第1章

\"Sirrah,lastyearyougrosslyinsultedme。\"\"Indeed,\"bleatedtheLambinamournfultoneofvoice,\"Iwasnotthenborn。\"ThensaidtheWolf,\"Youfeedinmypasture。\"\"No,goodsir,\"repliedtheLamb,\"Ihavenotyettastedgrass。\"AgainsaidtheWolf,\"Youdrinkofmywell。\"\"No,\"exclaimedtheLamb,\"Ineveryetdrankwater,forasyetmymother\'smilkisbothfoodanddrinktome。\"UponwhichtheWolfseizedhimandatehimup,saying,\"Well!Iwon\'tremainsupperless,eventhoughyourefuteeveryoneofmyimputations。\"Thetyrantwillalwaysfindapretextforhistyranny。

TheBatandtheWeaselsABATwhofelluponthegroundandwascaughtbyaWeaselpleadedtobesparedhislife。TheWeaselrefused,sayingthathewasbynaturetheenemyofallbirds。TheBatassuredhimthathewasnotabird,butamouse,andthuswassetfree。ShortlyafterwardstheBatagainfelltothegroundandwascaughtbyanotherWeasel,whomhelikewiseentreatednottoeathim。TheWeaselsaidthathehadaspecialhostilitytomice。TheBatassuredhimthathewasnotamouse,butabat,andthusasecondtimeescaped。

Itiswisetoturncircumstancestogoodaccount。

TheAssandtheGrasshopperANASShavingheardsomeGrasshopperschirping,washighlyenchanted;and,desiringtopossessthesamecharmsofmelody,demandedwhatsortoffoodtheylivedontogivethemsuchbeautifulvoices。Theyreplied,\"Thedew。\"TheAssresolvedthathewouldliveonlyupondew,andinashorttimediedofhunger。

TheLionandtheMouseALIONwasawakenedfromsleepbyaMouserunningoverhisface。

Risingupangrily,hecaughthimandwasabouttokillhim,whentheMousepiteouslyentreated,saying:\"Ifyouwouldonlysparemylife,Iwouldbesuretorepayyourkindness。\"TheLionlaughedandlethimgo。IthappenedshortlyafterthisthattheLionwascaughtbysomehunters,whoboundhimbystropestotheground。TheMouse,recognizinghisroar,camegnawedtheropewithhisteeth,andsethimfree,exclaim\"Youridiculedtheideaofmyeverbeingabletohelpyou,expectingtoreceivefrommeanyrepaymentofyourfavor;InowyouknowthatitispossibleforevenaMousetoconbenefitsonaLion。\"

TheCharcoal-BurnerandtheFullerACHARCOAL-BURNERcarriedonhistradeinhisownhouse。Onedayhemetafriend,aFuller,andentreatedhimtocomeandlivewithhim,sayingthattheyshouldbefarbetterneighborsandthattheirhousekeepingexpenseswouldbelessened。TheFullerreplied,\"ThearrangementisimpossibleasfarasIamconcerned,forwhateverIshouldwhiten,youwouldimmediatelyblackenagainwithyourcharcoal。\"

Likewilldrawlike。

TheFatherandHisSonsAFATHERhadafamilyofsonswhowereperpetuallyquarrelingamongthemselves。Whenhefailedtohealtheirdisputesbyhisexhortations,hedeterminedtogivethemapracticalillustrationoftheevilsofdisunion;andforthispurposeheonedaytoldthemtobringhimabundleofsticks。Whentheyhaddoneso,heplacedthefaggotintothehandsofeachoftheminsuccession,andorderedthemtobreakitinpieces。Theytriedwithalltheirstrength,andwerenotabletodoit。Henextopenedthefaggot,tookthesticksseparately,onebyone,andagainputthemintohissons\'hands,uponwhichtheybrokethemeasily。Hethenaddressedtheminthesewords:\"Mysons,ifyouareofonemind,andunitetoassisteachother,youwillbeasthisfaggot,uninjuredbyalltheattemptsofyourenemies;butifyouaredividedamongyourselves,youwillbebrokenaseasilyasthesesticks。\"

TheBoyHuntingLocustsABOYwashuntingforlocusts。Hehadcaughtagoodlynumber,whenhesawaScorpion,andmistakinghimforalocust,reachedouthishandtotakehim。TheScorpion,showinghissting,said:

Ifyouhadbuttouchedme,myfriend,youwouldhavelostme,andallyourlocuststoo!\"

TheCockandtheJewelACOCK,scratchingforfoodforhimselfandhishens,foundapreciousstoneandexclaimed:\"Ifyourownerhadfoundthee,andnotI,hewouldhavetakentheeup,andhavesettheeinthyfirstestate;butIhavefoundtheefornopurpose。Iwouldratherhaveonebarleycornthanallthejewelsintheworld。\"

TheKingdomoftheLionTHEBEASTSofthefieldandforesthadaLionastheirking。Hewasneitherwrathful,cruel,nortyrannical,butjustandgentleasakingcouldbe。Duringhisreignhemadearoyalproclamationforageneralassemblyofallthebirdsandbeasts,anddrewupconditionsforauniversalleague,inwhichtheWolfandtheLamb,thePantherandtheKid,theTigerandtheStag,theDogandtheHare,shouldlivetogetherinperfectpeaceandamity。TheHaresaid,\"Oh,howIhavelongedtoseethisday,inwhichtheweakshalltaketheirplacewithimpunitybythesideofthestrong。\"AndaftertheHaresaidthis,heranforhislife。

TheWolfandtheCraneAWOLFwhohadabonestuckinhisthroathiredaCrane,foralargesum,toputherheadintohismouthanddrawoutthebone。

WhentheCranehadextractedtheboneanddemandedthepromisedpayment,theWolf,grinningandgrindinghisteeth,exclaimed:

\"Why,youhavesurelyalreadyhadasufficientrecompense,inhavingbeenpermittedtodrawoutyourheadinsafetyfromthemouthandjawsofawolf。\"

Inservingthewicked,expectnoreward,andbethankfulifyouescapeinjuryforyourpains。

TheFishermanPipingAFISHERMANskilledinmusictookhisfluteandhisnetstotheseashore。Standingonaprojectingrock,heplayedseveraltunesinthehopethatthefish,attractedbyhismelody,wouldoftheirownaccorddanceintohisnet,whichhehadplacedbelow。

