Fables

Androcles

  A slave named Androcles once escaped from his master and fled
to the forest.  As he was wandering about there he came upon a
Lion lying down moaning and groaning.  At first he turned to flee,
but finding that the Lion did not pursue him, he turned back and
went up to him.  As he came near, the Lion put out his paw, which
was all swollen and bleeding, and Androcles found that a huge
thorn had got into it, and was causing all the pain.  He pulled
out the thorn and bound up the paw of the Lion, who was soon able
to rise and lick the hand of Androcles like a dog.  Then the Lion
took Androcles to his cave, and every day used to bring him meat
from which to live.  But shortly afterwards both Androcles and the
Lion were captured, and the slave was sentenced to be thrown to
the Lion, after the latter had been kept without food for several
days.  The Emperor and all his Court came to see the spectacle,
and Androcles was led out into the middle of the arena.  Soon the
Lion was let loose from his den, and rushed bounding and roaring
towards his victim.  But as soon as he came near to Androcles he
recognised his friend, and fawned upon him, and licked his hands
like a friendly dog.  The Emperor, surprised at this, summoned
Androcles to him, who told him the whole story.  Whereupon the
slave was pardoned and freed, and the Lion let loose to his native
forest.
Moral: Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.

The Ant and the Chrysalis
  An Ant nimbly running about in the sunshine in search of food came
across a Chrysalis that was very near its time of change. The
Chrysalis moved its tail, and thus attracted the attention of the Ant,
who then saw for the first time that it was alive. "Poor, pitiable
animal!" cried the Ant disdainfully. "What a sad fate is yours!
While I can run hither and thither, at my pleasure, and, if I wish,
ascend the tallest tree, you lie imprisoned here in your shell, with
power only to move a joint or two of your scaly tail." The Chrysalis
heard all this, but did not try to make any reply. A few days after,
when the Ant passed that way again, nothing but the shell remained.
Wondering what had become of its contents, he felt himself suddenly
shaded and fanned by the gorgeous wings of a beautiful Butterfly.
"Behold in me," said the Butterfly, "your much-pitied friend! Boast
now of your powers to run and climb as long as you can get me to
listen." So saying, the Butterfly rose in the air, and, borne along
and aloft on the summer breeze, was soon lost to the sight of the
Ant forever.
Moral: "Appearances are deceptive."

The Ant and the Dove
  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
drowning.  A Dove sitting on a tree overhanging the water plucked
a leaf and let it fall into the stream close to her.  The Ant
climbed onto it and floated in safety to the bank.  Shortly
afterwards a birdcatcher came 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.  In pain the
birdcatcher threw down the twigs, and the noise made the Dove
take wing.
 Moral: One good turn deserves another

The Ass and His Masters
  AN ASS, belonging to an herb-seller who gave him too little food
and too much work made a petition to Jupiter to be released from
his present service and provided with another master.  Jupiter,
after warning him that he would repent his request, caused him to
be sold to a tile-maker.  Shortly afterwards, finding that he had
heavier loads to carry and harder work in the brick-field, he
petitioned for another change of master.  Jupiter, telling him
that it would be the last time that he could grant his request,
ordained that he be sold to a tanner.  The Ass found that he had
fallen into worse hands, and noting his master's occupation,
said, groaning:  "It would have been better for me to have been
either starved by the one, or to have been overworked by the
other of my former masters, than to have been bought by my
present owner, who will even after I am dead tan my hide, and
make me useful to him."
Moral: He that finds discontentment in one place is not likely to find happiness in another

The Ass and His Purchaser 
 A MAN wished to purchase an Ass, and agreed with its owner that
he should try out the animal before he bought him.  He took the
Ass home and put him in the straw-yard with his other Asses, upon
which the new animal left all the others and at once joined the
one that was most idle and the greatest eater of them all.
Seeing this, the man put a halter on him and led him back to his
owner.  On being asked how, in so short a time, he could have
made a trial of him, he answered, "I do not need a trial; I know
that he will be just the same as the one he chose for his
companion."
Moral: A man is known by the company he keeps.
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.
Moral: Even a fool is wise-when it is too late!


