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- 1-21 22-42
- The Cock and the Pearl The Frog and the Ox
- The Wolf and the Lamb Androcles
- The Dog and the Shadow The Bat, the Birds, and the Beasts
- The Lion's Share The Hart and the Hunter
- The Wolf and the Crane The Serpent and the File
- The Man and the Serpent The Man and the Wood
- The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse The Dog and the Wolf
- The Fox and the Crow The Belly and the Members
- The Sick Lion The Hart in the Ox-Stall
- The Ass and the Lapdog The Fox and the Grapes
- The Lion and the Mouse The Horse, Hunter, and Stag
- The Swallow and the Other Birds The Peacock and Juno
- The Frogs Desiring a King The Fox and the Lion
- The Mountains in Labour The Lion and the Statue
- The Hares and the Frogs The Ant and the Grasshopper
- The Wolf and the Kid The Tree and the Reed
- The Woodman and the Serpent The Fox and the Cat
- The Bald Man and the Fly The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
- The Fox and the Stork The Dog in the Manger
- The Fox and the Mask The Man and the Wooden God
- The Jay and the Peacock The Fisher
- 43-63 64-84
- The Shepherd's Boy The Miser and His Gold
- The Young Thief and His Mother The Fox and the Mosquitoes
- The Man and His Two Wives The Fox Without a Tail
- The Nurse and the Wolf The One-Eyed Doe
- The Tortoise and the Birds Belling the Cat
- The Two Crabs The Hare and the Tortoise
- The Ass in the Lion's Skin The Old Man and Death
- The Two Fellows and the Bear The Hare With Many Friends
- The Two Pots The Lion in Love
- The Four Oxen and the Lion The Bundle of Sticks
- The Fisher and the Little Fish The Lion, the Fox, and the Beasts
- Avaricious and Envious The Ass's Brains
- The Crow and the Pitcher The Eagle and the Arrow
- The Man and the Satyr The Milkmaid and Her Pail
- The Goose With the Golden Eggs The Cat-Maiden
- The Labourer and the Nightingale The Horse and the Ass
- The Fox, the Cock, and the Dog The Trumpeter Taken Prisoner
- The Wind and the Sun The Buffoon and the Countryman
- Hercules and the Waggoner The Old Woman and the Wine-Jar
- The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey The Fox and the Goat
- Aesop's Fables
- The Cock and the Pearl
- A cock was once strutting up and down the farmyard among the
- hens when suddenly he espied something shinning amid the straw.
- "Ho! ho!" quoth he, "that's for me," and soon rooted it out from
- beneath the straw. What did it turn out to be but a Pearl that by
- some chance had been lost in the yard? "You may be a treasure,"
- quoth Master Cock, "to men that prize you, but for me I would
- rather have a single barley-corn than a peck of pearls."
- Precious things are for those that can prize them.
- The Wolf and the Lamb
- Once upon a time a Wolf was lapping at a spring on a hillside,
- when, looking up, what should he see but a Lamb just beginning to
- drink a little lower down. "There's my supper," thought he, "if
- only I can find some excuse to seize it." Then he called out to
- the Lamb, "How dare you muddle the water from which I am
- drinking?"
- "Nay, master, nay," said Lambikin; "if the water be muddy up
- there, I cannot be the cause of it, for it runs down from you to
- me."
- "Well, then," said the Wolf, "why did you call me bad names
- this time last year?"
- "That cannot be," said the Lamb; "I am only six months old."
- "I don't care," snarled the Wolf; "if it was not you it was
- your father;" and with that he rushed upon the poor little Lamb
- and
- .WARRA WARRA WARRA WARRA WARRA
- .ate her all up. But before she died she gasped out
- ."Any excuse will serve a tyrant."
- The Dog and the Shadow
- It happened that a Dog had got a piece of meat and was
- carrying it home in his mouth to eat it in peace. Now on his way
- home he had to cross a plank lying across a running brook. As he
- crossed, he looked down and saw his own shadow reflected in the
- water beneath. Thinking it was another dog with another piece of
- meat, he made up his mind to have that also. So he made a snap at
- the shadow in the water, but as he opened his mouth the piece of
- meat fell out, dropped into the water and was never seen more.
- Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow.
- The Lion's Share
- The Lion went once a-hunting along with the Fox, the Jackal,
- and the Wolf. They hunted and they hunted till at last they
- surprised a Stag, and soon took its life. Then came the question
- how the spoil should be divided. "Quarter me this Stag," roared
- the Lion; so the other animals skinned it and cut it into four
- parts. Then the Lion took his stand in front of the carcass and
- pronounced judgment: The first quarter is for me in my capacity
- as King of Beasts; the second is mine as arbiter; another share
- comes to me for my part in the chase; and as for the fourth
- quarter, well, as for that, I should like to see which of you will
- dare to lay a paw upon it."
- "Humph," grumbled the Fox as he walked away with his tail
- between his legs; but he spoke in a low growl
- ."You may share the labours of the great,
- but you will not share the spoil."
- The Wolf and the Crane
- A Wolf had been gorging on an animal he had killed, when
- suddenly a small bone in the meat stuck in his throat and he could
- not swallow it. He soon felt terrible pain in his throat, and ran
- up and down groaning and groaning and seeking for something to
- relieve the pain. He tried to induce every one he met to remove
- the bone. "I would give anything," said he, "if you would take it
- out." At last the Crane agreed to try, and told the Wolf to lie
- on his side and open his jaws as wide as he could. Then the Crane
- put its long neck down the Wolf's throat, and with its beak
- loosened the bone, till at last it got it out.
- "Will you kindly give me the reward you promised?" said the
- Crane.
- The Wolf grinned and showed his teeth and said: "Be content.
- You have put your head inside a Wolf's mouth and taken it out
- again in safety; that ought to be reward enough for you."
- Gratitude and greed go not together.
- The Man and the Serpent
- A Countryman's son by accident trod upon a Serpent's tail,
- which turned and bit him so that he died. The father in a rage
- got his axe, and pursuing the Serpent, cut off part of its tail.
- So the Serpent in revenge began stinging several of the Farmer's
- cattle and caused him severe loss. Well, the Farmer thought it
- best to make it up with the Serpent, and brought food and honey to
- the mouth of its lair, and said to it: "Let's forget and forgive;
- perhaps you were right to punish my son, and take vengeance on my
- cattle, but surely I was right in trying to revenge him; now that
- we are both satisfied why should not we be friends again?"
- "No, no," said the Serpent; "take away your gifts; you can
- never forget the death of your son, nor I the loss of my tail."
- Injuries may be forgiven, but not forgotten.
- The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
- Now you must know that a Town Mouse once upon a time went on a
- visit to his cousin in the country. He was rough and ready, this
- cousin, but he loved his town friend and made him heartily
- welcome. Beans and bacon, cheese and bread, were all he had to
- offer, but he offered them freely. The Town Mouse rather turned
- up his long nose at this country fare, and said: "I cannot
- understand, Cousin, how you can put up with such poor food as
- this, but of course you cannot expect anything better in the
- country; come you with me and I will show you how to live. When
- you have been in town a week you will wonder how you could ever
- have stood a country life." No sooner said than done: the two
- mice set off for the town and arrived at the Town Mouse's
- residence late at night. "You will want some refreshment after
- our long journey," said the polite Town Mouse, and took his friend
- into the grand dining-room. There they found the remains of a
- fine feast, and soon the two mice were eating up jellies and cakes
- and all that was nice. Suddenly they heard growling and barking.