Atlast,havinglongwaitedinvain,helaidasidehisflute,andcastinghisnetintothesea,madeanexcellenthauloffish。

Whenhesawthemleapingaboutinthenetupontherockhesaid:

\"Oyoumostperversecreatures,whenIpipedyouwouldnotdance,butnowthatIhaveceasedyoudosomerrily。\"

HerculesandtheWagonerACARTERwasdrivingawagonalongacountrylane,whenthewheelssankdowndeepintoarut。Therusticdriver,stupefiedandaghast,stoodlookingatthewagon,anddidnothingbututterloudcriestoHerculestocomeandhelphim。Hercules,itissaid,appearedandthusaddressedhim:\"Putyourshoulderstothewheels,myman。Goadonyourbullocks,andnevermorepraytomeforhelp,untilyouhavedoneyourbesttohelpyourself,ordependuponityouwillhenceforthprayinvain。\"

Self-helpisthebesthelp。

TheAntsandtheGrasshopperTHEANTSwerespendingafinewinter\'sdaydryinggraincollectedinthesummertime。AGrasshopper,perishingwithfamine,passedbyandearnestlybeggedforalittlefood。TheAntsinquiredofhim,\"Whydidyounottreasureupfoodduringthesummer?\'Hereplied,\"Ihadnotleisureenough。Ipassedthedaysinsinging。\"Theythensaidinderision:\"Ifyouwerefoolishenoughtosingallthesummer,youmustdancesupperlesstobedinthewinter。\"

TheTravelerandHisDogATRAVELERabouttosetoutonajourneysawhisDogstandatthedoorstretchinghimself。Heaskedhimsharply:\"Whydoyoustandtheregaping?Everythingisreadybutyou,socomewithmeinstantly。\"TheDog,wagginghistail,replied:\"O,master!Iamquiteready;itisyouforwhomIamwaiting。\"

Theloitereroftenblamesdelayonhismoreactivefriend。

TheDogandtheShadowADOG,crossingabridgeoverastreamwithapieceoffleshinhismouth,sawhisownshadowinthewaterandtookitforthatofanotherDog,withapieceofmeatdoublehisowninsize。Heimmediatelyletgoofhisown,andfiercelyattackedtheotherDogtogethislargerpiecefromhim。Hethuslostboth:thatwhichhegraspedatinthewater,becauseitwasashadow;andhisown,becausethestreamsweptitaway。

TheMoleandHisMotherAMOLE,acreatureblindfrombirth,oncesaidtohisMother:\"I

amsurethanIcansee,Mother!\"Inthedesiretoprovetohimhismistake,hisMotherplacedbeforehimafewgrainsoffrankincense,andasked,\"Whatisit?\'TheyoungMolesaid,\"Itisapebble。\"HisMotherexclaimed:\"Myson,Iamafraidthatyouarenotonlyblind,butthatyouhavelostyoursenseofsmell。

TheHerdsmanandtheLostBullAHERDSMANtendinghisflockinaforestlostaBull-calffromthefold。Afteralongandfruitlesssearch,hemadeavowthat,ifhecouldonlydiscoverthethiefwhohadstolentheCalf,hewouldofferalambinsacrificetoHermes,Pan,andtheGuardianDeitiesoftheforest。Notlongafterwards,asheascendedasmallhillock,hesawatitsfootaLionfeedingontheCalf。

Terrifiedatthesight,heliftedhiseyesandhishandstoheaven,andsaid:\"JustnowIvowedtoofferalambtotheGuardianDeitiesoftheforestifIcouldonlyfindoutwhohadrobbedme;butnowthatIhavediscoveredthethief,Iwouldwillinglyaddafull-grownBulltotheCalfIhavelost,ifImayonlysecuremyownescapefromhiminsafety。\"

TheHareandtheTortoiseAHAREonedayridiculedtheshortfeetandslowpaceoftheTortoise,whoreplied,laughing:\"Thoughyoubeswiftasthewind,Iwillbeatyouinarace。\"TheHare,believingherassertiontobesimplyimpossible,assentedtotheproposal;andtheyagreedthattheFoxshouldchoosethecourseandfixthegoal。Onthedayappointedfortheracethetwostartedtogether。TheTortoiseneverforamomentstopped,butwentonwithaslowbutsteadypacestraighttotheendofthecourse。

TheHare,lyingdownbythewayside,fellfastasleep。Atlastwakingup,andmovingasfastashecould,hesawtheTortoisehadreachedthegoal,andwascomfortablydozingafterherfatigue。

Slowbutsteadywinstherace。

ThePomegranate,Apple-Tree,andBrambleTHEPOMEGRANATEandApple-Treedisputedastowhichwasthemostbeautiful。Whentheirstrifewasatitsheight,aBramblefromtheneighboringhedgeliftedupitsvoice,andsaidinaboastfultone:\"Pray,mydearfriends,inmypresenceatleastceasefromsuchvaindisputings。\"

TheFarmerandtheStorkAFARMERplacednetsonhisnewly-sownplowlandsandcaughtanumberofCranes,whichcametopickuphisseed。WiththemhetrappedaStorkthathadfracturedhisleginthenetandwasearnestlybeseechingtheFarmertosparehislife。\"Praysaveme,Master,\"hesaid,\"andletmegofreethisonce。Mybrokenlimbshouldexciteyourpity。Besides,IamnoCrane,IamaStork,abirdofexcellentcharacter;andseehowIloveandslaveformyfatherandmother。Looktoo,atmyfeathers——

theyarenottheleastlikethoseofaCrane。\"TheFarmerlaughedaloudandsaid,\"Itmaybeallasyousay,Ionlyknowthis:Ihavetakenyouwiththeserobbers,theCranes,andyoumustdieintheircompany。\"

Birdsofafeatherflocktogether。

TheFarmerandtheSnakeONEWINTERaFarmerfoundaSnakestiffandfrozenwithcold。Hehadcompassiononit,andtakingitup,placeditinhisbosom。

