ĘSOP'S FABLES
The Miser.
A Miser had a lump of gold which he buried in the ground, coming to
look at the spot every day. One day he found that it was stolen, and he
began to tear his hair and loudly lament. A neighbor, seeing him, said:
"Pray do not grieve so; bury a stone in the hole, and fancy it is the
gold. It will serve you just as well, for when the gold was there you
made no use of it."
The Wolf and the Goat.
A Wolf saw a Goat feeding at the summit of a steep precipice, where
he had not a chance of reaching her. He called to her, and earnestly
besought her to come lower down, lest she should by some mishap get a
fall; and he added that the meadows lay where he was standing, and that
the herbage was most tender. She replied: "No, my friend, it is not of
me you are thinking, but of yourself."
Invitations prompted by selfishness are not to be accepted.
The Bald Knight.
A Bald Knight, who wore a wig, went out to hunt. A sudden puff of
wind blew off his hat and wig, at which a loud laugh rang forth from his
companions. He joined in the joke by saying: "What marvel that hairs
which are not mine should fly from me, when my own have forsaken even
the man with whom they were born."
Those who cannot take care of their own, should not be entrusted with
the care of another's property.
The Fox and the Wood-Cutter.
A Fox, running before the hounds, came across a Wood-cutter felling
an oak, and besought him to show him a safe hiding-place. The
Wood-cutter advised him to take shelter in his own hut. The Fox crept
in, and hid himself in a corner. The Huntsman came up, with his hounds,
in a few minutes, and inquired of the Wood-cutter if he had seen the
Fox. He declared that he had not seen him, and yet pointed, all the time
he was speaking, to the hut where the Fox lay hid. The Huntsman took no
notice of the signs, but, believing his word, hastened forward in the
chase. As soon as they were well away, the Fox departed without taking
any notice of the Wood-cutter; whereon he called to him, and reproached
him, saying: "You ungrateful fellow, you owe your life to me, and yet
you leave me without a word of thanks." The Fox replied: "Indeed, I
should have thanked you most fervently, if your deeds had been as good
as your words."
The Kid and the Wolf.
A Kid, mounted on a high rock, bestowed all manner of abuse upon a
Wolf on the ground below. The Wolf, looking up, replied: "Do not think,
vain creature, that you annoy me. I regard this ill language as coming
not from you, but from the place on which you stand."
The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox.
A Lion and a Bear seized upon a kid at the same moment, and fought
fiercely for its possession. When they had fearfully lacerated each
other, and were faint from the long combat, they lay down exhausted with
fatigue. A Fox who had gone round them at a distance several times, saw
them both stretched on the ground, and the Kid lying untouched in the
middle, ran in between them, and seizing the Kid, scampered off as fast
as he could. The Lion and the Bear saw him, but not being able to get
up, said: "Woe betide us, that we should have fought and belabored
ourselves only to serve the turn of a Fox!"
It sometimes happens that one man has all the toil, and another all
the profit.
The Stag in the Ox-Stall.
A Stag, hardly pressed by the hounds, and blind through fear to the
danger he was running into, took shelter in a farm-yard, and hid himself
in a shed among the oxen. An Ox gave him this kindly warning: "O unhappy
creature! why should you thus, of your own accord, incur destruction,
and trust yourself in the house of your enemy?" The Stag replied: "Do
you only suffer me, friend, to stay where I am, and I will undertake to
find some favorable opportunity of effecting my escape." At the approach
of the evening the herdsman came to feed his cattle, but did not see the
Stag. The Stag, congratulating himself on his safety, began to express
his sincere thanks to the Oxen who had kindly afforded him help in the
hour of need. One of them again answered him: "We indeed wish you well,
but the danger is not over. There is one other yet to pass through the
shed, who has as it were a hundred eyes, and, until he has come and
gone, your life is still in peril." At that moment the master himself
entered, and having had to complain that his oxen had not been properly
fed, he went up to their racks, and cried out: "Why is there such a
scarcity of fodder? There is not half enough straw for them to lie on.
Those lazy fellows have not even swept the cobwebs away." While he thus
examined everything, he spied the antlers of the Stag peeping out of the
straw. Summoning his laborers, he ordered that the Stag should be
killed.
What is safety for one is not always safety for another.
The Eagle and the Jackdaw.
An Eagle, flying down from his eyrie on a lofty rock, seized upon a
lamb, and carried him aloft in his talons. A Jackdaw who witnessed the
capture of the lamb, was stirred with envy, and determined to emulate
the strength and flight of the Eagle. He flew round with a great whirr
of his wings, and settled upon a large sheep, with the intention of
carrying it off, but his claws becoming entangled in its fleece, he was
unable to release himself, although he fluttered with his feathers as
much as he could. The shepherd, seeing what had happened, ran up and
caught him. He at once clipped his wings, and, taking him home at night,
gave him to his children.
We should not permit our ambition to lead us beyond the limits of our
power.
The Three Tradesmen.
A great city was besieged, and its inhabitants were called together
to consider the best means of protecting it from the enemy. A Bricklayer
present earnestly recommended bricks, as affording the best materials
for an effectual resistance. A Carpenter, with equal energy, proposed
timber, as providing a preferable method of defense. Upon which a
Currier stood up, and said: "Sirs, I differ from you altogether; there
is no material for resistance equal to a covering of hides; and nothing
so good as leather."
