|
The Cat and the Cock `
`
`
`
A CAT caught a Cock, and pondered how he might find a reasonable `
`
excuse for eating him. He accused him of being a nuisance to men `
`
by crowing in the nighttime and not permitting them to sleep. `
`
The Cock defended himself by saying that he did this for the `
`
benefit of men, that they might rise in time for their labors. `
`
The Cat replied, "Although you abound in specious apologies, I `
`
shall not remain supperless"; and he made a meal of him. `
`
`
`
`
`
The Piglet, the Sheep, and the Goat `
`
`
`
A YOUNG PIG was shut up in a fold-yard with a Goat and a Sheep. `
`
On one occasion when the shepherd laid hold of him, he grunted `
`
and squeaked and resisted violently. The Sheep and the Goat `
`
complained of his distressing cries, saying, "He often handles `
`
us, and we do not cry out." To this the Pig replied, "Your `
`
handling and mine are very different things. He catches you only `
`
for your wool, or your milk, but he lays hold on me for my very `
`
life." `
`
`
`
`
`
The Boy and the Filberts `
`
`
`
A BOY put his hand into a pitcher full of filberts. He grasped `
`
as many as he could possibly hold, but when he tried to pull out `
`
his hand, he was prevented from doing so by the neck of the `
`
pitcher. Unwilling to lose his filberts, and yet unable to `
`
withdraw his hand, he burst into tears and bitterly lamented his `
`
disappointment. A bystander said to him, "Be satisfied with half `
`
the quantity, and you will readily draw out your hand." `
`
`
`
Do not attempt too much at once. `
`
`
`
`
`
The Lion in Love `
`
`
`
A LION demanded the daughter of a woodcutter in marriage. The `
`
Father, unwilling to grant, and yet afraid to refuse his request, `
`
hit upon this expedient to rid himself of his importunities. He `
`
expressed his willingness to accept the Lion as the suitor of his `
`
daughter on one condition: that he should allow him to extract `
`
his teeth, and cut off his claws, as his daughter was fearfully `
`
afraid of both. The Lion cheerfully assented to the proposal. `
`
But when the toothless, clawless Lion returned to repeat his `
`
request, the Woodman, no longer afraid, set upon him with his `
`
club, and drove him away into the forest. `
`
`
`
`
`
The Laborer and the Snake `
`
`
`
A SNAKE, having made his hole close to the porch of a cottage, `
`
inflicted a mortal bite on the Cottager's infant son. Grieving `
`
over his loss, the Father resolved to kill the Snake. The next `
`
day, when it came out of its hole for food, he took up his axe, `
`
but by swinging too hastily, missed its head and cut off only the `
`
end of its tail. After some time the Cottager, afraid that the `
`
Snake would bite him also, endeavored to make peace, and placed `
`
some bread and salt in the hole. The Snake, slightly hissing, `
`
said: "There can henceforth be no peace between us; for whenever `
`
I see you I shall remember the loss of my tail, and whenever you `
`
see me you will be thinking of the death of your son." `
`
`
`
No one truly forgets injuries in the presence of him who caused `
`
the injury. `
`
`
`
`
`
The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing `
`
`
`
ONCE UPON A TIME a Wolf resolved to disguise his appearance in `
`
order to secure food more easily. Encased in the skin of a `
`
sheep, he pastured with the flock deceiving the shepherd by his `
`
costume. In the evening he was shut up by the shepherd in the `
`
fold; the gate was closed, and the entrance made thoroughly `
`
secure. But the shepherd, returning to the fold during the night `
`
to obtain meat for the next day, mistakenly caught up the Wolf `
`
instead of a sheep, and killed him instantly. `
`
`
`
Harm seek. harm find. `
`
`
`
`
`
The Ass and the Mule `
`
`
`
A MULETEER set forth on a journey, driving before him an Ass and `
`
a Mule, both well laden. The Ass, as long as he traveled along `
`
the plain, carried his load with ease, but when he began to `
`
ascend the steep path of the mountain, felt his load to be more `
`
than he could bear. He entreated his companion to relieve him of `
`
a small portion, that he might carry home the rest; but the Mule `
`
paid no attention to the request. The Ass shortly afterwards `
`
fell down dead under his burden. Not knowing what else to do in `
`
so wild a region, the Muleteer placed upon the Mule the load `
`
carried by the Ass in addition to his own, and at the top of all `
`
placed the hide of the Ass, after he had skinned him. The Mule, `
`
groaning beneath his heavy burden, said to himself: "I am treated `
`
according to my deserts. If I had only been willing to assist `
`
the Ass a little in his need, I should not now be bearing, `
`
together with his burden, himself as well." `
`
`
`
`
`
