ĘSOP'S FABLES
Illustrations by H.
Weir, J. Tenniel, E. Griset
The Oak and the Reeds.
A very large Oak was uprooted by the wind, and thrown across a
stream. It fell among some Reeds, which it thus addressed: "I wonder how
you, who are so light and weak, are not entirely crushed by these strong
winds." They replied:
"You fight and contend with the wind, and consequently you are
destroyed; while we, on the contrary, bend before the least breath of
air, and therefore remain unbroken."
Stoop to conquer.
The Huntsman and the Fisherman.
A Huntsman, returning with his dogs from the field, fell in by chance
with a Fisherman, bringing home a basket laden with fish. The Huntsman
wished to have the fish, and their owner experienced an equal longing
for the contents of the game-bag. They quickly agreed to exchange the
produce of their day's sport. Each was so well pleased with his bargain,
that they made for some time the same exchange day after day. A neighbor
said to them: "If you go on in this way, you will soon destroy, by
frequent use, the pleasure of your exchange, and each will again wish to
retain the fruits of his own sport."
Pleasures are heightened by abstinence.
The Mother and the Wolf.
A famished Wolf was prowling about in the morning in search of food.
As he passed the door of a cottage built in the forest, he heard a
mother say to her child: "Be quiet, or I will throw you out of the
window, and the Wolf shall eat you." The Wolf sat all day waiting at the
door. In the evening he heard the same woman fondling her child, and
saying: "He is quiet now, and if the Wolf should come, we will kill
him." The Wolf, hearing these words, went home, gaping with cold and
hunger.
Be not in haste to believe what is said in anger or thoughtlessness.
The
Shepherd and the Wolf.
A Shepherd once found a young Wolf, and brought it up, and after a
while taught it to steal lambs from the neighboring flocks. The Wolf,
having shown himself an apt pupil, said to the Shepherd: "Since you have
taught me to steal, you must keep a sharp look-out, or you will lose
some of your own flock."
The vices we teach may be practiced against us.
The Dove and the Crow.
A Dove shut up in a cage was boasting of the large number of the
young ones which she had hatched. A Crow, hearing her, said: "My good
friend, cease from this unreasonable boasting. The larger the number of
your family, the greater your cause of sorrow, in seeing them shut up in
this prison-house."
To enjoy our blessings we must have freedom.
The Old Man and the Three Young Men.
As an old man was planting a tree, three young men came along and
began to make sport of him, saying: "It shows your foolishness to be
planting a tree at your age. The tree cannot bear fruit for many years,
while you must very soon die. What is the use of your wasting your time
in providing pleasure for others to share long after you are dead?" The
old man stopped in his labor and replied: "Others before me provided for
my happiness, and it is my duty to provide for those who shall come
after me. As for life, who is sure of it for a day? You may all die
before me." The old man's words came true; one of the young men went on
a voyage at sea and was drowned, another went to war and was shot, and
the third fell from a tree and broke his neck.
We should not think wholly of ourselves, and we should remember that
life is uncertain.
The Lion and the Fox.
A Fox entered into partnership with a Lion, on the pretense of
becoming his servant. Each undertook his proper duty in accordance with
his own nature and powers. The Fox discovered and pointed out the prey,
the Lion sprang on it and seized it. The Fox soon became jealous of the
Lion carrying off the Lion's share, and said that he would no longer
find out the prey, but would capture it on his own account. The next day
he attempted to snatch a lamb from the fold, but fell himself a prey to
the huntsman and his hounds.
Keep to your place, if you would succeed.
The Horse and the Stag.
The Horse had the plain entirely to himself. A Stag intruded into his
domain and shared his pasture. The Horse, desiring to revenge himself on
the stranger, requested a man, if he were willing, to help him in
punishing the Stag. The man replied, that if the Horse would receive a
bit in his mouth, and agree to carry him, he would contrive very
effectual weapons against the Stag. The Horse consented, and allowed the
man to mount him. From that hour he found that, instead of obtaining
revenge on the Stag, he had enslaved himself to the service of man.
He who seeks to injure others often injures only himself.
The Lion and the Dolphin.