- "What is that?" said the Country Mouse. "It is only the dogs of
- the house," answered the other. "Only!" said the Country Mouse.
- "I do not like that music at my dinner." Just at that moment the
- door flew open, in came two huge mastiffs, and the two mice had to
- scamper down and run off. "Good-bye, Cousin," said the Country
- Mouse, "What! going so soon?" said the other. "Yes," he replied;
- "Better beans and bacon in peace
- than cakes and ale in fear."
- The Fox and the Crow
- A Fox once saw a Crow fly off with a piece of cheese in its
- beak and settle on a branch of a tree. "That's for me, as I am a
- Fox," said Master Reynard, and he walked up to the foot of the
- tree. "Good-day, Mistress Crow," he cried. "How well you are
- looking to-day: how glossy your feathers; how bright your eye. I
- feel sure your voice must surpass that of other birds, just as
- your figure does; let me hear but one song from you that I may
- greet you as the Queen of Birds." The Crow lifted up her head and
- began to caw her best, but the moment she opened her mouth the
- piece of cheese fell to the ground, only to be snapped up by
- Master Fox. "That will do," said he. "That was all I wanted. In
- exchange for your cheese I will give you a piece of advice for the
- future
- ."Do not trust flatterers."
- The Sick Lion
- A Lion had come to the end of his days and lay sick unto death
- at the mouth of his cave, gasping for breath. The animals, his
- subjects, came round him and drew nearer as he grew more and more
- helpless. When they saw him on the point of death they thought to
- themselves: "Now is the time to pay off old grudges." So the Boar
- came up and drove at him with his tusks; then a Bull gored him
- with his horns; still the Lion lay helpless before them: so the
- Ass, feeling quite safe from danger, came up, and turning his tail
- to the Lion kicked up his heels into his face. "This is a double
- death," growled the Lion.
- Only cowards insult dying majesty.
- The Ass and the Lapdog
- A Farmer one day came to the stables to see to his beasts of
- burden: among them was his favourite Ass, that was always well fed
- and often carried his master. With the Farmer came his Lapdog,
- who danced about and licked his hand and frisked about as happy as
- could be. The Farmer felt in his pocket, gave the Lapdog some
- dainty food, and sat down while he gave his orders to his
- servants. The Lapdog jumped into his master's lap, and lay there
- blinking while the Farmer stroked his ears. The Ass, seeing this,
- broke loose from his halter and commenced prancing about in
- imitation of the Lapdog. The Farmer could not hold his sides with
- laughter, so the Ass went up to him, and putting his feet upon the
- Farmer's shoulder attempted to climb into his lap. The Farmer's
- servants rushed up with sticks and pitchforks and soon taught the
- Ass that
- .Clumsy jesting is no joke.
- The Lion and the Mouse
- Once when a Lion was asleep a little Mouse began running up
- and down upon him; this soon wakened the Lion, who placed his huge
- paw upon him, and opened his big jaws to swallow him. "Pardon, O
- King," cried the little Mouse: "forgive me this time, I shall
- never forget it: who knows but what I may be able to do you a turn
- some of these days?" The Lion was so tickled at the idea of the
- Mouse being able to help him, that he lifted up his paw and let
- him go. Some time after the Lion was caught in a trap, and the
- hunters who desired to carry him alive to the King, tied him to a
- tree while they went in search of a waggon to carry him on. Just
- then the little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad
- plight in which the Lion was, went up to him and soon gnawed away
- the ropes that bound the King of the Beasts. "Was I not right?"
- said the little Mouse.
- Little friends may prove great friends.
- The Swallow and the Other Birds
- It happened that a Countryman was sowing some hemp seeds in a
- field where a Swallow and some other birds were hopping about
- picking up their food. "Beware of that man," quoth the Swallow.
- "Why, what is he doing?" said the others. "That is hemp seed he
- is sowing; be careful to pick up every one of the seeds, or else
- you will repent it." The birds paid no heed to the Swallow's
- words, and by and by the hemp grew up and was made into cord, and
- of the cords nets were made, and many a bird that had despised the
- Swallow's advice was caught in nets made out of that very hemp.
- "What did I tell you?" said the Swallow.
- Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow up to your ruin.
- The Frogs Desiring a King
- The Frogs were living as happy as could be in a marshy swamp
- that just suited them; they went splashing about caring for nobody
- and nobody troubling with them. But some of them thought that
- this was not right, that they should have a king and a proper
- constitution, so they determined to send up a petition to Jove to
- give them what they wanted. "Mighty Jove," they cried, "send unto
- us a king that will rule over us and keep us in order." Jove
- laughed at their croaking, and threw down into the swamp a huge
- Log, which came downrplashto the swamp. The Frogs
- were frightened out of their lives by the commotion made in their
- midst, and all rushed to the bank to look at the horrible monster;
- but after a time, seeing that it did not move, one or two of the
- boldest of them ventured out towards the Log, and even dared to
- touch it; still it did not move. Then the greatest hero of the
- Frogs jumped upon the Log and commenced dancing up and down upon
- it, thereupon all the Frogs came and did the same; and for some
- time the Frogs went about their business every day without taking
- the slightest notice of their new King Log lying in their midst.
- But this did not suit them, so they sent another petition to Jove,
- and said to him, "We want a real king; one that will really rule
- over us." Now this made Jove angry, so he sent among them a big
- Stork that soon set to work gobbling them all up. Then the Frogs
- repented when too late.
- Better no rule than cruel rule.
- The Mountains in Labour
- One day the Countrymen noticed that the Mountains were in
- labour; smoke came out of their summits, the earth was quaking at
- their feet, trees were crashing, and huge rocks were tumbling.
- They felt sure that something horrible was going to happen. They
- all gathered together in one place to see what terrible thing this
- could be. They waited and they waited, but nothing came. At last
- there was a still more violent earthquake, and a huge gap appeared
- in the side of the Mountains. They all fell down upon their knees
- and waited. At last, and at last, a teeny, tiny mouse poked its
- little head and bristles out of the gap and came running down
- towards them, and ever after they used to say:
- "Much outcry, little outcome."
- The Hares and the Frogs
- The Hares were so persecuted by the other beasts, they did not
- know where to go. As soon as they saw a single animal approach
- them, off they used to run. One day they saw a troop of wild
- Horses stampeding about, and in quite a panic all the Hares
- scuttled off to a lake hard by, determined to drown themselves
- rather than live in such a continual state of fear. But just as
- they got near the bank of the lake, a troop of Frogs, frightened
- in their turn by the approach of the Hares scuttled off, and
- jumped into the water. "Truly," said one of the Hares, "things
- are not so bad as they seem:
- "There is always someone worse off than yourself."