Every man for his trade.
The Dancing Monkeys.
A Prince had some Monkeys trained to dance. Being naturally great
mimics of men's actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils; and
when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any
of the courtiers. The spectacle was often repeated with great applause,
till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket
a handful of nuts, and threw them upon the stage. The Monkeys, at the
sight of the nuts, forgot their dancing, and became (as indeed they
were) Monkeys instead of actors, and pulling off their masks and tearing
their robes, they fought with one another for the nuts. The dancing
spectacle thus came to an end, amidst the laughter and ridicule of the
audience.
They who assume a character will betray themselves by their actions.
The Ass and the Grasshopper.
An Ass, having heard some Grasshoppers chirping, was highly
enchanted; and desiring to possess the same charms of melody, demanded
what sort of food they lived on, to give them such beautiful voices.
They replied: "The dew." The Ass resolved that he would live only upon
dew, and in a short time died of hunger.
Where one may live, another may starve.
The Ass in the Lion's Skin.
An Ass, having put on the Lion's skin, roamed about in the forest,
and amused himself by frightening all the foolish animals he met with in
his wanderings. At last, meeting a Fox, he tried to frighten him also,
but the Fox no sooner heard the sound of his voice, than he exclaimed:
"I might possibly have been frightened myself, if I had not heard your
bray."
No disguise will hide one's true character.
The Boy Bathing.
A Boy bathing in a river was in danger of being drowned. He called
out to a traveler passing by for help. The traveler, instead of holding
out a helping hand, stood up unconcernedly, and scolded the boy for his
imprudence. "Oh, sir!" cried the youth, "pray help me now, and scold me
afterwards."
Counsel, without help, is useless.
The Cock and the Fox.
The Fox, passing early one summer's morning near a farm-yard, was
caught in a springe, which the farmer had planted there for that end.
The Cock, at a distance, saw what happened, and, hardly yet daring to
trust himself too near so dangerous a foe, approached him cautiously,
and peeped at him. Reynard addressed himself to him, with all the
designing artifice imaginable. "Dear cousin," says he, "you see what an
unfortunate accident has befallen me here, and all upon your account:
for, as I was creeping through yonder hedge, in my way homeward, I heard
you crow, and was resolved to ask you how you did before I went any
farther; but I met with this disaster; and therefore now I must ask you
for a knife to cut this string; or, at least, to conceal my misfortune
till I have gnawed it asunder." The Cock, seeing how the case stood,
made no reply, but posted away as fast as he could, and told the farmer,
who came and killed the Fox.
To aid the vicious is to become a partner in their guilt.
The Viper and the File.
A Viper, entering the workshop of a smith, sought from the tools the
means of satisfying his hunger. He more particularly addressed himself
to a File, and asked of him the favor of a meal. The File replied: "You
must indeed be a simple-minded fellow if you expect to get anything from
me, who am accustomed to take from every one, and never to give anything
in return."
The covetous are poor givers.
The Oxen and the Axle-Trees.
A heavy wagon was being dragged along a country lane by a team of
oxen. The axle-trees groaned and creaked terribly, when the oxen,
turning round, thus addressed the wheels: "Hallo there! why do you make
so much noise? We bear all the labor, and we, not you, ought to cry
out."
Those who suffer most cry out the least.
The Bear and the Bee-Hives.
A Bear that had found his way into a garden where Bees were kept
began to turn over the hives and devour the honey. The Bees settled in
swarms about his head, and stung his eyes and nose so much, that,
maddened with pain, he tore the skin from his head with his own claws.
The Thrush and the Swallow.
A young Thrush, who lived in an orchard once became acquainted with a
Swallow. A friendship sprang up between them; and the Swallow, after
skimming the orchard and the neighboring meadow, would every now and
then come and visit the Thrush. The Thrush, hopping from branch to
branch, would welcome him with his most cheerful note. "O mother!" said
he to his parent one day, "never had creature such a friend as I have in
this same Swallow."—"Nor ever any mother," replied the parent-bird,
"such a silly son as I have in this same Thrush. Long before the
approach of winter, your friend will have left you; and while you sit
shivering on a leafless bough he will be sporting under sunny skies
hundreds of miles away."
The Sensible Ass.
An Old Fellow, in time of war, was allowing his Ass to feed in a
green meadow, when he was alarmed by a sudden advance of the enemy. He
tried every means in his power to urge the Ass to fly, but in vain. "The
enemy are upon us!" said he. "And what will the enemy do?" asked the
Ass. "Will they put two pairs of panniers on my back, instead of
one?"—"No," answered the Man; "there is no fear of that."—"Why, then,"
replied the Ass, "I'll not stir an inch. I am born to be a slave; and my
greatest enemy is he who gives me most to carry."
The Lion and the Ass.
A Lion and an Ass made an agreement to go out hunting together.
By-and-by they came to a cave, where wild goats abode. The Lion took up
his station at the mouth of the cave, and the Ass, going within, kicked
and brayed, and made a mighty fuss to frighten them out. When the Lion
had caught them, the Ass came out and asked him if he had not made a
noble fight. "Yes, indeed," said the Lion; "and I assure you, you would
have frightened me too, if I had not known you to be an Ass."
The Fox and the Ape.