A Lion, roaming by the sea-shore, saw a Dolphin lift up its head out
of the waves, and asked him to contract an alliance with him; saying
that of all the animals, they ought to be the best friends, since the
one was the king of beasts on the earth, and the other was the sovereign
ruler of all the inhabitants of the ocean. The Dolphin gladly consented
to this request. Not long afterwards the Lion had a combat with a wild
bull, and called on the Dolphin to help him. The Dolphin, though quite
willing to give him assistance, was unable to do so, as he could not by
any means reach the land. The Lion abused him as a traitor. The Dolphin
replied: "Nay, my friend, blame not me, but Nature, which, while giving
me the sovereignty of the sea, has quite denied me the power of living
upon the land."
Let every one stick to his own element.
The Mice in Council.
The Mice summoned a council to decide how they might best devise
means for obtaining notice of the approach of their great enemy the Cat.
Among the many plans devised, the one that found most favor was the
proposal to tie a bell to the neck of the Cat, that the Mice, being
warned by the sound of the tinkling, might run away and hide themselves
in their holes at his approach. But when the Mice further debated who
among them should thus "bell the Cat," there was no one found to do it.
Let those who propose be willing to perform.
The Camel and the Arab.
An Arab Camel-driver having completed the lading of his Camel, asked
him which he would like best, to go up hill or down hill. The poor beast
replied, not without a touch of reason: "Why do you ask me? Is it that
the level way through the desert is closed?"
The Fighting Cocks and the Eagle.
Two Game Cocks were fiercely fighting for the mastery of the
farm-yard. One at last put the other to flight. The vanquished Cock
skulked away and hid himself in a quiet corner. The conqueror, flying up
to a high wall, flapped his wings and crowed exultingly with all his
might. An Eagle sailing through the air pounced upon him, and carried
him off in his talons. The vanquished Cock immediately came out of his
corner, and ruled henceforth with undisputed mastery.
Pride goes before destruction.
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."
What we do in sport often makes great trouble for others.
The Crab and its Mother.
A Crab said to her son: "Why do you walk so one-sided, my child? It
is far more becoming to go straight forward." The young Crab replied:
"Quite true, dear mother; and if you will show me the straight way, I
will promise to walk in it." The mother tried in vain, and submitted
without remonstrance to the reproof of her child.
Example is more powerful than precept.
The Wolf and the Shepherd.
A Wolf followed a flock of sheep for a long time, and did not attempt
to injure one of them. The Shepherd at first stood on his guard against
him, as against an enemy, and kept a strict watch over his movements.
But when the Wolf, day after day, kept in the company of the sheep, and
did not make the slightest effort to seize them, the Shepherd began to
look upon him as a guardian of his flock rather than as a plotter of
evil against it; and when occasion called him one day into the city, he
left the sheep entirely in his charge. The Wolf, now that he had the
opportunity, fell upon the sheep, and destroyed the greater part of the
flock. The Shepherd, on his return, finding his flock destroyed,
exclaimed: "I have been rightly served; why did I trust my sheep to a
Wolf?"
An evil mind will show in evil action, sooner or later.
The Man and the Lion.
A Man and a Lion traveled together through the forest. They soon
began to boast of their respective superiority to each other in strength
and prowess. As they were disputing, they passed a statue, carved in
stone, which represented "A Lion strangled by a Man." The traveler
pointed to it and said: "See there! How strong we are, and how we
prevail over even the king of beasts." The Lion replied: "This statue
was made by one of you men. If we Lions knew how to erect statues, you
would see the man placed under the paw of the Lion."
One story is good till another is told.
The Ox and the Frog.
An Ox, drinking at a pool, trod on a brood of young frogs, and
crushed one of them to death. The mother, coming up and missing one of
her sons, inquired of his brothers what had become of him. "He is dead,
dear mother; for just now a very huge beast with four great feet came to
the pool, and crushed him to death with his cloven heel." The Frog,
puffing herself out, inquired, "If the beast was as big as that in
size." "Cease, mother, to puff yourself out," said her son, "and do not
be angry; for you would, I assure you, sooner burst than successfully
imitate the hugeness of that monster."