TheSnakewasquicklyrevivedbythewarmth,andresumingitsnaturalinstincts,bititsbenefactor,inflictingonhimamortalwound。\"Oh,\"criedtheFarmerwithhislastbreath,\"Iamrightlyservedforpityingascoundrel。\"

Thegreatestkindnesswillnotbindtheungrateful。

TheFawnandHisMotherAYOUNGFAWNoncesaidtohisMother,\"Youarelargerthanadog,andswifter,andmoreusedtorunning,andyouhaveyourhornsasadefense;why,then,OMother!dothehoundsfrightenyouso?\"

Shesmiled,andsaid:\"Iknowfullwell,myson,thatallyousayistrue。Ihavetheadvantagesyoumention,butwhenIheareventhebarkofasingledogIfeelreadytofaint,andflyawayasfastasIcan。\"

Noargumentswillgivecouragetothecoward。

TheBearandtheFoxABEARboastedverymuchofhisphilanthropy,sayingthatofallanimalshewasthemosttenderinhisregardforman,forhehadsuchrespectforhimthathewouldnoteventouchhisdeadbody。

AFoxhearingthesewordssaidwithasmiletotheBear,\"Oh!

thatyouwouldeatthedeadandnottheliving。\"

TheSwallowandtheCrowTHESWALLOWandtheCrowhadacontentionabouttheirplumage。

TheCrowputanendtothedisputebysaying,\"Yourfeathersareallverywellinthespring,butmineprotectmeagainstthewinter。\"

Fairweatherfriendsarenotworthmuch。

TheMountaininLaborAMOUNTAINwasoncegreatlyagitated。Loudgroansandnoiseswereheard,andcrowdsofpeoplecamefromallpartstoseewhatwasthematter。Whiletheywereassembledinanxiousexpectationofsometerriblecalamity,outcameaMouse。

Don\'tmakemuchadoaboutnothing。

TheAss,theFox,andtheLionTHEASSandtheFox,havingenteredintopartnershiptogetherfortheirmutualprotection,wentoutintotheforesttohunt。TheyhadnotproceededfarwhentheymetaLion。TheFox,seeingimminentdanger,approachedtheLionandpromisedtocontriveforhimthecaptureoftheAssiftheLionwouldpledgehiswordnottoharmtheFox。Then,uponassuringtheAssthathewouldnotbeinjured,theFoxledhimtoadeeppitandarrangedthatheshouldfallintoit。TheLion,seeingthattheAsswassecured,immediatelyclutchedtheFox,andattackedtheAssathisleisure。

TheTortoiseandtheEagleATORTOISE,lazilybaskinginthesun,complainedtothesea-birdsofherhardfate,thatnoonewouldteachhertofly。

AnEagle,hoveringnear,heardherlamentationanddemandedwhatrewardshewouldgivehimifhewouldtakeheraloftandfloatherintheair。\"Iwillgiveyou,\"shesaid,\"alltherichesoftheRedSea。\"\"Iwillteachyoutoflythen,\"saidtheEagle;andtakingherupinhistalonshecarriedheralmosttothecloudssuddenlyhelethergo,andshefellonaloftymountain,dashinghershelltopieces。TheTortoiseexclaimedinthemomentofdeath:\"Ihavedeservedmypresentfate;forwhathadItodowithwingsandclouds,whocanwithdifficultymoveaboutontheearth?\'

Ifmenhadalltheywished,theywouldbeoftenruined。

TheFliesandtheHoney-PotANUMBERofFlieswereattractedtoajarofhoneywhichhadbeenoverturnedinahousekeeper\'sroom,andplacingtheirfeetinit,ategreedily。Theirfeet,however,becamesosmearedwiththehoneythattheycouldnotusetheirwings,norreleasethemselves,andweresuffocated。Justastheywereexpiring,theyexclaimed,\"Ofoolishcreaturesthatweare,forthesakeofalittlepleasurewehavedestroyedourselves。\"

Pleasureboughtwithpains,hurts。

TheManandtheLionAMANandaLiontraveledtogetherthroughtheforest。Theysoonbegantoboastoftheirrespectivesuperioritytoeachotherinstrengthandprowess。Astheyweredisputing,theypassedastatuecarvedinstone,whichrepresented\"aLionstrangledbyaMan。\"Thetravelerpointedtoitandsaid:\"Seethere!Howstrongweare,andhowweprevailovereventhekingofbeasts。\"TheLionreplied:\"Thisstatuewasmadebyoneofyoumen。IfweLionsknewhowtoerectstatues,youwouldseetheManplacedunderthepawoftheLion。\"

Onestoryisgood,tillanotheristold。

TheFarmerandtheCranesSOMECRANESmadetheirfeedinggroundsonsomeplowlandsnewlysownwithwheat。ForalongtimetheFarmer,brandishinganemptysling,chasedthemawaybytheterrorheinspired;butwhenthebirdsfoundthattheslingwasonlyswungintheair,theyceasedtotakeanynoticeofitandwouldnotmove。TheFarmer,onseeingthis,chargedhisslingwithstones,andkilledagreatnumber。Theremainingbirdsatonceforsookhisfields,cryingtoeachother,\"ItistimeforustobeofftoLiliput:forthismanisnolongercontenttoscareus,butbeginstoshowusinearnestwhathecando。\"

Ifwordssufficenot,blowsmustfollow。

TheDogintheMangerADOGlayinamanger,andbyhisgrowlingandsnappingpreventedtheoxenfromeatingthehaywhichhadbeenplacedforthem。

\"WhataselfishDog!\"saidoneofthemtohiscompanions;\"hecannoteatthehayhimself,andyetrefusestoallowthosetoeatwhocan。\"

TheFoxandtheGoatAFOXonedayfellintoadeepwellandcouldfindnomeansofescape。AGoat,overcomewiththirst,cametothesamewell,andseeingtheFox,inquiredifthewaterwasgood。Concealinghissadplightunderamerryguise,theFoxindulgedinalavishpraiseofthewater,sayingitwasexcellentbeyondmeasure,andencouraginghimtodescend。TheGoat,mindfulonlyofhisthirst,thoughtlesslyjumpeddown,butjustashedrank,theFoxinformedhimofthedifficultytheywerebothinandsuggestedaschemefortheircommonescape。\"If,\"saidhe,\"youwillplaceyourforefeetuponthewallandbendyourhead,Iwillrunupyourbackandescape,andwillhelpyououtafterwards。\"TheGoatreadilyassentedandtheFoxleapeduponhisback。SteadyinghimselfwiththeGoat\'shorns,hesafelyreachedthemouthofthewellandmadeoffasfastashecould。WhentheGoatupbraidedhimforbreakinghispromise,heturnedaroundandcriedout,\"Youfoolisholdfellow!Ifyouhadasmanybrainsinyourheadasyouhavehairsinyourbeard,youwouldneverhavegonedownbeforeyouhadinspectedthewayup,norhaveexposedyourselftodangersfromwhichyouhadnomeansofescape。\"

