequently you are destroyed; while we on the contrary bend before\nthe least breath of air, and therefore remain unbroken, and escape.\u201d\n\nStoop to conquer.\n\n\n\n\nThe Lion in a Farmyard\n\n\nA LION entered a farmyard. The Farmer, wishing to catch him, shut the\ngate. When the Lion found that he could not escape, he flew upon the\nsheep and killed them, and then attacked the oxen. The Farmer,\nbeginning to be alarmed for his own safety, opened the gate and\nreleased the Lion. On his departure the Farmer grievously lamented the\ndestruction of his sheep and oxen, but his wife, who had been a\nspectator to all that took place, said, \u201cOn my word, you are rightly\nserved, for how could you for a moment think of shutting up a Lion\nalong with you in your farmyard when you know that you shake in your\nshoes if you only hear his roar at a distance?\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Wolf and the Lion\n\n\nA WOLF, having stolen a lamb from a fold, was carrying him off to his\nlair. A Lion met him in the path, and seizing the lamb, took it from\nhim. Standing at a safe distance, the Wolf exclaimed, \u201cYou have\nunrighteously taken that which was mine from me!\u201d To which the Lion\njeeringly replied, \u201cIt was righteously yours, eh? The gift of a\nfriend?\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Birdcatcher, the Partridge, and the Cock\n\n\nA BIRDCATCHER was about to sit down to a dinner of herbs when a friend\nunexpectedly came in. The bird-trap was quite empty, as he had caught\nnothing, and he had to kill a pied Partridge, which he had tamed for a\ndecoy. The bird entreated earnestly for his life: \u201cWhat would you do\nwithout me when next you spread your nets? Who would chirp you to\nsleep, or call for you the covey of answering birds?\u201d The Birdcatcher\nspared his life, and determined to pick out a fine young Cock just\nattaining to his comb. But the Cock expostulated in piteous tones from\nhis perch: \u201cIf you kill me, who will announce to you the appearance of\nthe dawn? Who will wake you to your daily tasks or tell you when it is\ntime to visit the bird-trap in the morning?\u201d He replied, \u201cWhat you say\nis true. You are a capital bird at telling the time of day. But my\nfriend and I must have our dinners.\u201d\n\nNecessity knows no law.\n\n\n\n\nThe Ant and the Dove\n\n\nAN ANT went to the bank of a river to quench its thirst, and being\ncarried away by the rush of the stream, was on the point of drowning. A\nDove sitting on a tree overhanging the water plucked a leaf and let it\nfall into the stream close to her. The Ant climbed onto it and floated\nin safety to the bank. Shortly afterwards a birdcatcher came and stood\nunder the tree, and laid his lime-twigs for the Dove, which sat in the\nbranches. The Ant, perceiving his design, stung him in the foot. In\npain the birdcatcher threw down the twigs, and the noise made the Dove\ntake wing.\n\n\n\n\nThe Hares and the Frogs\n\n\nTHE HARES, oppressed by their own exceeding timidity and weary of the\nperpetual alarm to which they were exposed, with one accord determined\nto put an end to themselves and their troubles by jumping from a lofty\nprecipice into a deep lake below. As they scampered off in large\nnumbers to carry out their resolve, the Frogs lying on the banks of the\nlake heard the noise of their feet and rushed helter-skelter to the\ndeep water for safety. On seeing the rapid disappearance of the Frogs,\none of the Hares cried out to his companions: \u201cStay, my friends, do not\ndo as you intended; for you now see that there are creatures who are\nstill more timid than ourselves.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Monkey and the Fishermen\n\n\nA MONKEY perched upon a lofty tree saw some Fishermen casting their\nnets into a river, and narrowly watched their proceedings. The\nFishermen after a while gave up fishing, and on going home to dinner\nleft their nets upon the bank. The Monkey, who is the most imitative of\nanimals, descended from the treetop and endeavored to do as they had\ndone. Having handled the net, he threw it into the river, but became\ntangled in the meshes and drowned. With his last breath he said to\nhimself, \u201cI am rightly served; for what business had I who had never\nhandled a net to try and catch fish?\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Swan and the Goose\n\n\nA CERTAIN rich man bought in the market a Goose and a Swan. He fed the\none for his table and kept the other for the sake of its song. When the\ntime came for killing the Goose, the cook went to get him at night,\nwhen it was dark, and he was not able to distinguish one bird from the\nother. By mistake he caught the Swan instead of the Goose. The Swan,\nthreatened with death, burst forth into song and thus made himself\nknown by his voice, and preserved his life by his melody.\n\n\n\n\nThe Doe and the Lion\n\n\nA DOE hard pressed by hunters sought refuge in a cave belonging to a\nLion. The Lion concealed himself on seeing her approach, but when she\nwas safe within the cave, sprang upon her and tore her to pieces. \u201cWoe\nis me,\u201d exclaimed the Doe, \u201cwho have escaped from man, only to throw\nmyself into the mouth of a wild beast?\u201d\n\nIn avoiding one evil, care must be taken not to fall into another.\n\n\n\n\nThe Fisherman and the Little Fish\n\n\nA FISHERMAN who lived on the produce of his nets, one day caught a\nsingle small Fish as the result of his day\u2019s labor. The Fish, panting\nconvulsively, thus entreated for his life: \u201cO Sir, what good can I be\nto you, and how little am I worth? I am not yet come to my full size.\nPray spare my life, and put me back into the sea. I shall soon become a\nlarge fish fit for the tables of the rich, and then you can catch me\nagain, and make a handsome profit of me.\u201d The Fisherman replied, \u201cI\nshould indeed be a very simple fellow if, for the chance of a greater\nuncertain profit, I were to forego my present certain gain.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Hunter and the Woodman\n\n\nA HUNTER, not very bold, was searching for the tracks of a Lion. He\nasked a man felling oaks in the forest if he had seen any marks of his\nfootsteps or knew where his lair was. \u201cI will,\u201d said the man, \u201cat once\nshow you the Lion himself.\u201d The Hunter, turning very pale and\nchattering with his teeth from fear, replied, \u201cNo, thank you. I did not\nask that; it is his track only I am in search of, not the Lion\nhimself.\u201d\n\nThe hero is brave in deeds as well as words.\n\n\n\n\nThe Swollen Fox\n\n\nA VERY HUNGRY FOX, seeing some bread and meat left by shepherds in the\nhollow of an oak, crept into the hole and made a hearty meal. When he\nfinished, he was so full that he was not able to get out, and began to\ngroan and lament his fate. Another Fox passing by heard his cries, and\ncoming up, inquired the cause of his complaining. On learning what had\nhappened, he said to him, \u201cAh, you will have to remain there, my\nfriend, until you become such as you were when you crept in, and then\nyou will easily get out.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Two Frogs\n\n\nTWO FROGS dwelt in the same pool. When the pool dried up under the\nsummer\u2019s heat, they left it and set out together for another home. As\nthey went along they chanced to pass a deep well, amply supplied with\nwater, and when they saw it, one of the Frogs said to the other, \u201cLet\nus descend and make our abode in this well: it will furnish us with\nshelter and food.\u201d The other replied with greater caution, \u201cBut suppose\nthe water should fail us. How can we get out again from so great a\ndepth?\u201d\n\nDo nothing without a regard to the consequences.\n\n\n\n\nThe Lamp\n\n\nA LAMP, soaked with too much oil and flaring brightly, boasted that it\ngave more light than the sun. Then a sudden puff of wind arose, and the\nLamp was immediately extinguished. Its owner lit it again, and said:\n\u201cBoast no more, but henceforth be content to give thy light in silence.\nKnow that not even the stars need to be relit.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Camel and the Arab\n\n\nAN ARAB Camel-driver, after completing the loading of his Camel, asked\nhim which he would like best, to go up hill or down. The poor beast\nreplied, not without a touch of reason: \u201cWhy do you ask me? Is it that\nthe level way through the desert is closed?\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Miller, His Son, and Their Ass\n\n\nA MILLER and his son were driving their Ass to a neighboring fair to\nsell him. They had not gone far when they met with a troop of women\ncollected round a well, talking and laughing. \u201cLook there,\u201d cried one\nof them, \u201cdid you ever see such fellows, to be trudging along the road\non foot when they might ride?\u201d The old man hearing this, quickly made\nhis son mount the Ass, and continued to walk along merrily by his side.\nPresently they came up to a group of old men in earnest debate.\n\u201cThere,\u201d said one of them, \u201cit proves what I was a-saying. What respect\nis shown to old age in these days? Do you see that idle lad riding\nwhile his old father has to walk? Get down, you young scapegrace, and\nlet the old man rest his weary limbs.\u201d Upon this the old man made his\nson dismount, and got up himself. In this manner they had not proceeded\nfar when they met a company of women and children: \u201cWhy, you lazy old\nfellow,\u201d cried several tongues at once, \u201chow can you ride upon the\nbeast, while that poor little lad there can hardly keep pace by the\nside of you?\u201d The good-natured Miller immediately took up his son\nbehind him. They had now almost reached the town. \u201cPray, honest\nfriend,\u201d said a citizen, \u201cis that Ass your own?\u201d \u201cYes,\u201d replied the old\nman. \u201cO, one would not have thought so,\u201d said the other, \u201cby the way\nyou load him. Why, you two fellows are better able to carry the poor\nbeast than he you.\u201d \u201cAnything to please you,\u201d said the old man; \u201cwe can\nbut try.\u201d So, alighting with his son, they tied the legs of the Ass\ntogether and with the help of a pole endeavored to carry him on their\nshoulders over a bridge near the entrance to the town. This\nentertaining sight brought the people in crowds to laugh at it, till\nthe Ass, not liking the noise nor the strange handling that he was\nsubject to, broke the cords that bound him and, tumbling off the pole,\nfell into the river. Upon this, the old man, vexed and ashamed, made\nthe best of his way home again, convinced that by endeavoring to please\neverybody he had pleased nobody, and lost his Ass in the bargain.\n\n\n\n\nThe Cat and the Mice\n\n\nA CERTAIN HOUSE was overrun with Mice. A Cat, discovering this, made\nher way into it and began to catch and eat them one by one. Fearing for\ntheir lives, the Mice kept themselves close in their holes. The Cat was\nno longer able to get at them and perceived that she must tempt them\nforth by some device. For this purpose she jumped upon a peg, and\nsuspending herself from it, pretended to be dead. One of the Mice,\npeeping stealthily out, saw her and said, \u201cAh, my good madam, even\nthough you should turn into a meal-bag, we will not come near you.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Mouse and the Bull\n\n\nA BULL was bitten by a Mouse and, angered by the wound, tried to\ncapture him. But the Mouse reached his hole in safety. Though the Bull\ndug into the walls with his horns, he tired before he could rout out\nthe Mouse, and crouching down, went to sleep outside the hole. The\nMouse peeped out, crept furtively up his flank, and again biting him,\nretreated to his hole. The Bull rising up, and not knowing what to do,\nwas sadly perplexed. At which the Mouse said, \u201cThe great do not always\nprevail. There are times when the small and lowly are the strongest to\ndo mischief.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Dog and the Cook\n\n\nA RICH MAN gave a great feast, to which he invited many friends and\nacquaintances. His Dog availed himself of the occasion to invite a\nstranger Dog, a friend of his, saying, \u201cMy master gives a feast, and\nthere is always much food remaining; come and sup with me tonight.\u201d The\nDog thus invited went at the hour appointed, and seeing the\npreparations for so grand an entertainment, said in the joy of his\nheart, \u201cHow glad I am that I came! I do not often get such a chance as\nthis. I will take care and eat enough to last me both today and\ntomorrow.\u201d While he was congratulating himself and wagging his tail to\nconvey his pleasure to his friend, the Cook saw him moving about among\nhis dishes and, seizing him by his fore and hind paws, bundled him\nwithout ceremony out of the window. He fell with force upon the ground\nand limped away, howling dreadfully. His yelling soon attracted other\nstreet dogs, who came up to him and inquired how he had enjoyed his\nsupper. He replied, \u201cWhy, to tell you the truth, I drank so much wine\nthat I remember nothing. I do not know how I got out of the house.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Thieves and the Cock\n\n\nSOME THIEVES broke into a house and found nothing but a Cock, whom they\nstole, and got off as fast as they could. Upon arriving at home they\nprepared to kill the Cock, who thus pleaded for his life: \u201cPray spare\nme; I am very serviceable to men. I wake them up in the night to their\nwork.\u201d \u201cThat is the very reason why we must the more kill you,\u201d they\nreplied; \u201cfor when you wake your neighbors, you entirely put an end to\nour business.\u201d\n\nThe safeguards of virtue are hateful to those with evil intentions.\n\n\n\n\nThe Dancing Monkeys\n\n\nA PRINCE had some Monkeys trained to dance. Being naturally great\nmimics of men\u2019s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and\nwhen arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as\nany of the courtiers. The spectacle was often repeated with great\napplause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from\nhis pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage. The Monkeys\nat the sight of the nuts forgot their dancing and became (as indeed\nthey were) Monkeys instead of actors. Pulling off their masks and\ntearing their robes, they fought with one another for the nuts. The\ndancing spectacle thus came to an end amidst the laughter and ridicule\nof the audience.\n\n\n\n\nThe Farmer and the Fox\n\n\nA FARMER, who bore a grudge against a Fox for robbing his poultry yard,\ncaught him at last, and being determined to take an ample revenge, tied\nsome rope well soaked in oil to his tail, and set it on fire. The Fox\nby a strange fatality rushed to the fields of the Farmer who had\ncaptured him. It was the time of the wheat harvest; but the Farmer\nreaped nothing that year and returned home grieving sorely.\n\n\n\n\nThe Traveler and Fortune\n\n\nA TRAVELER wearied from a long journey lay down, overcome with fatigue,\non the very brink of a deep well. Just as he was about to fall into the\nwater, Dame Fortune, it is said, appeared to him and waking him from\nhis slumber thus addressed him: \u201cGood Sir, pray wake up: for if you\nfall into the well, the blame will be thrown on me, and I shall get an\nill name among mortals; for I find that men are sure to impute their\ncalamities to me, however much by their own folly they have really\nbrought them on themselves.\u201d\n\nEveryone is more or less master of his own fate.\n\n\n\n\nThe Seagull and the Kite\n\n\nA SEAGULL having bolted down too large a fish, burst its deep\ngullet-bag and lay down on the shore to die. A Kite saw him and\nexclaimed: \u201cYou richly deserve your fate; for a bird of the air has no\nbusiness to seek its food from the sea.\u201d\n\nEvery man should be content to mind his own business.\n\n\n\n\nThe Lion, the Bear, and the Fox\n\n\nA LION and a Bear seized a Kid at the same moment, and fought fiercely\nfor its possession. When they had fearfully lacerated each other and\nwere faint from the long combat, they lay down exhausted with fatigue.\nA Fox, who had gone round them at a distance several times, saw them\nboth stretched on the ground with the Kid lying untouched in the\nmiddle. He ran in between them, and seizing the Kid scampered off as\nfast as he could. The Lion and the Bear saw him, but not being able to\nget up, said, \u201cWoe be to us, that we should have fought and belabored\nourselves only to serve the turn of a Fox.\u201d\n\nIt sometimes happens that one man has all the toil, and another all the\nprofit.\n\n\n\n\nThe Philosopher, the Ants, and Mercury\n\n\nA PHILOSOPHER witnessed from the shore the shipwreck of a vessel, of\nwhich the crew and passengers were all drowned. He inveighed against\nthe injustice of Providence, which would for the sake of one criminal\nperchance sailing in the ship allow so many innocent persons to perish.