Impossible things we cannot hope to attain, and it is of no use to
try.
The Birds, the Beasts, and the Bat.
The Birds waged war with the Beasts, and each party were by turns the
conquerors. A Bat, fearing the uncertain issues of the fight, always
betook himself to that side which was the strongest. When peace was
proclaimed, his deceitful conduct was apparent to both the combatants;
he was driven forth from the light of day, and henceforth concealed
himself in dark hiding-places, flying always alone and at night.
Those who practice deceit must expect to be shunned.
The Charcoal-Burner and the Fuller.
A Charcoal-burner carried on his trade in his own house. One day he
met a friend, a Fuller, and entreated him to come and live with him,
saying that they should be far better neighbors, and that their
housekeeping expenses would be lessened. The Fuller replied: "The
arrangement is impossible as far as I am concerned, for whatever I
should whiten, you would immediately blacken again with your charcoal."
Like will draw like.
The Bull and the Goat.
A Bull, escaping from a Lion, entered a cave, which some shepherds
had lately occupied. A He-goat was left in it, who sharply attacked him
with his horns. The Bull quietly addressed him—"Butt away as much as you
will. I have no fear of you, but of the Lion. Let that monster once go,
and I will soon let you know what is the respective strength of a Goat
and a Bull."
It shows an evil disposition to take advantage of a friend in
distress.
The Lion and the Mouse.
A Lion was awakened from sleep by a Mouse running over his face.
Rising up in anger, he caught him and was about to kill him, when the
Mouse piteously entreated, saying: "If you would only spare my life, I
would be sure to repay your kindness." The Lion laughed and let him go.
It happened shortly after this that the Lion was caught by some hunters,
who bound him by strong ropes to the ground. The Mouse, recognizing his
roar, came up and gnawed the rope with his teeth, and, setting him free,
exclaimed: "You ridiculed the idea of my ever being able to help you,
not expecting to receive from me any repayment of your favor; but now
you know that it is possible for even a Mouse to confer benefits on a
Lion."
No one is too weak to do good.
The Horse and the Ass.
A Horse, proud of his fine trappings, met an Ass on the highway. The
Ass being heavily laden moved slowly out of the way. "Hardly," said the
Horse, "can I resist kicking you with my heels." The Ass held his peace,
and made only a silent appeal to the justice of the gods. Not long
afterward, the Horse, having become broken-winded, was sent by his owner
to the farm. The Ass, seeing him drawing a dung-cart, thus derided him.
"Where, O boaster, are now all thy gay trappings, thou who art thyself
reduced to the condition you so lately treated with contempt?"
The Old Hound.
A Hound, who in the days of his youth and strength had never yielded
to any beast of the forest, encountered in his old age a boar in the
chase. He seized him boldly by the ear, but could not retain his hold
because of the decay of his teeth, so that the boar escaped. His master,
quickly coming up, was very much disappointed, and fiercely abused the
dog. The Hound looked up and said: "It was not my fault, master; my
spirit was as good as ever, but I could not help mine infirmities. I
rather deserve to be praised for what I have been, than to be blamed for
what I am."
No one should be blamed for his infirmities.
The Crow and the Pitcher.
A Crow, perishing with thirst, saw a pitcher, and, hoping to find
water, flew to it with great delight. When he reached it, he discovered
to his grief that it contained so little water that he could not
possibly get at it. He tried everything he could think of to reach the
water, but all his efforts were in vain. At last he collected as many
stones as he could carry, and dropped them one by one with his beak into
the pitcher, until he brought the water within his reach, and thus saved
his life.
Necessity is the mother of invention.
The Ass Eating Thistles.
An Ass was loaded with good provisions of several sorts, which, in
time of harvest, he was carrying into the field for his master and the
reapers to dine upon. By the way he met with a fine large Thistle, and,
being very hungry, began to mumble it; and while he was doing so he
entered into this reflection: "How many greedy epicures would think
themselves happy, amidst such a variety of delicate viands as I now
carry! But to me this bitter, prickly Thistle is more savory and
relishing than the most exquisite and sumptuous banquet. Let others
choose what they may for food, but give me, above everything, a fine
juicy thistle like this and I will be content."