Lookbeforeyouleap。

TheBearandtheTwoTravelersTWOMENweretravelingtogether,whenaBearsuddenlymetthemontheirpath。Oneofthemclimbedupquicklyintoatreeandconcealedhimselfinthebranches。Theother,seeingthathemustbeattacked,fellflatontheground,andwhentheBearcameupandfelthimwithhissnout,andsmelthimallover,heheldhisbreath,andfeignedtheappearanceofdeathasmuchashecould。TheBearsoonlefthim,foritissaidhewillnottouchadeadbody。Whenhewasquitegone,theotherTravelerdescendedfromthetree,andjocularlyinquiredofhisfriendwhatitwastheBearhadwhisperedinhisear。\"Hegavemethisadvice,\"hiscompanionreplied。\"Nevertravelwithafriendwhodesertsyouattheapproachofdanger。\"

Misfortuneteststhesincerityoffriends。

TheOxenandtheAxle-TreesAHEAVYWAGONwasbeingdraggedalongacountrylanebyateamofOxen。TheAxle-treesgroanedandcreakedterribly;whereupontheOxen,turninground,thusaddressedthewheels:\"Hullothere!whydoyoumakesomuchnoise?Webearallthelabor,andwe,notyou,oughttocryout。\"

Thosewhosuffermostcryouttheleast。

TheThirstyPigeonAPIGEON,oppressedbyexcessivethirst,sawagobletofwaterpaintedonasignboard。Notsupposingittobeonlyapicture,sheflewtowardsitwithaloudwhirandunwittinglydashedagainstthesignboard,jarringherselfterribly。Havingbrokenherwingsbytheblow,shefelltotheground,andwascaughtbyoneofthebystanders。

Zealshouldnotoutrundiscretion。

TheRavenandtheSwanARAVENsawaSwananddesiredtosecureforhimselfthesamebeautifulplumage。SupposingthattheSwan\'ssplendidwhitecolorarosefromhiswashinginthewaterinwhichheswam,theRavenleftthealtarsintheneighborhoodwherehepickeduphisliving,andtookupresidenceinthelakesandpools。Butcleansinghisfeathersasoftenashewould,hecouldnotchangetheircolor,whilethroughwantoffoodheperished。

ChangeofhabitcannotalterNature。

TheGoatandtheGoatherdAGOATHERDhadsoughttobringbackastraygoattohisflock。

Hewhistledandsoundedhishorninvain;thestragglerpaidnoattentiontothesummons。AtlasttheGoatherdthrewastone,andbreakingitshorn,beggedtheGoatnottotellhismaster。

TheGoatreplied,\"Why,yousillyfellow,thehornwillspeakthoughIbesilent。\"

Donotattempttohidethingswhichcannotbehid。

TheMiserAMISERsoldallthathehadandboughtalumpofgold,whichheburiedinaholeinthegroundbythesideofanoldwallandwenttolookatdaily。Oneofhisworkmenobservedhisfrequentvisitstothespotanddecidedtowatchhismovements。Hesoondiscoveredthesecretofthehiddentreasure,anddiggingdown,cametothelumpofgold,andstoleit。TheMiser,onhisnextvisit,foundtheholeemptyandbegantotearhishairandtomakeloudlamentations。Aneighbor,seeinghimovercomewithgriefandlearningthecause,said,\"Praydonotgrieveso;butgoandtakeastone,andplaceitinthehole,andfancythatthegoldisstilllyingthere。Itwilldoyouquitethesameservice;forwhenthegoldwasthere,youhaditnot,asyoudidnotmaketheslightestuseofit。\"

TheSickLionALION,unablefromoldageandinfirmitiestoprovidehimselfwithfoodbyforce,resolvedtodosobyartifice。Hereturnedtohisden,andlyingdownthere,pretendedtobesick,takingcarethathissicknessshouldbepubliclyknown。Thebeastsexpressedtheirsorrow,andcameonebyonetohisden,wheretheLiondevouredthem。Aftermanyofthebeastshadthusdisappeared,theFoxdiscoveredthetrickandpresentinghimselftotheLion,stoodontheoutsideofthecave,atarespectfuldistance,andaskedhimhowhewas。\"Iamverymiddling,\"

repliedtheLion,\"butwhydoyoustandwithout?Prayenterwithintotalkwithme。\"\"No,thankyou,\"saidtheFox。\"I

noticethattherearemanyprintsoffeetenteringyourcave,butIseenotraceofanyreturning。\"

Heiswisewhoiswarnedbythemisfortunesofothers。

TheHorseandGroomAGROOMusedtospendwholedaysincurrycombingandrubbingdownhisHorse,butatthesametimestolehisoatsandsoldthemforhisownprofit。\"Alas!\"saidtheHorse,\"ifyoureallywishmetobeingoodcondition,youshouldgroommeless,andfeedmemore。\"

TheAssandtheLapdogAMANhadanAss,andaMalteseLapdog,averygreatbeauty。TheAsswasleftinastableandhadplentyofoatsandhaytoeat,justasanyotherAsswould。TheLapdogknewmanytricksandwasagreatfavoritewithhismaster,whooftenfondledhimandseldomwentouttodinewithoutbringinghimhomesometidbittoeat。TheAss,onthecontrary,hadmuchworktodoingrindingthecorn-millandincarryingwoodfromtheforestorburdensfromthefarm。HeoftenlamentedhisownhardfateandcontrasteditwiththeluxuryandidlenessoftheLapdog,tillatlastonedayhebrokehiscordsandhalter,andgallopedintohismaster\'shouse,kickinguphisheelswithoutmeasure,andfriskingandfawningaswellashecould。HenexttriedtojumpabouthismasterashehadseentheLapdogdo,buthebrokethetableandsmashedallthedishesuponittoatoms。Hethenattemptedtolickhismaster,andjumpeduponhisback。Theservants,hearingthestrangehubbubandperceivingthedangeroftheirmaster,quicklyrelievedhim,anddroveouttheAsstohisstablewithkicksandclubsandcuffs。TheAss,ashereturnedtohisstallbeatennearlytodeath,thuslamented:\"Ihavebroughtitallonmyself!WhycouldInothavebeencontentedtolaborwithmycompanions,andnotwishtobeidleallthedaylikethatuselesslittleLapdog!\"