\nAs he was indulging in these reflections, he found himself surrounded\nby a whole army of Ants, near whose nest he was standing. One of them\nclimbed up and stung him, and he immediately trampled them all to death\nwith his foot. Mercury presented himself, and striking the Philosopher\nwith his wand, said, \u201cAnd are you indeed to make yourself a judge of\nthe dealings of Providence, who hast thyself in a similar manner\ntreated these poor Ants?\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Peasant and the Eagle\n\n\nA PEASANT found an Eagle captured in a trap, and much admiring the\nbird, set him free. The Eagle did not prove ungrateful to his\ndeliverer, for seeing the Peasant sitting under a wall which was not\nsafe, he flew toward him and with his talons snatched a bundle from his\nhead. When the Peasant rose in pursuit, the Eagle let the bundle fall\nagain. Taking it up, the man returned to the same place, to find that\nthe wall under which he had been sitting had fallen to pieces; and he\nmarveled at the service rendered him by the Eagle.\n\n\n\n\nThe Fox and the Leopard\n\n\nTHE FOX and the Leopard disputed which was the more beautiful of the\ntwo. The Leopard exhibited one by one the various spots which decorated\nhis skin. But the Fox, interrupting him, said, \u201cAnd how much more\nbeautiful than you am I, who am decorated, not in body, but in mind.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Lion and the Hare\n\n\nA LION came across a Hare, who was fast asleep. He was just in the act\nof seizing her, when a fine young Hart trotted by, and he left the Hare\nto follow him. The Hare, scared by the noise, awoke and scudded away.\nThe Lion was unable after a long chase to catch the Hart, and returned\nto feed upon the Hare. On finding that the Hare also had run off, he\nsaid, \u201cI am rightly served, for having let go of the food that I had in\nmy hand for the chance of obtaining more.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Image of Mercury and the Carpenter\n\n\nA VERY POOR MAN, a Carpenter by trade, had a wooden image of Mercury,\nbefore which he made offerings day by day, and begged the idol to make\nhim rich, but in spite of his entreaties he became poorer and poorer.\nAt last, being very angry, he took his image down from its pedestal and\ndashed it against the wall. When its head was knocked off, out came a\nstream of gold, which the Carpenter quickly picked up and said, \u201cWell,\nI think thou art altogether contradictory and unreasonable; for when I\npaid you honour, I reaped no benefits: but now that I maltreat you I am\nloaded with an abundance of riches.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Lion, the Fox, and the Ass\n\n\nTHE LION, the Fox and the Ass entered into an agreement to assist each\nother in the chase. Having secured a large booty, the Lion on their\nreturn from the forest asked the Ass to allot his due portion to each\nof the three partners in the treaty. The Ass carefully divided the\nspoil into three equal shares and modestly requested the two others to\nmake the first choice. The Lion, bursting out into a great rage,\ndevoured the Ass. Then he requested the Fox to do him the favour to\nmake a division. The Fox accumulated all that they had killed into one\nlarge heap and left to himself the smallest possible morsel. The Lion\nsaid, \u201cWho has taught you, my very excellent fellow, the art of\ndivision? You are perfect to a fraction.\u201d He replied, \u201cI learned it\nfrom the Ass, by witnessing his fate.\u201d\n\nHappy is the man who learns from the misfortunes of others.\n\n\n\n\nThe Bull and the Goat\n\n\nA BULL, escaping from a Lion, hid in a cave which some shepherds had\nrecently occupied. As soon as he entered, a He-Goat left in the cave\nsharply attacked him with his horns. The Bull quietly addressed him:\n\u201cButt away as much as you will. I have no fear of you, but of the Lion.\nLet that monster go away and I will soon let you know what is the\nrespective strength of a Goat and a Bull.\u201d\n\nIt shows an evil disposition to take advantage of a friend in distress.\n\n\n\n\nThe Bald Knight\n\n\nA BALD KNIGHT, who wore a wig, went out to hunt. A sudden puff of wind\nblew off his hat and wig, at which a loud laugh rang forth from his\ncompanions. He pulled up his horse, and with great glee joined in the\njoke by saying, \u201cWhat a marvel it is that hairs which are not mine\nshould fly from me, when they have forsaken even the man on whose head\nthey grew.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Oaks and Jupiter\n\n\nTHE OAKS presented a complaint to Jupiter, saying, \u201cWe bear for no\npurpose the burden of life, as of all the trees that grow we are the\nmost continually in peril of the axe.\u201d Jupiter made answer: \u201cYou have\nonly to thank yourselves for the misfortunes to which you are exposed:\nfor if you did not make such excellent pillars and posts, and prove\nyourselves so serviceable to the carpenters and the farmers, the axe\nwould not so frequently be laid to your roots.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Monkeys and Their Mother\n\n\nTHE MONKEY, it is said, has two young ones at each birth. The Mother\nfondles one and nurtures it with the greatest affection and care, but\nhates and neglects the other. It happened once that the young one which\nwas caressed and loved was smothered by the too great affection of the\nMother, while the despised one was nurtured and reared in spite of the\nneglect to which it was exposed.\n\nThe best intentions will not always ensure success.\n\n\n\n\nThe Hare and the Hound\n\n\nA HOUND started a Hare from his lair, but after a long run, gave up the\nchase. A goat-herd seeing him stop, mocked him, saying \u201cThe little one\nis the best runner of the two.\u201d The Hound replied, \u201cYou do not see the\ndifference between us: I was only running for a dinner, but he for his\nlife.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Shepherd and the Dog\n\n\nA SHEPHERD penning his sheep in the fold for the night was about to\nshut up a wolf with them, when his Dog perceiving the wolf said,\n\u201cMaster, how can you expect the sheep to be safe if you admit a wolf\ninto the fold?\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Oak and the Woodcutters\n\n\nTHE WOODCUTTER cut down a Mountain Oak and split it in pieces, making\nwedges of its own branches for dividing the trunk. The Oak said with a\nsigh, \u201cI do not care about the blows of the axe aimed at my roots, but\nI do grieve at being torn in pieces by these wedges made from my own\nbranches.\u201d\n\nMisfortunes springing from ourselves are the hardest to bear.\n\n\n\n\nThe Wasp and the Snake\n\n\nA WASP seated himself upon the head of a Snake and, striking him\nunceasingly with his stings, wounded him to death. The Snake, being in\ngreat torment and not knowing how to rid himself of his enemy, saw a\nwagon heavily laden with wood, and went and purposely placed his head\nunder the wheels, saying, \u201cAt least my enemy and I shall perish\ntogether.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Peacock and the Crane\n\n\nA PEACOCK spreading its gorgeous tail mocked a Crane that passed by,\nridiculing the ashen hue of its plumage and saying, \u201cI am robed, like a\nking, in gold and purple and all the colors of the rainbow; while you\nhave not a bit of color on your wings.\u201d \u201cTrue,\u201d replied the Crane; \u201cbut\nI soar to the heights of heaven and lift up my voice to the stars,\nwhile you walk below, like a cock, among the birds of the dunghill.\u201d\n\nFine feathers don\u2019t make fine birds.\n\n\n\n\nThe Hen and the Golden Eggs\n\n\nA COTTAGER and his wife had a Hen that laid a golden egg every day.\nThey supposed that the Hen must contain a great lump of gold in its\ninside, and in order to get the gold they killed it. Having done so,\nthey found to their surprise that the Hen differed in no respect from\ntheir other hens. The foolish pair, thus hoping to become rich all at\nonce, deprived themselves of the gain of which they were assured day by\nday.\n\n\n\n\nThe Ass and the Frogs\n\n\nAN ASS, carrying a load of wood, passed through a pond. As he was\ncrossing through the water he lost his footing, stumbled and fell, and\nnot being able to rise on account of his load, groaned heavily. Some\nFrogs frequenting the pool heard his lamentation, and said, \u201cWhat would\nyou do if you had to live here always as we do, when you make such a\nfuss about a mere fall into the water?\u201d\n\nMen often bear little grievances with less courage than they do large\nmisfortunes.\n\n\n\n\nThe Crow and the Raven\n\n\nA CROW was jealous of the Raven, because he was considered a bird of\ngood omen and always attracted the attention of men, who noted by his\nflight the good or evil course of future events. Seeing some travelers\napproaching, the Crow flew up into a tree, and perching herself on one\nof the branches, cawed as loudly as she could. The travelers turned\ntowards the sound and wondered what it foreboded, when one of them said\nto his companion, \u201cLet us proceed on our journey, my friend, for it is\nonly the caw of a crow, and her cry, you know, is no omen.\u201d\n\nThose who assume a character which does not belong to them, only make\nthemselves ridiculous.\n\n\n\n\nThe Trees and the Axe\n\n\nA MAN came into a forest and asked the Trees to provide him a handle\nfor his axe. The Trees consented to his request and gave him a young\nash-tree. No sooner had the man fitted a new handle to his axe from it,\nthan he began to use it and quickly felled with his strokes the noblest\ngiants of the forest. An old oak, lamenting when too late the\ndestruction of his companions, said to a neighboring cedar, \u201cThe first\nstep has lost us all. If we had not given up the rights of the ash, we\nmight yet have retained our own privileges and have stood for ages.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Wolves and the Sheepdogs\n\n\nTHE WOLVES thus addressed the Sheepdogs: \u201cWhy should you, who are like\nus in so many things, not be entirely of one mind with us, and live\nwith us as brothers should? We differ from you in one point only. We\nlive in freedom, but you bow down to and slave for men, who in return\nfor your services flog you with whips and put collars on your necks.\nThey make you also guard their sheep, and while they eat the mutton\nthrow only the bones to you. If you will be persuaded by us, you will\ngive us the sheep, and we will enjoy them in common, till we all are\nsurfeited.\u201d The Dogs listened favourably to these proposals, and,\nentering the den of the Wolves, they were set upon and torn to pieces.\n\n\n\n\nThe Bull, the Lioness, and the Wild-Boar Hunter\n\n\nA BULL finding a lion\u2019s cub asleep gored him to death with his horns.\nThe Lioness came up, and bitterly lamented the death of her whelp. A\nwild-boar Hunter, seeing her distress, stood at a distance and said to\nher, \u201cThink how many men there are who have reason to lament the loss\nof their children, whose deaths have been caused by you.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Bowman and Lion\n\n\nA VERY SKILLFUL BOWMAN went to the mountains in search of game, but all\nthe beasts of the forest fled at his approach. The Lion alone\nchallenged him to combat. The Bowman immediately shot out an arrow and\nsaid to the Lion: \u201cI send thee my messenger, that from him thou mayest\nlearn what I myself shall be when I assail thee.\u201d The wounded Lion\nrushed away in great fear, and when a Fox who had seen it all happen\ntold him to be of good courage and not to back off at the first attack\nhe replied: \u201cYou counsel me in vain; for if he sends so fearful a\nmessenger, how shall I abide the attack of the man himself?\u201d\n\nBe on guard against men who can strike from a distance.\n\n\n\n\nThe Camel\n\n\nWHEN MAN first saw the Camel, he was so frightened at his vast size\nthat he ran away. After a time, perceiving the meekness and gentleness\nof the beast\u2019s temper, he summoned courage enough to approach him. Soon\nafterwards, observing that he was an animal altogether deficient in\nspirit, he assumed such boldness as to put a bridle in his mouth, and\nto let a child drive him.\n\nUse serves to overcome dread.\n\n\n\n\nThe Crab and the Fox\n\n\nA CRAB, forsaking the seashore, chose a neighboring green meadow as its\nfeeding ground. A Fox came across him, and being very hungry ate him\nup. Just as he was on the point of being eaten, the Crab said, \u201cI well\ndeserve my fate, for what business had I on the land, when by my nature\nand habits I am only adapted for the sea?\u201d\n\nContentment with our lot is an element of happiness.\n\n\n\n\nThe Ass and the Old Shepherd\n\n\nA SHEPHERD, watching his Ass feeding in a meadow, was alarmed all of a\nsudden by the cries of the enemy. He appealed to the Ass to fly with\nhim, lest they should both be captured, but the animal lazily replied,\n\u201cWhy should I, pray? Do you think it likely the conqueror will place on\nme two sets of panniers?\u201d \u201cNo,\u201d rejoined the Shepherd. \u201cThen,\u201d said the\nAss, \u201cas long as I carry the panniers, what matters it to me whom I\nserve?\u201d\n\nIn a change of government the poor change nothing beyond the name of\ntheir master.\n\n\n\n\nThe Fox and the Hedgehog\n\n\nA FOX swimming across a rapid river was carried by the force of the\ncurrent into a very deep ravine, where he lay for a long time very much\nbruised, sick, and unable to move. A swarm of hungry blood-sucking\nflies settled upon him. A Hedgehog, passing by, saw his anguish and\ninquired if he should drive away the flies that were tormenting him.\n\u201cBy no means,\u201d replied the Fox; \u201cpray do not molest them.\u201d \u201cHow is\nthis?\u201d said the Hedgehog; \u201cdo you not want to be rid of them?\u201d \u201cNo,\u201d\nreturned the Fox, \u201cfor these flies which you see are full of blood, and\nsting me but little, and if you rid me of these which are already\nsatiated, others more hungry will come in their place, and will drink\nup all the blood I have left.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Woman and Her Hen\n\n\nA WOMAN possessed a Hen that gave her an egg every day. She often\npondered how she might obtain two eggs daily instead of one, and at\nlast, to gain her purpose, determined to give the Hen a double\nallowance of barley. From that day the Hen became fat and sleek, and\nnever once laid another egg.\n\n\n\n\nThe Kites and the Swans\n\n\nTEE KITES of olden times, as well as the Swans, had the privilege of\nsong. But having heard the neigh of the horse, they were so enchanted\nwith the sound, that they tried to imitate it; and, in trying to neigh,\nthey forgot how to sing.\n\nThe desire for imaginary benefits often involves the loss of present\nblessings.\n\n\n\n\nThe Dog and the Hare\n\n\nA HOUND having started a Hare on the hillside pursued her for some\ndistance, at one time biting her with his teeth as if he would take her\nlife, and at another fawning upon her, as if in play with another dog.\nThe Hare said to him, \u201cI wish you would act sincerely by me, and show\nyourself in your true colors. If you are a friend, why do you bite me\nso hard? If an enemy, why do you fawn on me?\u201d\n\nNo one can be a friend if you know not whether to trust or distrust\nhim.\n\n\n\n\nThe Hares and the Foxes\n\n\nTHE HARES waged war with the Eagles, and called upon the Foxes to help\nthem. They replied, \u201cWe would willingly have helped you, if we had not\nknown who you were, and with whom you were fighting.\u201d\n\nCount the cost before you commit yourselves.\n\n\n\n\nThe Bull and the Calf\n\n\nA BULL was striving with all his might to squeeze himself through a\nnarrow passage which led to his stall. A young Calf came up, and\noffered to go before and show him the way by which he could manage to\npass. \u201cSave yourself the trouble,\u201d said the Bull; \u201cI knew that way long\nbefore you were born.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Stag, the Wolf, and the Sheep\n\n\nA STAG asked a Sheep to lend him a measure of wheat, and said that the\nWolf would be his surety. The Sheep, fearing some fraud was intended,\nexcused herself, saying, \u201cThe Wolf is accustomed to seize what he wants\nand to run off; and you, too, can quickly outstrip me in your rapid\nflight. How then shall I be able to find you, when the day of payment\ncomes?\u201d\n\nTwo blacks do not make one white.\n\n\n\n\nThe Eagle, the Cat, and the Wild Sow\n\n\nAN EAGLE made her nest at the top of a lofty oak; a Cat, having found a\nconvenient hole, moved into the middle of the trunk; and a Wild Sow,\nwith her young, took shelter in a hollow at its foot. The Cat cunningly\nresolved to destroy this chance-made colony. To carry out her design,\nshe climbed to the nest of the Eagle, and said, \u201cDestruction is\npreparing for you, and for me too, unfortunately. The Wild Sow, whom\nyou see daily digging up the earth, wishes to uproot the oak, so she\nmay on its fall seize our families as food for her young.