Every one to his taste: one man's meat is another man's poison, and
one man's poison is another man's meat; what is rejected by one person
may be valued very highly by another.
The Wolf and the Lion.
A Wolf, having stolen a lamb from a fold, was carrying him off to his
lair. A Lion met him in the path, and, seizing the lamb, took it from
him. The Wolf, standing at a safe distance, exclaimed: "You have
unrighteously taken from me that which was mine." The Lion jeeringly
replied: "It was righteously yours, eh? Was it the gift of a friend, or
did you get it by purchase? If you did not get it in one way or the
other, how then did you come by it?"
One thief is no better than another.
The King's Son and the Painted Lion.
A King who had one only son, fond of martial exercises, had a dream
in which he was warned that his son would be killed by a lion. Afraid
lest the dream should prove true, he built for his son a pleasant
palace, and adorned its walls for his amusement with all kinds of
animals of the size of life, among which was the picture of a lion. When
the young Prince saw this, his grief at being thus confined burst out
afresh, and standing near the lion, he thus spoke: "O you most
detestable of animals! through a lying dream of my father's, which he
saw in his sleep, I am shut up on your account in this palace as if I
had been a girl. What shall I now do to you?" With these words he
stretched out his hands toward a thorn-tree, meaning to cut a stick from
its branches that he might beat the lion, when one of its sharp prickles
pierced his finger, and caused great pain and inflammation, so that the
young Prince fell down in a fainting fit. A violent fever suddenly set
in, from which he died not many days after.
We had better bear our troubles bravely than try to escape them.
The Trees and the Axe.
A Man came into a forest, and made a petition to the Trees to provide
him a handle for his axe. The Trees consented to his request, and gave
him a young ash-tree. No sooner had the man fitted from it a new handle
to his axe, than he began to use it, and quickly felled with his strokes
the noblest giants of the forest. An old oak, lamenting when too late
the destruction of his companions, said to a neighboring cedar: "The
first step has lost us all. If we had not given up the rights of the
ash, we might yet have retained our own privileges and have stood for
ages."
In yielding the rights of others, we may endanger our own.
The Seaside Travelers.
Some travelers, journeying along the sea-shore, climbed to the summit
of a tall cliff, and from thence looking over the sea, saw in the
distance what they thought was a large ship, and waited in the hope of
seeing it enter the harbor. But as the object on which they looked was
driven by the wind nearer to the shore, they found that it could at the
most be a small boat, and not a ship. When, however, it reached the
beach, they discovered that it was only a large fagot of sticks, and one
of them said to his companions: "We have waited for no purpose, for
after all there is nothing to see but a fagot."
Our mere anticipations of life outrun its realities.
The Sea-gull and the Kite.
A Sea-gull, who was more at home swimming on the sea than walking on
the land, was in the habit of catching live fish for its food. One day,
having bolted down too large a fish, it burst its deep gullet-bag, and
lay down on the shore to die. A Kite, seeing him, and thinking him a
land bird like itself, exclaimed: "You richly deserve your fate; for a
bird of the air has no business to seek its food from the sea."
Every man should be content to mind his own business.
The Monkey and the Camel.
The beasts of the forest gave a splendid entertainment, at which the
Monkey stood up and danced. Having vastly delighted the assembly, he sat
down amidst universal applause. The Camel, envious of the praises
bestowed on the Monkey, and desirous to divert to himself the favor of
the guests, proposed to stand up in his turn, and dance for their
amusement. He moved about in so very ridiculous a manner, that the
Beasts, in a fit of indignation, set upon him with clubs, and drove him
out of the assembly.
It is absurd to ape our betters.
The Rat and the Elephant.
A Rat, traveling on the highway, met a huge elephant, bearing his
royal master and his suite, and also his favorite cat and dog, and
parrot and monkey. The great beast and his attendants were followed by
an admiring crowd, taking up all of the road. "What fools you are," said
the Rat to the people, "to make such a hubbub over an elephant. Is it
his great bulk that you so much admire? It can only frighten little boys
and girls, and I can do that as well. I am a beast; as well as he, and
have as many legs and ears and eyes. He has no right to take up all the
highway, which belongs as much to me as to him." At this moment, the cat
spied the rat, and, jumping to the ground, soon convinced him that he
was not an elephant.