- The Wolf and the Kid
- A Kid was perched up on the top of a house, and looking down
- saw a Wolf passing under him. Immediately he began to revile and
- attack his enemy. "Murderer and thief," he cried, "what do you
- here near honest folks' houses? How dare you make an appearance
- where your vile deeds are known?"
- "Curse away, my young friend," said the Wolf.
- "It is easy to be brave from a safe distance."
- The Woodman and the Serpent
- One wintry day a Woodman was tramping home from his work when
- he saw something black lying on the snow. When he came closer he
- saw it was a Serpent to all appearance dead. But he took it up
- and put it in his bosom to warm while he hurried home. As soon as
- he got indoors he put the Serpent down on the hearth before the
- fire. The children watched it and saw it slowly come to life
- again. Then one of them stooped down to stroke it, but thc
- Serpent raised its head and put out its fangs and was about to
- sting the child to death. So the Woodman seized his axe, and with
- one stroke cut the Serpent in two. "Ah," said he,
- "No gratitude from the wicked."
- The Bald Man and the Fly
- There was once a Bald Man who sat down after work on a hot
- summer's day. A Fly came up and kept buzzing about his bald pate,
- and stinging him from time to time. The Man aimed a blow at his
- little enemy, but acks palm came on his head instead;
- again the Fly tormented him, but this time the Man was wiser and
- said:
- "You will only injure yourself if you
- take notice of despicable enemies."
- The Fox and the Stork
- At one time the Fox and the Stork were on visiting terms and
- seemed very good friends. So the Fox invited the Stork to dinner,
- and for a joke put nothing before her but some soup in a very
- shallow dish. This the Fox could easily lap up, but the Stork
- could only wet the end of her long bill in it, and left the meal
- as hungry as when she began. "I am sorry," said the Fox, "the
- soup is not to your liking."
- "Pray do not apologise," said the Stork. "I hope you will
- return this visit, and come and dine with me soon." So a day was
- appointed when the Fox should visit the Stork; but when they were
- seated at table all that was for their dinner was contained in a
- very long-necked jar with a narrow mouth, in which the Fox could
- not insert his snout, so all he could manage to do was to lick the
- outside of the jar.
- "I will not apologise for the dinner," said the Stork:
- "One bad turn deserves another."
- The Fox and the Mask
- A Fox had by some means got into the store-room of a theatre.
- Suddenly he observed a face glaring down on him and began to be
- very frightened; but looking more closely he found it was only a
- Mask such as actors use to put over their face. "Ah," said the
- Fox, "you look very fine; it is a pity you have not got any
- brains."
- Outside show is a poor substitute for inner worth.
- The Jay and the Peacock
- A Jay venturing into a yard where Peacocks used to walk, found
- there a number of feathers which had fallen from the Peacocks when
- they were moulting. He tied them all to his tail and strutted
- down towards the Peacocks. When he came near them they soon
- discovered the cheat, and striding up to him pecked at him and
- plucked away his borrowed plumes. So the Jay could do no better
- than go back to the other Jays, who had watched his behaviour from
- a distance; but they were equally annoyed with him, and told him:
- "It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds."
- The Frog and the Ox
- "Oh Father," said a little Frog to the big one sitting by the
- side of a pool, "I have seen such a terrible monster! It was as
- big as a mountain, with horns on its head, and a long tail, and it
- had hoofs divided in two."
- "Tush, child, tush," said the old Frog, "that was only Farmer
- White's Ox. It isn't so big either; he may be a little bit taller
- than I, but I could easily make myself quite as broad; just you
- see." So he blew himself out, and blew himself out, and blew
- himself out. "Was he as big as that?" asked he.
- "Oh, much bigger than that," said the young Frog.
- Again the old one blew himself out, and asked the young one if
- the Ox was as big as that.
- "Bigger, father, bigger," was the reply.
- So the Frog took a deep breath, and blew and blew and blew,
- and swelled and swelled and swelled. And then he said: "I'm sure
- the Ox is not as big asBut at this moment he burst.
- Self-conceit may lead to self-destruction.
- Androcles
- A slave named Androcles once escaped from his master and fled
- to the forest. As he was wandering about there he came upon a
- Lion lying down moaning and groaning. At first he turned to flee,
- but finding that the Lion did not pursue him, he turned back and
- went up to him. As he came near, the Lion put out his paw, which
- was all swollen and bleeding, and Androcles found that a huge
- thorn had got into it, and was causing all the pain. He pulled
- out the thorn and bound up the paw of the Lion, who was soon able
- to rise and lick the hand of Androcles like a dog. Then the Lion
- took Androcles to his cave, and every day used to bring him meat
- from which to live. But shortly afterwards both Androcles and the
- Lion were captured, and the slave was sentenced to be thrown to
- the Lion, after the latter had been kept without food for several
- days. The Emperor and all his Court came to see the spectacle,
- and Androcles was led out into the middle of the arena. Soon the
- Lion was let loose from his den, and rushed bounding and roaring
- towards his victim. But as soon as he came near to Androcles he
- recognised his friend, and fawned upon him, and licked his hands
- like a friendly dog. The Emperor, surprised at this, summoned
- Androcles to him, who told him the whole story. Whereupon the
- slave was pardoned and freed, and the Lion let loose to his native
- forest.
- Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.
- The Bat, the Birds, and the Beasts
- A great conflict was about to come off between the Birds and
- the Beasts. When the two armies were collected together the Bat
- hesitated which to join. The Birds that passed his perch said:
- "Come with us"; but he said: "I am a Beast." Later on, some
- Beasts who were passing underneath him looked up and said: "Come
- with us"; but he said: "I am a Bird." Luckily at the last moment
- peace was made, and no battle took place, so the Bat came to the
- Birds and wished to join in the rejoicings, but they all turned
- against him and he had to fly away. He then went to the Beasts,
- but soon had to beat a retreat, or else they would have torn him
- to pieces. "Ah," said the Bat, "I see now,
- "He that is neither one thing nor the other has no friends."
- The Hart and the Hunter
- The Hart was once drinking from a pool and admiring the noble
- figure he made there. "Ah," said he, "where can you see such
- noble horns as these, with such antlers! I wish I had legs more
- worthy to bear such a noble crown; it is a pity they are so slim
- and slight." At that moment a Hunter approached and sent an arrow
- whistling after him. Away bounded the Hart, and soon, by the aid
- of his nimble legs, was nearly out of sight of the Hunter; but not
- noticing where he was going, he passed under some trees with
- branches growing low down in which his antlers were caught, so
- that the Hunter had time to come up. "Alas! alas!" cried the
- Hart:
- "We often despise what is most useful to us."
- The Serpent and the File
- A Serpent in the course of its wanderings came into an
- armourer's shop. As he glided over the floor he felt his skin
- pricked by a file lying there. In a rage he turned round upon it
- and tried to dart his fangs into it; but he could do no harm to
- heavy iron and had soon to give over his wrath.
- It is useless attacking the insensible.
- The Man and the Wood
- A Man came into a Wood one day with an axe in his hand, and
- begged all the Trees to give him a small branch which he wanted
- for a particular purpose. The Trees were good-natured and gave
- him one of their branches. What did the Man do but fix it into
- the axe head, and soon set to work cutting down tree after tree.