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."
 Moral: -"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"-

The Ass, the Fox, and the Lion  
THE ASS and the Fox, having entered into partnership together for
their mutual protection, went out into the forest to hunt.  They
had not proceeded far when they met a Lion.  The Fox, seeing
imminent danger, approached the Lion and promised to contrive for
him the capture of the Ass if the Lion would pledge his word not
to harm the Fox.  Then, upon assuring the Ass that he would not
be injured, the Fox led him to a deep pit and arranged that he
should fall into it.  The Lion, seeing that the Ass was secured,
immediately clutched the Fox, and attacked the Ass at his
leisure.
Moral: Never trust your enemy

The Ass's Brains
  The Lion and the Fox went hunting together.  The Lion, on the
advice of the Fox, sent a message to the Ass, proposing to make an
alliance between their two families.  The Ass came to the place of
meeting, overjoyed at the prospect of a royal alliance.  But when
he came there the Lion simply pounced on the Ass, and said to the
Fox: "Here is our dinner for to-day.  Watch you here while I go
and have a nap.  Woe betide you if you touch my prey."  The Lion
went away and the Fox waited; but finding that his master did not
return, ventured to take out the brains of the Ass and ate them
up.  When the Lion came back he soon noticed the absence of the
brains, and asked the Fox in a terrible voice: "What have you done
with the brains?"
  "Brains, your Majesty! it had none, or it would never have
fallen into your trap."
Moral: Wit has always an answer ready.

Avaricious and Envious
  Two neighbours came before Jupiter and prayed him to grant
their hearts' desire.  Now the one was full of avarice, and the
other eaten up with envy.  So to punish them both, Jupiter granted
that each might have whatever he wished for himself, but only on
condition that his neighbour had twice as much.  The Avaricious
man prayed to have a room full of gold.  No sooner said than done;
but all his joy was turned to grief when he found that his
neighbour had two rooms full of the precious metal.  Then came the
turn of the Envious man, who could not bear to think that his
neighbour had any joy at all.  So he prayed that he might have one
of his own eyes put out, by which means his companion would become
totally blind.
Moral: Vices are their own punishment.

The Bald Man and the Fly  
A FLY bit the bare head of a Bald Man who, endeavoring to destroy
it, gave himself a heavy slap.  Escaping, the Fly said mockingly,
"You who have wished to revenge, even with death, the Prick of a
tiny insect, see what you have done to yourself to add insult to
injury?'  The Bald Man replied, "I can easily make peace with
myself, because I know there was no intention to hurt.  But you,
an ill-favored and contemptible insect who delights in sucking
human blood, I wish that I could have killed you even if I had
incurred a heavier penalty."
Moral: [Revenge will hurt the avenger]

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 jocularly inquired of his friend
what it was the Bear had whispered in his ear.  "He gave me this
advice," his companion replied.  "Never travel with a friend who
deserts you at the approach of danger."
Moral: Misfortune tests the sincerity of friends. 

Belling the Cat 
Long ago, the mice had a general council to consider what
measures they could take to outwit their common enemy, the Cat.
Some said this, and some said that; but at last a young mouse got
up and said he had a proposal to make, which he thought would meet
the case.  "You will all agree," said he, "that our chief danger
consists in the sly and treacherous manner in which the enemy
approaches us.  Now, if we could receive some signal of her
approach, we could easily escape from her.  I venture, therefore,
to propose that a small bell be procured, and attached by a ribbon
round the neck of the Cat.  By this means we should always know
when she was about, and could easily retire while she was in the
neighbourhood."
  This proposal met with general applause, until an old mouse
got up and said: "That is all very well, but who is to bell the
Cat?"  The mice looked at one another and nobody spoke.  Then the
old mouse said:
Moral: "It is easy to propose impossible remedies."

The Birdcatcher, the Partridge, and the Cock
  A BIRDCATCHER was about to sit down to a dinner of herbs when a
friend unexpectedly came in.  The bird-trap was quite empty, as
he had caught nothing, and he had to kill a pied Partridge, which
he had tamed for a decoy.  The bird entreated earnestly for his
life:  "What would you do without me when next you spread your
nets? Who would chirp you to sleep, or call for you the covey of
answering birds?'  The Birdcatcher spared his life, and determined
to pick out a fine young Cock just attaining to his comb.  But
the Cock expostulated in piteous tones from his perch:  "If you
kill me, who will announce to you the appearance of the dawn?
Who will wake you to your daily tasks or tell you when it is time
to visit the bird-trap in the morning?'  He replied, "What you say
is true.  You are a capital bird at telling the time of day.  But
my friend and I must have our dinners." 
Moral: Necessity knows no law. 