Because we are like the great in one respect we must not think we are
like them in all.
The Fisherman Piping.
A Fisherman skilled in music took his flute and his nets to the
sea-shore. Standing on a projecting rock he played several tunes, in the
hope that the fish, attracted by his melody, would of their own accord
dance into his net, which he had placed below. At last, having long
waited in vain, he laid aside his flute, and casting his net into the
sea, made an excellent haul.
The Wolf and the House-dog.
A Wolf, meeting with a big, well-fed Mastiff, having a wooden collar
about his neck, inquired of him who it was that fed him so well, and yet
compelled him to drag that heavy log about wherever he went. "The
master," he replied. Then, said the Wolf: "May no friend of mine ever be
in such a plight; for the weight of this chain is enough to spoil the
appetite."
Nothing can compensate us for the loss of our liberty.
The Eagle and the Kite.
An Eagle, overwhelmed with sorrow, sat upon the branches of a tree,
in company with a Kite. "Why," said the Kite, "do I see you with such a
rueful look?" "I seek," she replied, "for a mate suitable for me, and am
not able to find one." "Take me," returned the Kite; "I am much stronger
than you are." "Why, are you able to secure the means of living by your
plunder?" "Well, I have often caught and carried away an ostrich in my
talons." The Eagle, persuaded by these words, accepted him as her mate.
Shortly after the nuptials, the Eagle said: "Fly off, and bring me back
the ostrich you promised me." The Kite, soaring aloft into the air,
brought back the shabbiest possible mouse. "Is this," said the Eagle,
"the faithful fulfillment of your promise to me?" The Kite replied:
"That I might attain to your royal hand, there is nothing that I would
not have promised, however much I knew that I must fail in the
performance."
Promises of a suitor must be taken with caution.
The Dogs and the Hides.
Some Dogs, famished with hunger, saw some cow-hides steeping in a
river. Not being able to reach them, they agreed to drink up the river;
but it fell out that they burst themselves with drinking long before
they reached the hides.
Attempt not impossibilities.
The Fisherman and the Little Fish
A Fisherman who lived on the produce of his nets, one day caught a
single small fish as the result of his day's labor. The fish, panting
convulsively, thus entreated for his life: "O Sir, what good can I be to
you, and how little am I worth! I am not yet come to my full size. Pray
spare my life, and put me back into the sea. I shall soon become a large
fish, fit for the tables of the rich; and then you can catch me again,
and make a handsome profit of me." The fisherman replied: "I should be a
very simple fellow, if I were to forego my certain gain for an uncertain
profit."
The Ass and his Purchaser.
A man wished to purchase an Ass, and agreed with its owner that he
should try him before he bought him. He took the Ass home, and put him
in the straw-yard with his other Asses, upon which he left all the
others, and joined himself at once to the most idle and the greatest
eater of them all. The man put a halter on him, and led him back to his
owner, saying: "I do not need a trial; I know that he will be just such
another as the one whom he chose for his companion."
A man is known by the company he keeps.
The Shepherd and the Sheep.
A Shepherd, driving his Sheep to a wood, saw an oak of unusual size,
full of acorns, and, spreading his cloak under the branches, he climbed
up into the tree, and shook down the acorns. The sheep, eating the
acorns, frayed and tore the cloak. The Shepherd coming down, and seeing
what was done, said: "O you most ungrateful creatures! you provide wool
to make garments for all other men, but you destroy the clothes of him
who feeds you."
The basest ingratitude is that which injures those who serve us.
The Fox and the Crow.
A Crow, having stolen a bit of flesh, perched in a tree, and held it
in her beak. A Fox, seeing her, longed to possess himself of the flesh,
and by a wily stratagem succeeded. "How handsome is the Crow," he
exclaimed, "in the beauty of her shape and in the fairness of her
complexion! Oh, if her voice were only equal to her beauty, she would
deservedly be considered the Queen of Birds!" This he said deceitfully,
having greater admiration for the meat than for the crow. But the Crow,
all her vanity aroused by the cunning flattery, and anxious to refute
the reflection cast upon her voice, set up a loud caw, and dropped the
flesh. The Fox quickly picked it up, and thus addressed the Crow: "My
good Crow, your voice is right enough, but your wit is wanting."