TheLionessACONTROVERSYprevailedamongthebeastsofthefieldastowhichoftheanimalsdeservedthemostcreditforproducingthegreatestnumberofwhelpsatabirth。TheyrushedclamorouslyintothepresenceoftheLionessanddemandedofherthesettlementofthedispute。\"Andyou,\"theysaid,\"howmanysonshaveyouatabirth?\'TheLionesslaughedatthem,andsaid:

\"Why!Ihaveonlyone;butthatoneisaltogetherathoroughbredLion。\"

Thevalueisintheworth,notinthenumber。

TheBoastingTravelerAMANwhohadtraveledinforeignlandsboastedverymuch,onreturningtohisowncountry,ofthemanywonderfulandheroicfeatshehadperformedinthedifferentplaceshehadvisited。

Amongotherthings,hesaidthatwhenhewasatRhodeshehadleapedtosuchadistancethatnomanofhisdaycouldleapanywherenearhimastothat,therewereinRhodesmanypersonswhosawhimdoitandwhomhecouldcallaswitnesses。Oneofthebystandersinterruptedhim,saying:\"Now,mygoodman,ifthisbealltruethereisnoneedofwitnesses。SupposethistobeRhodes,andleapforus。\"

TheCatandtheCockACATcaughtaCock,andponderedhowhemightfindareasonableexcuseforeatinghim。Heaccusedhimofbeinganuisancetomenbycrowinginthenighttimeandnotpermittingthemtosleep。

TheCockdefendedhimselfbysayingthathedidthisforthebenefitofmen,thattheymightriseintimefortheirlabors。

TheCatreplied,\"Althoughyouaboundinspeciousapologies,I

shallnotremainsupperless\";andhemadeamealofhim。

ThePiglet,theSheep,andtheGoatAYOUNGPIGwasshutupinafold-yardwithaGoatandaSheep。

Ononeoccasionwhentheshepherdlaidholdofhim,hegruntedandsqueakedandresistedviolently。TheSheepandtheGoatcomplainedofhisdistressingcries,saying,\"Heoftenhandlesus,andwedonotcryout。\"TothisthePigreplied,\"Yourhandlingandmineareverydifferentthings。Hecatchesyouonlyforyourwool,oryourmilk,buthelaysholdonmeformyverylife。\"

TheBoyandtheFilbertsABOYputhishandintoapitcherfulloffilberts。Hegraspedasmanyashecouldpossiblyhold,butwhenhetriedtopullouthishand,hewaspreventedfromdoingsobytheneckofthepitcher。Unwillingtolosehisfilberts,andyetunabletowithdrawhishand,heburstintotearsandbitterlylamentedhisdisappointment。Abystandersaidtohim,\"Besatisfiedwithhalfthequantity,andyouwillreadilydrawoutyourhand。\"

Donotattempttoomuchatonce。

TheLioninLoveALIONdemandedthedaughterofawoodcutterinmarriage。TheFather,unwillingtogrant,andyetafraidtorefusehisrequest,hituponthisexpedienttoridhimselfofhisimportunities。HeexpressedhiswillingnesstoaccepttheLionasthesuitorofhisdaughterononecondition:thatheshouldallowhimtoextracthisteeth,andcutoffhisclaws,ashisdaughterwasfearfullyafraidofboth。TheLioncheerfullyassentedtotheproposal。

Butwhenthetoothless,clawlessLionreturnedtorepeathisrequest,theWoodman,nolongerafraid,setuponhimwithhisclub,anddrovehimawayintotheforest。

TheLaborerandtheSnakeASNAKE,havingmadehisholeclosetotheporchofacottage,inflictedamortalbiteontheCottager\'sinfantson。Grievingoverhisloss,theFatherresolvedtokilltheSnake。Thenextday,whenitcameoutofitsholeforfood,hetookuphisaxe,butbyswingingtoohastily,misseditsheadandcutoffonlytheendofitstail。AftersometimetheCottager,afraidthattheSnakewouldbitehimalso,endeavoredtomakepeace,andplacedsomebreadandsaltinthehole。TheSnake,slightlyhissing,said:\"Therecanhenceforthbenopeacebetweenus;forwheneverIseeyouIshallrememberthelossofmytail,andwheneveryouseemeyouwillbethinkingofthedeathofyourson。\"

Noonetrulyforgetsinjuriesinthepresenceofhimwhocausedtheinjury。

TheWolfinSheep\'sClothingONCEUPONATIMEaWolfresolvedtodisguisehisappearanceinordertosecurefoodmoreeasily。Encasedintheskinofasheep,hepasturedwiththeflockdeceivingtheshepherdbyhiscostume。Intheeveninghewasshutupbytheshepherdinthefold;thegatewasclosed,andtheentrancemadethoroughlysecure。Buttheshepherd,returningtothefoldduringthenighttoobtainmeatforthenextday,mistakenlycaughtuptheWolfinsteadofasheep,andkilledhiminstantly。

Harmseek。harmfind。

TheAssandtheMuleAMULETEERsetforthonajourney,drivingbeforehimanAssandaMule,bothwellladen。TheAss,aslongashetraveledalongtheplain,carriedhisloadwithease,butwhenhebegantoascendthesteeppathofthemountain,felthisloadtobemorethanhecouldbear。Heentreatedhiscompaniontorelievehimofasmallportion,thathemightcarryhometherest;buttheMulepaidnoattentiontotherequest。TheAssshortlyafterwardsfelldowndeadunderhisburden。Notknowingwhatelsetodoinsowildaregion,theMuleteerplacedupontheMuletheloadcarriedbytheAssinadditiontohisown,andatthetopofallplacedthehideoftheAss,afterhehadskinnedhim。TheMule,groaningbeneathhisheavyburden,saidtohimself:\"Iamtreatedaccordingtomydeserts。IfIhadonlybeenwillingtoassisttheAssalittleinhisneed,Ishouldnotnowbebearing,togetherwithhisburden,himselfaswell。\"

