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The Dog in the Manger `
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A DOG lay in a manger, and by his growling and snapping prevented `
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the oxen from eating the hay which had been placed for them. `
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"What a selfish Dog!" said one of them to his companions; "he `
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cannot eat the hay himself, and yet refuses to allow those to eat `
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who can." `
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The Fox and the Goat `
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A FOX one day fell into a deep well and could find no means of `
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escape. A Goat, overcome with thirst, came to the same well, and `
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seeing the Fox, inquired if the water was good. Concealing his `
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sad plight under a merry guise, the Fox indulged in a lavish `
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praise of the water, saying it was excellent beyond measure, and `
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encouraging him to descend. The Goat, mindful only of his `
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thirst, thoughtlessly jumped down, but just as he drank, the Fox `
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informed him of the difficulty they were both in and suggested a `
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scheme for their common escape. "If," said he, "you will place `
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your forefeet upon the wall and bend your head, I will run up `
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your back and escape, and will help you out afterwards." The Goat `
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readily assented and the Fox leaped upon his back. Steadying `
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himself with the Goat's horns, he safely reached the mouth of the `
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well and made off as fast as he could. When the Goat upbraided `
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him for breaking his promise, he turned around and cried out, `
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"You foolish old fellow! If you had as many brains in your head `
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as you have hairs in your beard, you would never have gone down `
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before you had inspected the way up, nor have exposed yourself to `
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dangers from which you had no means of escape." `
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Look before you leap. `
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The Bear and the Two Travelers `
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TWO MEN were traveling together, when a Bear suddenly met them on `
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their path. One of them climbed up quickly into a tree and `
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concealed himself in the branches. The other, seeing that he `
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must be attacked, fell flat on the ground, and when the Bear came `
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up and felt him with his snout, and smelt him all over, he held `
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his breath, and feigned the appearance of death as much as he `
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could. The Bear soon left him, for it is said he will not touch `
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a dead body. When he was quite gone, the other Traveler `
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descended from the tree, and jocularly inquired of his friend `
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what it was the Bear had whispered in his ear. "He gave me this `
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advice," his companion replied. "Never travel with a friend who `
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deserts you at the approach of danger." `
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Misfortune tests the sincerity of friends. `
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The Oxen and the Axle-Trees `
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A HEAVY WAGON was being dragged along a country lane by a team of `
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Oxen. The Axle-trees groaned and creaked terribly; whereupon the `
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Oxen, turning round, thus addressed the wheels: "Hullo there! why `
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do you make so much noise? We bear all the labor, and we, not `
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you, ought to cry out." `
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Those who suffer most cry out the least. `
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The Thirsty Pigeon `
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A PIGEON, oppressed by excessive thirst, saw a goblet of water `
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painted on a signboard. Not supposing it to be only a picture, `
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she flew towards it with a loud whir and unwittingly dashed `
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against the signboard, jarring herself terribly. Having broken `
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her wings by the blow, she fell to the ground, and was caught by `
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one of the bystanders. `
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Zeal should not outrun discretion. `
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The Raven and the Swan `
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A RAVEN saw a Swan and desired to secure for himself the same `
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beautiful plumage. Supposing that the Swan's splendid white `
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color arose from his washing in the water in which he swam, the `
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Raven left the altars in the neighborhood where he picked up his `
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living, and took up residence in the lakes and pools. But `
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cleansing his feathers as often as he would, he could not change `
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their color, while through want of food he perished. `
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Change of habit cannot alter Nature. `
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The Goat and the Goatherd `
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A GOATHERD had sought to bring back a stray goat to his flock. `
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He whistled and sounded his horn in vain; the straggler paid no `
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attention to the summons. At last the Goatherd threw a stone, `
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and breaking its horn, begged the Goat not to tell his master. `
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The Goat replied, "Why, you silly fellow, the horn will speak `
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though I be silent." `
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Do not attempt to hide things which cannot be hid. `
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The Miser `
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A MISER sold all that he had and bought a lump of gold, which he `
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buried in a hole in the ground by the side of an old wall and `
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went to look at daily. One of his workmen observed his frequent `