He who listens to flattery is not wise, for it has no good purpose.
The Swallow and the Crow.
The Swallow and the Crow had a contention about their plumage. The
Crow put an end to the dispute by saying: "Your feathers are all very
well in the spring, but mine protect me against the winter."
Fine weather friends are not worth much.
The Hen and the Golden Eggs.
A Cottager and his wife had a Hen, which laid every day a golden egg.
They supposed that it must contain a great lump of gold in its inside,
and killed it in order that they might get it, when, to their surprise,
they found that the Hen differed in no respect from their other hens.
The foolish pair, thus hoping to become rich all at once, deprived
themselves of the gain of which they were day by day assured.
The Old Man and Death.
An old man was employed in cutting wood in the forest, and, in
carrying the fagots into the city for sale. One day, being very wearied
with his long journey, he sat down by the wayside, and, throwing down
his load, besought "Death" to come. "Death" immediately appeared, in
answer to his summons, and asked for what reason he had called him. The
old man replied: "That, lifting up the load, you may place it again upon
my shoulders."
We do not always like to be taken at our word.
The Fox and the Leopard.
The Fox and the Leopard disputed which was the more beautiful of the
two. The Leopard exhibited one by one the various spots which decorated
his skin. The Fox, interrupting him, said: "And how much more beautiful
than you am I, who am decorated, not in body, but in mind."
People are not to be judged by their coats.
The Mountain in Labor.
A Mountain was once greatly agitated. Loud groans and noises were
heard; and crowds of people came from all parts to see what was the
matter. While they were assembled in anxious expectation of some
terrible calamity, out came a Mouse.
Don't make much ado about nothing.
The Bear and the Two Travelers.
Two men were traveling together, when a bear suddenly met them on
their path. One of them climbed up quickly into a tree, and concealed
himself in the branches. The other, seeing that he must be attacked,
fell flat on the ground, and when the Bear came up and felt him with his
snout, and smelt him all over, he held his breath, and feigned the
appearance of death as much as he could. The Bear soon left him, for it
is said he will not touch a dead body. When he was quite gone, the other
traveler descended from the tree, and, accosting his friend, jocularly
inquired "what it was the Bear had whispered in his ear?" His friend
replied: "He gave me this advice: Never travel with a friend who deserts
you at the approach of danger."
Misfortune tests the sincerity of friends.
The Sick Kite.
A Kite, sick unto death, said to his mother: "O Mother! do not mourn,
but at once invoke the gods that my life may be prolonged." She replied:
"Alas! my son, which of the gods do you think will pity you? Is there
one whom you have not outraged by filching from their very altars a part
of the sacrifice which had been offered up to them?"
We must make friends in prosperity, if we would have their help in
adversity.
The Wolf and the Crane.
A Wolf, having a bone stuck in his throat, hired a Crane, for a large
sum, to put her head into his throat and draw out the bone. When the
Crane had extracted the bone, and demanded the promised payment, the
Wolf, grinning and grinding his teeth, exclaimed: "Why, you have surely
already a sufficient recompense, in having been permitted to draw out
your head in safety from the mouth and jaws of a Wolf."
In serving the wicked, expect no reward, and be thankful if you
escape injury for your pains.
The Cat and the Cock.
A Cat caught a Cock, and took counsel with himself how he might find
a reasonable excuse for eating him. He accused him as being a nuisance
to men, by crowing in the night time, 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 betimes, for their labors. The Cat replied:
"Although you abound in specious apologies, I shall not remain
supperless;" and he made a meal of him.
It does no good to deny those who make false accusations knowingly.
The Wolf and the Horse.
A Wolf coming out of a field of oats met with a Horse, and thus
addressed him: "I would advise you to go into that field. It is full of
capital oats, which I have left untouched for you, as you are a friend
the very sound of whose teeth it will be a pleasure to me to hear." The
Horse replied: "If oats had been the food for wolves, you would never
have indulged your ears at the cost of your belly."