- Then the Trees saw how foolish they had been in giving their enemy
- the means of destroying themselves.
- The Dog and the Wolf
- A gaunt Wolf was almost dead with hunger when he happened to
- meet a House-dog who was passing by. "Ah, Cousin," said the Dog.
- "I knew how it would be; your irregular life will soon be the ruin
- of you. Why do you not work steadily as I do, and get your food
- regularly given to you?"
- "I would have no objection," said the Wolf, "if I could only
- get a place."
- "I will easily arrange that for you," said the Dog; "come with
- me to my master and you shall share my work."
- So the Wolf and the Dog went towards the town together. On
- the way there the Wolf noticed that the hair on a certain part of
- the Dog's neck was very much worn away, so he asked him how that
- had come about.
- "Oh, it is nothing," said the Dog. "That is only the place
- where the collar is put on at night to keep me chained up; it
- chafes a bit, but one soon gets used to it."
- "Is that all?" said the Wolf. "Then good-bye to you, Master
- Dog."
- Better starve free than be a fat slave.
- The Belly and the Members
- One fine day it occurred to the Members of the Body that they
- were doing all the work and the Belly was having all the food. So
- they held a meeting, and after a long discussion, decided to
- strike work till the Belly consented to take its proper share of
- the work. So for a day or two, the Hands refused to take the
- food, the Mouth refused to receive it, and the Teeth had no work
- to do. But after a day or two the Members began to find that they
- themselves were not in a very active condition: the Hands could
- hardly move, and the Mouth was all parched and dry, while the Legs
- were unable to support the rest. So thus they found that even the
- Belly in its dull quiet way was doing necessary work for the Body,
- and that all must work together or the Body will go to pieces.
- The Hart in the Ox-Stall
- A Hart hotly pursued by the hounds fled for refuge into an
- ox-stall, and buried itself in a truss of hay, leaving nothing to
- be seen but the tips of his horns. Soon after the Hunters came up
- and asked if any one had seen the Hart. The stable boys, who had
- been resting after their dinner, looked round, but could see
- nothing, and the Hunters went away. Shortly afterwards the master
- came in, and looking round, saw that something unusual had taken
- place. He pointed to the truss of hay and said: "What are those
- two curious things sticking out of the hay?" And when the stable
- boys came to look they discovered the Hart, and soon made an end
- of him. He thus learnt that
- Nothing escapes the master's eye.
- The Fox and the Grapes
- One hot summer's day a Fox was strolling through an orchard
- till he came to a bunch of Grapes just ripening on a vine which
- had been trained over a lofty branch. "Just the thing to quench
- my thirst," quoth he. Drawing back a few paces, he took a run and
- a jump, and just missed the bunch. Turning round again with a
- One, Two, Three, he jumped up, but with no greater success. Again
- and again he tried after the tempting morsel, but at last had to
- give it up, and walked away with his nose in the air, saying: "I
- am sure they are sour."
- It is easy to despise what you cannot get.
- The Horse, Hunter, and Stag
- A quarrel had arisen between the Horse and the Stag, so the
- Horse came to a Hunter to ask his help to take revenge on the
- Stag. The Hunter agreed, but said: "If you desire to conquer the
- Stag, you must permit me to place this piece of iron between your
- jaws, so that I may guide you with these reins, and allow this
- saddle to be placed upon your back so that I may keep steady upon
- you as we follow after the enemy." The Horse agreed to the
- conditions, and the Hunter soon saddled and bridled him. Then
- with the aid of the Hunter the Horse soon overcame the Stag, and
- said to the Hunter: "Now, get off, and remove those things from my
- mouth and back."
- "Not so fast, friend," said the Hunter. "I have now got you
- under bit and spur, and prefer to keep you as you are at present."
- If you allow men to use you for your own purposes,
- they will use you for theirs.
- The Peacock and Juno
- A Peacock once placed a petition before Juno desiring to have
- the voice of a nightingale in addition to his other attractions;
- but Juno refused his request. When he persisted, and pointed out
- that he was her favourite bird, she said:
- "Be content with your lot;
- one cannot be first in everything."
- The Fox and the Lion
- When first the Fox saw the Lion he was terribly frightened,
- and ran away and hid himself in the wood. Next time however he
- came near the King of Beasts he stopped at a safe distance and
- watched him pass by. The third time they came near one another
- the Fox went straight up to the Lion and passed the time of day
- with him, asking him how his family were, and when he should have
- the pleasure of seeing him again; then turning his tail, he parted
- from the Lion without much ceremony.
- Familiarity breeds contempt.
- The Lion and the Statue
- A Man and a Lion were discussing the relative strength of men
- and lions in general. The Man contended that he and his fellows
- were stronger than lions by reason of their greater intelligence.
- "Come now with me," he cried, "and I will soon prove that I am
- right." So he took him into the public gardens and showed him a
- statue of Hercules overcoming the Lion and tearing his mouth in
- two.
- "That is all very well," said the Lion, "but proves nothing,
- for it was a man who made the statue."
- We can easily represent things as we wish them to be.
- The Ant and the Grasshopper
- In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about,
- chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by,
- bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the
- nest.
- "Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper,
- "instead of toiling and moiling in that way?"
- "I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant,
- "and recommend you to do the same."
- "Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; we have got
- plenty of food at present." But the Ant went on its way and
- continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no
- food and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants
- distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had
- collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew:
- It is best to prepare for the days of necessity.
- The Tree and the Reed
- "Well, little one," said a Tree to a Reed that was growing at
- its foot, "why do you not plant your feet deeply in the ground,
- and raise your head boldly in the air as I do?"
- "I am contented with my lot," said the Reed. "I may not be so
- grand, but I think I am safer."
- "Safe!" sneered the Tree. "Who shall pluck me up by the roots
- or bow my head to the ground?" But it soon had to repent of its
- boasting, for a hurricane arose which tore it up from its roots,
- and cast it a useless log on the ground, while the little Reed,
- bending to the force of the wind, soon stood upright again when
- the storm had passed over.
- Obscurity often brings safety.
- The Fox and the Cat
- A Fox was boasting to a Cat of its clever devices for escaping
- its enemies. "I have a whole bag of tricks," he said, "which
- contains a hundred ways of escaping my enemies."
- "I have only one," said the Cat; "but I can generally manage
- with that." Just at that moment they heard the cry of a pack of
- hounds coming towards them, and the Cat immediately scampered up a
- tree and hid herself in the boughs. "This is my plan," said the
- Cat. "What are you going to do?" The Fox thought first of one
- way, then of another, and while he was debating the hounds came
- nearer and nearer, and at last the Fox in his confusion was caught
- up by the hounds and soon killed by the huntsmen. Miss Puss, who
- had been looking on, said:
- "Better one safe way than a hundred on which
- you cannot reckon."
- The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
- A Wolf found great difficulty in getting at the sheep owing to
- the vigilance of the shepherd and his dogs. But one day it found
- the skin of a sheep that had been flayed and thrown aside, so it
- put it on over its own pelt and strolled down among the sheep.