Upon the decease of the Lion, the beasts of the forest assembled to
choose another king. The Ape played so many grimaces, gambols, and antic
tricks, that he was elected by a large majority; and the crown was
placed upon his head. The Fox, envious of this distinction, seeing, soon
after, a trap baited with a piece of meat, approached the new king, and
said with mock humility: "May it please your majesty, I have found on
your domain a treasure, to which, if you will deign to accompany me, I
will conduct you." The Ape thereupon set off with the Fox, and, on
arriving at the spot, laid his paw upon the meat. Snap! went the trap,
and caught him by the fingers. Mad with the shame and the pain, he
reproached the Fox for a false thief and a traitor. Reynard laughed
heartily, and said, with a sneer: "You a king, and not understand a
trap!"
The Lion and the Wolf.
A Wolf, roaming by the mountain's side, saw his own shadow, as the
sun was setting, become greatly extended and magnified, and he said to
himself: "Why should I, being of such an immense size, and extending
nearly an acre in length, be afraid of the Lion? Ought I not to be
acknowledged as King of all the collected beasts?" While he was
indulging in these proud thoughts, a Lion fell upon him, and killed him.
He exclaimed with a too-late repentance, "Wretched me! this
over-estimation of myself is the cause of my destruction."
It is not wise, to hold too exalted an opinion of one's self.
The Miller, his Son and their Ass.
A miller and his Son were driving their Ass to a fair. On the way,
they met a troop of girls. "Look there!" cried one of them, "did you
ever see such fools, to be trudging along on foot when they might be
riding?" The old Man, hearing this, quietly bade his Son get on the Ass,
and walked along merrily by his side.
Presently they came to a group of old men in earnest debate. "There!"
said one of them, "it proves what I was saying. What respect is shown to
old age in these days? Do you see that idle young rogue riding, while
his old father has to walk?—Get down, you scapegrace! and let the old
Man rest his weary limbs." Upon this the Father made his Son dismount,
and got up himself. In this manner they had not proceeded far when they
met a company of women and children. "Why, you lazy old fellow!" cried
several tongues at once, "how can you ride upon the beast, while that
poor little lad there can hardly keep pace by the side of you." The
good-natured Miller immediately took up his Son behind him. They had now
almost reached the town. "Pray, honest friend," said a townsman, "is
that Ass your own?" "Yes," says the old Man. "Oh! One would not have
thought so by the way you load him. Why, you two fellows are better able
to carry the poor beast than he you!" "Anything to please you," said the
old Man. So, alighting with his Son, they tied the Ass's legs together,
and by the help of a pole endeavored to carry him on their shoulders
over a bridge. The people ran out in crowds to laugh at the sight; till
the Ass, not liking the noise nor his situation, kicked asunder the
cords and, tumbling off the pole, fell into the river. Upon this the old
Man made the best of his way home with his Son—convinced that, by
endeavoring to please every-body, he had succeeded in pleasing nobody,
and lost his Ass into the bargain.
The Travelers and the Plane-Tree.
Two Travelers, worn out by the heat of the summer's sun, laid
themselves down at noon under the wide-spreading branches of a
Plane-tree. As they rested under its shade, one of the Travelers said to
the other: "What a singularly useless tree is the Plane. It bears no
fruit, and is not of the least service to man." The Plane-tree
interrupting him said: "You ungrateful fellows! Do you, while receiving
benefits from me, and resting under my shade, dare to describe me as
useless, and unprofitable?"
Some men despise their best blessings because they come without cost.
The Tortoise and the Two Ducks.
A Tortoise, becoming tired of her humble home, resolved to visit
foreign lands, but she did not know which way to go. She repaired to two
Ducks to show her the road, and they told her that the best way to
travel was through the air. On her imploring their help, they made her
grasp a stick with her mouth, and so they bore her aloft. As they flew
along, the gaping people beneath shouted at sight of the spectacle. The
vain Tortoise mistook their shouts for applause. "I am surely a queen,"
said she. But, alas! as she opened her mouth to speak she lost her hold
of the stick, and, falling to the ground, was dashed to pieces.
Those who are not able to roam should stay at home.
The Countryman and the Snake.
A Villager found a Snake under a hedge, almost dead with cold. He
could not help having a compassion for the poor creature, so he brought
it home, and laid it upon the hearth near the fire; but it had not lain
there long, before (being revived with the heat) it began to erect
itself, and fly at his wife and children. The Countryman, hearing an
outcry, and perceiving what the matter was, caught up a mattock, and
soon dispatched him, upbraiding him at the same time in these words: "Is
this, vile wretch, the reward you make to him that saved your life?"
Kindness to the ungrateful and the vicious is thrown away.
The Madman who Sold Wisdom.
A Madman once set himself up in the market place, and with loud cries
announced that he would sell Wisdom. The people at once crowded about
him, and some gave him gold for his wares, but they each got only a blow
on the ear and a bunch of thread, and were well laughed at by their
companions. One of them, however, took it more seriously than the
others, and asked a wise sage what it meant. "It means," said the sage,
"that if one would not be hurt by a Madman, he must put a bunch of
thread over his ears." So the Madman was really selling Wisdom.
The Leopard and the Fox.
A Leopard, being no longer able, by reason of old age, to pursue his
prey, feigned illness, and gave out that he would confer great favors
upon any animal that would cure him. A cunning Fox heard of the
proclamation, and lost no time in visiting the Leopard, first making
himself look as much like a physician as he could. On seeing him, the
Leopard declared that such a distinguished looking animal could not fail
to cure him. This so flattered the Fox that he came near, and at once
fell a victim to his vanity, being unable to flee because of the
disguise, which fettered his limbs.