The Frogs Asking for a King `
`
`
`
THE FROGS, grieved at having no established Ruler, sent `
`
ambassadors to Jupiter entreating for a King. Perceiving their `
`
simplicity, he cast down a huge log into the lake. The Frogs `
`
were terrified at the splash occasioned by its fall and hid `
`
themselves in the depths of the pool. But as soon as they `
`
realized that the huge log was motionless, they swam again to the `
`
top of the water, dismissed their fears, climbed up, and began `
`
squatting on it in contempt. After some time they began to think `
`
themselves ill-treated in the appointment of so inert a Ruler, `
`
and sent a second deputation to Jupiter to pray that he would set `
`
over them another sovereign. He then gave them an Eel to govern `
`
them. When the Frogs discovered his easy good nature, they sent `
`
yet a third time to Jupiter to beg him to choose for them still `
`
another King. Jupiter, displeased with all their complaints, `
`
sent a Heron, who preyed upon the Frogs day by day till there `
`
were none left to croak upon the lake. `
`
`
`
`
`
The Boys and the Frogs `
`
`
`
SOME BOYS, playing near a pond, saw a number of Frogs in the `
`
water and began to pelt them with stones. They killed several of `
`
them, when one of the Frogs, lifting his head out of the water, `
`
cried out: "Pray stop, my boys: what is sport to you, is death to `
`
us." `
`
`
`
`
`
The Sick Stag `
`
`
`
A SICK STAG lay down in a quiet corner of its pasture-ground. `
`
His companions came in great numbers to inquire after his health, `
`
and each one helped himself to a share of the food which had been `
`
placed for his use; so that he died, not from his sickness, but `
`
from the failure of the means of living. `
`
`
`
Evil companions bring more hurt than profit. `
`
`
`
`
`
The Salt Merchant and His Ass `
`
`
`
A PEDDLER drove his Ass to the seashore to buy salt. His road `
`
home lay across a stream into which his Ass, making a false step, `
`
fell by accident and rose up again with his load considerably `
`
lighter, as the water melted the sack. The Peddler retraced his `
`
steps and refilled his panniers with a larger quantity of salt `
`
than before. When he came again to the stream, the Ass fell down `
`
on purpose in the same spot, and, regaining his feet with the `
`
weight of his load much diminished, brayed triumphantly as if he `
`
had obtained what he desired. The Peddler saw through his trick `
`
and drove him for the third time to the coast, where he bought a `
`
cargo of sponges instead of salt. The Ass, again playing the `
`
fool, fell down on purpose when he reached the stream, but the `
`
sponges became swollen with water, greatly increasing his load. `
`
And thus his trick recoiled on him, for he now carried on his `
`
back a double burden. `
`
`
`
`
`
The Oxen and the Butchers `
`
`
`
THE OXEN once upon a time sought to destroy the Butchers, who `
`
practiced a trade destructive to their race. They assembled on a `
`
certain day to carry out their purpose, and sharpened their horns `
`
for the contest. But one of them who was exceedingly old (for `
`
many a field had he plowed) thus spoke: "These Butchers, it is `
`
true, slaughter us, but they do so with skillful hands, and with `
`
no unnecessary pain. If we get rid of them, we shall fall into `
`
the hands of unskillful operators, and thus suffer a double `
`
death: for you may be assured, that though all the Butchers `
`
should perish, yet will men never want beef." `
`
`
`
Do not be in a hurry to change one evil for another. `
`
`
`
`
`
The Lion, the Mouse, and the Fox `
`
`
`
A LION, fatigued by the heat of a summer's day, fell fast asleep `
`
in his den. A Mouse ran over his mane and ears and woke him from `
`
his slumbers. He rose up and shook himself in great wrath, and `
`
searched every corner of his den to find the Mouse. A Fox seeing `
`
him said: "A fine Lion you are, to be frightened of a Mouse." `
`
"'Tis not the Mouse I fear," said the Lion; "I resent his `
`
familiarity and ill-breeding." `
`
`
`
Little liberties are great offenses. `
`
`
`
`
`
The Vain Jackdaw `
`
`
`
JUPITER DETERMINED, it is said, to create a sovereign over the `
`
birds, and made proclamation that on a certain day they should `
`
all present themselves before him, when he would himself choose `
`
the most beautiful among them to be king. The Jackdaw, knowing `
`
his own ugliness, searched through the woods and fields, and `
`
collected the feathers which had fallen from the wings of his `
`
companions, and stuck them in all parts of his body, hoping `
`
thereby to make himself the most beautiful of all. When the `
`
appointed day arrived, and the birds had assembled before `
`
Jupiter, the Jackdaw also made his appearance in his many `
`
|