- The Lamb that belonged to the sheep, whose skin the Wolf was
- wearing, began to follow the Wolf in the Sheep's clothing; so,
- leading the Lamb a little apart, he soon made a meal off her, and
- for some time he succeeded in deceiving the sheep, and enjoying
- hearty meals.
- Appearances are deceptive.
- The Dog in the Manger
- A Dog looking out for its afternoon nap jumped into the Manger
- of an Ox and lay there cosily upon the straw. But soon the Ox,
- returning from its afternoon work, came up to the Manger and
- wanted to eat some of the straw. The Dog in a rage, being
- awakened from its slumber, stood up and barked at the Ox, and
- whenever it came near attempted to bite it. At last the Ox had to
- give up the hope of getting at the straw, and went away muttering:
- "Ah, people often grudge others what they
- cannot enjoy themselves."
- The Man and the Wooden God
- In the old days men used to worship stocks and stones and
- idols, and prayed to them to give them luck. It happened that a
- Man had often prayed to a wooden idol he had received from his
- father, but his luck never seemed to change. He prayed and he
- prayed, but still he remained as unlucky as ever. One day in the
- greatest rage he went to the Wooden God, and with one blow swept
- it down from its pedestal. The idol broke in two, and what did he
- see? An immense number of coins flying all over the place.
- The Fisher
- A Fisher once took his bagpipes to the bank of a river, and
- played upon them with the hope of making the fish rise; but never
- a one put his nose out of the water. So he cast his net into the
- river and soon drew it forth filled with fish. Then he took his
- bagpipes again, and, as he played, the fish leapt up in the net.
- "Ah, you dance now when I play," said he.
- "Yes," said an old Fish:
- "When you are in a man's power you must do as he bids you."
- The Shepherd's Boy
- There was once a young Shepherd Boy who tended his sheep at
- the foot of a mountain near a dark forest. It was rather lonely
- for him all day, so he thought upon a plan by which he could get a
- little company and some excitement. He rushed down towards the
- village calling out "Wolf, Wolf," and the villagers came out to
- meet him, and some of them stopped with him for a considerable
- time. This pleased the boy so much that a few days afterwards he
- tried the same trick, and again the villagers came to his help.
- But shortly after this a Wolf actually did come out from the
- forest, and began to worry the sheep, and the boy of course cried
- out "Wolf, Wolf," still louder than before. But this time the
- villagers, who had been fooled twice before, thought the boy was
- again deceiving them, and nobody stirred to come to his help. So
- the Wolf made a good meal off the boy's flock, and when the boy
- complained, the wise man of the village said:
- "A liar will not be believed, even when he speaks the truth."
- The Young Thief and His Mother
- A young Man had been caught in a daring act of theft and had
- been condemned to be executed for it. He expressed his desire to
- see his Mother, and to speak with her before he was led to
- execution, and of course this was granted. When his Mother came
- to him he said: "I want to whisper to you," and when she brought
- her ear near him, he nearly bit it off. All the bystanders were
- horrified, and asked him what he could mean by such brutal and
- inhuman conduct. "It is to punish her," he said. "When I was
- young I began with stealing little things, and brought them home
- to Mother. Instead of rebuking and punishing me, she laughed and
- said: "It will not be noticed." It is because of her that I am
- here to-day."
- "He is right, woman," said the Priest; "the Lord hath said:
- "Train up a child in the way he should go; and
- when he is old he will not depart therefrom."
- The Man and His Two Wives
- In the old days, when men were allowed to have many wives, a
- middle-aged Man had one wife that was old and one that was young;
- each loved him very much, and desired to see him like herself.
- Now the Man's hair was turning grey, which the young Wife did not
- like, as it made him look too old for her husband. So every night
- she used to comb his hair and pick out the white ones. But the
- elder Wife saw her husband growing grey with great pleasure, for
- she did not like to be mistaken for his mother. So every morning
- she used to arrange his hair and pick out as many of the black
- ones as she could. The consequence was the Man soon found himself
- entirely bald.
- Yield to all and you will soon have nothing to yield.
- The Nurse and the Wolf
- "Be quiet now," said an old Nurse to a child sitting on her
- lap. "If you make that noise again I will throw you to the Wolf."
- Now it chanced that a Wolf was passing close under the window
- as this was said. So he crouched down by the side of the house
- and waited. "I am in good luck to-day," thought he. "It is sure
- to cry soon, and a daintier morsel I haven't had for many a long
- day." So he waited, and he waited, and he waited, till at last
- the child began to cry, and the Wolf came forward before the
- window, and looked up to the Nurse, wagging his tail. But all the
- Nurse did was to shut down the window and call for help, and the
- dogs of the house came rushing out. "Ah," said the Wolf as he
- galloped away,
- "Enemies promises were made to be broken."
- The Tortoise and the Birds
- A Tortoise desired to change its place of residence, so he
- asked an Eagle to carry him to his new home, promising her a rich
- reward for her trouble. The Eagle agreed and seizing the Tortoise
- by the shell with her talons soared aloft. On their way they met
- a Crow, who said to the Eagle: "Tortoise is good eating." "The
- shell is too hard," said the Eagle in reply. "The rocks will soon
- crack the shell," was the Crow's answer; and the Eagle, taking the
- hint, let fall the Tortoise on a sharp rock, and the two birds
- made a hearty meal of the Tortoise.
- Never soar aloft on an enemy's pinions.
- The Two Crabs
- One fine day two Crabs came out from their home to take a
- stroll on the sand. "Child," said the mother, "you are walking
- very ungracefully. You should accustom yourself, to walking
- straight forward without twisting from side to side."
- "Pray, mother," said the young one, "do but set the example
- yourself, and I will follow you."
- Example is the best precept.
- The Ass in the Lion's Skin
- An Ass once found a Lion's skin which the hunters had left out
- in the sun to dry. He put it on and went towards his native
- village. All fled at his approach, both men and animals, and he
- was a proud Ass that day. In his delight he lifted up his voice
- and brayed, but then every one knew him, and his owner came up and
- gave him a sound cudgelling for the fright he had caused. And
- shortly afterwards a Fox came up to him and said: "Ah, I knew you
- by your voice."
- Fine clothes may disguise, but
- silly words will disclose a fool.
- The Two Fellows and the Bear
- Two Fellows were travelling together through a wood, when a
- Bear rushed out upon them. One of the travellers happened to be
- in front, and he seized hold of the branch of a tree, and hid
- himself among the leaves. The other, seeing no help for it, threw
- himself flat down upon the ground, with his face in the dust. The
- Bear, coming up to him, put his muzzle close to his ear, and
- sniffed and sniffed. But at last with a growl he shook his head
- and slouched off, for bears will not touch dead meat. Then the
- fellow in the tree came down to his comrade, and, laughing, said
- "What was it that Master Bruin whispered to you?"
- "He told me," said the other,
- "Never trust a friend who deserts you at a pinch."
- The Two Pots
- Two Pots had been left on the bank of a river, one of brass,
- and one of earthenware. When the tide rose they both floated off
- down the stream. Now the earthenware pot tried its best to keep
- aloof from the brass one, which cried out: "Fear nothing, friend,
- I will not strike you."
- "But I may come in contact with you," said the other, "if I
- come too close; and whether I hit you, or you hit me, I shall
- suffer for it."