TheFrogsAskingforaKingTHEFROGS,grievedathavingnoestablishedRuler,sentambassadorstoJupiterentreatingforaKing。Perceivingtheirsimplicity,hecastdownahugelogintothelake。TheFrogswereterrifiedatthesplashoccasionedbyitsfallandhidthemselvesinthedepthsofthepool。Butassoonastheyrealizedthatthehugelogwasmotionless,theyswamagaintothetopofthewater,dismissedtheirfears,climbedup,andbegansquattingonitincontempt。Aftersometimetheybegantothinkthemselvesill-treatedintheappointmentofsoinertaRuler,andsentaseconddeputationtoJupitertopraythathewouldsetoverthemanothersovereign。HethengavethemanEeltogovernthem。

WhentheFrogsdiscoveredhiseasygoodnature,theysentyetathirdtimetoJupitertobeghimtochooseforthemstillanotherKing。Jupiter,displeasedwithalltheircomplaints,sentaHeron,whopreyedupontheFrogsdaybydaytilltherewerenonelefttocroakuponthelake。

TheBoysandtheFrogsSOMEBOYS,playingnearapond,sawanumberofFrogsinthewaterandbegantopeltthemwithstones。Theykilledseveralofthem,whenoneoftheFrogs,liftinghisheadoutofthewater,criedout:\"Praystop,myboys:whatissporttoyou,isdeathtous。\"

TheSickStagASICKSTAGlaydowninaquietcornerofitspasture-ground。

Hiscompanionscameingreatnumberstoinquireafterhishealth,andeachonehelpedhimselftoashareofthefoodwhichhadbeenplacedforhisuse;sothathedied,notfromhissickness,butfromthefailureofthemeansofliving。

Evilcompanionsbringmorehurtthanprofit。

TheSaltMerchantandHisAssAPEDDLERdrovehisAsstotheseashoretobuysalt。HisroadhomelayacrossastreamintowhichhisAss,makingafalsestep,fellbyaccidentandroseupagainwithhisloadconsiderablylighter,asthewatermeltedthesack。ThePeddlerretracedhisstepsandrefilledhispannierswithalargerquantityofsaltthanbefore。Whenhecameagaintothestream,theAssfelldownonpurposeinthesamespot,and,regaininghisfeetwiththeweightofhisloadmuchdiminished,brayedtriumphantlyasifhehadobtainedwhathedesired。ThePeddlersawthroughhistrickanddrovehimforthethirdtimetothecoast,whereheboughtacargoofspongesinsteadofsalt。TheAss,againplayingthefool,felldownonpurposewhenhereachedthestream,butthespongesbecameswollenwithwater,greatlyincreasinghisload。

Andthushistrickrecoiledonhim,forhenowcarriedonhisbackadoubleburden。

TheOxenandtheButchersTHEOXENonceuponatimesoughttodestroytheButchers,whopracticedatradedestructivetotheirrace。Theyassembledonacertaindaytocarryouttheirpurpose,andsharpenedtheirhornsforthecontest。Butoneofthemwhowasexceedinglyold(formanyafieldhadheplowed)thusspoke:\"TheseButchers,itistrue,slaughterus,buttheydosowithskillfulhands,andwithnounnecessarypain。Ifwegetridofthem,weshallfallintothehandsofunskillfuloperators,andthussufferadoubledeath:foryoumaybeassured,thatthoughalltheButchersshouldperish,yetwillmenneverwantbeef。\"

Donotbeinahurrytochangeoneevilforanother。

TheLion,theMouse,andtheFoxALION,fatiguedbytheheatofasummer\'sday,fellfastasleepinhisden。AMouseranoverhismaneandearsandwokehimfromhisslumbers。Heroseupandshookhimselfingreatwrath,andsearchedeverycornerofhisdentofindtheMouse。AFoxseeinghimsaid:\"AfineLionyouare,tobefrightenedofaMouse。\"

\"\'TisnottheMouseIfear,\"saidtheLion;\"Iresenthisfamiliarityandill-breeding。\"

Littlelibertiesaregreatoffenses。

TheVainJackdawJUPITERDETERMINED,itissaid,tocreateasovereignoverthebirds,andmadeproclamationthatonacertaindaytheyshouldallpresentthemselvesbeforehim,whenhewouldhimselfchoosethemostbeautifulamongthemtobeking。TheJackdaw,knowinghisownugliness,searchedthroughthewoodsandfields,andcollectedthefeatherswhichhadfallenfromthewingsofhiscompanions,andstucktheminallpartsofhisbody,hopingtherebytomakehimselfthemostbeautifulofall。Whentheappointeddayarrived,andthebirdshadassembledbeforeJupiter,theJackdawalsomadehisappearanceinhismanyfeatheredfinery。ButwhenJupiterproposedtomakehimkingbecauseofthebeautyofhisplumage,thebirdsindignantlyprotested,andeachpluckedfromhimhisownfeathers,leavingtheJackdawnothingbutaJackdaw。

TheGoatherdandtheWildGoatsAGOATHERD,drivinghisflockfromtheirpastureateventide,foundsomeWildGoatsmingledamongthem,andshutthemuptogetherwithhisownforthenight。Thenextdayitsnowedveryhard,sothathecouldnottaketheherdtotheirusualfeedingplaces,butwasobligedtokeeptheminthefold。Hegavehisowngoatsjustsufficientfoodtokeepthemalive,butfedthestrangersmoreabundantlyinthehopeofenticingthemtostaywithhimandofmakingthemhisown。Whenthethawsetin,heledthemallouttofeed,andtheWildGoatsscamperedawayasfastastheycouldtothemountains。TheGoatherdscoldedthemfortheiringratitudeinleavinghim,whenduringthestormhehadtakenmorecareofthemthanofhisownherd。Oneofthem,turningabout,saidtohim:\"Thatistheveryreasonwhywearesocautious;forifyouyesterdaytreatedusbetterthantheGoatsyouhavehadsolong,itisplainalsothatifotherscameafterus,youwouldinthesamemannerpreferthemtoourselves。\"

