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Aesop's Fables Translated by George Fyler Townsend `
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The Wolf and the Lamb `
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WOLF, meeting with a Lamb astray from the fold, resolved not to `
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lay violent hands on him, but to find some plea to justify to the `
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Lamb the Wolf's right to eat him. He thus addressed him: `
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"Sirrah, last year you grossly insulted me." "Indeed," bleated `
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the Lamb in a mournful tone of voice, "I was not then born." Then `
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said the Wolf, "You feed in my pasture." "No, good sir," replied `
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the Lamb, "I have not yet tasted grass." Again said the Wolf, `
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"You drink of my well." "No," exclaimed the Lamb, "I never yet `
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drank water, for as yet my mother's milk is both food and drink `
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to me." Upon which the Wolf seized him and ate him up, saying, `
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"Well! I won't remain supperless, even though you refute every `
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one of my imputations." The tyrant will always find a pretext for `
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his tyranny. `
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The Bat and the Weasels `
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A BAT who fell upon the ground and was caught by a Weasel pleaded `
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to be spared his life. The Weasel refused, saying that he was by `
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nature the enemy of all birds. The Bat assured him that he was `
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not a bird, but a mouse, and thus was set free. Shortly `
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afterwards the Bat again fell to the ground and was caught by `
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another Weasel, whom he likewise entreated not to eat him. The `
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Weasel said that he had a special hostility to mice. The Bat `
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assured him that he was not a mouse, but a bat, and thus a second `
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time escaped. `
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It is wise to turn circumstances to good account. `
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The Ass and the Grasshopper `
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AN ASS having heard some Grasshoppers chirping, was highly `
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enchanted; and, desiring to possess the same charms of melody, `
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demanded what sort of food they lived on to give them such `
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beautiful voices. They replied, "The dew." The Ass resolved that `
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he would live only upon dew, and in a short time died of hunger. `
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The Lion and the Mouse `
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A LION was awakened from sleep by a Mouse running over his face. Rising `
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up angrily, he caught him and was about to kill him, when the Mouse `
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piteously entreated, saying: "If you would only spare my life, I would `
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be sure to repay your kindness." The Lion laughed and let him go. It `
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happened shortly after this that the Lion was caught by some hunters, `
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who bound him by strong ropes to the ground. The Mouse, recognizing his `
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roar, came and gnawed the rope with his teeth, and set him free, exclaiming: `
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"You ridiculed the idea of my ever being able to help you, not expecting `
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to receive from me any repayment of your favor; now you know that it is `
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possible for even a Mouse to confer benefits on a Lion." `
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The Charcoal-Burner and the Fuller `
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A CHARCOAL-BURNER carried on his trade in his own house. One day `
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he met a friend, a Fuller, and entreated him to come and live `
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with him, saying that they should be far better neighbors and `
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that their housekeeping expenses would be lessened. The Fuller `
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replied, "The arrangement is impossible as far as I am concerned, `
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for whatever I should whiten, you would immediately blacken again `
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with your charcoal." `
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Like will draw like. `
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The Father and His Sons `
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A FATHER had a family of sons who were perpetually quarreling `
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among themselves. When he failed to heal their disputes by his `
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exhortations, he determined to give them a practical illustration `
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of the evils of disunion; and for this purpose he one day told `
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them to bring him a bundle of sticks. When they had done so, he `
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placed the faggot into the hands of each of them in succession, `
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and ordered them to break it in pieces. They tried with all `
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their strength, and were not able to do it. He next opened the `
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faggot, took the sticks separately, one by one, and again put `
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them into his sons' hands, upon which they broke them easily. He `
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then addressed them in these words: "My sons, if you are of one `
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mind, and unite to assist each other, you will be as this faggot, `
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uninjured by all the attempts of your enemies; but if you are `
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divided among yourselves, you will be broken as easily as these `
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sticks." `
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The Boy Hunting Locusts `
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A BOY was hunting for locusts. He had caught a goodly number, `
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when he saw a Scorpion, and mistaking him for a locust, reached `
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out his hand to take him. The Scorpion, showing his sting, said: `
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If you had but touched me, my friend, you would have lost me, and `