\u201d Having thus\nfrightened the Eagle out of her senses, she crept down to the cave of\nthe Sow, and said, \u201cYour children are in great danger; for as soon as\nyou go out with your litter to find food, the Eagle is prepared to\npounce upon one of your little pigs.\u201d Having instilled these fears into\nthe Sow, she went and pretended to hide herself in the hollow of the\ntree. When night came she went forth with silent foot and obtained food\nfor herself and her kittens, but feigning to be afraid, she kept a\nlookout all through the day. Meanwhile, the Eagle, full of fear of the\nSow, sat still on the branches, and the Sow, terrified by the Eagle,\ndid not dare to go out from her cave. And thus they both, along with\ntheir families, perished from hunger, and afforded ample provision for\nthe Cat and her kittens.\n\n\n\n\nThe Wolf and the Fox\n\n\nAT ONE TIME a very large and strong Wolf was born among the wolves, who\nexceeded all his fellow-wolves in strength, size, and swiftness, so\nthat they unanimously decided to call him \u201cLion.\u201d The Wolf, with a lack\nof sense proportioned to his enormous size, thought that they gave him\nthis name in earnest, and, leaving his own race, consorted exclusively\nwith the lions. An old sly Fox, seeing this, said, \u201cMay I never make\nmyself so ridiculous as you do in your pride and self-conceit; for even\nthough you have the size of a lion among wolves, in a herd of lions you\nare definitely a wolf.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Mule\n\n\nA MULE, frolicsome from lack of work and from too much corn, galloped\nabout in a very extravagant manner, and said to himself: \u201cMy father\nsurely was a high-mettled racer, and I am his own child in speed and\nspirit.\u201d On the next day, being driven a long journey, and feeling very\nwearied, he exclaimed in a disconsolate tone: \u201cI must have made a\nmistake; my father, after all, could have been only an ass.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Prophet\n\n\nA WIZARD, sitting in the marketplace, was telling the fortunes of the\npassers-by when a person ran up in great haste, and announced to him\nthat the doors of his house had been broken open and that all his goods\nwere being stolen. He sighed heavily and hastened away as fast as he\ncould run. A neighbor saw him running and said, \u201cOh! you fellow there!\nyou say you can foretell the fortunes of others; how is it you did not\nforesee your own?\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Two Frogs\n\n\nTWO FROGS were neighbors. One inhabited a deep pond, far removed from\npublic view; the other lived in a gully containing little water, and\ntraversed by a country road. The Frog that lived in the pond warned his\nfriend to change his residence and entreated him to come and live with\nhim, saying that he would enjoy greater safety from danger and more\nabundant food. The other refused, saying that he felt it so very hard\nto leave a place to which he had become accustomed. A few days\nafterwards a heavy wagon passed through the gully and crushed him to\ndeath under its wheels.\n\nA willful man will have his way to his own hurt.\n\n\n\n\nThe Serpent and the Eagle\n\n\nA SERPENT and an Eagle were struggling with each other in deadly\nconflict. The Serpent had the advantage, and was about to strangle the\nbird. A countryman saw them, and running up, loosed the coil of the\nSerpent and let the Eagle go free. The Serpent, irritated at the escape\nof his prey, injected his poison into the drinking horn of the\ncountryman. The rustic, ignorant of his danger, was about to drink,\nwhen the Eagle struck his hand with his wing, and, seizing the drinking\nhorn in his talons, carried it aloft.\n\n\n\n\nThe Crow and the Pitcher\n\n\nA CROW perishing with thirst saw a pitcher, and hoping to find water,\nflew to it with delight. When he reached it, he discovered to his grief\nthat it contained so little water that he could not possibly get at it.\nHe tried everything he could think of to reach the water, but all his\nefforts were in vain. At last he collected as many stones as he could\ncarry and dropped them one by one with his beak into the pitcher, until\nhe brought the water within his reach and thus saved his life.\n\nNecessity is the mother of invention.\n\n\n\n\nThe Thief and the Innkeeper\n\n\nA THIEF hired a room in a tavern and stayed a while in the hope of\nstealing something which should enable him to pay his reckoning. When\nhe had waited some days in vain, he saw the Innkeeper dressed in a new\nand handsome coat and sitting before his door. The Thief sat down\nbeside him and talked with him. As the conversation began to flag, the\nThief yawned terribly and at the same time howled like a wolf. The\nInnkeeper said, \u201cWhy do you howl so fearfully?\u201d \u201cI will tell you,\u201d said\nthe Thief, \u201cbut first let me ask you to hold my clothes, or I shall\ntear them to pieces. I know not, sir, when I got this habit of yawning,\nnor whether these attacks of howling were inflicted on me as a judgment\nfor my crimes, or for any other cause; but this I do know, that when I\nyawn for the third time, I actually turn into a wolf and attack men.\u201d\nWith this speech he commenced a second fit of yawning and again howled\nlike a wolf, as he had at first. The Innkeeper, hearing his tale and\nbelieving what he said, became greatly alarmed and, rising from his\nseat, attempted to run away. The Thief laid hold of his coat and\nentreated him to stop, saying, \u201cPray wait, sir, and hold my clothes, or\nI shall tear them to pieces in my fury, when I turn into a wolf.\u201d At\nthe same moment he yawned the third time and set up a terrible howl.\nThe Innkeeper, frightened lest he should be attacked, left his new coat\nin the Thief\u2019s hand and ran as fast as he could into the inn for\nsafety. The Thief made off with the coat and did not return again to\nthe inn.\n\nEvery tale is not to be believed.\n\n\n\n\nThe Hart and the Vine\n\n\nA HART, hard pressed in the chase, hid himself beneath the large leaves\nof a Vine. The huntsmen, in their haste, overshot the place of his\nconcealment. Supposing all danger to have passed, the Hart began to\nnibble the tendrils of the Vine. One of the huntsmen, attracted by the\nrustling of the leaves, looked back, and seeing the Hart, shot an arrow\nfrom his bow and struck it. The Hart, at the point of death, groaned:\n\u201cI am rightly served, for I should not have maltreated the Vine that\nsaved me.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Gnat and the Lion\n\n\nA GNAT came and said to a Lion, \u201cI do not in the least fear you, nor\nare you stronger than I am. For in what does your strength consist? You\ncan scratch with your claws and bite with your teeth an a woman in her\nquarrels. I repeat that I am altogether more powerful than you; and if\nyou doubt it, let us fight and see who will conquer.\u201d The Gnat, having\nsounded his horn, fastened himself upon the Lion and stung him on the\nnostrils and the parts of the face devoid of hair. While trying to\ncrush him, the Lion tore himself with his claws, until he punished\nhimself severely. The Gnat thus prevailed over the Lion, and, buzzing\nabout in a song of triumph, flew away. But shortly afterwards he became\nentangled in the meshes of a cobweb and was eaten by a spider. He\ngreatly lamented his fate, saying, \u201cWoe is me! that I, who can wage war\nsuccessfully with the hugest beasts, should perish myself from this\nspider, the most inconsiderable of insects!\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Fox and the Grapes\n\n\nA FAMISHED FOX saw some clusters of ripe black grapes hanging from a\ntrellised vine. She resorted to all her tricks to get at them, but\nwearied herself in vain, for she could not reach them. At last she\nturned away, hiding her disappointment and saying: \u201cThe Grapes are\nsour, and not ripe as I thought.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Walnut-Tree\n\n\nA WALNUT TREE standing by the roadside bore an abundant crop of fruit.\nFor the sake of the nuts, the passers-by broke its branches with stones\nand sticks. The Walnut-Tree piteously exclaimed, \u201cO wretched me! that\nthose whom I cheer with my fruit should repay me with these painful\nrequitals!\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Kid and the Wolf\n\n\nA KID, returning without protection from the pasture, was pursued by a\nWolf. Seeing he could not escape, he turned round, and said: \u201cI know,\nfriend Wolf, that I must be your prey, but before I die I would ask of\nyou one favour you will play me a tune to which I may dance.\u201d The Wolf\ncomplied, and while he was piping and the Kid was dancing, some hounds\nhearing the sound ran up and began chasing the Wolf. Turning to the\nKid, he said, \u201cIt is just what I deserve; for I, who am only a butcher,\nshould not have turned piper to please you.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Monkey and the Dolphin\n\n\nA SAILOR, bound on a long voyage, took with him a Monkey to amuse him\nwhile on shipboard. As he sailed off the coast of Greece, a violent\ntempest arose in which the ship was wrecked and he, his Monkey, and all\nthe crew were obliged to swim for their lives. A Dolphin saw the Monkey\ncontending with the waves, and supposing him to be a man (whom he is\nalways said to befriend), came and placed himself under him, to convey\nhim on his back in safety to the shore. When the Dolphin arrived with\nhis burden in sight of land not far from Athens, he asked the Monkey if\nhe were an Athenian. The latter replied that he was, and that he was\ndescended from one of the most noble families in that city. The Dolphin\nthen inquired if he knew the Pir\u00e6us (the famous harbor of Athens).\nSupposing that a man was meant, the Monkey answered that he knew him\nvery well and that he was an intimate friend. The Dolphin, indignant at\nthese falsehoods, dipped the Monkey under the water and drowned him.\n\n\n\n\nThe Horse and the Stag\n\n\nAT ONE TIME the Horse had the plain entirely to himself. Then a Stag\nintruded into his domain and shared his pasture. The Horse, desiring to\nrevenge himself on the stranger, asked a man if he were willing to help\nhim in punishing the Stag. The man replied that if the Horse would\nreceive a bit in his mouth and agree to carry him, he would contrive\neffective weapons against the Stag. The Horse consented and allowed the\nman to mount him. From that hour he found that instead of obtaining\nrevenge on the Stag, he had enslaved himself to the service of man.\n\n\n\n\nThe Jackdaw and the Doves\n\n\nA JACKDAW, seeing some Doves in a cote abundantly provided with food,\npainted himself white and joined them in order to share their plentiful\nmaintenance. The Doves, as long as he was silent, supposed him to be\none of themselves and admitted him to their cote. But when one day he\nforgot himself and began to chatter, they discovered his true character\nand drove him forth, pecking him with their beaks. Failing to obtain\nfood among the Doves, he returned to the Jackdaws. They too, not\nrecognizing him on account of his color, expelled him from living with\nthem. So desiring two ends, he obtained neither.\n\n\n\n\nThe Fox and the Monkey\n\n\nA FOX and a Monkey were traveling together on the same road. As they\njourneyed, they passed through a cemetery full of monuments. \u201cAll these\nmonuments which you see,\u201d said the Monkey, \u201care erected in honour of my\nancestors, who were in their day freedmen and citizens of great\nrenown.\u201d The Fox replied, \u201cYou have chosen a most appropriate subject\nfor your falsehoods, as I am sure none of your ancestors will be able\nto contradict you.\u201d\n\nA false tale often betrays itself.\n\n\n\n\nThe Man and His Wife\n\n\nA MAN had a Wife who made herself hated by all the members of his\nhousehold. Wishing to find out if she had the same effect on the\npersons in her father\u2019s house, he made some excuse to send her home on\na visit to her father. After a short time she returned, and when he\ninquired how she had got on and how the servants had treated her, she\nreplied, \u201cThe herdsmen and shepherds cast on me looks of aversion.\u201d He\nsaid, \u201cO Wife, if you were disliked by those who go out early in the\nmorning with their flocks and return late in the evening, what must\nhave been felt towards you by those with whom you passed the whole\nday!\u201d\n\nStraws show how the wind blows.\n\n\n\n\nThe Man, the Horse, the Ox, and the Dog\n\n\nA HORSE, Ox, and Dog, driven to great straits by the cold, sought\nshelter and protection from Man. He received them kindly, lighted a\nfire, and warmed them. He let the Horse make free with his oats, gave\nthe Ox an abundance of hay, and fed the Dog with meat from his own\ntable. Grateful for these favours, the animals determined to repay him\nto the best of their ability. For this purpose, they divided the term\nof his life between them, and each endowed one portion of it with the\nqualities which chiefly characterized himself. The Horse chose his\nearliest years and gave them his own attributes: hence every man is in\nhis youth impetuous, headstrong, and obstinate in maintaining his own\nopinion. The Ox took under his patronage the next term of life, and\ntherefore man in his middle age is fond of work, devoted to labor, and\nresolute to amass wealth and to husband his resources. The end of life\nwas reserved for the Dog, wherefore the old man is often snappish,\nirritable, hard to please, and selfish, tolerant only of his own\nhousehold, but averse to strangers and to all who do not administer to\nhis comfort or to his necessities.\n\n\n\n\nThe Thief and the Housedog\n\n\nA THIEF came in the night to break into a house. He brought with him\nseveral slices of meat in order to pacify the Housedog, so that he\nwould not alarm his master by barking. As the Thief threw him the\npieces of meat, the Dog said, \u201cIf you think to stop my mouth, you will\nbe greatly mistaken. This sudden kindness at your hands will only make\nme more watchful, lest under these unexpected favours to myself, you\nhave some private ends to accomplish for your own benefit, and for my\nmaster\u2019s injury.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Apes and the Two Travelers\n\n\nTWO MEN, one who always spoke the truth and the other who told nothing\nbut lies, were traveling together and by chance came to the land of\nApes. One of the Apes, who had raised himself to be king, commanded\nthem to be seized and brought before him, that he might know what was\nsaid of him among men. He ordered at the same time that all the Apes be\narranged in a long row on his right hand and on his left, and that a\nthrone be placed for him, as was the custom among men. After these\npreparations he signified that the two men should be brought before\nhim, and greeted them with this salutation: \u201cWhat sort of a king do I\nseem to you to be, O strangers?\u201d The Lying Traveler replied, \u201cYou seem\nto me a most mighty king.\u201d \u201cAnd what is your estimate of those you see\naround me?\u201d \u201cThese,\u201d he made answer, \u201care worthy companions of\nyourself, fit at least to be ambassadors and leaders of armies.\u201d The\nApe and all his court, gratified with the lie, commanded that a\nhandsome present be given to the flatterer. On this the truthful\nTraveler thought to himself, \u201cIf so great a reward be given for a lie,\nwith what gift may not I be rewarded, if, according to my custom, I\ntell the truth?\u201d The Ape quickly turned to him. \u201cAnd pray how do I and\nthese my friends around me seem to you?\u201d \u201cThou art,\u201d he said, \u201ca most\nexcellent Ape, and all these thy companions after thy example are\nexcellent Apes too.\u201d The King of the Apes, enraged at hearing these\ntruths, gave him over to the teeth and claws of his companions.\n\n\n\n\nThe Fox and the Lion\n\n\nWHEN A FOX who had never yet seen a Lion, fell in with him by chance\nfor the first time in the forest, he was so frightened that he nearly\ndied with fear. On meeting him for the second time, he was still much\nalarmed, but not to the same extent as at first. On seeing him the\nthird time, he so increased in boldness that he went up to him and\ncommenced a familiar conversation with him.\n\nAcquaintance softens prejudices.\n\n\n\n\nThe Weasel and the Mice\n\n\nA WEASEL, inactive from age and infirmities, was not able to catch mice\nas he once did. He therefore rolled himself in flour and lay down in a\ndark corner. A Mouse, supposing him to be food, leaped upon him, and\nwas instantly caught and squeezed to death. Another perished in a\nsimilar manner, and then a third, and still others after them. A very\nold Mouse, who had escaped many a trap and snare, observed from a safe\ndistance the trick of his crafty foe and said, \u201cAh! you that lie there,\nmay you prosper just in the same proportion as you are what you pretend\nto be!