- The strong and the weak cannot keep company.
- The Four Oxen and the Lion
- A Lion used to prowl about a field in which Four Oxen used to
- dwell. Many a time he tried to attack them; but whenever he came
- near they turned their tails to one another, so that whichever way
- he approached them he was met by the horns of one of them. At
- last, however, they fell a-quarrelling among themselves, and each
- went off to pasture alone in a separate corner of the field. Then
- the Lion attacked them one by one and soon made an end of all
- four.
- United we stand, divided we fall.
- The Fisher and the Little Fish
- It happened that a Fisher, after fishing all day, caught only
- a little fish. "Pray, let me go, master," said the Fish. "I am
- much too small for your eating just now. If you put me back into
- the river I shall soon grow, then you can make a fine meal off
- me."
- "Nay, nay, my little Fish," said the Fisher, "I have you now.
- I may not catch you hereafter."
- A little thing in hand is worth more than
- a great thing in prospect.
- Avaricious and Envious
- Two neighbours came before Jupiter and prayed him to grant
- their hearts' desire. Now the one was full of avarice, and the
- other eaten up with envy. So to punish them both, Jupiter granted
- that each might have whatever he wished for himself, but only on
- condition that his neighbour had twice as much. The Avaricious
- man prayed to have a room full of gold. No sooner said than done;
- but all his joy was turned to grief when he found that his
- neighbour had two rooms full of the precious metal. Then came the
- turn of the Envious man, who could not bear to think that his
- neighbour had any joy at all. So he prayed that he might have one
- of his own eyes put out, by which means his companion would become
- totally blind.
- Vices are their own punishment.
- The Crow and the Pitcher
- A Crow, half-dead with thirst, came upon a Pitcher which had
- once been full of water; but when the Crow put its beak into the
- mouth of the Pitcher he found that only very little water was left
- in it, and that he could not reach far enough down to get at it.
- He tried, and he tried, but at last had to give up in despair.
- Then a thought came to him, and he took a pebble and dropped it
- into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped it into
- the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into
- the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into
- the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into
- the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into
- the Pitcher. At last, at last, he saw the water mount up near
- him, and after casting in a few more pebbles he was able to quench
- his thirst and save his life.
- Little by little does the trick.
- The Man and the Satyr
- A Man had lost his way in a wood one bitter winter's night.
- As he was roaming about, a Satyr came up to him, and finding that
- he had lost his way, promised to give him a lodging for the night,
- and guide him out of the forest in the morning. As he went along
- to the Satyr's cell, the Man raised both his hands to his mouth
- and kept on blowing at them. "What do you do that for?" said the
- Satyr.
- "My hands are numb with the cold," said the Man, "and my
- breath warms them."
- After this they arrived at the Satyr's home, and soon the
- Satyr put a smoking dish of porridge before him. But when the Man
- raised his spoon to his mouth he began blowing upon it. "And what
- do you do that for?" said the Satyr.
- "The porridge is too hot, and my breath will cool it."
- "Out you go," said the Satyr. "I will have nought to do with
- a man who can blow hot and cold with the same breath."
- The Goose With the Golden Eggs
- One day a countryman going to the nest of his Goose found
- there an egg all yellow and glittering. When he took it up it was
- as heavy as lead and he was going to throw it away, because he
- thought a trick had been played upon him. But he took it home on
- second thoughts, and soon found to his delight that it was an egg
- of pure gold. Every morning the same thing occurred, and he soon
- became rich by selling his eggs. As he grew rich he grew greedy;
- and thinking to get at once all the gold the Goose could give, he
- killed it and opened it only to find nothing.
- Greed oft o'er reaches itself.
- The Labourer and the Nightingale
- A Labourer lay listening to a Nightingale's song throughout
- the summer night. So pleased was he with it that the next night
- he set a trap for it and captured it. "Now that I have caught
- thee," he cried, "thou shalt always sing to me."
- "We Nightingales never sing in a cage." said the bird.
- "Then I'll eat thee." said the Labourer. "I have always heard
- say that a nightingale on toast is dainty morsel."
- "Nay, kill me not," said the Nightingale; "but let me free,
- and I'll tell thee three things far better worth than my poor
- body." The Labourer let him loose, and he flew up to a branch of
- a tree and said: "Never believe a captive's promise; that's one
- thing. Then again: Keep what you have. And third piece of advice
- is: Sorrow not over what is lost forever." Then the song-bird
- flew away.
- The Fox, the Cock, and the Dog
- One moonlight night a Fox was prowling about a farmer's
- hen-coop, and saw a Cock roosting high up beyond his reach. "Good
- news, good news!" he cried.
- "Why, what is that?" said the Cock.
- "King Lion has declared a universal truce. No beast may hurt
- a bird henceforth, but all shall dwell together in brotherly
- friendship."
- "Why, that is good news," said the Cock; "and there I see some
- one coming, with whom we can share the good tidings." And so
- saying he craned his neck forward and looked afar off.
- "What is it you see?" said the Fox.
- "It is only my master's Dog that is coming towards us. What,
- going so soon?" he continued, as the Fox began to turn away as
- soon as he had heard the news. "Will you not stop and
- congratulate the Dog on the reign of universal peace?"
- "I would gladly do so," said the Fox, "but I fear he may not
- have heard of King Lion's decree."
- Cunning often outwits itself.
- The Wind and the Sun
- The Wind and the Sun were disputing which was the stronger.
- Suddenly they saw a traveller coming down the road, and the Sun
- said: "I see a way to decide our dispute. Whichever of us can
- cause that traveller to take off his cloak shall be regarded as
- the stronger. You begin." So the Sun retired behind a cloud, and
- the Wind began to blow as hard as it could upon the traveller.
- But the harder he blew the more closely did the traveller wrap his
- cloak round him, till at last the Wind had to give up in despair.
- Then the Sun came out and shone in all his glory upon the
- traveller, who soon found it too hot to walk with his cloak on.
- Kindness effects more than severity.
- Hercules and the Waggoner
- A Waggoner was once driving a heavy load along a very muddy
- way. At last he came to a part of the road where the wheels sank
- half-way into the mire, and the more the horses pulled, the deeper
- sank the wheels. So the Waggoner threw down his whip, and knelt
- down and prayed to Hercules the Strong. "O Hercules, help me in
- this my hour of distress," quoth he. But Hercules appeared to
- him, and said:
- "Tut, man, don't sprawl there. Get up and put your shoulder
- to the wheel."
- The gods help them that help themselves.
- The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey
- A Man and his son were once going with their Donkey to market.
- As they were walking along by its side a countryman passed them
- and said: "You fools, what is a Donkey for but to ride upon?"
- So the Man put the Boy on the Donkey and they went on their
- way. But soon they passed a group of men, one of whom said: "See
- that lazy youngster, he lets his father walk while he rides."
- So the Man ordered his Boy to get off, and got on himself.
- But they hadn't gone far when they passed two women, one of whom
- said to the other: "Shame on that lazy lout to let his poor little
- son trudge along."