Flattery is a dangerous weapon in the hands of an enemy.
The Hare afraid of his Ears.
The Lion, being badly hurt by the horns of a goat, swore in a great
rage that every animal with horns should be banished from his kingdom. A
silly Hare, seeing the shadow of his ears, was in great fear lest they
should be taken for horns, and scampered away.
The Peacock and the Crane.
A Peacock, spreading its gorgeous tail, mocked a Crane that passed
by, ridiculing the ashen hue of its plumage, and saying: "I am robed
like a king, in gold and purple, and all the colors of the rainbow;
while you have not a bit of color on your wings." "True," replied the
Crane, "but I soar to the heights of heaven, and lift up my voice to the
stars, while you walk below, like a cock, among the birds of the
dunghill."
Fine feathers don't make fine birds.
The Mouse and the Weasel.
A little starveling Mouse had made his way with some difficulty into
a basket of corn, where, finding the entertainment so good, he stuffed
and crammed himself to such an extent, that when he would have got out
again he found the hole was too small to allow his puffed-up body to
pass. As he sat at the hole groaning over his fate, a Weasel, who was
brought to the spot by his cries, thus addressed him: "Stop there, my
friend, and fast till you are thin; for you will never come out till you
reduce yourself to the same condition as when you entered."
The Fox and the Tiger.
A skillful archer, coming into the woods, directed his arrows so
successfully that he slew many wild beasts, and pursued several others.
This put the whole savage kind into a fearful consternation, and made
them fly to the most retired thickets for refuge. At last, the Tiger
resumed courage, and, bidding them not be afraid, said that he alone
would engage the enemy; telling them they might depend upon his valor
and strength to revenge their wrongs. In the midst of these threats,
while he was lashing himself with his tail, and tearing up the ground
for anger, an arrow pierced his ribs, and hung by its barbed point in
his side. He set up an hideous and loud roar, occasioned by the anguish
which he felt, and endeavored to draw out the painful dart with his
teeth; when the Fox, approaching him, inquired with an air of surprise
who it was that could have strength and courage enough to wound so
mighty and valorous a beast! "Ah!" says the Tiger, "I was mistaken in my
reckoning: it was that invincible man yonder."
There is always some vulnerable point in the strongest armor.
The Fox and the Turkeys.
A Fox spied some turkeys roosting in a tree. He managed to attract
their attention and then ran about the tree, pretended to climb, walked
on his hind legs, and did all sorts of tricks. Filled with fear, the
Turkeys watched every one of his movements until they became dizzy, and,
one by one, fell from their safe perch.
By too much attention to danger, we may fall victims to it.
The Eagle, the Cat, and the Wild Sow.
An Eagle had made her nest at the top of a lofty oak. A Cat, having
found a convenient hole, lived with her kittens in the middle of the
trunk; and a Wild Sow with her young had taken shelter in a hollow at
its foot. The Cat resolved to destroy by her arts this chance-made
colony. She climbed to the nest of the Eagle, and said: "Destruction is
preparing for you, and for me too. The Wild Sow, whom you may see daily
digging up the earth, wishes to uproot the oak, that she may, on its
fall, seize our families as food." Then she crept down to the cave of
the Sow and said: "Your children are in great danger; for as soon as you
shall go out with your litter to find food, the Eagle is prepared to
pounce upon one of your little pigs." When night came, she went forth
with silent foot and obtained food for herself and her kittens; but,
feigning to be afraid, she kept a look-out all through the day.
Meanwhile, the Eagle, full of fear of the Sow, sat still on the
branches, and the Sow, terrified by the Eagle, did not dare to go out
from her cave; and thus they each, with their families, perished from
hunger.
Those who stir up enmities are not to be trusted.
The Peacock and the Magpie.
The Birds once met together to choose a king; and, among others, the
Peacock was a candidate. Spreading his showy tail, and stalking up and
down with affected grandeur, he caught the eyes of the silly multitude
by his brilliant appearance, and was elected with acclamation. The
Magpie then stepped forth into the midst of the assembly, and thus
addressed the new king: "May it please your majesty, elect to permit a
humble admirer to propose a question. As our king, we put our lives and
fortunes in your hands. If, therefore, the Eagle, the Vulture, and the
Kite, should make a descent upon us, what means would you take for our
defense?" This pithy question opened the eyes of the Birds to the
weakness of their choice and they canceled the election.
The Two Goats.
Two Goats started at the same moment, from opposite ends, to cross a
rude bridge that was only wide enough for one to cross at a time.
Meeting at the middle of the bridge, neither would give way to the
other. They locked horns and fought for the right of way, until they
both fell into the torrent below and were drowned.
The Dove and the Ant.
An Ant went to the bank of a river to quench its thirst, and, being
carried away by the rush of the stream, was on the point of being
drowned. A Dove, sitting on a tree overhanging the water, plucked a
leaf, and let it fall into the stream close to her. The Ant, climbing on
to it, floated in safety to the bank. Shortly afterwards a bird catcher
came close and stood under the tree, and laid his lime-twigs for the
Dove, which sat in the branches. The Ant, perceiving his design, stung
him in the foot. He suddenly threw down the twigs, and thereupon made
the Dove take wing.