\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Boy Bathing\n\n\nA BOY bathing in a river was in danger of being drowned. He called out\nto a passing traveler for help, but instead of holding out a helping\nhand, the man stood by unconcernedly, and scolded the boy for his\nimprudence. \u201cOh, sir!\u201d cried the youth, \u201cpray help me now and scold me\nafterwards.\u201d\n\nCounsel without help is useless.\n\n\n\n\nThe Peacock and Juno\n\n\nTHE PEACOCK made complaint to Juno that, while the nightingale pleased\nevery ear with his song, he himself no sooner opened his mouth than he\nbecame a laughingstock to all who heard him. The Goddess, to console\nhim, said, \u201cBut you far excel in beauty and in size. The splendor of\nthe emerald shines in your neck and you unfold a tail gorgeous with\npainted plumage.\u201d \u201cBut for what purpose have I,\u201d said the bird, \u201cthis\ndumb beauty so long as I am surpassed in song?\u201d \u201cThe lot of each,\u201d\nreplied Juno, \u201chas been assigned by the will of the Fates\u2014to thee,\nbeauty; to the eagle, strength; to the nightingale, song; to the raven,\nfavourable, and to the crow, unfavourable auguries. These are all\ncontented with the endowments allotted to them.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Wolf and the Shepherd\n\n\nA WOLF followed a flock of sheep for a long time and did not attempt to\ninjure one of them. The Shepherd at first stood on his guard against\nhim, as against an enemy, and kept a strict watch over his movements.\nBut when the Wolf, day after day, kept in the company of the sheep and\ndid not make the slightest effort to seize them, the Shepherd began to\nlook upon him as a guardian of his flock rather than as a plotter of\nevil against it; and when occasion called him one day into the city, he\nleft the sheep entirely in his charge. The Wolf, now that he had the\nopportunity, fell upon the sheep, and destroyed the greater part of the\nflock. When the Shepherd returned to find his flock destroyed, he\nexclaimed: \u201cI have been rightly served; why did I trust my sheep to a\nWolf?\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Hares and the Lions\n\n\nTHE HARES harangued the assembly, and argued that all should be equal.\nThe Lions made this reply: \u201cYour words, O Hares! are good; but they\nlack both claws and teeth such as we have.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Seller of Images\n\n\nA CERTAIN MAN made a wooden image of Mercury and offered it for sale.\nWhen no one appeared willing to buy it, in order to attract purchasers,\nhe cried out that he had the statue to sell of a benefactor who\nbestowed wealth and helped to heap up riches. One of the bystanders\nsaid to him, \u201cMy good fellow, why do you sell him, being such a one as\nyou describe, when you may yourself enjoy the good things he has to\ngive?\u201d \u201cWhy,\u201d he replied, \u201cI am in need of immediate help, and he is\nwont to give his good gifts very slowly.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Hawk and the Nightingale\n\n\nA NIGHTINGALE, sitting aloft upon an oak and singing according to his\nwont, was seen by a Hawk who, being in need of food, swooped down and\nseized him. The Nightingale, about to lose his life, earnestly begged\nthe Hawk to let him go, saying that he was not big enough to satisfy\nthe hunger of a Hawk who, if he wanted food, ought to pursue the larger\nbirds. The Hawk, interrupting him, said: \u201cI should indeed have lost my\nsenses if I should let go food ready in my hand, for the sake of\npursuing birds which are not yet even within sight.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Lark and Her Young Ones\n\n\nA LARK had made her nest in the early spring on the young green wheat.\nThe brood had almost grown to their full strength and attained the use\nof their wings and the full plumage of their feathers, when the owner\nof the field, looking over his ripe crop, said, \u201cThe time has come when\nI must ask all my neighbors to help me with my harvest.\u201d One of the\nyoung Larks heard his speech and related it to his mother, inquiring of\nher to what place they should move for safety. \u201cThere is no occasion to\nmove yet, my son,\u201d she replied; \u201cthe man who only sends to his friends\nto help him with his harvest is not really in earnest.\u201d The owner of\nthe field came again a few days later and saw the wheat shedding the\ngrain from excess of ripeness. He said, \u201cI will come myself tomorrow\nwith my laborers, and with as many reapers as I can hire, and will get\nin the harvest.\u201d The Lark on hearing these words said to her brood, \u201cIt\nis time now to be off, my little ones, for the man is in earnest this\ntime; he no longer trusts his friends, but will reap the field\nhimself.\u201d\n\nSelf-help is the best help.\n\n\n\n\nThe Dog, the Cock, and the Fox\n\n\nA DOG and a Cock being great friends, agreed to travel together. At\nnightfall they took shelter in a thick wood. The Cock flying up,\nperched himself on the branches of a tree, while the Dog found a bed\nbeneath in the hollow trunk. When the morning dawned, the Cock, as\nusual, crowed very loudly several times. A Fox heard the sound, and\nwishing to make a breakfast on him, came and stood under the branches,\nsaying how earnestly he desired to make the acquaintance of the owner\nof so magnificent a voice. The Cock, suspecting his civilities, said:\n\u201cSir, I wish you would do me the favour of going around to the hollow\ntrunk below me, and waking my porter, so that he may open the door and\nlet you in.\u201d When the Fox approached the tree, the Dog sprang out and\ncaught him, and tore him to pieces.\n\n\n\n\nThe Geese and the Cranes\n\n\nTHE GEESE and the Cranes were feeding in the same meadow, when a\nbirdcatcher came to ensnare them in his nets. The Cranes, being light\nof wing, fled away at his approach; while the Geese, being slower of\nflight and heavier in their bodies, were captured.\n\n\n\n\nThe Ass and the Wolf\n\n\nAN ASS feeding in a meadow saw a Wolf approaching to seize him, and\nimmediately pretended to be lame. The Wolf, coming up, inquired the\ncause of his lameness. The Ass replied that passing through a hedge he\nhad trod with his foot upon a sharp thorn. He requested that the Wolf\npull it out, lest when he ate him it should injure his throat. The Wolf\nconsented and lifted up the foot, and was giving his whole mind to the\ndiscovery of the thorn, when the Ass, with his heels, kicked his teeth\ninto his mouth and galloped away. The Wolf, being thus fearfully\nmauled, said, \u201cI am rightly served, for why did I attempt the art of\nhealing, when my father only taught me the trade of a butcher?\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Goat and the Ass\n\n\nA MAN once kept a Goat and an Ass. The Goat, envying the Ass on account\nof his greater abundance of food, said, \u201cHow shamefully you are\ntreated: at one time grinding in the mill, and at another carrying\nheavy burdens;\u201d and he further advised him to pretend to be epileptic\nand fall into a ditch and so obtain rest. The Ass listened to his\nwords, and falling into a ditch, was very much bruised. His master,\nsending for a leech, asked his advice. He bade him pour upon the wounds\nthe lungs of a Goat. They at once killed the Goat, and so healed the\nAss.\n\n\n\n\nThe Lion and the Bull\n\n\nA LION, greatly desiring to capture a Bull, and yet afraid to attack\nhim on account of his great size, resorted to a trick to ensure his\ndestruction. He approached the Bull and said, \u201cI have slain a fine\nsheep, my friend; and if you will come home and partake of him with me,\nI shall be delighted to have your company.\u201d The Lion said this in the\nhope that, as the Bull was in the act of reclining to eat, he might\nattack him to advantage, and make his meal on him. The Bull, on\napproaching the Lion\u2019s den, saw the huge spits and giant caldrons, and\nno sign whatever of the sheep, and, without saying a word, quietly took\nhis departure. The Lion inquired why he went off so abruptly without a\nword of salutation to his host, who had not given him any cause for\noffense. \u201cI have reasons enough,\u201d said the Bull. \u201cI see no indication\nwhatever of your having slaughtered a sheep, while I do see very\nplainly every preparation for your dining on a bull.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Fox and the Mask\n\n\nA FOX entered the house of an actor and, rummaging through all his\nproperties, came upon a Mask, an admirable imitation of a human head.\nHe placed his paws on it and said, \u201cWhat a beautiful head! Yet it is of\nno value, as it entirely lacks brains.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Grasshopper and the Owl\n\n\nAN OWL, accustomed to feed at night and to sleep during the day, was\ngreatly disturbed by the noise of a Grasshopper and earnestly besought\nher to stop chirping. The Grasshopper refused to desist, and chirped\nlouder and louder the more the Owl entreated. When she saw that she\ncould get no redress and that her words were despised, the Owl attacked\nthe chatterer by a stratagem. \u201cSince I cannot sleep,\u201d she said, \u201con\naccount of your song which, believe me, is sweet as the lyre of Apollo,\nI shall indulge myself in drinking some nectar which Pallas lately gave\nme. If you do not dislike it, come to me and we will drink it\ntogether.\u201d The Grasshopper, who was thirsty, and pleased with the\npraise of her voice, eagerly flew up. The Owl came forth from her\nhollow, seized her, and put her to death.\n\n\n\n\nThe Fowler and the Viper\n\n\nA FOWLER, taking his bird-lime and his twigs, went out to catch birds.\nSeeing a thrush sitting upon a tree, he wished to take it, and fitting\nhis twigs to a proper length, watched intently, having his whole\nthoughts directed towards the sky. While thus looking upwards, he\nunknowingly trod upon a Viper asleep just before his feet. The Viper,\nturning about, stung him, and falling into a swoon, the man said to\nhimself, \u201cWoe is me! that while I purposed to hunt another, I am myself\nfallen unawares into the snares of death.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Horse and the Ass\n\n\nA HORSE, proud of his fine trappings, met an Ass on the highway. The\nAss, being heavily laden, moved slowly out of the way. \u201cHardly,\u201d said\nthe Horse, \u201ccan I resist kicking you with my heels.\u201d The Ass held his\npeace, and made only a silent appeal to the justice of the gods. Not\nlong afterwards the Horse, having become broken-winded, was sent by his\nowner to the farm. The Ass, seeing him drawing a dungcart, thus derided\nhim: \u201cWhere, O boaster, are now all thy gay trappings, thou who are\nthyself reduced to the condition you so lately treated with contempt?\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Lion and the Three Bulls\n\n\nTHREE BULLS for a long time pastured together. A Lion lay in ambush in\nthe hope of making them his prey, but was afraid to attack them while\nthey kept together. Having at last by guileful speeches succeeded in\nseparating them, he attacked them without fear as they fed alone, and\nfeasted on them one by one at his own leisure.\n\nUnion is strength.\n\n\n\n\nThe Wolf and the Goat\n\n\nA WOLF saw a Goat feeding at the summit of a steep precipice, where he\nhad no chance of reaching her. He called to her and earnestly begged\nher to come lower down, lest she fall by some mishap; and he added that\nthe meadows lay where he was standing, and that the herbage was most\ntender. She replied, \u201cNo, my friend, it is not for the pasture that you\ninvite me, but for yourself, who are in want of food.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Fly and the Draught-Mule\n\n\nA FLY sat on the axle-tree of a chariot, and addressing the\nDraught-Mule said, \u201cHow slow you are! Why do you not go faster? See if\nI do not prick your neck with my sting.\u201d The Draught-Mule replied, \u201cI\ndo not heed your threats; I only care for him who sits above you, and\nwho quickens my pace with his whip, or holds me back with the reins.\nAway, therefore, with your insolence, for I know well when to go fast,\nand when to go slow.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Fishermen\n\n\nSOME FISHERMEN were out trawling their nets. Perceiving them to be very\nheavy, they danced about for joy and supposed that they had taken a\nlarge catch. When they had dragged the nets to the shore they found but\nfew fish: the nets were full of sand and stones, and the men were\nbeyond measure cast down so much at the disappointment which had\nbefallen them, but because they had formed such very different\nexpectations. One of their company, an old man, said, \u201cLet us cease\nlamenting, my mates, for, as it seems to me, sorrow is always the twin\nsister of joy; and it was only to be looked for that we, who just now\nwere over-rejoiced, should next have something to make us sad.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Town Mouse and the Country Mouse\n\n\nA COUNTRY MOUSE invited a Town Mouse, an intimate friend, to pay him a\nvisit and partake of his country fare. As they were on the bare\nplowlands, eating there wheat-stocks and roots pulled up from the\nhedgerow, the Town Mouse said to his friend, \u201cYou live here the life of\nthe ants, while in my house is the horn of plenty. I am surrounded by\nevery luxury, and if you will come with me, as I wish you would, you\nshall have an ample share of my dainties.\u201d The Country Mouse was easily\npersuaded, and returned to town with his friend. On his arrival, the\nTown Mouse placed before him bread, barley, beans, dried figs, honey,\nraisins, and, last of all, brought a dainty piece of cheese from a\nbasket. The Country Mouse, being much delighted at the sight of such\ngood cheer, expressed his satisfaction in warm terms and lamented his\nown hard fate. Just as they were beginning to eat, someone opened the\ndoor, and they both ran off squeaking, as fast as they could, to a hole\nso narrow that two could only find room in it by squeezing. They had\nscarcely begun their repast again when someone else entered to take\nsomething out of a cupboard, whereupon the two Mice, more frightened\nthan before, ran away and hid themselves. At last the Country Mouse,\nalmost famished, said to his friend: \u201cAlthough you have prepared for me\nso dainty a feast, I must leave you to enjoy it by yourself. It is\nsurrounded by too many dangers to please me. I prefer my bare plowlands\nand roots from the hedgerow, where I can live in safety, and without\nfear.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Wolf, the Fox, and the Ape\n\n\nA WOLF accused a Fox of theft, but the Fox entirely denied the charge.\nAn Ape undertook to adjudge the matter between them. When each had\nfully stated his case the Ape announced this sentence: \u201cI do not think\nyou, Wolf, ever lost what you claim; and I do believe you, Fox, to have\nstolen what you so stoutly deny.\u201d\n\nThe dishonest, if they act honestly, get no credit.\n\n\n\n\nThe Wasps, the Partridges, and the Farmer\n\n\nTHE WASPS and the Partridges, overcome with thirst, came to a Farmer\nand besought him to give them some water to drink. They promised amply\nto repay him the favour which they asked. The Partridges declared that\nthey would dig around his vines and make them produce finer grapes. The\nWasps said that they would keep guard and drive off thieves with their\nstings. But the Farmer interrupted them, saying: \u201cI have already two\noxen, who, without making any promises, do all these things. It is\nsurely better for me to give the water to them than to you.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Brother and the Sister\n\n\nA FATHER had one son and one daughter, the former remarkable for his\ngood looks, the latter for her extraordinary ugliness. While they were\nplaying one day as children, they happened by chance to look together\ninto a mirror that was placed on their mother\u2019s chair. The boy\ncongratulated himself on his good looks; the girl grew angry, and could\nnot bear the self-praises of her Brother, interpreting all he said (and\nhow could she do otherwise?) into reflection on herself. She ran off to\nher father, to be avenged on her Brother, and spitefully accused him of\nhaving, as a boy, made use of that which belonged only to girls. The\nfather embraced them both, and bestowing his kisses and affection\nimpartially on each, said, \u201cI wish you both would look into the mirror\nevery day: you, my son, that you may not spoil your beauty by evil\nconduct; and you, my daughter, that you may make up for your lack of\nbeauty by your virtues.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Dogs and the Fox\n\n\nSOME DOGS, finding the skin of a lion, began to tear it in pieces with\ntheir teeth. A Fox, seeing them, said, \u201cIf this lion were alive, you\nwould soon find out that his claws were stronger than your teeth.\u201d\n\nIt is easy to kick a man that is down.