Men of evil reputation, when they perform a good deed, fail to get
credit for it.
The Two Soldiers and the Robber.
Two Soldiers, traveling together, were set upon by a Robber. The one
fled away; the other stood his ground, and defended himself with his
stout right hand. The Robber being slain, the timid companion runs up
and draws his sword, and then, throwing back his traveling cloak, says:
"I'll at him, and I'll take care he shall learn whom he has attacked."
On this, he who had fought with the Robber made answer: "I only wish
that you had helped me just now, even if it had been only with those
words, for I should have been the more encouraged, believing them to be
true; but now put up your sword in its sheath and hold your equally
useless tongue, till you can deceive others who do not know you. I,
indeed, who have experienced with what speed you ran away, know right
well that no dependence can be placed on your valor."
When a coward is once found out, his pretensions of valor are
useless.
The Monkey and the Cat.
A Monkey and a Cat lived in the same family, and it was hard to tell
which was the greatest thief. One day, as they were roaming about
together, they spied some chestnuts roasting in the ashes. "Come," said
the cunning Monkey, "we shall not go without our dinner to-day. Your
claws are better than mine for the purpose; you pull them out of the hot
ashes and you shall have half." Pussy pulled them out one by one,
burning her claws very much in doing so. When she had stolen them all,
she found that the Monkey had eaten every one.
A thief cannot be trusted, even by another thief.
The Two Frogs.
Two frogs dwelt in the same pool. The pool being dried up under the
summer's heat, they left it and set out together for another home. As
they went along they chanced to pass a deep well, amply supplied with
water, on seeing which, one of the Frogs said to the other: "Let us
descend and make our abode in this well." The other replied with greater
caution: "But suppose the water should fail us, how can we get out again
from so great a depth?"
Do nothing without a regard to the consequences.
The Vine and the Goat.
A Vine was luxuriant in the time of vintage with leaves and grapes. A
Goat, passing by, nibbled its young tendrils and its leaves. The Vine
said: "Why do you thus injure me and crop my leaves? Is there no young
grass left? But I shall not have to wait long for my just revenge; for
if you now crop my leaves, and cut me down to my root, I shall provide
the wine to pour over you when you are led as a victim to the
sacrifice."
Retribution is certain.
The Mouse and the Boasting Rat.
A Mouse lived in a granary which became, after a while, the frequent
resort of a Cat. The Mouse was in great fear and did not know what to
do. In her strait, she bethought herself of a Rat who lived not far
away, and who had said in her hearing a hundred times that he was not
afraid of any cat living. She resolved to visit the bold Rat and ask him
to drive the Cat away. She found the Rat in his hole and relating her
story, besought his help. "Pooh!" said the Rat, "You should be bold as I
am; go straight about your affairs, and do not mind the Cat. I will soon
follow you, and drive him away." He thought, now, he must do something
to make good his boast. So he collected all the Rats in the
neighborhood, resolved to frighten the Cat by numbers. But when they all
came to the granary, they found that the Cat had already caught the
foolish Mouse, and a single growl from him sent them all scampering to
their holes.
Do not rely upon a boaster.
The Dogs and the Fox.
Some Dogs, finding the skin of a lion, began to tear it in pieces
with their teeth. A Fox, seeing them, said: "If this lion were alive,
you would soon find out that his claws were stronger than your teeth."
It is easy to kick a man that is down.
The Thief and the House-Dog.
A Thief came in the night to break into a house. He brought with him
several slices of meat, that he might pacify the House-dog, so that he
should not alarm his master by barking. As the Thief threw him the
pieces of meat, the Dog said: "If you think to stop my mouth, to relax
my vigilance, or even to gain my regard by these gifts, you will be
greatly mistaken. This sudden kindness at your hands will only make me
more watchful, lest under these unexpected favors to myself you have
some private ends to accomplish for your own benefit, and for my
master's injury. Besides, this is not the time that I am usually fed,
which makes me all the more suspicions of your intentions."