 The Blind Man and the Whelp
  A BLIND MAN was accustomed to distinguishing 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.  It would not be safe to admit him to the
sheepfold." 
Moral: Evil tendencies are shown in early life.

The Boasting Traveler
  A MAN who had traveled in foreign lands boasted very much, on
returning to his own country, of the many wonderful and heroic
feats he had performed in the different places he had visited.
Among other things, he said that when he was at Rhodes he had
leaped to such a distance that no man of his day could leap
anywhere near him as to that, there were in Rhodes many persons
who saw him do it and whom he could call as witnesses.  One of
the bystanders interrupted him, saying:  "Now, my good man, if
this be all true there is no need of witnesses.  Suppose this
to be Rhodes, and leap for us."
Moral: He who does a thing well does not need to boast

The Boy Bathing
  A BOY bathing in a river was in danger of being drowned.  He
called out to a passing traveler for help, but instead of holding
out a helping hand, the man stood by unconcernedly, and scolded
the boy for his imprudence.  "Oh, sir!"  cried the youth, "pray
help me now and scold me afterwards."
Moral: Counsel without help is useless. 

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."
Moral: Do not attempt too much at once.

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.
 Moral: -"One man's pleasure may be another's pain."-

The Boy and the Nettles 
  A BOY was stung by a Nettle.  He ran home and told his Mother,
saying, "Although it hurts me very much, I only touched it
gently."  "That was just why it stung you," said his Mother.  "The
next time you touch a Nettle, grasp it boldly, and it will be
soft as silk to your hand, and not in the least hurt you." 
Moral: Whatever you do, do with all your might. 

The Bull and the Goat
  A BULL, escaping from a Lion, hid in a cave which some shepherds
had recently occupied.  As soon as he entered, a He-Goat left in
the cave 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 go away and I will soon
let you know what is the respective strength of a Goat and a
Bull." 
Moral: It shows an evil disposition to take advantage of a friend in
distress. 

The Bundle of Sticks 
An old man on the point of death summoned his sons around him
to give them some parting advice.  He ordered his servants to
bring in a faggot of sticks, and said to his eldest son: "Break
it."  The son strained and strained, but with all his efforts was
unable to break the Bundle.  The other sons also tried, but none
of them was successful.  "Untie the faggots," said the father,
"and each of you take a stick."  When they had done so, he called
out to them: "Now, break," and each stick was easily broken.  "You
see my meaning," said their father.
 Moral: Union gives strength.

The Cage Bird and the Bat
 A singing bird was confined in a cage which hung outside a window,
and had a way of singing at night when all other birds were asleep.
One night a Bat came and clung to the bars of the cage, and asked
the Bird why she was silent by day and sang only at night. "I have a
very good reason for doing so," said the Bird. "It was once when I was
singing in the daytime that a fowler was attracted by my voice, and
set his nets for me and caught me. Since then I have never sung except
by night." But the Bat replied, "It is no use your doing that now when
you are a prisoner: if only you had done so before you were caught,
you might still have been free."
 Moral: "Precautions are useless after the crisis."

The Cat and the Mice 
  A CERTAIN HOUSE was overrun with Mice.  A Cat, discovering this,
made her way into it and began to catch and eat them one by one.
Fearing for their lives, the Mice kept themselves close in their
holes.  The Cat was no longer able to get at them and perceived
that she must tempt them forth by some device.  For this purpose
she jumped upon a peg, and suspending herself from it, pretended
to be dead.  One of the Mice, peeping stealthily out, saw her and
said, "Ah, my good madam, even though you should turn into a
meal-bag, we will not come near you."
Moral: He who is once deceived is doubly cautious

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.
Moral: Example is more powerful than precept.

The Crow and the Pitcher
  A CROW perishing with thirst saw a pitcher, and hoping to find
water, flew to it with 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.
Moral: Necessity is the mother of invention. 

The Crow and the Pitcher
  A Crow, half-dead with thirst, came upon a Pitcher which had
once been full of water; but when the Crow put its beak into the
mouth of the Pitcher he found that only very little water was left
in it, and that he could not reach far enough down to get at it.
He tried, and he tried, but at last had to give up in despair.
Then a thought came to him, and he took a pebble and dropped it
into the Pitcher.  Then he took another pebble and dropped it into
the Pitcher.  Then he took another pebble and dropped that into
the Pitcher.  Then he took another pebble and dropped that into
the Pitcher.  Then he took another pebble and dropped that into
the Pitcher.  Then he took another pebble and dropped that into
the Pitcher.  At last, at last, he saw the water mount up near
him, and after casting in a few more pebbles he was able to quench
his thirst and save his life.
Moral: Little by little does the trick.