\n\n\n\n\nThe Blind Man and the Whelp\n\n\nA BLIND MAN was accustomed to distinguishing different animals by\ntouching them with his hands. The whelp of a Wolf was brought him, with\na request that he would feel it, and say what it was. He felt it, and\nbeing in doubt, said: \u201cI do not quite know whether it is the cub of a\nFox, or the whelp of a Wolf, but this I know full well. It would not be\nsafe to admit him to the sheepfold.\u201d\n\nEvil tendencies are shown in early life.\n\n\n\n\nThe Cobbler Turned Doctor\n\n\nA COBBLER unable to make a living by his trade and made desperate by\npoverty, began to practice medicine in a town in which he was not\nknown. He sold a drug, pretending that it was an antidote to all\npoisons, and obtained a great name for himself by long-winded puffs and\nadvertisements. When the Cobbler happened to fall sick himself of a\nserious illness, the Governor of the town determined to test his skill.\nFor this purpose he called for a cup, and while filling it with water,\npretended to mix poison with the Cobbler\u2019s antidote, commanding him to\ndrink it on the promise of a reward. The Cobbler, under the fear of\ndeath, confessed that he had no knowledge of medicine, and was only\nmade famous by the stupid clamors of the crowd. The Governor then\ncalled a public assembly and addressed the citizens: \u201cOf what folly\nhave you been guilty? You have not hesitated to entrust your heads to a\nman, whom no one could employ to make even the shoes for their feet.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Wolf and the Horse\n\n\nA WOLF coming out of a field of oats met a Horse and thus addressed\nhim: \u201cI would advise you to go into that field. It is full of fine\noats, which I have left untouched for you, as you are a friend whom I\nwould love to hear enjoying good eating.\u201d The Horse replied, \u201cIf oats\nhad been the food of wolves, you would never have indulged your ears at\nthe cost of your belly.\u201d\n\nMen of evil reputation, when they perform a good deed, fail to get\ncredit for it.\n\n\n\n\nThe Two Men Who Were Enemies\n\n\nTWO MEN, deadly enemies to each other, were sailing in the same vessel.\nDetermined to keep as far apart as possible, the one seated himself in\nthe stem, and the other in the prow of the ship. A violent storm arose,\nand with the vessel in great danger of sinking, the one in the stern\ninquired of the pilot which of the two ends of the ship would go down\nfirst. On his replying that he supposed it would be the prow, the Man\nsaid, \u201cDeath would not be grievous to me, if I could only see my Enemy\ndie before me.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Gamecocks and the Partridge\n\n\nA MAN had two Gamecocks in his poultry-yard. One day by chance he found\na tame Partridge for sale. He purchased it and brought it home to be\nreared with his Gamecocks. When the Partridge was put into the\npoultry-yard, they struck at it and followed it about, so that the\nPartridge became grievously troubled and supposed that he was thus\nevilly treated because he was a stranger. Not long afterwards he saw\nthe Cocks fighting together and not separating before one had well\nbeaten the other. He then said to himself, \u201cI shall no longer distress\nmyself at being struck at by these Gamecocks, when I see that they\ncannot even refrain from quarreling with each other.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Fox and the Lion\n\n\nA FOX saw a Lion confined in a cage, and standing near him, bitterly\nreviled him. The Lion said to the Fox, \u201cIt is not thou who revilest me;\nbut this mischance which has befallen me.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Quack Frog\n\n\nA FROG once upon a time came forth from his home in the marsh and\nproclaimed to all the beasts that he was a learned physician, skilled\nin the use of drugs and able to heal all diseases. A Fox asked him,\n\u201cHow can you pretend to prescribe for others, when you are unable to\nheal your own lame gait and wrinkled skin?\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Lion, the Wolf, and the Fox\n\n\nA LION, growing old, lay sick in his cave. All the beasts came to visit\ntheir king, except the Fox. The Wolf therefore, thinking that he had a\ncapital opportunity, accused the Fox to the Lion of not paying any\nrespect to him who had the rule over them all and of not coming to\nvisit him. At that very moment the Fox came in and heard these last\nwords of the Wolf. The Lion roaring out in a rage against him, the Fox\nsought an opportunity to defend himself and said, \u201cAnd who of all those\nwho have come to you have benefited you so much as I, who have traveled\nfrom place to place in every direction, and have sought and learnt from\nthe physicians the means of healing you?\u201d The Lion commanded him\nimmediately to tell him the cure, when he replied, \u201cYou must flay a\nwolf alive and wrap his skin yet warm around you.\u201d The Wolf was at once\ntaken and flayed; whereon the Fox, turning to him, said with a smile,\n\u201cYou should have moved your master not to ill, but to good, will.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Dog\u2019s House\n\n\nIN THE WINTERTIME, a Dog curled up in as small a space as possible on\naccount of the cold, determined to make himself a house. However when\nthe summer returned again, he lay asleep stretched at his full length\nand appeared to himself to be of a great size. Now he considered that\nit would be neither an easy nor a necessary work to make himself such a\nhouse as would accommodate him.\n\n\n\n\nThe North Wind and the Sun\n\n\nTHE NORTH WIND and the Sun disputed as to which was the most powerful,\nand agreed that he should be declared the victor who could first strip\na wayfaring man of his clothes. The North Wind first tried his power\nand blew with all his might, but the keener his blasts, the closer the\nTraveler wrapped his cloak around him, until at last, resigning all\nhope of victory, the Wind called upon the Sun to see what he could do.\nThe Sun suddenly shone out with all his warmth. The Traveler no sooner\nfelt his genial rays than he took off one garment after another, and at\nlast, fairly overcome with heat, undressed and bathed in a stream that\nlay in his path.\n\nPersuasion is better than Force.\n\n\n\n\nThe Crow and Mercury\n\n\nA CROW caught in a snare prayed to Apollo to release him, making a vow\nto offer some frankincense at his shrine. But when rescued from his\ndanger, he forgot his promise. Shortly afterwards, again caught in a\nsnare, he passed by Apollo and made the same promise to offer\nfrankincense to Mercury. Mercury soon appeared and said to him, \u201cO thou\nmost base fellow? how can I believe thee, who hast disowned and wronged\nthy former patron?\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Fox and the Crane\n\n\nA FOX invited a Crane to supper and provided nothing for his\nentertainment but some soup made of pulse, which was poured out into a\nbroad flat stone dish. The soup fell out of the long bill of the Crane\nat every mouthful, and his vexation at not being able to eat afforded\nthe Fox much amusement. The Crane, in his turn, asked the Fox to sup\nwith him, and set before her a flagon with a long narrow mouth, so that\nhe could easily insert his neck and enjoy its contents at his leisure.\nThe Fox, unable even to taste it, met with a fitting requital, after\nthe fashion of her own hospitality.\n\n\n\n\nThe Wolf and the Lion\n\n\nROAMING BY the mountainside at sundown, a Wolf saw his own shadow\nbecome greatly extended and magnified, and he said to himself, \u201cWhy\nshould I, being of such an immense size and extending nearly an acre in\nlength, be afraid of the Lion? Ought I not to be acknowledged as King\nof all the collected beasts?\u201d While he was indulging in these proud\nthoughts, a Lion fell upon him and killed him. He exclaimed with a too\nlate repentance, \u201cWretched me! this overestimation of myself is the\ncause of my destruction.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Birds, the Beasts, and the Bat\n\n\nTHE BIRDS waged war with the Beasts, and each were by turns the\nconquerors. A Bat, fearing the uncertain issues of the fight, always\nfought on the side which he felt was the strongest. When peace was\nproclaimed, his deceitful conduct was apparent to both combatants.\nTherefore being condemned by each for his treachery, he was driven\nforth from the light of day, and henceforth concealed himself in dark\nhiding-places, flying always alone and at night.\n\n\n\n\nThe Spendthrift and the Swallow\n\n\nA YOUNG MAN, a great spendthrift, had run through all his patrimony and\nhad but one good cloak left. One day he happened to see a Swallow,\nwhich had appeared before its season, skimming along a pool and\ntwittering gaily. He supposed that summer had come, and went and sold\nhis cloak. Not many days later, winter set in again with renewed frost\nand cold. When he found the unfortunate Swallow lifeless on the ground,\nhe said, \u201cUnhappy bird! what have you done? By thus appearing before\nthe springtime you have not only killed yourself, but you have wrought\nmy destruction also.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Trumpeter Taken Prisoner\n\n\nA TRUMPETER, bravely leading on the soldiers, was captured by the\nenemy. He cried out to his captors, \u201cPray spare me, and do not take my\nlife without cause or without inquiry. I have not slain a single man of\nyour troop. I have no arms, and carry nothing but this one brass\ntrumpet.\u201d \u201cThat is the very reason for which you should be put to\ndeath,\u201d they said; \u201cfor, while you do not fight yourself, your trumpet\nstirs all the others to battle.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Owl and the Birds\n\n\nAN OWL, in her wisdom, counseled the Birds that when the acorn first\nbegan to sprout, to pull it all up out of the ground and not allow it\nto grow. She said acorns would produce mistletoe, from which an\nirremediable poison, the bird-lime, would be extracted and by which\nthey would be captured. The Owl next advised them to pluck up the seed\nof the flax, which men had sown, as it was a plant which boded no good\nto them. And, lastly, the Owl, seeing an archer approach, predicted\nthat this man, being on foot, would contrive darts armed with feathers\nwhich would fly faster than the wings of the Birds themselves. The\nBirds gave no credence to these warning words, but considered the Owl\nto be beside herself and said that she was mad. But afterwards, finding\nher words were true, they wondered at her knowledge and deemed her to\nbe the wisest of birds. Hence it is that when she appears they look to\nher as knowing all things, while she no longer gives them advice, but\nin solitude laments their past folly.\n\n\n\n\nThe Goods and the Ills\n\n\nALL the Goods were once driven out by the Ills from that common share\nwhich they each had in the affairs of mankind; for the Ills by reason\nof their numbers had prevailed to possess the earth. The Goods wafted\nthemselves to heaven and asked for a righteous vengeance on their\npersecutors. They entreated Jupiter that they might no longer be\nassociated with the Ills, as they had nothing in common and could not\nlive together, but were engaged in unceasing warfare; and that an\nindissoluble law might be laid down for their future protection.\nJupiter granted their request and decreed that henceforth the Ills\nshould visit the earth in company with each other, but that the Goods\nshould one by one enter the habitations of men. Hence it arises that\nIlls abound, for they come not one by one, but in troops, and by no\nmeans singly: while the Goods proceed from Jupiter, and are given, not\nalike to all, but singly, and separately; and one by one to those who\nare able to discern them.\n\n\n\n\nThe Ass in the Lion\u2019s Skin\n\n\nAN ASS, having put on the Lion\u2019s skin, roamed about in the forest and\namused himself by frightening all the foolish animals he met in his\nwanderings. At last coming upon a Fox, he tried to frighten him also,\nbut the Fox no sooner heard the sound of his voice than he exclaimed,\n\u201cI might possibly have been frightened myself, if I had not heard your\nbray.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Sparrow and the Hare\n\n\nA HARE pounced upon by an eagle sobbed very much and uttered cries like\na child. A Sparrow upbraided her and said, \u201cWhere now is thy remarkable\nswiftness of foot? Why were your feet so slow?\u201d While the Sparrow was\nthus speaking, a hawk suddenly seized him and killed him. The Hare was\ncomforted in her death, and expiring said, \u201cAh! you who so lately, when\nyou supposed yourself safe, exulted over my calamity, have now reason\nto deplore a similar misfortune.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Flea and the Ox\n\n\nA FLEA thus questioned an Ox: \u201cWhat ails you, that being so huge and\nstrong, you submit to the wrongs you receive from men and slave for\nthem day by day, while I, being so small a creature, mercilessly feed\non their flesh and drink their blood without stint?\u201d The Ox replied: \u201cI\ndo not wish to be ungrateful, for I am loved and well cared for by men,\nand they often pat my head and shoulders.\u201d \u201cWoe\u2019s me!\u201d said the flea;\n\u201cthis very patting which you like, whenever it happens to me, brings\nwith it my inevitable destruction.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Ass and His Purchaser\n\n\nA MAN wished to purchase an Ass, and agreed with its owner that he\nshould try out the animal before he bought him. He took the Ass home\nand put him in the straw-yard with his other Asses, upon which the new\nanimal left all the others and at once joined the one that was most\nidle and the greatest eater of them all. Seeing this, the man put a\nhalter on him and led him back to his owner. On being asked how, in so\nshort a time, he could have made a trial of him, he answered, \u201cI do not\nneed a trial; I know that he will be just the same as the one he chose\nfor his companion.\u201d\n\nA man is known by the company he keeps.\n\n\n\n\nThe Dove and the Crow\n\n\nA DOVE shut up in a cage was boasting of the large number of young ones\nwhich she had hatched. A Crow hearing her, said: \u201cMy good friend, cease\nfrom this unseasonable boasting. The larger the number of your family,\nthe greater your cause of sorrow, in seeing them shut up in this\nprison-house.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Man and the Satyr\n\n\nA MAN and a Satyr once drank together in token of a bond of alliance\nbeing formed between them. One very cold wintry day, as they talked,\nthe Man put his fingers to his mouth and blew on them. When the Satyr\nasked the reason for this, he told him that he did it to warm his hands\nbecause they were so cold. Later on in the day they sat down to eat,\nand the food prepared was quite scalding. The Man raised one of the\ndishes a little towards his mouth and blew in it. When the Satyr again\ninquired the reason, he said that he did it to cool the meat, which was\ntoo hot. \u201cI can no longer consider you as a friend,\u201d said the Satyr, \u201ca\nfellow who with the same breath blows hot and cold.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nJupiter, Neptune, Minerva, and Momus\n\n\nACCORDING to an ancient legend, the first man was made by Jupiter, the\nfirst bull by Neptune, and the first house by Minerva. On the\ncompletion of their labours, a dispute arose as to which had made the\nmost perfect work. They agreed to appoint Momus as judge, and to abide\nby his decision. Momus, however, being very envious of the handicraft\nof each, found fault with all. He first blamed the work of Neptune\nbecause he had not made the horns of the bull below his eyes, so he\nmight better see where to strike. He then condemned the work of\nJupiter, because he had not placed the heart of man on the outside,\nthat everyone might read the thoughts of the evil disposed and take\nprecautions against the intended mischief. And, lastly, he inveighed\nagainst Minerva because she had not contrived iron wheels in the\nfoundation of her house, so its inhabitants might more easily remove if\na neighbor proved unpleasant. Jupiter, indignant at such inveterate\nfaultfinding, drove him from his office of judge, and expelled him from\nthe mansions of Olympus.\n\n\n\n\nThe Eagle and the Jackdaw\n\n\nAN EAGLE, flying down from his perch on a lofty rock, seized upon a\nlamb and carried him aloft in his talons. A Jackdaw, who witnessed the\ncapture of the lamb, was stirred with envy and determined to emulate\nthe strength and flight of the Eagle. He flew around with a great whir\nof his wings and settled upon a large ram, with the intention of\ncarrying him off, but his claws became entangled in the ram\u2019s fleece\nand he was not able to release himself, although he fluttered with his\nfeathers as much as he could. The shepherd, seeing what had happened,\nran up and caught him. He at once clipped the Jackdaw\u2019s wings, and\ntaking him home at night, gave him to his children. On their saying,\n\u201cFather, what kind of bird is it?