- Well, the Man didn't know what to do, but at last he took his
- Boy up before him on the Donkey. By this time they had come to
- the town, and the passers-by began to jeer and point at them. The
- Man stopped and asked what they were scoffing at. The men said:
- "Aren't you ashamed of yourself for overloading that poor donkey
- of yoursu and your hulking son?"
- The Man and Boy got off and tried to think what to do. They
- thought and they thought, till at last they cut down a pole, tied
- the donkey's feet to it, and raised the pole and the donkey to
- their shoulders. They went along amid the laughter of all who met
- them till they came to Market Bridge, when the Donkey, getting one
- of his feet loose, kicked out and caused the Boy to drop his end
- of the pole. In the struggle the Donkey fell over the bridge, and
- his fore-feet being tied together he was drowned.
- "That will teach you," said an old man who had followed them:
- "Please all, and you will please none."
- The Miser and His Gold
- Once upon a time there was a Miser who used to hide his gold
- at the foot of a tree in his garden; but every week he used to go
- and dig it up and gloat over his gains. A robber, who had noticed
- this, went and dug up the gold and decamped with it. When the
- Miser next came to gloat over his treasures, he found nothing but
- the empty hole. He tore his hair, and raised such an outcry that
- all the neighbours came around him, and he told them how he used
- to come and visit his gold. "Did you ever take any of it out?"
- asked one of them.
- "Nay," said he, "I only came to look at it."
- "Then come again and look at the hole," said a neighbour; "it
- will do you just as much good."
- Wealth unused might as well not exist.
- The Fox and the Mosquitoes
- A Fox after crossing a river got its tail entangled in a bush,
- and could not move. A number of Mosquitoes seeing its plight
- settled upon it and enjoyed a good meal undisturbed by its tail.
- A hedgehog strolling by took pity upon the Fox and went up to him:
- "You are in a bad way, neighbour," said the hedgehog; "shall I
- relieve you by driving off those Mosquitoes who are sucking your
- blood?"
- "Thank you, Master Hedgehog," said the Fox, "but I would
- rather not."
- "Why, how is that?" asked the hedgehog.
- "Well, you see," was the answer, "these Mosquitoes have had
- their fill; if you drive these away, others will come with fresh
- appetite and bleed me to death."
- The Fox Without a Tail
- It happened that a Fox caught its tail in a trap, and in
- struggling to release himself lost all of it but the stump. At
- first he was ashamed to show himself among his fellow foxes. But
- at last he determined to put a bolder face upon his misfortune,
- and summoned all the foxes to a general meeting to consider a
- proposal which he had to place before them. When they had
- assembled together the Fox proposed that they should all do away
- with their tails. He pointed out how inconvenient a tail was when
- they were pursued by their enemies, the dogs; how much it was in
- the way when they desired to sit down and hold a friendly
- conversation with one another. He failed to see any advantage in
- carrying about such a useless encumbrance. "That is all very
- well," said one of the older foxes; "but I do not think you would
- have recommended us to dispense with our chief ornament if you had
- not happened to lose it yourself."
- Distrust interested advice.
- The One-Eyed Doe
- A Doe had had the misfortune to lose one of her eyes, and
- could not see any one approaching her on that side. So to avoid
- any danger she always used to feed on a high cliff near the sea,
- with her sound eye looking towards the land. By this means she
- could see whenever the hunters approached her on land, and often
- escaped by this means. But the hunters found out that she was
- blind of one eye, and hiring a boat rowed under the cliff where
- she used to feed and shot her from the sea. "Ah," cried she with
- her dying voice,
- "You cannot escape your fate."
- Belling the Cat
- Long ago, the mice had a general council to consider what
- measures they could take to outwit their common enemy, the Cat.
- Some said this, and some said that; but at last a young mouse got
- up and said he had a proposal to make, which he thought would meet
- the case. "You will all agree," said he, "that our chief danger
- consists in the sly and treacherous manner in which the enemy
- approaches us. Now, if we could receive some signal of her
- approach, we could easily escape from her. I venture, therefore,
- to propose that a small bell be procured, and attached by a ribbon
- round the neck of the Cat. By this means we should always know
- when she was about, and could easily retire while she was in the
- neighbourhood."
- This proposal met with general applause, until an old mouse
- got up and said: "That is all very well, but who is to bell the
- Cat?" The mice looked at one another and nobody spoke. Then the
- old mouse said:
- "It is easy to propose impossible remedies."
- The Hare and the Tortoise
- The Hare was once boasting of his speed before the other
- animals. "I have never yet been beaten," said he, "when I put
- forth my full speed. I challenge any one here to race with me."
- The Tortoise said quietly, "I accept your challenge."
- "That is a good joke," said the Hare; "I could dance round you
- all the way."
- "Keep your boasting till you've beaten," answered the
- Tortoise. "Shall we race?"
- So a course was fixed and a start was made. The Hare darted
- almost out of sight at once, but soon stopped and, to show his
- contempt for the Tortoise, lay down to have a nap. The Tortoise
- plodded on and plodded on, and when the Hare awoke from his nap,
- he saw the Tortoise just near the winning-post and could not run
- up in time to save the race. Then said the Tortoise:
- "Plodding wins the race."
- The Old Man and Death
- An old labourer, bent double with age and toil, was gathering
- sticks in a forest. At last he grew so tired and hopeless that he
- threw down the bundle of sticks, and cried out: "I cannot bear
- this life any longer. Ah, I wish Death would only come and take
- me!"
- As he spoke, Death, a grisly skeleton, appeared and said to
- him: "What wouldst thou, Mortal? I heard thee call me."
- "Please, sir," replied the woodcutter, "would you kindly help
- me to lift this faggot of sticks on to my shoulder?"
- We would often be sorry if our wishes were gratified.
- The Hare With Many Friends
- A Hare was very popular with the other beasts who all claimed
- to be her friends. But one day she heard the hounds approaching
- and hoped to escape them by the aid of her many Friends. So, she
- went to the horse, and asked him to carry her away from the hounds
- on his back. But he declined, stating that he had important work
- to do for his master. "He felt sure," he said, "that all her
- other friends would come to her assistance." She then applied to
- the bull, and hoped that he would repel the hounds with his horns.
- The bull replied: "I am very sorry, but I have an appointment with
- a lady; but I feel sure that our friend the goat will do what you
- want." The goat, however, feared that his back might do her some
- harm if he took her upon it. The ram, he felt sure, was the
- proper friend to apply to. So she went to the ram and told him
- the case. The ram replied: "Another time, my dear friend. I do
- not like to interfere on the present occasion, as hounds have been
- known to eat sheep as well as hares." The Hare then applied, as a
- last hope, to the calf, who regretted that he was unable to help
- her, as he did not like to take the responsibility upon himself,
- as so many older persons than himself had declined the task. By
- this time the hounds were quite near, and the Hare took to her
- heels and luckily escaped.
- He that has many friends, has no friends.
- The Lion in Love
- A Lion once fell in love with a beautiful maiden and proposed
- marriage to her parents. The old people did not know what to say.
- They did not like to give their daughter to the Lion, yet they did
- not wish to enrage the King of Beasts. At last the father said:
- "We feel highly honoured by your Majesty's proposal, but you see
- our daughter is a tender young thing, and we fear that in the
- vehemence of your affection you might possibly do her some injury.