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.  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.
Moral: -"Not everything you see is what it appears to be."-

The Doe and the Lion 
  A DOE hard pressed by hunters sought refuge in a cave belonging
to a Lion.  The Lion concealed himself on seeing her approach,
but when she was safe within the cave, sprang upon her and tore
her to pieces.  "Woe is me," exclaimed the Doe, "who have escaped
from man, only to throw myself into the mouth of a wild beast?'
Moral: In avoiding one evil, care must be taken not to fall into
another.

The Dog and the Hare 
  A HOUND having started a Hare on the hillside pursued her for
some distance, at one time biting her with his teeth as if he
would take her life, and at another fawning upon her, as if in
play with another dog.  The Hare said to him, "I wish you would
act sincerely by me, and show yourself in your true colors.  If
you are a friend, why do you bite me so hard? If an enemy, why do
you fawn on me?'
Moral: No one can be a friend if you know not whether to trust or
distrust him.

 The Dog and the Oyster
  A DOG, used to eating eggs, saw an Oyster and, opening his mouth
to its widest extent, swallowed it down with the utmost relish,
supposing it to be an egg.  Soon afterwards suffering great pain
in his stomach, he said, "I deserve all this torment, for my
folly in thinking that everything round must be an egg."
Moral: They who act without sufficient thought, will often fall into
unsuspected danger.

The Dog in the Manger
  A DOG lay in a manger, and by his growling and snapping prevented
the oxen from eating the hay which had been placed for them.
"What a selfish Dog!"  said one of them to his companions; "he
cannot eat the hay himself, and yet refuses to allow those to eat
who can."
Moral: Some begrudge others what they cannot enjoy themselves 

The Dog and the Shadow
  A DOG, crossing a bridge over a stream with a piece of flesh in
his mouth, saw his own shadow in the water and took it for that
of another Dog, with a piece of meat double his own in size.  He
immediately let go of his own, and fiercely attacked the other
Dog to get his larger piece from him.  He thus lost both:  that
which he grasped at in the water, because it was a shadow; and
his own, because the stream swept it away.
Moral: Grasp at the shadow and lost the substance 

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.
Moral: "It is easy to kick a man that is down.

The Dogs and the Hides 
 SOME DOGS famished with hunger saw a number of cowhides steeping
in a river.  Not being able to reach them, they agreed to drink
up the river, but it happened that they burst themselves with
drinking long before they reached the hides.
Moral: Attempt not impossibilities

The Dog and the Wolf 
A gaunt Wolf was almost dead with hunger when he happened to
meet a House-dog who was passing by.  "Ah, Cousin," said the Dog.
"I knew how it would be; your irregular life will soon be the ruin
of you.  Why do you not work steadily as I do, and get your food
regularly given to you?"
  "I would have no objection," said the Wolf, "if I could only
get a place."
  "I will easily arrange that for you," said the Dog; "come with
me to my master and you shall share my work."
  So the Wolf and the Dog went towards the town together.  On
the way there the Wolf noticed that the hair on a certain part of
the Dog's neck was very much worn away, so he asked him how that
had come about.
  "Oh, it is nothing," said the Dog.  "That is only the place
where the collar is put on at night to keep me chained up; it
chafes a bit, but one soon gets used to it."
  "Is that all?" said the Wolf.  "Then good-bye to you, Master
Dog." 
Moral: Better starve free than be a fat slave.

The Dove and the Ant 
An Ant, going to a river to drink, fell in, and was carried along in
the stream. A Dove pitied her condition, and threw into the river a
small bough, by means of which the Ant gained the shore. The Ant
afterward, seeing a man with a fowling-piece aiming at the Dove, stung
him in the foot sharply, and made him miss his aim, and so saved the
Dove's life. 
Moral: "Little friends may prove great friends."