The grateful heart will always find opportunities to show its
gratitude.
The Eagle and the Beetle.
The Eagle and the Beetle were at enmity together, and they destroyed
one another's nests. The Eagle gave the first provocation in seizing
upon and in eating the young ones of the Beetle. The Beetle got by
stealth at the Eagle's eggs, and rolled them out of the nest, and
followed the Eagle even into the presence of Jupiter. On the Eagle
making his complaint, Jupiter ordered him to make his nest in his lap;
and while Jupiter had the eggs in his lap, the Beetle came flying about
him, and Jupiter, rising up unawares to drive him away from his head,
threw down the eggs, and broke them.
The weak often revenge themselves on those who use them ill, even
though they be the more powerful.
The Mule.
A Mule, frolicsome from want of work and from overmuch corn, galloped
about in a very extravagant manner, and said to himself: "My father
surely was a high-mettled racer, and I am his own child in speed and
spirit." On the next day, being driven a long journey, and feeling very
weary, he exclaimed in a disconsolate tone: "I must have made a mistake;
my father, after all, could have been only an ass."
The Cat, the Weasel and the Rabbit.
While a Rabbit was absent from his hole one day, a Weasel took
possession of it. On the Rabbit's return, seeing the Weasel's nose
sticking out, he said: "You must leave this hole immediately. There is
only room for one, and it has always belonged to me and my fathers
before me." "The more reason that you should give it up now," said the
Weasel, "and leave its possession to me." As they could not settle the
dispute, they agreed to leave the question of ownership to a wise old
Cat, to whom they went without more ado. "I am deaf," said the Cat. "Put
your noses close to my ears." No sooner had they done so, than she
clapped a paw upon each of them, and killed them both.
The strong are apt to settle all questions by the rule of might.
The Rat and the Frog.
A Rat in an evil day made acquaintance with a Frog, and they set off
on their travels together. The Frog, on pretense of great affection, and
of keeping his companion out of harm's way, tied the Rat's foot to his
own hind-leg, and thus they proceeded for some distance by land.
Presently they came to some water, and the Frog, bidding the Rat have
good courage, began to swim across. They had scarcely, however, arrived
midway, when the Frog took a sudden plunge to the bottom, dragging the
unfortunate Rat after him. But the struggling and floundering of the Rat
made so great a commotion in the water that it attracted the attention
of a Kite, who, pouncing down and bearing off the Rat, carried away the
Frog at the same time in his train.
Inconsiderate and ill-matched alliances generally end in ruin; and
the man who compasses the destruction of his neighbor, is often caught
in his own snare.
The Widow and the Sheep.
There was a certain Widow who had an only Sheep, and, wishing to make
the most of his wool, she sheared him so closely that she cut his skin
as well as his fleece. The Sheep, smarting under this treatment, cried
out: "Why do you torture me thus? What will my blood add to the weight
of the wool? If you want my flesh, Dame, send for the Butcher, who will
put me out of my misery at once; but if you want my fleece, send for the
Shearer, who will clip my wool without drawing my blood."
Economy may be carried too far.
The Man Bitten by a Dog.
A Man who had been bitten by a Dog was going about asking who could
cure him. One that met him said: "Sir, if you would be cured, take a bit
of bread and dip it in the blood of the wound, and give it to the dog
that bit you." The Man smiled, and said: "If I were to follow your
advice, I should be bitten by all the dogs in the city."
He who proclaims himself ready to buy up his enemies will never want
a supply of them.
The Horse and the Wolf.
A Wolf saw a Horse grazing in a field. Putting on a grave air, he
approached him and said: "Sir, you must be very ill; I have some skill
as a physician, and if you will tell me where your ailment is, I shall
be glad to be of service." Said the horse: "If you will examine my foot,
you will find what ails me." But as the wily Wolf approached him, with a
kick he sent him flying into the air.
The Goatherd and the Goats.
It was a stormy day, and the snow was falling fast, when a Goatherd
drove his Goats, all white with snow, into a desert cave for shelter.
There he found that a herd of Wild Goats, more numerous and larger than
his own, had already taken possession. So, thinking to secure them all,
he left his own Goats to take care of themselves, and threw the branches
which he had brought for them to the Wild Goats to browse on. But when
the weather cleared up, he found his own Goats had perished from hunger,
while the Wild Goats were off and away to the hills and woods. So the
Goatherd returned a laughing-stock to his neighbors, having failed to
gain the Wild Goats, and having lost his own.
They who neglect their old friends for the sake of new ones, are
rightly served if they lose both.
The Goose with the Golden Eggs.
A certain man had the good fortune to possess a Goose that laid him a
Golden Egg every day. But dissatisfied with so slow an income, and
thinking to seize the whole treasure at once, he killed the Goose, and
cutting her open, found her—just what any other goose would be!
Much wants more, and loses all.
The Old Woman and the Wine-Jar.
An Old Woman found an empty jar which had lately been full of prime
old wine, and which still retained the fragrant smell of its former
contents. She greedily placed it several times to her nose, and drawing
it backwards and forwards, said: "O most delicious! How nice must the
Wine itself have been when it leaves behind in the very vessel which
contained it so sweet a perfume!"
The memory of a good deed lives.
The Ass Carrying Salt.