Oldfriendscannotwithimpunitybesacrificedfornewones。

TheMischievousDogADOGusedtorunupquietlytotheheelsofeveryonehemet,andtobitethemwithoutnotice。HismastersuspendedabellabouthisnecksothattheDogmightgivenoticeofhispresencewhereverhewent。Thinkingitamarkofdistinction,theDoggrewproudofhisbellandwenttinklingitalloverthemarketplace。Onedayanoldhoundsaidtohim:Whydoyoumakesuchanexhibitionofyourself?Thatbellthatyoucarryisnot,believeme,anyorderofmerit,butonthecontraryamarkofdisgrace,apublicnoticetoallmentoavoidyouasanillmannereddog。\"

Notorietyisoftenmistakenforfame。

TheFoxWhoHadLostHisTailAFOXcaughtinatrapescaped,butinsodoinglosthistail。

Thereafter,feelinghislifeaburdenfromtheshameandridiculetowhichhewasexposed,heschemedtoconvincealltheotherFoxesthatbeingtaillesswasmuchmoreattractive,thusmakingupforhisowndeprivation。HeassembledagoodmanyFoxesandpubliclyadvisedthemtocutofftheirtails,sayingthattheywouldnotonlylookmuchbetterwithoutthem,butthattheywouldgetridoftheweightofthebrush,whichwasaverygreatinconvenience。Oneoftheminterruptinghimsaid,\"Ifyouhadnotyourselflostyourtail,myfriend,youwouldnotthuscounselus。\"

TheBoyandtheNettlesABOYwasstungbyaNettle。HeranhomeandtoldhisMother,saying,\"Althoughithurtsmeverymuch,Ionlytoucheditgently。\"\"Thatwasjustwhyitstungyou,\"saidhisMother。\"ThenexttimeyoutouchaNettle,graspitboldly,anditwillbesoftassilktoyourhand,andnotintheleasthurtyou。\"

Whateveryoudo,dowithallyourmight。

TheManandHisTwoSweetheartsAMIDDLE-AGEDMAN,whosehairhadbeguntoturngray,courtedtwowomenatthesametime。Oneofthemwasyoung,andtheotherwelladvancedinyears。Theelderwoman,ashamedtobecourtedbyamanyoungerthanherself,madeapoint,wheneverheradmirervisitedher,topulloutsomeportionofhisblackhairs。Theyounger,onthecontrary,notwishingtobecomethewifeofanoldman,wasequallyzealousinremovingeverygrayhairshecouldfind。Thusitcametopassthatbetweenthembothheverysoonfoundthathehadnotahairleftonhishead。

Thosewhoseektopleaseeverybodypleasenobody。

TheAstronomerANASTRONOMERusedtogooutatnighttoobservethestars。Oneevening,ashewanderedthroughthesuburbswithhiswholeattentionfixedonthesky,hefellaccidentallyintoadeepwell。Whilehelamentedandbewailedhissoresandbruises,andcriedloudlyforhelp,aneighborrantothewell,andlearningwhathadhappenedsaid:\"Harkye,oldfellow,why,instrivingtopryintowhatisinheaven,doyounotmanagetoseewhatisonearth?\'

TheWolvesandtheSheep\"WHYSHOULDtherealwaysbethisfearandslaughterbetweenus?\"

saidtheWolvestotheSheep。\"Thoseevil-disposedDogshavemuchtoanswerfor。Theyalwaysbarkwheneverweapproachyouandattackusbeforewehavedoneanyharm。Ifyouwouldonlydismissthemfromyourheels,theremightsoonbetreatiesofpeaceandreconciliationbetweenus。\"TheSheep,poorsillycreatures,wereeasilybeguiledanddismissedtheDogs,whereupontheWolvesdestroyedtheunguardedflockattheirownpleasure。

TheOldWomanandthePhysicianANOLDWOMANhavinglosttheuseofhereyes,calledinaPhysiciantohealthem,andmadethisbargainwithhiminthepresenceofwitnesses:thatifheshouldcureherblindness,heshouldreceivefromherasumofmoney;butifherinfirmityremained,sheshouldgivehimnothing。Thisagreementbeingmade,thePhysician,timeaftertime,appliedhissalvetohereyes,andoneveryvisittooksomethingaway,stealingallherpropertylittlebylittle。Andwhenhehadgotallshehad,hehealedheranddemandedthepromisedpayment。TheOldWoman,whensherecoveredhersightandsawnoneofhergoodsinherhouse,wouldgivehimnothing。ThePhysicianinsistedonhisclaim,and。asshestillrefused,summonedherbeforetheJudge。

TheOldWoman,standingupintheCourt,argued:\"Thismanherespeaksthetruthinwhathesays;forIdidpromisetogivehimasumofmoneyifIshouldrecovermysight:butifIcontinuedblind,Iwastogivehimnothing。NowhedeclaresthatIamhealed。IonthecontraryaffirmthatIamstillblind;forwhenIlosttheuseofmyeyes,Isawinmyhousevariouschattelsandvaluablegoods:butnow,thoughheswearsIamcuredofmyblindness,Iamnotabletoseeasinglethinginit。\"

TheFightingCocksandtheEagleTWOGAMECOCKSwerefiercelyfightingforthemasteryofthefarmyard。Oneatlastputtheothertoflight。ThevanquishedCockskulkedawayandhidhimselfinaquietcorner,whiletheconqueror,flyinguptoahighwall,flappedhiswingsandcrowedexultinglywithallhismight。AnEaglesailingthroughtheairpounceduponhimandcarriedhimoffinhistalons。ThevanquishedCockimmediatelycameoutofhiscorner,andruledhenceforthwithundisputedmastery。

Pridegoesbeforedestruction。

TheChargerandtheMillerACHARGER,feelingtheinfirmitiesofage,wassenttoworkinamillinsteadofgoingouttobattle。Butwhenhewascompelledtogrindinsteadofservinginthewars,hebewailedhischangeoffortuneandcalledtomindhisformerstate,saying,\"Ah!