The Eagle and the Arrow
  AN EAGLE sat on a lofty rock, watching the movements of a Hare
whom he sought to make his prey.  An archer, who saw the Eagle
from a place of concealment, took an accurate aim and wounded him
mortally.  The Eagle gave one look at the arrow that had entered
his heart and saw in that single glance that its feathers had
been furnished by himself.  "It is a double grief to me," he
exclaimed, "that I should perish by an arrow feathered from my
own wings." 
Moral: How often do we supply our enemies with the means of our own destruction.

The Fox and the Grapes 
A FOX, seeing some sour grapes hanging within an inch of his nose,
and being unwilling to admit that there was anything he would not
eat, solemnly declared that they were out of his reach.
Moral: Grapes are sour when unreachable.

The Farmer and the Stork  
A FARMER placed nets on his newly-sown plowlands and caught a
number of Cranes, which came to pick up his seed.  With them he
trapped a Stork that had fractured his leg in the net and was
earnestly beseeching the Farmer to spare his life.  "Pray save
me, Master," he said, "and let me go free this once.  My broken
limb should excite your pity.  Besides, I am no Crane, I am a
Stork, a bird of excellent character; and see how I love and
slave for my father and mother.  Look too, at my feathers--
they are not the least like those of a Crane."   The Farmer
laughed aloud and said, "It may be all as you say, I only know
this:  I have taken you with these robbers, the Cranes, and you
must die in their company."
Moral: Birds of a feather flock together. 

The Fox and the Goat 
 A FOX one day fell into a deep well and could find no means of
escape.  A Goat, overcome with thirst, came to the same well, and
seeing the Fox, inquired if the water was good.  Concealing his
sad plight under a merry guise, the Fox indulged in a lavish
praise of the water, saying it was excellent beyond measure, and
encouraging him to descend.  The Goat, mindful only of his
thirst, thoughtlessly jumped down, but just as he drank, the Fox
informed him of the difficulty they were both in and suggested a
scheme for their common escape.  "If," said he, "you will place
your forefeet upon the wall and bend your head, I will run up
your back and escape, and will help you out afterwards."  The Goat
readily assented and the Fox leaped upon his back.  Steadying
himself with the Goat's horns, he safely reached the mouth of the
well and made off as fast as he could.  When the Goat upbraided
him for breaking his promise, he turned around and cried out,
"You foolish old fellow! If you had as many brains in your head
as you have hairs in your beard, you would never have gone down
before you had inspected the way up, nor have exposed yourself to
dangers from which you had no means of escape."
Moral: Look before you leap.   

 The Frogs Desiring a King
  The Frogs were living as happy as could be in a marshy swamp
that just suited them; they went splashing about caring for nobody
and nobody troubling with them.  But some of them thought that
this was not right, that they should have a king and a proper
constitution, so they determined to send up a petition to Jove to
give them what they wanted.  "Mighty Jove," they cried, "send unto
us a king that will rule over us and keep us in order."  Jove
laughed at their croaking, and threw down into the swamp a huge
Log, which came downrplashto the swamp.  The Frogs
were frightened out of their lives by the commotion made in their
midst, and all rushed to the bank to look at the horrible monster;
but after a time, seeing that it did not move, one or two of the
boldest of them ventured out towards the Log, and even dared to
touch it; still it did not move.  Then the greatest hero of the
Frogs jumped upon the Log and commenced dancing up and down upon
it, thereupon all the Frogs came and did the same; and for some
time the Frogs went about their business every day without taking
the slightest notice of their new King Log lying in their midst.
But this did not suit them, so they sent another petition to Jove,
and said to him, "We want a real king; one that will really rule
over us."  Now this made Jove angry, so he sent among them a big
Stork that soon set to work gobbling them all up.  Then the Frogs
repented when too late.
 Moral: Better no rule than cruel rule.

The Hare and the Tortoise
  The Hare was once boasting of his speed before the other
animals.  "I have never yet been beaten," said he, "when I put
forth my full speed.  I challenge any one here to race with me."
  The Tortoise said quietly, "I accept your challenge."
  "That is a good joke," said the Hare; "I could dance round you
all the way."
  "Keep your boasting till you've beaten," answered the
Tortoise.  "Shall we race?"
  So a course was fixed and a start was made.  The Hare darted
almost out of sight at once, but soon stopped and, to show his
contempt for the Tortoise, lay down to have a nap.  The Tortoise
plodded on and plodded on, and when the Hare awoke from his nap,
he saw the Tortoise just near the winning-post and could not run
up in time to save the race.  Then said the Tortoise:
Moral: "Plodding wins the race."
The Horse and Groom 
  A GROOM used to spend whole days in currycombing and rubbing down
his Horse, but at the same time stole his oats and sold them for
his own profit.  "Alas!"  said the Horse, "if you really wish me
to be in good condition, you should groom me less, and feed me
more." 
Moral: A man may smile yet be a villain