- Might I venture to suggest that your Majesty should have your
- claws removed, and your teeth extracted, then we would gladly
- consider your proposal again." The Lion was so much in love that
- he had his claws trimmed and his big teeth taken out. But when he
- came again to the parents of the young girl they simply laughed in
- his face, and bade him do his worst.
- Love can tame the wildest.
- The Bundle of Sticks
- An old man on the point of death summoned his sons around him
- to give them some parting advice. He ordered his servants to
- bring in a faggot of sticks, and said to his eldest son: "Break
- it." The son strained and strained, but with all his efforts was
- unable to break the Bundle. The other sons also tried, but none
- of them was successful. "Untie the faggots," said the father,
- "and each of you take a stick." When they had done so, he called
- out to them: "Now, break," and each stick was easily broken. "You
- see my meaning," said their father.
- Union gives strength.
- The Lion, the Fox, and the Beasts
- The Lion once gave out that he was sick unto death and
- summoned the animals to come and hear his last Will and Testament.
- So the Goat came to the Lion's cave, and stopped there listening
- for a long time. Then a Sheep went in, and before she came out a
- Calf came up to receive the last wishes of the Lord of the Beasts.
- But soon the Lion seemed to recover, and came to the mouth of his
- cave, and saw the Fox, who had been waiting outside for some time.
- "Why do you not come to pay your respects to me?" said the Lion to
- the Fox.
- "I beg your Majesty's pardon," said the Fox, "but I noticed
- the track of the animals that have already come to you; and while
- I see many hoof-marks going in, I see none coming out. Till the
- animals that have entered your cave come out again I prefer to
- remain in the open air."
- It is easier to get into the enemy's toils than out again.
- The Ass's Brains
- The Lion and the Fox went hunting together. The Lion, on the
- advice of the Fox, sent a message to the Ass, proposing to make an
- alliance between their two families. The Ass came to the place of
- meeting, overjoyed at the prospect of a royal alliance. But when
- he came there the Lion simply pounced on the Ass, and said to the
- Fox: "Here is our dinner for to-day. Watch you here while I go
- and have a nap. Woe betide you if you touch my prey." The Lion
- went away and the Fox waited; but finding that his master did not
- return, ventured to take out the brains of the Ass and ate them
- up. When the Lion came back he soon noticed the absence of the
- brains, and asked the Fox in a terrible voice: "What have you done
- with the brains?"
- "Brains, your Majesty! it had none, or it would never have
- fallen into your trap."
- Wit has always an answer ready.
- The Eagle and the Arrow
- An Eagle was soaring through the air when suddenly it heard
- the whizz of an Arrow, and felt itself wounded to death. Slowly
- it fluttered down to the earth, with its life-blood pouring out of
- it. Looking down upon the Arrow with which it had been pierced,
- it found that the shaft of the Arrow had been feathered with one
- of its own plumes. "Alas!" it cried, as it died,
- "We often give our enemies the means for our own destruction."
- The Milkmaid and Her Pail
- Patty the Milkmaid was going to market carrying her milk in a
- Pail on her head. As she went along she began calculating what
- she would do with the money she would get for the milk. "I'll buy
- some fowls from Farmer Brown," said she, "and they will lay eggs
- each morning, which I will sell to the parson's wife. With the
- money that I get from the sale of these eggs I'll buy myself a new
- dimity frock and a chip hat; and when I go to market, won't all
- the young men come up and speak to me! Polly Shaw will be that
- jealous; but I don't care. I shall just look at her and toss my
- head like this. As she spoke she tossed her head back, the Pail
- fell off it, and all the milk was spilt. So she had to go home
- and tell her mother what had occurred.
- "Ah, my child," said the mother,
- "Do not count your chickens before they are hatched."
- The Cat-Maiden
- The gods were once disputing whether it was possible for a
- living being to change its nature. Jupiter said "Yes," but Venus
- said "No." So, to try the question, Jupiter turned a Cat into a
- Maiden, and gave her to a young man for a wife. The wedding was
- duly performed and the young couple sat down to the wedding-feast.
- "See," said Jupiter, to Venus, "how becomingly she behaves. Who
- could tell that yesterday she was but a Cat? Surely her nature is
- changed?"
- "Wait a minute," replied Venus, and let loose a mouse into the
- room. No sooner did the bride see this than she jumped up from
- her seat and tried to pounce upon the mouse. "Ah, you see," said
- Venus,
- "Nature will out."
- The Horse and the Ass
- A Horse and an Ass were travelling together, the Horse
- prancing along in its fine trappings, the Ass carrying with
- difficulty the heavy weight in its panniers. "I wish I were you,"
- sighed the Ass; "nothing to do and well fed, and all that fine
- harness upon you." Next day, however, there was a great battle,
- and the Horse was wounded to death in the final charge of the day.
- His friend, the Ass, happened to pass by shortly afterwards and
- found him on the point of death. "I was wrong," said the Ass:
- "Better humble security than gilded danger."
- The Trumpeter Taken Prisoner
- A Trumpeter during a battle ventured too near the enemy and
- was captured by them. They were about to proceed to put him to
- death when he begged them to hear his plea for mercy. "I do not
- fight," said he, "and indeed carry no weapon; I only blow this
- trumpet, and surely that cannot harm you; then why should you kill
- me?"
- "You may not fight yourself," said the others, "but you
- encourage and guide your men to the fight."
- Words may be deeds.
- The Buffoon and the Countryman
- At a country fair there was a Buffoon who made all the people
- laugh by imitating the cries of various animals. He finished off
- by squeaking so like a pig that the spectators thought that he had
- a porker concealed about him. But a Countryman who stood by said:
- "Call that a pig s squeak! Nothing like it. You give me till
- tomorrow and I will show you what it's like." The audience
- laughed, but next day, sure enough, the Countryman appeared on the
- stage, and putting his head down squealed so hideously that the
- spectators hissed and threw stones at him to make him stop. "You
- fools!" he cried, "see what you have been hissing," and held up a
- little pig whose ear he had been pinching to make him utter the
- squeals.
- Men often applaud an imitation and hiss the real thing.
- The Old Woman and the Wine-Jar
- You must know that sometimes old women like a glass of wine.
- One of this sort once found a Wine-jar lying in the road, and
- eagerly went up to it hoping to find it full. But when she took
- it up she found that all the wine had been drunk out of it. Still
- she took a long sniff at the mouth of the Jar. "Ah," she cried,
- "What memories cling 'round the instruments of our pleasure."
- The Fox and the Goat
- By an unlucky chance a Fox fell into a deep well from which he
- could not get out. A Goat passed by shortly afterwards, and asked
- the Fox what he was doing down there. "Oh, have you not heard?"
- said the Fox; "there is going to be a great drought, so I jumped
- down here in order to be sure to have water by me. Why don't you
- come down too?" The Goat thought well of this advice, and jumped
- down into the well. But the Fox immediately jumped on her back,
- and by putting his foot on her long horns managed to jump up to
- the edge of the well. "Good-bye, friend," said the Fox, "remember
- next time,
- "Never trust the advice of a man in difficulties."
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