\u201d he replied, \u201cTo my certain knowledge\nhe is a Daw; but he would like you to think an Eagle.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Eagle and the Fox\n\n\nAN EAGLE and a Fox formed an intimate friendship and decided to live\nnear each other. The Eagle built her nest in the branches of a tall\ntree, while the Fox crept into the underwood and there produced her\nyoung. Not long after they had agreed upon this plan, the Eagle, being\nin want of provision for her young ones, swooped down while the Fox was\nout, seized upon one of the little cubs, and feasted herself and her\nbrood. The Fox on her return, discovered what had happened, but was\nless grieved for the death of her young than for her inability to\navenge them. A just retribution, however, quickly fell upon the Eagle.\nWhile hovering near an altar, on which some villagers were sacrificing\na goat, she suddenly seized a piece of the flesh, and carried it, along\nwith a burning cinder, to her nest. A strong breeze soon fanned the\nspark into a flame, and the eaglets, as yet unfledged and helpless,\nwere roasted in their nest and dropped down dead at the bottom of the\ntree. There, in the sight of the Eagle, the Fox gobbled them up.\n\n\n\n\nThe Two Bags\n\n\nEVERY MAN, according to an ancient legend, is born into the world with\ntwo bags suspended from his neck all bag in front full of his\nneighbors\u2019 faults, and a large bag behind filled with his own faults.\nHence it is that men are quick to see the faults of others, and yet are\noften blind to their own failings.\n\n\n\n\nThe Bitch and Her Whelps\n\n\nA BITCH, ready to whelp, earnestly begged a shepherd for a place where\nshe might litter. When her request was granted, she besought permission\nto rear her puppies in the same spot. The shepherd again consented. But\nat last the Bitch, protected by the bodyguard of her Whelps, who had\nnow grown up and were able to defend themselves, asserted her exclusive\nright to the place and would not permit the shepherd to approach.\n\n\n\n\nThe Stag at the Pool\n\n\nA STAG overpowered by heat came to a spring to drink. Seeing his own\nshadow reflected in the water, he greatly admired the size and variety\nof his horns, but felt angry with himself for having such slender and\nweak feet. While he was thus contemplating himself, a Lion appeared at\nthe pool and crouched to spring upon him. The Stag immediately took to\nflight, and exerting his utmost speed, as long as the plain was smooth\nand open kept himself easily at a safe distance from the Lion. But\nentering a wood he became entangled by his horns, and the Lion quickly\ncame up to him and caught him. When too late, he thus reproached\nhimself: \u201cWoe is me! How I have deceived myself! These feet which would\nhave saved me I despised, and I gloried in these antlers which have\nproved my destruction.\u201d\n\nWhat is most truly valuable is often underrated.\n\n\n\n\nThe Lark Burying Her Father\n\n\nTHE LARK (according to an ancient legend) was created before the earth\nitself, and when her father died, as there was no earth, she could find\nno place of burial for him. She let him lie uninterred for five days,\nand on the sixth day, not knowing what else to do, she buried him in\nher own head. Hence she obtained her crest, which is popularly said to\nbe her father\u2019s grave-hillock.\n\nYouth\u2019s first duty is reverence to parents.\n\n\n\n\nThe Gnat and the Bull\n\n\nA GNAT settled on the horn of a Bull, and sat there a long time. Just\nas he was about to fly off, he made a buzzing noise, and inquired of\nthe Bull if he would like him to go. The Bull replied, \u201cI did not know\nyou had come, and I shall not miss you when you go away.\u201d\n\nSome men are of more consequence in their own eyes than in the eyes of\ntheir neighbors.\n\n\n\n\nThe Monkey and the Camel\n\n\nTHE BEASTS of the forest gave a splendid entertainment at which the\nMonkey stood up and danced. Having vastly delighted the assembly, he\nsat down amidst universal applause. The Camel, envious of the praises\nbestowed on the Monkey and desiring to divert to himself the favour of\nthe guests, proposed to stand up in his turn and dance for their\namusement. He moved about in so utterly ridiculous a manner that the\nBeasts, in a fit of indignation, set upon him with clubs and drove him\nout of the assembly.\n\nIt is absurd to ape our betters.\n\n\n\n\nThe Dogs and the Hides\n\n\nSOME DOGS famished with hunger saw a number of cowhides steeping in a\nriver. Not being able to reach them, they agreed to drink up the river,\nbut it happened that they burst themselves with drinking long before\nthey reached the hides.\n\nAttempt not impossibilities.\n\n\n\n\nThe Jackdaw and the Fox\n\n\nA HALF-FAMISHED JACKDAW seated himself on a fig-tree, which had\nproduced some fruit entirely out of season, and waited in the hope that\nthe figs would ripen. A Fox seeing him sitting so long and learning the\nreason of his doing so, said to him, \u201cYou are indeed, sir, sadly\ndeceiving yourself; you are indulging a hope strong enough to cheat\nyou, but which will never reward you with enjoyment.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nMercury and the Workmen\n\n\nA WORKMAN, felling wood by the side of a river, let his axe drop by\naccident into a deep pool. Being thus deprived of the means of his\nlivelihood, he sat down on the bank and lamented his hard fate. Mercury\nappeared and demanded the cause of his tears. After he told him his\nmisfortune, Mercury plunged into the stream, and, bringing up a golden\naxe, inquired if that were the one he had lost. On his saying that it\nwas not his, Mercury disappeared beneath the water a second time,\nreturned with a silver axe in his hand, and again asked the Workman if\nit were his. When the Workman said it was not, he dived into the pool\nfor the third time and brought up the axe that had been lost. The\nWorkman claimed it and expressed his joy at its recovery. Mercury,\npleased with his honesty, gave him the golden and silver axes in\naddition to his own. The Workman, on his return to his house, related\nto his companions all that had happened. One of them at once resolved\nto try and secure the same good fortune for himself. He ran to the\nriver and threw his axe on purpose into the pool at the same place, and\nsat down on the bank to weep. Mercury appeared to him just as he hoped\nhe would; and having learned the cause of his grief, plunged into the\nstream and brought up a golden axe, inquiring if he had lost it. The\nWorkman seized it greedily, and declared that truly it was the very\nsame axe that he had lost. Mercury, displeased at his knavery, not only\ntook away the golden axe, but refused to recover for him the axe he had\nthrown into the pool.\n\n\n\n\nThe Peasant and the Apple-Tree\n\n\nA PEASANT had in his garden an Apple-Tree which bore no fruit but only\nserved as a harbor for the sparrows and grasshoppers. He resolved to\ncut it down, and taking his axe in his hand, made a bold stroke at its\nroots. The grasshoppers and sparrows entreated him not to cut down the\ntree that sheltered them, but to spare it, and they would sing to him\nand lighten his labours. He paid no attention to their request, but\ngave the tree a second and a third blow with his axe. When he reached\nthe hollow of the tree, he found a hive full of honey. Having tasted\nthe honeycomb, he threw down his axe, and looking on the tree as\nsacred, took great care of it.\n\nSelf-interest alone moves some men.\n\n\n\n\nThe Two Soldiers and the Robber\n\n\nTWO SOLDIERS traveling together were set upon by a Robber. The one fled\naway; the other stood his ground and defended himself with his stout\nright hand. The Robber being slain, the timid companion ran up and drew\nhis sword, and then, throwing back his traveling cloak said, \u201cI\u2019ll at\nhim, and I\u2019ll take care he shall learn whom he has attacked.\u201d On this,\nhe who had fought with the Robber made answer, \u201cI only wish that you\nhad helped me just now, even if it had been only with those words, for\nI should have been the more encouraged, believing them to be true; but\nnow put up your sword in its sheath and hold your equally useless\ntongue, till you can deceive others who do not know you. I, indeed, who\nhave experienced with what speed you run away, know right well that no\ndependence can be placed on your valor.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Shepherd and the Sheep\n\n\nA SHEPHERD driving his Sheep to a wood, saw an oak of unusual size full\nof acorns, and spreading his cloak under the branches, he climbed up\ninto the tree and shook them down. The Sheep eating the acorns\ninadvertently frayed and tore the cloak. When the Shepherd came down\nand saw what was done, he said, \u201cO you most ungrateful creatures! You\nprovide wool to make garments for all other men, but you destroy the\nclothes of him who feeds you.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Trees Under the Protection of the Gods\n\n\nTHE GODS, according to an ancient legend, made choice of certain trees\nto be under their special protection. Jupiter chose the oak, Venus the\nmyrtle, Apollo the laurel, Cybele the pine, and Hercules the poplar.\nMinerva, wondering why they had preferred trees not yielding fruit,\ninquired the reason for their choice. Jupiter replied, \u201cIt is lest we\nshould seem to covet the honour for the fruit.\u201d But said Minerva, \u201cLet\nanyone say what he will the olive is more dear to me on account of its\nfruit.\u201d Then said Jupiter, \u201cMy daughter, you are rightly called wise;\nfor unless what we do is useful, the glory of it is vain.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Flea and the Wrestler\n\n\nA FLEA settled upon the bare foot of a Wrestler and bit him, causing\nthe man to call loudly upon Hercules for help. When the Flea a second\ntime hopped upon his foot, he groaned and said, \u201cO Hercules! if you\nwill not help me against a Flea, how can I hope for your assistance\nagainst greater antagonists?\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Lion and the Fox\n\n\nA FOX entered into partnership with a Lion on the pretense of becoming\nhis servant. Each undertook his proper duty in accordance with his own\nnature and powers. The Fox discovered and pointed out the prey; the\nLion sprang on it and seized it. The Fox soon became jealous of the\nLion carrying off the Lion\u2019s share, and said that he would no longer\nfind out the prey, but would capture it on his own account. The next\nday he attempted to snatch a lamb from the fold, but he himself fell\nprey to the huntsmen and hounds.\n\n\n\n\nTruth and the Traveler\n\n\nA WAYFARING MAN, traveling in the desert, met a woman standing alone\nand terribly dejected. He inquired of her, \u201cWho art thou?\u201d \u201cMy name is\nTruth,\u201d she replied. \u201cAnd for what cause,\u201d he asked, \u201chave you left the\ncity to dwell alone here in the wilderness?\u201d She made answer, \u201cBecause\nin former times, falsehood was with few, but is now with all men.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Manslayer\n\n\nA MAN committed a murder, and was pursued by the relations of the man\nwhom he murdered. On his reaching the river Nile he saw a Lion on its\nbank and being fearfully afraid, climbed up a tree. He found a serpent\nin the upper branches of the tree, and again being greatly alarmed, he\nthrew himself into the river, where a crocodile caught him and ate him.\nThus the earth, the air, and the water alike refused shelter to a\nmurderer.\n\n\n\n\nThe Lion and the Eagle\n\n\nAN EAGLE stayed his flight and entreated a Lion to make an alliance\nwith him to their mutual advantage. The Lion replied, \u201cI have no\nobjection, but you must excuse me for requiring you to find surety for\nyour good faith, for how can I trust anyone as a friend who is able to\nfly away from his bargain whenever he pleases?\u201d\n\nTry before you trust.\n\n\n\n\nThe Ass and His Driver\n\n\nAN ASS, being driven along a high road, suddenly started off and bolted\nto the brink of a deep precipice. While he was in the act of throwing\nhimself over, his owner seized him by the tail, endeavoring to pull him\nback. When the Ass persisted in his effort, the man let him go and\nsaid, \u201cConquer, but conquer to your cost.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Thrush and the Fowler\n\n\nA THRUSH was feeding on a myrtle-tree and did not move from it because\nits berries were so delicious. A Fowler observed her staying so long in\none spot, and having well bird-limed his reeds, caught her. The Thrush,\nbeing at the point of death, exclaimed, \u201cO foolish creature that I am!\nFor the sake of a little pleasant food I have deprived myself of my\nlife.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Mother and the Wolf\n\n\nA FAMISHED WOLF was prowling about in the morning in search of food. As\nhe passed the door of a cottage built in the forest, he heard a Mother\nsay to her child, \u201cBe quiet, or I will throw you out of the window, and\nthe Wolf shall eat you.\u201d The Wolf sat all day waiting at the door. In\nthe evening he heard the same woman fondling her child and saying: \u201cYou\nare quiet now, and if the Wolf should come, we will kill him.\u201d The\nWolf, hearing these words, went home, gasping with cold and hunger.\nWhen he reached his den, Mistress Wolf inquired of him why he returned\nwearied and supperless, so contrary to his wont. He replied: \u201cWhy,\nforsooth! use I gave credence to the words of a woman!\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Hen and the Swallow\n\n\nA HEN finding the eggs of a viper and carefully keeping them warm,\nnourished them into life. A Swallow, observing what she had done, said,\n\u201cYou silly creature! why have you hatched these vipers which, when they\nshall have grown, will inflict injury on all, beginning with yourself?\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Rose and the Amaranth\n\n\nAN AMARANTH planted in a garden near a Rose-Tree, thus addressed it:\n\u201cWhat a lovely flower is the Rose, a favourite alike with Gods and with\nmen. I envy you your beauty and your perfume.\u201d The Rose replied, \u201cI\nindeed, dear Amaranth, flourish but for a brief season! If no cruel\nhand pluck me from my stem, yet I must perish by an early doom. But\nthou art immortal and dost never fade, but bloomest for ever in renewed\nyouth.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Travelers and the Plane-Tree\n\n\nTWO TRAVELERS, worn out by the heat of the summer\u2019s sun, laid\nthemselves down at noon under the widespreading branches of a\nPlane-Tree. As they rested under its shade, one of the Travelers said\nto the other, \u201cWhat a singularly useless tree is the Plane! It bears no\nfruit, and is not of the least service to man.\u201d The Plane-Tree,\ninterrupting him, said, \u201cYou ungrateful fellows! Do you, while\nreceiving benefits from me and resting under my shade, dare to describe\nme as useless, and unprofitable?\u201d\n\nSome men underrate their best blessings.\n\n\n\n\nThe Ass and the Horse\n\n\nAN ASS besought a Horse to spare him a small portion of his feed.\n\u201cYes,\u201d said the Horse; \u201cif any remains out of what I am now eating I\nwill give it you for the sake of my own superior dignity, and if you\nwill come when I reach my own stall in the evening, I will give you a\nlittle sack full of barley.\u201d The Ass replied, \u201cThank you. But I can\u2019t\nthink that you, who refuse me a little matter now, will by and by\nconfer on me a greater benefit.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Crow and the Sheep\n\n\nA TROUBLESOME CROW seated herself on the back of a Sheep. The Sheep,\nmuch against his will, carried her backward and forward for a long\ntime, and at last said, \u201cIf you had treated a dog in this way, you\nwould have had your deserts from his sharp teeth.\u201d To this the Crow\nreplied, \u201cI despise the weak and yield to the strong. I know whom I may\nbully and whom I must flatter; and I thus prolong my life to a good old\nage.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Fox and the Bramble\n\n\nA FOX was mounting a hedge when he lost his footing and caught hold of\na Bramble to save himself. Having pricked and grievously torn the soles\nof his feet, he accused the Bramble because, when he had fled to her\nfor assistance, she had used him worse than the hedge itself. The\nBramble, interrupting him, said, \u201cBut you really must have been out of\nyour senses to fasten yourself on me, who am myself always accustomed\nto fasten upon others.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Ass and the Charger\n\n\nAN ASS congratulated a Horse on being so ungrudgingly and carefully\nprovided for, while he himself had scarcely enough to eat and not even\nthat without hard work. But when war broke out, a heavily armed soldier\nmounted the Horse, and riding him to the charge, rushed into the very\nmidst of the enemy. The Horse was wounded and fell dead on the\nbattlefield. Then the Ass, seeing all these things, changed his mind,\nand commiserated the Horse.