The Horse, Hunter and Stag 
A quarrel had arisen between the Horse and the Stag, so the
Horse came to a Hunter to ask his help to take revenge on the
Stag.  The Hunter agreed, but said: "If you desire to conquer the
Stag, you must permit me to place this piece of iron between your
jaws, so that I may guide you with these reins, and allow this
saddle to be placed upon your back so that I may keep steady upon
you as we follow after the enemy."  The Horse agreed to the
conditions, and the Hunter soon saddled and bridled him.  Then
with the aid of the Hunter the Horse soon overcame the Stag, and
said to the Hunter: "Now, get off, and remove those things from my
mouth and back."
  "Not so fast, friend," said the Hunter.  "I have now got you
under bit and spur, and prefer to keep you as you are at present."
Moral: If you allow men to use you for your own purposes,
they will use you for theirs.
The Hunter and the Woodman  
A HUNTER, not very bold, was searching for the tracks of a Lion.
He asked a man felling oaks in the forest if he had seen any
marks of his footsteps or knew where his lair was.  "I will,"
said the man, "at once show you the Lion himself."  The Hunter,
turning very pale and chattering with his teeth from fear,
replied, "No, thank you.  I did not ask that; it is his track
only I am in search of, not the Lion himself."  
Moral: The hero is brave in deeds as well as words. 

The King's Son and the Painted Lion  
A KING, whose only son was fond of martial exercises, had a dream
in which he was warned that his son would be killed by a lion.
Afraid the dream should prove true, he built for his son a
pleasant palace and adorned its walls for his amusement with all
kinds of life-sized animals, 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 said:
"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 so that he
might beat the lion.  But one of the tree's 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 later.  
Moral: We had better bear our troubles bravely than try to escape them.
The Lion and the Eagle  
AN EAGLE stayed his flight and entreated a Lion to make an
alliance with him to their mutual advantage.  The Lion replied,
"I have no objection, but you must excuse me for requiring you to
find surety for your good faith, for how can I trust anyone as a
friend who is able to fly away from his bargain whenever he
pleases?'  
Moral: Try before you trust.

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.  
Moral: Even the wildest can be tamed by love

Mercury and the Woodman
  A Woodman was felling a tree on the bank of a river, when his axe,
glancing off the trunk, flew out of his hands and fell into the water.
As he stood by the water's edge lamenting his loss, Mercury appeared
and asked him the reason for his grief. On learning what had happened,
out of pity for his distress, Mercury dived into the river and,
bringing up a golden axe, asked him if that was the one he had lost.
The Woodman replied that it was not, and Mercury then dived a second
time, and, bringing up a silver axe, asked if that was his. "No,
that is not mine either," said the Woodman. Once more Mercury dived
into the river, and brought up the missing axe. The Woodman was
overjoyed at recovering his property, and thanked his benefactor
warmly; and the latter was so pleased with his honesty that he made
him a present of the other two axes. When the Woodman told the story
to his companions, one of these was filled with envy of his good
fortune and determined to try his luck for himself. So he went and
began to fell a tree at the edge of the river, and presently contrived
to let his axe drop into the water. Mercury appeared as before, and,
on learning that his axe had fallen in, he dived and brought up a
golden axe, as he had done on the previous occasion. Without waiting
to be asked whether it was his or not, the fellow cried, "That's mine,
that's mine," and stretched out his hand eagerly for the prize: but
Mercury was so disgusted at his dishonesty that he not only declined
to give him the golden axe, but also refused to recover for him the
one he had let fall into the stream.
 Moral: "Honesty is the best policy."