A certain Huckster who kept an Ass, hearing that Salt was to be had
cheap at the sea-side, drove down his Ass thither to buy some. Having
loaded the beast as much as he could bear, he was driving him home,
when, as they were passing a slippery ledge of rock, the Ass fell into
the stream below, and the Salt being melted, the Ass was relieved of his
burden, and having gained the bank with ease, pursued his journey
onward, light in body and in spirit. The Huckster soon afterwards set
off for the sea-shore for some more Salt, and loaded the Ass, if
possible, yet more heavily than before. On their return, as they crossed
the stream into which he had formerly fallen, the Ass fell down on
purpose, and by the dissolving of the Salt, was again released from his
load. The Master, provoked at the loss, and thinking how he might cure
him of this trick, on his next journey to the coast freighted the beast
with a load of sponges. When they arrived at the same stream as before,
the Ass was at his old tricks again, and rolled himself into the water;
but he found to his cost, as he proceeded homewards, that instead of
lightening his burden, he had more than doubled its weight.
The same measures will not suit all circumstances.
The Gnat and the Bull.
A Gnat that had been buzzing about the head of a Bull, at length
settling himself down upon his horn, begged his pardon for incommoding
him; "but if," says he, "my weight at all inconveniences you, pray say
so, and I will be off in a moment." "Oh, never trouble your head about
that," says the Bull, "for 'tis all one to me whether you go or stay;
and, to say the truth, I did not know you were there."
The smaller the Mind the greater the Conceit.
The Lion and the Gnat.
As a Gnat was buzzing around a Lion, the Lion said to him: "How dare
you approach so near? Be off, or I will kill you with the least stroke
of my paw." The Gnat, knowing the advantage of his small size, and his
alertness, immediately challenged the boaster to combat, and alighting
first upon his nose and then upon his tail, made the Lion so furious
that he injured himself grievously with his paws. As the Gnat flew away
he boasted of his own prowess in thus defeating the King of Beasts
without the slightest injury to himself. But, in his carelessness, he
flew directly into a spider's web, and the spider instantly seized and
killed him.
The Lion, the Ass and the Fox Hunting.
The Lion, the Ass and the Fox formed a party to go out hunting. They
took a large booty, and when the sport was ended, bethought themselves
of having a hearty meal. The Lion bade the Ass allot the spoil. So,
dividing it into three equal parts, the Ass begged his friends to make
their choice; at which the Lion, in great indignation, fell upon the Ass
and tore him to pieces. He then bade the Fox make a division; who,
gathering the whole into one great heap, reserved but the smallest mite
for himself. "Ah! friend," says the Lion, "who taught you to make so
equitable a division?" "I wanted no other lesson," replied the Fox,
"than the Ass's fate."
Better be wise by the misfortunes of others than by your own.
The Dog Whose Ears were Cropped.
A Dog complained of the cruelty of her master in cutting off her
ears, and was so ashamed of her appearance that she resolved to stay in
her kennel with her family. A friendly hunting dog said to her: "If you
had been peaceful, and not always fighting, you would have saved your
ears and your good looks. If you will fight, it is a kindness to crop
your ears, that they may not give your enemy the advantage."
The Wind and the Sun.
A dispute once arose between the Wind and the Sun, which was the
stronger of the two, and they agreed to settle the point upon this
issue—that whichever of the two soonest made a traveler take off his
cloak, should be accounted the more powerful. The Wind began, and blew
with all his might and main a blast, cold and fierce as a Thracian
storm; but the stronger he blew, the closer the traveler wrapped his
cloak around him, and the tighter he grasped it with his hands. Then
broke out the Sun. With his welcome beams he dispersed the vapor and the
cold; the traveler felt the genial warmth, and as the Sun shone brighter
and brighter, he sat down, quite overcome with the heat, and taking off
his cloak, cast it on the ground.
Thus the Sun was declared the conqueror; and it has ever been deemed
that persuasion is better than force; and that the sunshine of a kind
and gentle manner will sooner lay open a poor man's heart than all the
threatenings and force of blustering authority.
The Wild Boar and the Fox.
A Wild Boar was whetting his tusks against a tree, when a Fox coming
by, asked why he did so; "for," said he, "I see no reason for it; there
is neither hunter nor hound in sight, nor any other danger that I can
see, at hand." "True," replied the Boar; "but when that danger does
arise, I shall have something else to do than to sharpen my weapons."
It is too late to whet the sword when the trumpet sounds to draw it.
The Hunter and the Wolf.
A greedy Hunter one day shot a fine Deer, and ere he could dress it,
a pretty Fawn came that way, and an arrow brought it to the ground. A
Boar now chanced to be passing, and the Hunter wounded it so that it lay
upon the ground as if dead. Not satisfied with this game, he must needs
pursue a Partridge that came fluttering near, and while he was doing so
the wounded Boar regained enough strength to spring upon him and kill
him. A Wolf came that way, and seeing the four dead bodies, said: "Here
is food for a month; but I will save the best, and be content to-day
with the bow-string." But when he seized the string it loosened the
fixed arrow, which shot him through the heart.
The greedy man and the miser cannot enjoy their gains.
The Astronomer.
An Astronomer used to walk out every night to gaze upon the stars. It
happened one night that, with his whole thoughts rapt up in the skies,
he fell into a well. One who heard his cries ran up to him, and said:
"While you are trying to pry into the mysteries of heaven, you overlook
the common objects under your feet."
We should never look so high as to miss seeing the things that are
around us.
The Bulls and the Frogs.