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visits to the spot and decided to watch his movements. He soon `
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discovered the secret of the hidden treasure, and digging down, `
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came to the lump of gold, and stole it. The Miser, on his next `
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visit, found the hole empty and began to tear his hair and to `
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make loud lamentations. A neighbor, seeing him overcome with `
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grief and learning the cause, said, "Pray do not grieve so; but `
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go and take a stone, and place it in the hole, and fancy that the `
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gold is still lying there. It will do you quite the same `
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service; for when the gold was there, you had it not, as you did `
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not make the slightest use of it." `
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The Sick Lion `
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A LION, unable from old age and infirmities to provide himself `
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with food by force, resolved to do so by artifice. He returned `
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to his den, and lying down there, pretended to be sick, taking `
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care that his sickness should be publicly known. The beasts `
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expressed their sorrow, and came one by one to his den, where the `
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Lion devoured them. After many of the beasts had thus `
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disappeared, the Fox discovered the trick and presenting himself `
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to the Lion, stood on the outside of the cave, at a respectful `
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distance, and asked him how he was. "I am very middling," `
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replied the Lion, "but why do you stand without? Pray enter `
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within to talk with me." "No, thank you," said the Fox. "I `
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notice that there are many prints of feet entering your cave, but `
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I see no trace of any returning." `
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He is wise who is warned by the misfortunes of others. `
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The Horse and Groom `
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A GROOM used to spend whole days in currycombing and rubbing down `
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his Horse, but at the same time stole his oats and sold them for `
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his own profit. "Alas!" said the Horse, "if you really wish me `
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to be in good condition, you should groom me less, and feed me `
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more." `
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The Ass and the Lapdog `
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A MAN had an Ass, and a Maltese Lapdog, a very great beauty. The `
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Ass was left in a stable and had plenty of oats and hay to eat, `
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just as any other Ass would. The Lapdog knew many tricks and was `
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a great favorite with his master, who often fondled him and `
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seldom went out to dine without bringing him home some tidbit to `
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eat. The Ass, on the contrary, had much work to do in grinding `
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the corn-mill and in carrying wood from the forest or burdens `
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from the farm. He often lamented his own hard fate and `
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contrasted it with the luxury and idleness of the Lapdog, till at `
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last one day he broke his cords and halter, and galloped into his `
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master's house, kicking up his heels without measure, and `
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frisking and fawning as well as he could. He next tried to jump `
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about his master as he had seen the Lapdog do, but he broke the `
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table and smashed all the dishes upon it to atoms. He then `
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attempted to lick his master, and jumped upon his back. The `
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servants, hearing the strange hubbub and perceiving the danger of `
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their master, quickly relieved him, and drove out the Ass to his `
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stable with kicks and clubs and cuffs. The Ass, as he returned `
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to his stall beaten nearly to death, thus lamented: "I have `
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brought it all on myself! Why could I not have been contented to `
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labor with my companions, and not wish to be idle all the day `
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like that useless little Lapdog!" `
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The Lioness `
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A CONTROVERSY prevailed among the beasts of the field as to which `
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of the animals deserved the most credit for producing the `
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greatest number of whelps at a birth. They rushed clamorously `
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into the presence of the Lioness and demanded of her the `
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settlement of the dispute. "And you," they said, "how many sons `
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have you at a birth?' The Lioness laughed at them, and said: `
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"Why! I have only one; but that one is altogether a thoroughbred `
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Lion." `
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The value is in the worth, not in the number. `
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The Boasting Traveler `
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A MAN who had traveled in foreign lands boasted very much, on `
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returning to his own country, of the many wonderful and heroic `
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feats he had performed in the different places he had visited. `
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Among other things, he said that when he was at Rhodes he had `
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leaped to such a distance that no man of his day could leap `
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anywhere near him as to that, there were in Rhodes many persons `
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who saw him do it and whom he could call as witnesses. One of `
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the bystanders interrupted him, saying: "Now, my good man, if `
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this be all true there is no need of witnesses. Suppose this `
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to be Rhodes, and leap for us." `
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The Cat and the Cock `
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