The Miser
  A MISER sold all that he had and bought a lump of gold, which he
buried in a hole in the ground by the side of an old wall and
went to look at daily.  One of his workmen observed his frequent
visits to the spot and decided to watch his movements.  He soon
discovered the secret of the hidden treasure, and digging down,
came to the lump of gold, and stole it.  The Miser, on his next
visit, found the hole empty and began to tear his hair and to
make loud lamentations.  A neighbor, seeing him overcome with
grief and learning the cause, said, "Pray do not grieve so; but
go and take a stone, and place it in the hole, and fancy that the
gold is still lying there.  It will do you quite the same
service; for when the gold was there, you had it not, as you did
not make the slightest use of it." 
Moral: The true value of money is not in its possession but in its use 

The Monkeys and Their Mother  
THE MONKEY, it is said, has two young ones at each birth.  The
Mother fondles one and nurtures it with the greatest affection
and care, but hates and neglects the other.  It happened once
that the young one which was caressed and loved was smothered by
the too great affection of the Mother, while the despised one was
nurtured and reared in spite of the neglect to which it was
exposed.  
Moral: The best intentions will not always ensure success.

The Mule 
  A MULE, frolicsome from lack of work and from too much 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 wearied, he exclaimed in a disconsolate
tone:  "I must have made a mistake; my father, after all, could
have been only an ass." 
Moral: Every truth has two sides

 The Nurse and the Wolf 
"Be quiet now," said an old Nurse to a child sitting on her
lap.  "If you make that noise again I will throw you to the Wolf."
  Now it chanced that a Wolf was passing close under the window
as this was said.  So he crouched down by the side of the house
and waited.  "I am in good luck to-day," thought he.  "It is sure
to cry soon, and a daintier morsel I haven't had for many a long
day."  So he waited, and he waited, and he waited, till at last
the child began to cry, and the Wolf came forward before the
window, and looked up to the Nurse, wagging his tail.  But all the
Nurse did was to shut down the window and call for help, and the
dogs of the house came rushing out.  "Ah," said the Wolf as he
galloped away,
 Moral: "Enemies promises were made to be broken."

The Old Woman and the Physician
  AN OLD WOMAN having lost the use of her eyes, called in a
Physician to heal them, and made this bargain with him in the
presence of witnesses:  that if he should cure her blindness, he
should receive from her a sum of money; but if her infirmity
remained, she should give him nothing.  This agreement being
made, the Physician, time after time, applied his salve to her
eyes, and on every visit took something away, stealing all her
property little by little.  And when he had got all she had, he
healed her and demanded the promised payment.  The Old Woman,
when she recovered her sight and saw none of her goods in her
house, would give him nothing.  The Physician insisted on his
claim, and.  as she still refused, summoned her before the Judge.
The Old Woman, standing up in the Court, argued:  "This man here
speaks the truth in what he says; for I did promise to give him a
sum of money if I should recover my sight:  but if I continued
blind, I was to give him nothing.  Now he declares that I am
healed.  I on the contrary affirm that I am still blind; for when
I lost the use of my eyes, I saw in my house various chattels and
valuable goods:  but now, though he swears I am cured of my
blindness, I am not able to see a single thing in it." 
Moral: He who plays a trick must be prepared to take a joke

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!"  
Moral: The memory of a good deed lives.

The One-Eyed Doe  
A DOE blind in one eye was accustomed to graze as near to the
edge of the cliff as she possibly could, in the hope of securing
her greater safety.  She turned her sound eye towards the land
that she might get the earliest tidings of the approach of hunter
or hound, and her injured eye towards the sea, from whence she
entertained no anticipation of danger.  Some boatmen sailing by
saw her, and taking a successful aim, mortally wounded her.
Yielding up her last breath, she gasped forth this lament:  "O
wretched creature that I am! to take such precaution against the
land, and after all to find this seashore, to which I had come
for safety, so much more perilous." 
Moral: Trouble comes from the direction we least expect it.

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; whereupon the
Oxen, turning round, thus addressed the wheels:  "Hullo there! why
do you make so much noise? We bear all the labor, and we, not
you, ought to cry out."  
Moral: Those who suffer most cry out the least.

The Seagull and the Kite  
A SEAGULL having bolted down too large a fish, burst its deep
gullet-bag and lay down on the shore to die.  A Kite saw him and
exclaimed:  "You richly deserve your fate; for a bird of the air
has no business to seek its food from the sea."  
Moral: Every man should be content to mind his own business.