Two Bulls lived in the same herd, and each aspiring to be the leader
and master, they finally engaged in a fierce battle. An old Frog, who
sat on the bank of a stream near by, began to groan and to quake with
fear. A thoughtless young Frog said to the old one: "Why need you be
afraid? What is it to you that the Bulls fight for supremacy?" "Do you
not see," said the old Frog, "that one must defeat the other, and that
the defeated Bull, being driven from the field, will be forced to stay
in the marshes, and will thus trample us to death?"
The poor and weak are often made to suffer for the follies of the
great.
The Thief and His Mother.
A Schoolboy stole a horn-book from one of his schoolfellows, and
brought it home to his mother. Instead of chastising him, she rather
encouraged him in the deed. In course of time the boy, now grown into a
man, began to steal things of greater value, until, at last, being
caught in the very act, he was brought to the Judge and sentenced to be
hung. As he was being led to the scaffold, the mother bowed herself to
the ground with grief. A neighbor seeing her thus, said to her: "It is
too late for you to moan and sob now. If you had been as much grieved
when he committed his first theft, you would have corrected him in time,
and thus have saved yourself this sorrowful day."
Nip evil in the bud.
The Man and His Two Wives.
In days when a man was allowed more wives than one, a middle-aged
bachelor, who could be called neither young nor old, and whose hair was
only just beginning to turn gray, must needs fall in love with two women
at once, and marry them both. The one was young and blooming, and wished
her husband to appear as youthful as herself; the other was somewhat
more advanced in age, and was as anxious that her husband should appear
a suitable match for her. So, while the young one seized every
opportunity of pulling out the good man's gray hairs, the old one was as
industrious in plucking out every black hair she could find, till he
found that, between the one and the other, he had not a hair left.
He that submits his principles to the influence and caprices of
opposite parties will end in having no principles at all.
The Heifer, the Goat, the Sheep and the Lion.
A Heifer, a Goat, a Sheep, and a Lion formed a partnership, and
agreed to divide their earnings. The Goat having snared a stag, they
sent for the Lion to divide it for them. The Lion said: "I will make
four parts—the first shall be mine as judge; the second, because I am
strongest; the third, because I am bravest; and the fourth—I will kill
any one who dares touch it."
He who will steal a part will steal the whole.
The Camel and the Travelers.
Two Travelers on a desert saw a Camel in the distance, and were
greatly frightened at his huge appearance, thinking it to be some huge
monster. While they hid behind some low shrubs, the animal came nearer,
and they discovered that it was only a harmless Camel which had excited
their fears.
Distance exaggerates dangers.
The Swan and the Goose.
A certain rich man bought in the market a Goose and a Swan. He fed
the one for his table, and kept the other for the sake of its song. When
the time came for killing the Goose, the cook went to take him at night,
when it was dark, and he was not able to distinguish one bird from the
other, and he caught the Swan instead of the Goose. The Swan, threatened
with death, burst forth into song, and thus made himself known by his
voice, and preserved his life by his melody.
Sweet words may deliver us from peril, when harsh words would fail.
The Dolphins and the Sprat.
The Dolphins and the Whales were at war with one another, and the
Sprat stepped in and endeavored to separate them. But one of the
Dolphins cried out: "We would rather perish in the contest, than be
reconciled by you."
The Shepherd and the Sea.
A Shepherd moved down his flock to feed near the shore, and beholding
the Sea lying in a smooth calm, he was seized with a strong desire to
sail over it. So he sold all his sheep and bought a cargo of Dates, and
loaded a vessel, and set sail. He had not gone far when a storm arose;
his ship was wrecked, and his Dates and everything lost, and he himself
with difficulty escaped to land. Not long after, when the Sea was again
calm, and one of his friends came up to him and was admiring its repose,
he said: "Have a care, my good fellow, of that smooth surface, it is
only looking out for your Dates."
The Bees, the Drones, and the Wasp.
Some Bees had built their comb in the hollow trunk of an oak. The
Drones asserted that it was their doing, and belonged to them. The cause
was brought into court before Judge Wasp. Knowing something of the
parties, he thus addressed them: "The plaintiffs and defendants are so
much alike in shape and color as to render the ownership a doubtful
matter. Let each party take a hive to itself, and build up a new comb,
that from the shape of the cells and the taste of the honey, the lawful
proprietors of the property in dispute may appear." The Bees readily
assented to the Wasp's plan. The Drones declined it. Whereupon the Wasp
gave judgment: "It is clear now who made the comb, and who cannot make
it; the Court adjudges the honey to the Bees."
Professions are best tested by deeds.
The Wolf, the Goat and the Kid.
As an old Goat was going forth to pasture, she carefully latched her
door, and bid her kid not to open it to any one who could not give this
pass-word: "Beware of the Wolf and all his race." A Wolf happened to be
passing, and overheard what the old Goat said. When she was gone, he
went to the door, and, knocking, said: "Beware of the Wolf and all his
race." But the Kid, peeping through a crack, said: "Show me a white paw
and I will open the door." As the Wolf could not do this, he had to
depart, no better than he came.
Two sureties are better than one.
The Fox and the Hedgehog.
A Fox, while crossing over a river, was driven by the stream into a
narrow gorge, and lay there for a long time unable to get out, covered
with myriads of horse-flies that had fastened themselves upon him. A
Hedgehog, who was wandering in that direction, saw him, and taking
compassion on him, asked him if he should drive away the flies that were
so tormenting him. But the Fox begged him to do nothing of the sort.