\n\n\n\n\nThe Lion, Jupiter, and the Elephant\n\n\nTHE LION wearied Jupiter with his frequent complaints. \u201cIt is true, O\nJupiter!\u201d he said, \u201cthat I am gigantic in strength, handsome in shape,\nand powerful in attack. I have jaws well provided with teeth, and feet\nfurnished with claws, and I lord it over all the beasts of the forest,\nand what a disgrace it is, that being such as I am, I should be\nfrightened by the crowing of a cock.\u201d Jupiter replied, \u201cWhy do you\nblame me without a cause? I have given you all the attributes which I\npossess myself, and your courage never fails you except in this one\ninstance.\u201d On hearing this the Lion groaned and lamented very much and,\nreproaching himself with his cowardice, wished that he might die. As\nthese thoughts passed through his mind, he met an Elephant and came\nclose to hold a conversation with him. After a time he observed that\nthe Elephant shook his ears very often, and he inquired what was the\nmatter and why his ears moved with such a tremor every now and then.\nJust at that moment a Gnat settled on the head of the Elephant, and he\nreplied, \u201cDo you see that little buzzing insect? If it enters my ear,\nmy fate is sealed. I should die presently.\u201d The Lion said, \u201cWell, since\nso huge a beast is afraid of a tiny gnat, I will no more complain, nor\nwish myself dead. I find myself, even as I am, better off than the\nElephant.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Dog and the Oyster\n\n\nA DOG, used to eating eggs, saw an Oyster and, opening his mouth to its\nwidest extent, swallowed it down with the utmost relish, supposing it\nto be an egg. Soon afterwards suffering great pain in his stomach, he\nsaid, \u201cI deserve all this torment, for my folly in thinking that\neverything round must be an egg.\u201d\n\nThey who act without sufficient thought, will often fall into\nunsuspected danger.\n\n\n\n\nThe Mules and the Robbers\n\n\nTWO MULES well-laden with packs were trudging along. One carried\npanniers filled with money, the other sacks weighted with grain. The\nMule carrying the treasure walked with head erect, as if conscious of\nthe value of his burden, and tossed up and down the clear-toned bells\nfastened to his neck. His companion followed with quiet and easy step.\nAll of a sudden Robbers rushed upon them from their hiding-places, and\nin the scuffle with their owners, wounded with a sword the Mule\ncarrying the treasure, which they greedily seized while taking no\nnotice of the grain. The Mule which had been robbed and wounded\nbewailed his misfortunes. The other replied, \u201cI am indeed glad that I\nwas thought so little of, for I have lost nothing, nor am I hurt with\nany wound.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Lamb and the Wolf\n\n\nA WOLF pursued a Lamb, which fled for refuge to a certain Temple. The\nWolf called out to him and said, \u201cThe Priest will slay you in\nsacrifice, if he should catch you.\u201d On which the Lamb replied, \u201cIt\nwould be better for me to be sacrificed in the Temple than to be eaten\nby you.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Partridge and the Fowler\n\n\nA FOWLER caught a Partridge and was about to kill it. The Partridge\nearnestly begged him to spare his life, saying, \u201cPray, master, permit\nme to live and I will entice many Partridges to you in recompense for\nyour mercy to me.\u201d The Fowler replied, \u201cI shall now with less scruple\ntake your life, because you are willing to save it at the cost of\nbetraying your friends and relations.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Flea and the Man\n\n\nA MAN, very much annoyed with a Flea, caught him at last, and said,\n\u201cWho are you who dare to feed on my limbs, and to cost me so much\ntrouble in catching you?\u201d The Flea replied, \u201cO my dear sir, pray spare\nmy life, and destroy me not, for I cannot possibly do you much harm.\u201d\nThe Man, laughing, replied, \u201cNow you shall certainly die by mine own\nhands, for no evil, whether it be small or large, ought to be\ntolerated.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Rich Man and the Tanner\n\n\nA RICH MAN lived near a Tanner, and not being able to bear the\nunpleasant smell of the tan-yard, he pressed his neighbor to go away.\nThe Tanner put off his departure from time to time, saying that he\nwould leave soon. But as he still continued to stay, as time went on,\nthe rich man became accustomed to the smell, and feeling no manner of\ninconvenience, made no further complaints.\n\n\n\n\nThe Viper and the File\n\n\nA VIPER, entering the workshop of a smith, sought from the tools the\nmeans of satisfying his hunger. He more particularly addressed himself\nto a File, and asked of him the favour of a meal. The File replied,\n\u201cYou must indeed be a simple-minded fellow if you expect to get\nanything from me, who am accustomed to take from everyone, and never to\ngive anything in return.\u201d\n\nThe covetous are  poor givers.\n\n\n\n\nThe Lion and the Shepherd\n\n\nA LION, roaming through a forest, trod upon a thorn. Soon afterward he\ncame up to a Shepherd and fawned upon him, wagging his tail as if to\nsay, \u201cI am a suppliant, and seek your aid.\u201d The Shepherd boldly\nexamined the beast, discovered the thorn, and placing his paw upon his\nlap, pulled it out; thus relieved of his pain, the Lion returned into\nthe forest. Some time after, the Shepherd, being imprisoned on a false\naccusation, was condemned \u201cto be cast to the Lions\u201d as the punishment\nfor his imputed crime. But when the Lion was released from his cage, he\nrecognized the Shepherd as the man who healed him, and instead of\nattacking him, approached and placed his foot upon his lap. The King,\nas soon as he heard the tale, ordered the Lion to be set free again in\nthe forest, and the Shepherd to be pardoned and restored to his\nfriends.\n\n\n\n\nThe Camel and Jupiter\n\n\nTHE CAMEL, when he saw the Bull adorned with horns, envied him and\nwished that he himself could obtain the same honours. He went to\nJupiter, and besought him to give him horns. Jupiter, vexed at his\nrequest because he was not satisfied with his size and strength of\nbody, and desired yet more, not only refused to give him horns, but\neven deprived him of a portion of his ears.\n\n\n\n\nThe Panther and the Shepherds\n\n\nA PANTHER, by some mischance, fell into a pit. The Shepherds discovered\nhim, and some threw sticks at him and pelted him with stones, while\nothers, moved with compassion towards one about to die even though no\none should hurt him, threw in some food to prolong his life. At night\nthey returned home, not dreaming of any danger, but supposing that on\nthe morrow they would find him dead. The Panther, however, when he had\nrecruited his feeble strength, freed himself with a sudden bound from\nthe pit, and hastened to his den with rapid steps. After a few days he\ncame forth and slaughtered the cattle, and, killing the Shepherds who\nhad attacked him, raged with angry fury. Then they who had spared his\nlife, fearing for their safety, surrendered to him their flocks and\nbegged only for their lives. To them the Panther made this reply: \u201cI\nremember alike those who sought my life with stones, and those who gave\nme food aside, therefore, your fears. I return as an enemy only to\nthose who injured me.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Eagle and the Kite\n\n\nAN EAGLE, overwhelmed with sorrow, sat upon the branches of a tree in\ncompany with a Kite. \u201cWhy,\u201d said the Kite, \u201cdo I see you with such a\nrueful look?\u201d \u201cI seek,\u201d she replied, \u201ca mate suitable for me, and am\nnot able to find one.\u201d \u201cTake me,\u201d returned the Kite, \u201cI am much\nstronger than you are.\u201d \u201cWhy, are you able to secure the means of\nliving by your plunder?\u201d \u201cWell, I have often caught and carried away an\nostrich in my talons.\u201d The Eagle, persuaded by these words, accepted\nhim as her mate. Shortly after the nuptials, the Eagle said, \u201cFly off\nand bring me back the ostrich you promised me.\u201d The Kite, soaring aloft\ninto the air, brought back the shabbiest possible mouse, stinking from\nthe length of time it had lain about the fields. \u201cIs this,\u201d said the\nEagle, \u201cthe faithful fulfillment of your promise to me?\u201d The Kite\nreplied, \u201cThat I might attain your royal hand, there is nothing that I\nwould not have promised, however much I knew that I must fail in the\nperformance.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Eagle and His Captor\n\n\nAN EAGLE was once captured by a man, who immediately clipped his wings\nand put him into his poultry-yard with the other birds, at which\ntreatment the Eagle was weighed down with grief. Later, another\nneighbor purchased him and allowed his feathers to grow again. The\nEagle took flight, and pouncing upon a hare, brought it at once as an\noffering to his benefactor. A Fox, seeing this, exclaimed, \u201cDo not\ncultivate the favour of this man, but of your former owner, lest he\nshould again hunt for you and deprive you a second time of your wings.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe King\u2019s Son and the Painted Lion\n\n\nA KING, whose only son was fond of martial exercises, had a dream in\nwhich he was warned that his son would be killed by a lion. Afraid the\ndream should prove true, he built for his son a pleasant palace and\nadorned its walls for his amusement with all kinds of life-sized\nanimals, among which was the picture of a lion. When the young Prince\nsaw this, his grief at being thus confined burst out afresh, and,\nstanding near the lion, he said: \u201cO you most detestable of animals!\nthrough a lying dream of my father\u2019s, which he saw in his sleep, I am\nshut up on your account in this palace as if I had been a girl: what\nshall I now do to you?\u201d With these words he stretched out his hands\ntoward a thorn-tree, meaning to cut a stick from its branches so that\nhe might beat the lion. But one of the tree\u2019s prickles pierced his\nfinger and caused great pain and inflammation, so that the young Prince\nfell down in a fainting fit. A violent fever suddenly set in, from\nwhich he died not many days later.\n\nWe had better bear our troubles bravely than try to escape them.\n\n\n\n\nThe Cat and Venus\n\n\nA CAT fell in love with a handsome young man, and entreated Venus to\nchange her into the form of a woman. Venus consented to her request and\ntransformed her into a beautiful damsel, so that the youth saw her and\nloved her, and took her home as his bride. While the two were reclining\nin their chamber, Venus wishing to discover if the Cat in her change of\nshape had also altered her habits of life, let down a mouse in the\nmiddle of the room. The Cat, quite forgetting her present condition,\nstarted up from the couch and pursued the mouse, wishing to eat it.\nVenus was much disappointed and again caused her to return to her\nformer shape.\n\nNature exceeds nurture.\n\n\n\n\nThe Eagle and the Beetle\n\n\nTHE EAGLE and the Beetle were at enmity together, and they destroyed\none another\u2019s nests. The Eagle gave the first provocation in seizing\nupon and in eating the young ones of the Beetle. The Beetle got by\nstealth at the Eagle\u2019s eggs, and rolled them out of the nest, and\nfollowed the Eagle even into the presence of Jupiter. On the Eagle\nmaking his complaint, Jupiter ordered him to make his nest in his lap;\nand while Jupiter had the eggs in his lap, the Beetle came flying about\nhim, and Jupiter rising up unawares, to drive him away from his head,\nthrew down the eggs, and broke them.\n\nThe weak often revenge themselves on those who use them ill, even\nthough they be more powerful.\n\n\n\n\nThe She-Goats and Their Beards\n\n\nTHE SHE-GOATS having obtained a beard by request to Jupiter, the\nHe-Goats were sorely displeased and made complaint that the females\nequaled them in dignity. \u201cAllow them,\u201d said Jupiter, \u201cto enjoy an empty\nhonour and to assume the badge of your nobler sex, so long as they are\nnot your equals in strength or courage.\u201d\n\nIt matters little if those who are inferior to us in merit should be\nlike us in outside appearances.\n\n\n\n\nThe Bald Man and the Fly\n\n\nA FLY bit the bare head of a Bald Man who, endeavoring to destroy it,\ngave himself a heavy slap. Escaping, the Fly said mockingly, \u201cYou who\nhave wished to revenge, even with death, the Prick of a tiny insect,\nsee what you have done to yourself to add insult to injury?\u201d The Bald\nMan replied, \u201cI can easily make peace with myself, because I know there\nwas no intention to hurt. But you, an ill-favoured and contemptible\ninsect who delights in sucking human blood, I wish that I could have\nkilled you even if I had incurred a heavier penalty.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Shipwrecked Man and the Sea\n\n\nA SHIPWRECKED MAN, having been cast upon a certain shore, slept after\nhis buffetings with the deep. After a while he awoke, and looking upon\nthe Sea, loaded it with reproaches. He argued that it enticed men with\nthe calmness of its looks, but when it had induced them to plow its\nwaters, it grew rough and destroyed them. The Sea, assuming the form of\na woman, replied to him: \u201cBlame not me, my good sir, but the winds, for\nI am by my own nature as calm and firm even as this earth; but the\nwinds suddenly falling on me create these waves, and lash me into\nfury.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Buffoon and the Countryman\n\n\nA RICH NOBLEMAN once opened the theaters without charge to the people,\nand gave a public notice that he would handsomely reward any person who\ninvented a new amusement for the occasion. Various public performers\ncontended for the prize. Among them came a Buffoon well known among the\npopulace for his jokes, and said that he had a kind of entertainment\nwhich had never been brought out on any stage before. This report being\nspread about made a great stir, and the theater was crowded in every\npart. The Buffoon appeared alone upon the platform, without any\napparatus or confederates, and the very sense of expectation caused an\nintense silence. He suddenly bent his head towards his bosom and\nimitated the squeaking of a little pig so admirably with his voice that\nthe audience declared he had a porker under his cloak, and demanded\nthat it should be shaken out. When that was done and nothing was found,\nthey cheered the actor, and loaded him with the loudest applause. A\nCountryman in the crowd, observing all that has passed, said, \u201cSo help\nme, Hercules, he shall not beat me at that trick!\u201d and at once\nproclaimed that he would do the same thing on the next day, though in a\nmuch more natural way. On the morrow a still larger crowd assembled in\nthe theater, but now partiality for their favourite actor very\ngenerally prevailed, and the audience came rather to ridicule the\nCountryman than to see the spectacle. Both of the performers appeared\non the stage. The Buffoon grunted and squeaked away first, and\nobtained, as on the preceding day, the applause and cheers of the\nspectators. Next the Countryman commenced, and pretending that he\nconcealed a little pig beneath his clothes (which in truth he did, but\nnot suspected by the audience ) contrived to take hold of and to pull\nhis ear causing the pig to squeak. The Crowd, however, cried out with\none consent that the Buffoon had given a far more exact imitation, and\nclamored for the Countryman to be kicked out of the theater. On this\nthe rustic produced the little pig from his cloak and showed by the\nmost positive proof the greatness of their mistake. \u201cLook here,\u201d he\nsaid, \u201cthis shows what sort of judges you are.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Crow and the Serpent\n\n\nA CROW in great want of food saw a Serpent asleep in a sunny nook, and\nflying down, greedily seized him. The Serpent, turning about, bit the\nCrow with a mortal wound. In the agony of death, the bird exclaimed: \u201cO\nunhappy me! who have found in that which I deemed a happy windfall the\nsource of my destruction.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Hunter and the Horseman\n\n\nA CERTAIN HUNTER, having snared a hare, placed it upon his shoulders\nand set out homewards. On his way he met a man on horseback who begged\nthe hare of him, under the pretense of purchasing it. However, when the\nHorseman got the hare, he rode off as fast as he could. The Hunter ran\nafter him, as if he was sure of overtaking him, but the Horseman\nincreased more and more the distance between them. The Hunter, sorely\nagainst his will, called out to him and said, \u201cGet along with you! for\nI will now make you a present of the hare.