The Serpent and the Eagle
  An Eagle swooped down upon a Serpent and seized it in his talons
with the intention of carrying it off and devouring it. But the
Serpent was too quick for him and had its coils round him in a moment;
and then there ensued a life-and-death struggle between the two. A
countryman, who was a witness of the encounter, came to the assistance
of the eagle, and succeeded in freeing him from the Serpent and
enabling him to escape. In revenge, the Serpent spat some of his
poison into the man's drinking-horn. Heated with his exertions, the
man was about to slake his thirst with a draught from the horn, when
the Eagle knocked it out of his hand, and spilled its contents upon
the ground.
 Moral: "One good turn deserves another."
The Serpent and the File
  A Serpent in the course of its wanderings came into an
armourer's shop.  As he glided over the floor he felt his skin
pricked by a file lying there.  In a rage he turned round upon it
and tried to dart his fangs into it; but he could do no harm to
heavy iron and had soon to give over his wrath. 
Moral: It is useless attacking the insensible.

The Shepherd's Boy and the Wolf  
A SHEPHERD-BOY, who watched a flock of sheep near a village,
brought out the villagers three or four times by crying out,
"Wolf! Wolf!"  and when his neighbors came to help him, laughed at
them for their pains.  The Wolf, however, did truly come at last.
The Shepherd-boy, now really alarmed, shouted in an agony of
terror:  "Pray, do come and help me; the Wolf is killing the
sheep"; but no one paid any heed to his cries, nor rendered any
assistance.  The Wolf, having no cause of fear, at his leisure
lacerated or destroyed the whole flock.  
Moral: There is no believing a liar, even when he speaks the truth.

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.  
Moral: Evil companions bring more hurt than profit.

The Thief and the Innkeeper  
 A THIEF hired a room in a tavern and stayed a while in the hope
of stealing something which should enable him to pay his
reckoning.  When he had waited some days in vain, he saw the
Innkeeper dressed in a new and handsome coat and sitting before
his door.  The Thief sat down beside him and talked with him.  As
the conversation began to flag, the Thief yawned terribly and at
the same time howled like a wolf.  The Innkeeper said, "Why do
you howl so fearfully?'  "I will tell you," said the Thief, "but
first let me ask you to hold my clothes, or I shall tear them to
pieces.  I know not, sir, when I got this habit of yawning, nor
whether these attacks of howling were inflicted on me as a
judgment for my crimes, or for any other cause; but this I do
know, that when I yawn for the third time, I actually turn into a
wolf and attack men."  With this speech he commenced a second fit
of yawning and again howled like a wolf, as he had at first.  The
Innkeeper.  hearing his tale and believing what he said, became
greatly alarmed and, rising from his seat, attempted to run away.
The Thief laid hold of his coat and entreated him to stop,
saying, "Pray wait, sir, and hold my clothes, or I shall tear
them to pieces in my fury, when I turn into a wolf."  At the same
moment he yawned the third time and set up a terrible howl.  The
Innkeeper, frightened lest he should be attacked, left his new
coat in the Thief's hand and ran as fast as he could into the inn
for safety.  The Thief made off with the coat and did not return
again to the inn.  
Moral: Every tale is not to be believed. 

The Vixen and the Lioness
  A Vixen who was taking her babies out for an airing one balmy
morning, came across a Lioness, with her cub in arms. "Why such
airs, haughty dame, over one solitary cub?" sneered the Vixen. "Look
at my healthy and numerous litter here, and imagine, if you are
able, how a proud mother should feel." The Lioness gave her a
squelching look, and lifting up her nose, walked away, saying
calmly, "Yes, just look at that beautiful collection. What are they?
Foxes! I've only one, but remember, that one is a Lion.
Moral: "Quality is better than quantity."

The Wolf and the Kid
  A Kid was perched up on the top of a house, and looking down
saw a Wolf passing under him.  Immediately he began to revile and
attack his enemy.  "Murderer and thief," he cried, "what do you
here near honest folks' houses?  How dare you make an appearance
where your vile deeds are known?"
  "Curse away, my young friend," said the Wolf.
 Moral: "It is easy to be brave from a safe distance."
The Woodman and the Serpent 
One wintry day a Woodman was tramping home from his work when
he saw something black lying on the snow.  When he came closer he
saw it was a Serpent to all appearance dead.  But he took it up
and put it in his bosom to warm while he hurried home.  As soon as
he got indoors he put the Serpent down on the hearth before the
fire.  The children watched it and saw it slowly come to life
again.  Then one of them stooped down to stroke it, but thc
Serpent raised its head and put out its fangs and was about to
sting the child to death.  So the Woodman seized his axe, and with
one stroke cut the Serpent in two.  "Ah," said he,
Moral:  "No gratitude from the wicked."