"Why not?" asked the Hedgehog. "Because," replied the Fox, "these flies
that are upon me now are already full, and draw but little blood, but
should you remove them, a swarm of fresh and hungry ones will come, who
will not leave a drop of blood in my body."
When we throw off rulers or dependents, who have already made the
most of us, we do but, for the most part, lay ourselves open to others,
who will make us bleed yet more freely.
The Brazier and His Dog.
A Brazier had a little Dog, which was a great favorite with his
master, and his constant companion. While he hammered away at his metals
the Dog slept; but when, on the other hand, he went to dinner, and began
to eat, the Dog woke up, and wagged his tail, as if he would ask for a
share of his meal. His master one day, pretending to be angry, and
shaking his stick at him, said: "You wretched little sluggard! what
shall I do to you? While I am hammering on the anvil, you sleep on the
mat, and when I begin to eat after my toil, you wake up and wag your
tail for food. Do you not know that labor is the source of every
blessing, and that none but those who work are entitled to eat?"
The Wild Ass and the Lion.
A Wild Ass and a Lion entered into an alliance that they might
capture the beasts of the forest with the greater ease. The Lion agreed
to assist the Wild Ass with strength, while the Wild Ass gave the Lion
the benefit of his greater speed. When they had taken as many beasts as
their necessities required, the Lion undertook to distribute the prey,
and for this purpose divided it into three shares. "I will take the
first share," he said, "because I am king; and the second share, as a
partner with you in the chase; and the third share (believe me) will be
a source of great evil to you, unless you willingly resign it to me, and
set off as fast as you can."
Might makes right.
The Father and His Two Daughters.
A man had two daughters, the one married to a gardener, and the other
to a tile-maker. After a time he went to the daughter who had married
the gardener, and inquired how she was, and how all things went with
her. She said: "All things are prospering with me, and I have only one
wish, that there may be a heavy fall of rain, in order that the plants
may be well watered." Not long after he went to the daughter who had
married the tile-maker, and likewise inquired of her how she fared; she
replied: "I want for nothing, and have only one wish, that the dry
weather may continue, and the sun shine hot and bright, so that the
bricks might be dried." He said to her: "If your sister wishes for rain,
and you for dry weather, with which of the two am I to join my wishes?"
The Fir Tree and the Bramble.
A Fir Tree said boastingly to the Bramble: "You are useful for
nothing at all, while I am everywhere used for roofs and houses." The
Bramble made answer: "You poor creature, if you would only call to mind
the axes and saws which are about to hew you down, you would have reason
to wish that you had grown up a Bramble, not a Fir Tree."
Better poverty without care, than riches with.
The Fox and the Monkey.
A Monkey once danced in an assembly of the Beasts, and so pleased
them all by his performance that they elected him their king. A Fox
envying him the honor, discovered a piece of meat lying in a trap, and
leading the Monkey to the place where it was, said "that she had found a
store, but had not used it, but had kept it for him as treasure trove of
his kingdom, and counseled him to lay hold of it." The Monkey approached
carelessly, and was caught in the trap; and on his accusing the Fox of
purposely leading him into the snare, she replied: "O Monkey, and are
you, with such a mind as yours, going to be king over the Beasts?"
The Farmer and His Sons.
A Farmer being on the point of death, wished to insure from his sons
the same attention to his farm as he had himself given it. He called
them to his bedside, and said: "My sons, there is a great treasure hid
in one of my vineyards." The sons, after his death, took their spades
and mattocks, and carefully dug over every portion of their land. They
found no treasure, but the vines repaid their labor by an extraordinary
and superabundant crop.
The Cat and the Birds.
A Cat, hearing that the Birds in a certain aviary were ailing,
dressed himself up as a physician, and, taking with him his cane and the
instruments becoming his profession, went to the aviary, knocked at the
door, and inquired of the inmates how they all did, saying that if they
were ill, he would be happy to prescribe for them and cure them. They
replied: "We are all very well, and shall continue so, if you will only
be good enough to go away, and leave us as we are."
The Stag, the Wolf and the Sheep.
A Stag asked a Sheep to lend him a measure of wheat, and said that
the Wolf would be his surety. The Sheep, fearing some fraud was
intended, excused herself, saying: "The Wolf is accustomed to seize what
he wants, and to run off, and you, too, can quickly out-strip me in your
rapid flight. How then shall I be able to find you when the day of
payment comes?"
Two blacks do not make one white.
The Raven and the Swan.
A Raven saw a Swan, and desired to secure for himself a like beauty
of plumage. Supposing that his splendid white color arose from his
washing in the water in which he swam, the Raven left the altars in the
neighborhood of which he picked up his living, and took up his abode in
the lakes and pools. But cleansing his feathers as often as he would, he
could not change their color, while through want of food he perished.
Change of habit cannot alter nature.
The Lioness.
A controversy prevailed among the beasts of the field, as to which of
the animals deserved the most credit for producing the greatest number
of whelps at a birth. They rushed clamorously into the presence of the
Lioness, and demanded of her the settlement of the dispute. "And you,"
they said, "how many sons have you at a birth?" The Lioness laughed at
them, and said: "Why! I have only one; but that one is altogether a
thorough-bred Lion."
The value is in the worth, not in the number.