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Olive-Tree and the Fig-Tree\n\n\nTHE OLIVE-TREE ridiculed the Fig-Tree because, while she was green all\nthe year round, the Fig-Tree changed its leaves with the seasons. A\nshower of snow fell upon them, and, finding the Olive full of foliage,\nit settled upon its branches and broke them down with its weight, at\nonce despoiling it of its beauty and killing the tree. But finding the\nFig-Tree denuded of leaves, the snow fell through to the ground, and\ndid not injure it at all.\n\n\n\n\nThe Frogs\u2019 Complaint Against the Sun\n\n\nONCE UPON A TIME, when the Sun announced his intention to take a wife,\nthe Frogs lifted up their voices in clamor to the sky. Jupiter,\ndisturbed by the noise of their croaking, inquired the cause of their\ncomplaint. One of them said, \u201cThe Sun, now while he is single, parches\nup the marsh, and compels us to die miserably in our arid homes. What\nwill be our future condition if he should beget other suns?\u201d\n\n\n\n\nThe Brazier and His Dog\n\n\nA BRAZIER had a little Dog, which was a great favourite with his\nmaster, and his constant companion. While he hammered away at his\nmetals the Dog slept; but when, on the other hand, he went to dinner\nand began to eat, the Dog woke up and wagged his tail, as if he would\nask for a share of his meal. His master one day, pretending to be angry\nand shaking his stick at him, said, \u201cYou wretched little sluggard! what\nshall I do to you? While I am hammering on the anvil, you sleep on the\nmat; and when I begin to eat after my toil, you wake up and wag your\ntail for food. Do you not know that labor is the source of every\nblessing, and that none but those who work are entitled to eat?\u201d\n\n\n\n\nFOOTNOTES\n\n\n1 (return)\n[ A History of the Literature of Ancient Greece, by K. O. Mueller. Vol.\ni, p. 191. _London_, Parker, 1858.]\n\n\n2 (return)\n[ Select Fables of \u00c6sop, and other Fabulists. In three books,\ntranslated by Robert Dodsley, accompanied with a selection of notes,\nand an Essay on Fable. _Birmingham_, 1864. P. 60.]\n\n\n3 (return)\n[ Some of these fables had, no doubt, in the first instance, a primary\nand private interpretation. On the first occasion of their being\ncomposed they were intended to refer to some passing event, or to some\nindividual acts of wrong-doing. Thus, the fables of the \u201cEagle and the\nFox\u201d and of the \u201cFox and Monkey\u201d are supposed to have been written by\nArchilochus, to avenge the injuries done him by Lycambes. So also the\nfables of the \u201cSwollen Fox\u201d and of the \u201cFrogs asking a King\u201d were\nspoken by \u00c6sop for the immediate purpose of reconciling the inhabitants\nof Samos and Athens to their respective rulers, Periander and\nPisistratus; while the fable of the \u201cHorse and Stag\u201d was composed to\ncaution the inhabitants of Himera against granting a bodyguard to\nPhalaris. In a similar manner, the fable from Ph\u00e6drus, the \u201cMarriage of\nthe Sun,\u201d is supposed to have reference to the contemplated union of\nLivia, the daughter of Drusus, with Sejanus the favourite, and minister\nof Trajan. These fables, however, though thus originating in special\nevents, and designed at first to meet special circumstances, are so\nadmirably constructed as to be fraught with lessons of general utility,\nand of universal application.]\n\n\n4 (return)\n[ Hesiod. Opera et Dies, verse 202.]\n\n\n5 (return)\n[ \u00c6schylus. Fragment of the Myrmidons. \u00c6schylus speaks of this fable as\nexisting before his day. \u1f61\u03c2 \u03b4\u2019 \u1f10\u03c3\u03c4\u1f76 \u03bc\u03cd\u03b8\u03c9\u03bd \u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u0394\u03b9\u03b2\u03c5\u03c3\u03c4\u03b9\u03ba\u1ff6\u03bd \u03bb\u03bf\u03b3\u03bf\u03c2. See\nScholiast on the Aves of Aristophanes, line 808.]\n\n\n6 (return)\n[ Fragment. 38, ed. Gaisford. See also Mueller\u2019s History of the\nLiterature of Ancient Greece, vol. i. pp. 190\u2013193.]\n\n\n7 (return)\n[ M. Bayle has well put this in his account of \u00c6sop. \u201cIl n\u2019y a point\nd\u2019apparence que les fables qui portent aujourd\u2019hui son nom soient les\nm\u00eames qu\u2019il avait faites; elles viennent bien de lui pour la plupart,\nquant \u00e0 la mati\u00e8re et la pens\u00e9e; mais les paroles sont d\u2019un autre.\u201d And\nagain, \u201cC\u2019est donc \u00e0 H\u00e9siode, que j\u2019aimerais mieux attribuer la gloire\nde l\u2019invention; mais sans doute il laissa la chose tr\u00e8s imparfaite.\nEsope la perfectionne si heureusement, qu\u2019on l\u2019a regarde comme le vrai\np\u00e8re de cette sorte de production.\u201d\u2014_Bayle. Dictionnaire Historique_.]\n\n\n8 (return)\n[ Plato in Ph\u00e6done.]\n\n\n9 (return)\n[ Apologos en! misit tibi\nAb usque Rheni limite\nAusonius nomen Italum\nPr\u00e6ceptor Augusti tui\n\u00c6sopiam trimetriam;\nQuam vertit exili stylo\nPedestre concinnans opus\nFandi Titianus artifex.\n\n            _Ausonii Epistola_, xvi. 75\u201380.]\n\n\n10 (return)\n[ Both these publications are in the British Museum, and are placed in\nthe library in cases under glass, for the inspection of the curious.]\n\n\n11 (return)\n[ Fables may possibly have been not entirely unknown to the medi\u00e6val\nscholars. There are two celebrated works which might by some be classed\namongst works of this description. The one is the \u201cSpeculum Sapienti\u00e6,\u201d\nattributed to St. Cyril, Archbishop of Jerusalem, but of a considerably\nlater origin, and existing only in Latin. It is divided into four\nbooks, and consists of long conversations conducted by fictitious\ncharacters under the figures the beasts of the field and forest, and\naimed at the rebuke of particular classes of men, the boastful, the\nproud, the luxurious, the wrathful, &c. None of the stories are\nprecisely those of \u00c6sop, and none have the concinnity, terseness, and\nunmistakable deduction of the lesson intended to be taught by the\nfable, so conspicuous in the great Greek fabulist. The exact title of\nthe book is this: \u201cSpeculum Sapienti\u00e6, B. Cyrilli Episcopi: alias\nquadripartitus apologeticus vocatus, in cujus quidem proverbiis omnis\net totius sapienti\u00e6 speculum claret et feliciter incipit.\u201d The other is\na larger work in two volumes, published in the fourteenth century by\nC\u00e6sar Heisterbach, a Cistercian monk, under the title of \u201cDialogus\nMiraculorum,\u201d reprinted in 1851. This work consists of conversations in\nwhich many stories are interwoven on all kinds of subjects. It has no\ncorrespondence with the pure \u00c6sopian fable.]\n\n\n12 (return)\n[ Post-medi\u00e6val Preachers, by S. Baring-Gould. Rivingtons, 1865.]\n\n\n13 (return)\n[ For an account of this work see the Life of Poggio Bracciolini, by\nthe Rev. William Shepherd. Liverpool, 1801.]\n\n\n14 (return)\n[ Professor Theodore Bergh. See Classical Museum, No. viii. July,\n1849.]\n\n\n15 (return)\n[ Vavassor\u2019s treatise, entitled \u201cDe Ludicr\u00e2 Dictione\u201d was written A.D.\n1658, at the request of the celebrated M. Balzac (though published\nafter his death), for the purpose of showing that the burlesque style\nof writing adopted by Scarron and D\u2019Assouci, and at that time so\npopular in France, had no sanction from the ancient classic writers.\n_Francisci Vavassoris opera omnia_. Amsterdam. 1709.]\n\n\n16 (return)\n[ The claims of Babrias also found a warm advocate in the learned\nFrenchman, M. Bayle, who, in his admirable Dictionary, (_Dictionnaire\nHistorique et Critique de Pierre Bayle_. Paris, 1820,) gives additional\narguments in confirmation of the opinions of his learned predecessors,\nNevelet and Vavassor.]\n\n\n17 (return)\n[ Scazonic, or halting, iambics; a choliambic (a lame, halting iambic)\ndiffers from the iambic Senarius in always having a spondee or trochee\nfor its last foot; the fifth foot, to avoid shortness of metre, being\ngenerally an iambic. See Fables of Babrias, translated by Rev. James\nDavies. Lockwood, 1860. Preface, p. 27.]\n\n\n18 (return)\n[ See Dr. Bentley\u2019s Dissertations upon the Epistles of Phalaris.]\n\n\n19 (return)\n[ Dr. Bentley\u2019s Dissertations on the Epistles of Phalaris, and Fables\nof \u00c6sop examined. By the Honourable Charles Boyle.]\n\n\n20 (return)\n[ M. Bayle thus characterises this Life of \u00c6sop by Planudes, \u201cTous les\nhabiles gens conviennent que c\u2019est un roman, et que les absurdit\u00e9s\ngrossi\u00e8res qui l\u2019on y trouve le rendent indigne de toute cr\u00e9ance.\u201d\n_Dictionnaire Historique_. Art. _Esope_.]\n\n\n\n\nINDEX\n\n\n \u00c6thiop\n The Ant and the Dove\n The Ants and the Grasshopper\n The Apes and the Two Travelers\n The Ass and the Charger\n The Ass and His Driver\n The Ass and the Frogs\n The Ass and the Grasshopper\n The Ass and his Masters\n The Ass and his Purchaser\n The Ass and his Shadow\n The Ass and the Horse\n The Ass and the Lapdog\n The Ass and the Mule\n The Ass and the Old Shepherd\n The Ass and the Wolf\n The Ass Carrying the Image\n The Ass, the Cock, and the Lion\n The Ass in the Lion\u2019s Skin\n The Ass, the Fox, and the Lion\n The Astronomer\n\n The Bald Man and the Fly\n The Bald Knight\n The Bat And The Weasels\n The Bear and the Fox\n The Bear and the Two Travelers\n The Bee and Jupiter\n The Belly and the Members\n The Birdcatcher, the Partridge, and the Cock\n The Birds, the Beasts, and the Bat\n The Bitch and her Whelps\n The Blind Man and the Whelp\n The Boasting Traveler\n The Bowman and Lion\n The Boy and the Filberts\n The Boy and the Nettles\n The Boy Bathing\n The Boy hunting Locusts\n The Boys and the Frogs\n The Brazier and His Dog\n The Brother and the Sister\n The Buffoon and the Countryman\n The Bull and the Calf\n The Bull and the Goat\n The Bull, the Lioness, and the Wild-Boar Hunter\n\n The Camel\n The Camel and the Arab\n The Camel and Jupiter\n The Cat and the Birds\n The Cat and the Cock\n The Cat and the Mice\n The Cat and Venus\n The Cobbler Turned Doctor\n The Cock and the Jewel\n The Charcoal-Burner and the Fuller\n The Charger and the Miller\n The Crab and the Fox\n The Crab and its Mother\n The Crow and Mercury\n The Crow and the Pitcher\n The Crow and the Raven\n The Crow and the Serpent\n The Crow and the Sheep\n\n The Dancing Monkeys\n The Doe and the Lion\n The Dog and the Cook\n The Dog and the Hare\n The Dog and the Oyster\n The Dog and the Shadow\n The Dog, the Cock, and the Fox\n The Dog in the Manger\n The Dogs and the Fox\n The Dogs and the Hides\n The Dog\u2019s House\n The Dolphins, the Whales, and the Sprat\n The Dove and the Crow\n\n The Eagle and the Arrow\n The Eagle and the Beetle\n The Eagle and His Captor\n The Eagle and the Fox\n The Eagle and the Jackdaw\n The Eagle and the Kite\n The Eagle, the Cat, and the Wild Sow\n\n The Farmer and the Cranes\n The Farmer and the Fox\n The Farmer and the Snake\n The Farmer and His Sons\n The Farmer and the Stork\n The Father And His Sons\n The Father and His Two Daughters\n The Fawn and His Mother\n The Fighting Cocks and the Eagle\n The Fir-Tree and the Bramble\n The Fisherman and His Nets\n The Fisherman and the Little Fish\n The Fisherman Piping\n The Fishermen\n The Flea and the Man\n The Flea and the Ox\n The Flea and the Wrestler\n The Flies and the Honey-Pot\n The Fly and the Draught-Mule\n The Fowler and the Viper\n The Fox and the Bramble\n The Fox and the Crane\n The Fox and the Crow\n The Fox and the Goat\n The Fox and the Grapes\n The Fox and the Hedgehog\n The Fox and the Leopard\n The Fox and the Lion\n The Fox and the Lion\n The Fox and the Mask\n The Fox and the Monkey\n The Fox and the Monkey\n The Fox and the Woodcutter\n The Fox Who Had Lost His Tail\n The Frogs Asking for a King\n The Frogs\u2019 Complaint Against the Sun\n\n The Gamecocks and the Partridge\n The Geese and the Cranes\n The Gnat and the Bull\n The Gnat and the Lion\n The Goat and the Ass\n The Goat and the Goatherd\n The Goatherd and the Wild Goats\n The Goods and the Ills\n The Grasshopper and the Owl\n\n The Hare and the Hound\n The Hare and the Tortoise\n The Hares and the Foxes\n The Hares and the Frogs\n The Hares and the Lions\n The Hart and the Vine\n The Hawk and the Nightingale\n The Hawk, the Kite, and the Pigeons\n The Heifer and the Ox\n The Hen and the Golden Eggs\n The Hen and the Swallow\n Hercules and the Wagoner\n The Herdsman and the Lost Bull\n The Horse and the Ass\n The Horse and Groom\n The Horse and his Rider\n The Horse and the Stag\n The Hunter and the Horseman\n The Hunter and the Woodman\n The Huntsman and the Fisherman\n\n The Image of Mercury and the Carpenter\n\n The Jackdaw and the Doves\n The Jackdaw and the Fox\n Jupiter and the Monkey\n Jupiter, Neptune, Minerva, and Momus\n\n The Kid and the Wolf\n The Kid and the Wolf\n The Kingdom of the Lion\n The King\u2019s Son and the Painted Lion\n The Kites and the Swans\n\n The Laborer and the Snake\n The Lamb and the Wolf\n The Lamp\n The Lark and Her Young Ones\n The Lark Burying Her Father\n The Lion and the Boar\n The Lion and the Bull\n The Lion and the Dolphin\n The Lion and the Eagle\n The Lion and the Fox\n The Lion and the Hare\n The Lion and the Mouse\n The Lion and the Shepherd\n The Lion and the Three Bulls\n The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox\n The Lion, the Fox, and the Ass\n The Lion in a Farmyard\n The Lion in Love\n The Lion, Jupiter, and the Elephant\n The Lion, the Mouse, and the Fox\n The Lion, the Wolf, and the Fox\n The Lioness\n\n The Man and His Two Sweethearts\n The Man and His Wife\n The Man and the Lion\n The Man and the Satyr\n The Man bitten by a Dog\n The Man, the Horse, the Ox, and the Dog\n The Manslayer\n The Master and His Dogs\n Mercury and the Sculptor\n Mercury and the Workmen\n The Mice and the Weasels\n The Mice in Council\n The Milk-Woman and her Pail\n The Miller, His Son, and their Ass\n The Mischievous Dog\n The Miser\n The Mole and His Mother\n The Monkey and the Camel\n The Monkey and the Dolphin\n The Monkey and the Fishermen\n The Monkeys and their Mother\n The Mother and the Wolf\n The Mountain in Labor\n The Mouse and the Bull\n The Mouse, the Frog, and the Hawk\n The Mule\n The Mules and the Robbers\n\n The North Wind and the Sun\n\n The Oak and the Reeds\n The Oak and the Woodcutters\n The Oaks and Jupiter\n The Old Hound\n The Old Lion\n The Old Man and Death\n The Old Woman and the Physician\n The Old Woman and the Wine-Jar\n The Olive-Tree and the Fig-Tree\n The One-Eyed Doe\n The Owl and the Birds\n The Ox and the Frog\n The Oxen and the Axle-Trees\n The Oxen and the Butchers\n\n The Panther and the Shepherds\n The Partridge and the Fowler\n The Peacock and the Crane\n The Peacock and Juno\n The Peasant and the Apple-Tree\n The Peasant and the Eagle\n The Philosopher, the Ants, and Mercury\n The Playful Ass\n The Pomegranate, Apple-Tree, and Bramble\n The Porker, the Sheep, and the Goat\n The Prophet\n\n The Quack Frog\n\n The Raven and the Swan\n The Rich Man and the Tanner\n The Rivers and the Sea\n The Rose and the Amaranth\n\n The Salt Merchant and his Ass\n The Seagull and the Kite\n The Seaside Travelers\n The Seller of Images\n The Serpent and the Eagle\n The She-Goats and their Beards\n The Shepherd and the Dog\n The Shepherd and the Sea\n The Shepherd and the Sheep\n The Shepherd and the Wolf\n The Shepherd\u2019s Boy and the Wolf\n The Shipwrecked Man and the Sea\n The Sick Kite\n The Sick Lion\n The Sick Stag\n The Sparrow and the Hare\n The Spendthrift and the Swallow\n The Stag at the Pool\n The Stag in the Ox-Stall\n The Stag, the Wolf, and the Sheep\n The Swallow and the Crow\n The Swallow, the Serpent, and the Court of Justice\n The Swan and the Goose\n The Swollen Fox\n\n The Thief and his Mother\n The Thief and the Housedog\n The Thief and the Innkeeper\n The Thieves and the Cock\n The Thirsty Pigeon\n The Three Tradesmen\n The Thrush and the Fowler\n The Tortoise and the Eagle\n The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse\n The Traveler and Fortune\n The Traveler and his Dog\n The Travelers and the Plane-Tree\n The Trees and the Axe\n The Trees Under the Protection of the Gods\n The Trumpeter Taken Prisoner\n Truth and the Traveler\n The Two Bags\n The Two Dogs\n The Two Frogs\n The Two Frogs\n The Two Men Who Were Enemies\n The Two Pots\n The Two Soldiers and the Robber\n The Two Travelers and the Axe\n\n The Vain Jackdaw\n The Vine and the Goat\n The Viper and the File\n\n The Walnut-Tree\n The Wasp and the Snake\n The Wasps, the Partridges, and the Farmer\n The Weasel and the Mice\n The Widow and Her Little Maidens\n The Widow and the Sheep\n The Wild Ass and the Lion\n The Wild Boar and the Fox\n The Wolf and the Crane\n The Wolf and the Fox\n The Wolf and the Goat\n The Wolf and the Horse\n The Wolf and the Housedog\n The Wolf and the Lamb\n The Wolf and the Lion\n The Wolf and the Lion\n The Wolf and the Sheep\n The Wolf and the Shepherd\n The Wolf and the Shepherds\n The Wolf, the Fox, and the Ape\n The Wolf in Sheep\u2019s Clothing\n The Wolves and the Sheep\n The Wolves and the Sheepdogs\n The Woman and her Hen","title":"Three hundred Aesop\u2019s fables: Translated by George Fyler Townsend","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":44877}