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all your locusts too!" `
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The Cock and the Jewel `
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A COCK, scratching for food for himself and his hens, found a `
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precious stone and exclaimed: "If your owner had found thee, and `
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not I, he would have taken thee up, and have set thee in thy `
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first estate; but I have found thee for no purpose. I would `
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rather have one barleycorn than all the jewels in the world." `
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The Kingdom of the Lion `
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THE BEASTS of the field and forest had a Lion as their king. He `
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was neither wrathful, cruel, nor tyrannical, but just and gentle `
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as a king could be. During his reign he made a royal `
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proclamation for a general assembly of all the birds and beasts, `
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and drew up conditions for a universal league, in which the Wolf `
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and the Lamb, the Panther and the Kid, the Tiger and the Stag, `
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the Dog and the Hare, should live together in perfect peace and `
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amity. The Hare said, "Oh, how I have longed to see this day, in `
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which the weak shall take their place with impunity by the side `
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of the strong." And after the Hare said this, he ran for his `
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life. `
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The Wolf and the Crane `
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A WOLF who had a bone stuck in his throat hired a Crane, for a `
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large sum, to put her head into his mouth and draw out the bone. `
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When the Crane had extracted the bone and demanded the promised `
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payment, the Wolf, grinning and grinding his teeth, exclaimed: `
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"Why, you have surely already had a sufficient recompense, in `
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having been permitted to draw out your head in safety from the `
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mouth and jaws of a wolf." `
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In serving the wicked, expect no reward, and be thankful if you `
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escape injury for your pains. `
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The Fisherman Piping `
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A FISHERMAN skilled in music took his flute and his nets to the `
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seashore. Standing on a projecting rock, he played several tunes `
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in the hope that the fish, attracted by his melody, would of `
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their own accord dance into his net, which he had placed below. `
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At last, having long waited in vain, he laid aside his flute, and `
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casting his net into the sea, made an excellent haul of fish. `
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When he saw them leaping about in the net upon the rock he said: `
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"O you most perverse creatures, when I piped you would not dance, `
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but now that I have ceased you do so merrily." `
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Hercules and the Wagoner `
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A CARTER was driving a wagon along a country lane, when the `
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wheels sank down deep into a rut. The rustic driver, stupefied `
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and aghast, stood looking at the wagon, and did nothing but utter `
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loud cries to Hercules to come and help him. Hercules, it is `
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said, appeared and thus addressed him: "Put your shoulders to the `
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wheels, my man. Goad on your bullocks, and never more pray to me `
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for help, until you have done your best to help yourself, or `
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depend upon it you will henceforth pray in vain." `
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Self-help is the best help. `
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The Ants and the Grasshopper `
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THE ANTS were spending a fine winter's day drying grain collected `
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in the summertime. A Grasshopper, perishing with famine, passed `
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by and earnestly begged for a little food. The Ants inquired of `
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him, "Why did you not treasure up food during the summer?' He `
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replied, "I had not leisure enough. I passed the days in `
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singing." They then said in derision: "If you were foolish enough `
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to sing all the summer, you must dance supperless to bed in the `
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winter." `
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The Traveler and His Dog `
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A TRAVELER about to set out on a journey saw his Dog stand at the `
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door stretching himself. He asked him sharply: "Why do you stand `
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there gaping? Everything is ready but you, so come with me `
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instantly." The Dog, wagging his tail, replied: "O, master! I am `
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quite ready; it is you for whom I am waiting." `
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The loiterer often blames delay on his more active friend. `
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The Dog and the Shadow `
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A DOG, crossing a bridge over a stream with a piece of flesh in `
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his mouth, saw his own shadow in the water and took it for that `
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of another Dog, with a piece of meat double his own in size. He `
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immediately let go of his own, and fiercely attacked the other `
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Dog to get his larger piece from him. He thus lost both: that `
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which he grasped at in the water, because it was a shadow; and `
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his own, because the stream swept it away. `
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The Mole and His Mother `
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