He who offers bribes needs watching, for his intentions are not
honest.
The Sick Stag.
A sick Stag lay down in a quiet corner of his 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 Fowler and the Ringdove.
A Fowler took his gun, and went into the woods a shooting. He spied a
Ringdove among the branches of an oak, and intended to kill it. He
clapped the piece to his shoulder, and took his aim accordingly. But,
just as he was going to pull the trigger, an adder, which he had trod
upon under the grass, stung him so painfully in the leg that he was
forced to quit his design, and threw his gun down in a passion. The
poison immediately infected his blood, and his whole body began to
mortify; which, when he perceived, he could not help owning it to be
just. "Fate," said he, "has brought destruction upon me while I was
contriving the death of another."
Men often fall into the trap which they prepare for others.
The Kid and the Wolf.
A Kid, returning without protection from the pasture, was pursued by
a Wolf. He turned round, and said to the Wolf: "I know, friend Wolf,
that I must be your prey; but before I die, I would ask of you one
favor, that you will play me a tune, to which I may dance." The Wolf
complied, and while he was piping, and the Kid was dancing, the hounds,
hearing the sound, came up and gave chase to the Wolf. The Wolf, turning
to the Kid, said: "It is just what I deserve; for I, who am only a
butcher, should not have turned piper to please you."
Every one should keep his own colors.
The Blind Man and the Whelp.
A Blind Man was accustomed to distinguish different animals by
touching them with his hands. The whelp of a Wolf was brought him, with
a request that he would feel it, and say what it was. He felt it, and
being in doubt, said: "I do not quite know whether it is the cub of a
Fox, or the whelp of a Wolf; but this I know full well, that it would
not be safe to admit him to the sheepfold."
Evil tendencies are shown early in life.
The Geese and the Cranes.
The Geese and the Cranes fed in the same meadow. A bird-catcher came
to ensnare them in his nets. The Cranes, being light of wing, fled away
at his approach; while the Geese, being slower of flight and heavier in
their bodies, were captured.
Those who are caught are not always the most guilty.
The North Wind and the Sun.
The North Wind and the Sun disputed which was the more powerful, and
agreed that he should be declared the victor who could first strip a
wayfaring man of his clothes. The North Wind first tried his power, and
blew with all his might; but the keener became his blasts, the closer
the Traveler wrapped his cloak around him, till at last, resigning all
hope of victory, he called upon the Sun to see what he could do. The Sun
suddenly shone out with all his warmth. The Traveler no sooner felt his
genial rays than he took off one garment after another, and at last,
fairly overcome with heat, undressed, and bathed in a stream that lay in
his path.
Persuasion is better than Force.
The Laborer and the Snake.
A Snake, having made his hole close to the porch of a cottage,
inflicted a severe bite on the Cottager's infant son, of which he died,
to the great grief of his parents. The father resolved to kill the
Snake, and the next day, on its coming out of its hole for food, took up
his axe; but, making too much haste to hit him as he wriggled away,
missed his head, and cut off only the end of his tail. After some time,
the Cottager, afraid lest the Snake should bite him also, endeavored to
make peace, and placed some bread and salt in his hole. The Snake 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."
It is hard to forget injuries in the presence of him who caused the
injury.
The Bull and the Calf.
A Bull was striving with all his might to squeeze himself through a
narrow passage which led to his stall. A young Calf came up and offered
to go before and show him the way by which he could manage to pass.
"Save yourself the trouble," said the Bull; "I knew that way long before
you were born."
Do not presume to teach your elders.
The Goat and the Ass.
A Man once kept a Goat and an Ass. The Goat, envying the Ass on
account of his greater abundance of food, said: "How shamefully you are
treated; at one time grinding in the mill, and at another carrying heavy
burdens;" and he further advised him that he should pretend to be
epileptic, and fall into a deep ditch and so obtain rest. The Ass gave
credence to his words, and, falling into a ditch, was very much bruised.
His master, sending for a leech, asked his advice. He bade him pour upon
the wounds the blood of a Goat. They at once killed the Goat, and so
healed the Ass.
In injuring others we are apt to receive a greater injury.