Miller,Ihadindeedtogocampaigningbefore,butIwasbarbedfromcountertotail,andamanwentalongtogroomme;andnowI

cannotunderstandwhatailedmetopreferthemillbeforethebattle。\"\"Forbear,\"saidtheMillertohim,\"harpingonwhatwasofyore,foritisthecommonlotofmortalstosustaintheupsanddownsoffortune。\"

TheFoxandtheMonkeyAMONKEYoncedancedinanassemblyoftheBeasts,andsopleasedthemallbyhisperformancethattheyelectedhimtheirKing。A

Fox,envyinghimthehonor,discoveredapieceofmeatlyinginatrap,andleadingtheMonkeytotheplacewhereitwas,saidthatshehadfoundastore,buthadnotusedit,shehadkeptitforhimastreasuretroveofhiskingdom,andcounseledhimtolayholdofit。TheMonkeyapproachedcarelesslyandwascaughtinthetrap;andonhisaccusingtheFoxofpurposelyleadinghimintothesnare,shereplied,\"OMonkey,andareyou,withsuchamindasyours,goingtobeKingovertheBeasts?\"

TheHorseandHisRiderAHORSESOLDIERtooktheutmostpainswithhischarger。

Aslongasthewarlasted,helookeduponhimashisfellow-helperinallemergenciesandfedhimcarefullywithhayandcorn。Butwhenthewarwasover,heonlyallowedhimchafftoeatandmadehimcarryheavyloadsofwood,subjectinghimtomuchslavishdrudgeryandill-treatment。Warwasagainproclaimed,however,andwhenthetrumpetsummonedhimtohisstandard,theSoldierputonhischargeritsmilitarytrappings,andmounted,beingcladinhisheavycoatofmail。TheHorsefelldownstraightwayundertheweight,nolongerequaltotheburden,andsaidtohismaster,\"Youmustnowgotothewaronfoot,foryouhavetransformedmefromaHorseintoanAss;andhowcanyouexpectthatIcanagainturninamomentfromanAsstoaHorse?\'

TheBellyandtheMembersTHEMEMBERSoftheBodyrebelledagainsttheBelly,andsaid,\"Whyshouldwebeperpetuallyengagedinadministeringtoyourwants,whileyoudonothingbuttakeyourrest,andenjoyyourselfinluxuryandself-indulgence?\'TheMemberscarriedouttheirresolveandrefusedtheirassistancetotheBelly。ThewholeBodyquicklybecamedebilitated,andthehands,feet,mouth,andeyes,whentoolate,repentedoftheirfolly。

TheVineandtheGoatAVINEwasluxuriantinthetimeofvintagewithleavesandgrapes。AGoat,passingby,nibbleditsyoungtendrilsanditsleaves。TheVineaddressedhimandsaid:\"Whydoyouthusinjuremewithoutacause,andcropmyleaves?Istherenoyounggrassleft?ButIshallnothavetowaitlongformyjustrevenge;forifyounowshouldcropmyleaves,andcutmedowntomyroot,I

shallprovidethewinetopouroveryouwhenyouareledasavictimtothesacrifice。\"

JupiterandtheMonkeyJUPITERISSUEDaproclamationtoallthebeastsoftheforestandpromisedaroyalrewardtotheonewhoseoffspringshouldbedeemedthehandsomest。TheMonkeycamewiththerestandpresented,withallamother\'stenderness,aflat-nosed,hairless,ill-featuredyoungMonkeyasacandidateforthepromisedreward。Agenerallaughsalutedheronthepresentationofherson。Sheresolutelysaid,\"IknownotwhetherJupiterwillallottheprizetomyson,butthisIdoknow,thatheisatleastintheeyesofmehismother,thedearest,handsomest,andmostbeautifulofall。\"

TheWidowandHerLittleMaidensAWIDOWwhowasfondofcleaninghadtwolittlemaidenstowaitonher。Shewasinthehabitofwakingthemearlyinthemorning,atcockcrow。Themaidens,aggravatedbysuchexcessivelabor,resolvedtokillthecockwhorousedtheirmistresssoearly。Whentheyhaddonethis,theyfoundthattheyhadonlypreparedforthemselvesgreatertroubles,fortheirmistress,nolongerhearingthehourfromthecock,wokethemuptotheirworkinthemiddleofthenight。

TheShepherd\'sBoyandtheWolfASHEPHERD-BOY,whowatchedaflockofsheepnearavillage,broughtoutthevillagersthreeorfourtimesbycryingout,\"Wolf!Wolf!\"andwhenhisneighborscametohelphim,laughedatthemfortheirpains。TheWolf,however,didtrulycomeatlast。

TheShepherd-boy,nowreallyalarmed,shoutedinanagonyofterror:\"Pray,docomeandhelpme;theWolfiskillingthesheep\";butnoonepaidanyheedtohiscries,norrenderedanyassistance。TheWolf,havingnocauseoffear,athisleisurelaceratedordestroyedthewholeflock。

Thereisnobelievingaliar,evenwhenhespeaksthetruth。

TheCatandtheBirdsACAT,hearingthattheBirdsinacertainaviarywereailingdressedhimselfupasaphysician,and,takinghiscaneandabagofinstrumentsbecominghisprofession,wenttocallonthem。Heknockedatthedoorandinquiredoftheinmateshowtheyalldid,sayingthatiftheywereill,hewouldbehappytoprescribeforthemandcurethem。Theyreplied,\"Weareallverywell,andshallcontinueso,ifyouwillonlybegoodenoughtogoaway,andleaveusasweare。\"

TheKidandtheWolfAKIDstandingontheroofofahouse,outofharm\'sway,sawaWolfpassingbyandimmediatelybegantotauntandrevilehim。

TheWolf,lookingup,said,\"Sirrah!Ihearthee:yetitisnotthouwhomockestme,buttheroofonwhichthouartstanding。\"

Timeandplaceoftengivetheadvantagetotheweakoverthestrong。

TheOxandtheFrogANOXdrinkingatapooltrodonabroodofyoungfrogsandcrushedoneofthemtodeath。TheMothercomingup,andmissingoneofhersons,inquiredofhisbrotherswhathadbecomeofhim。

\"Heisdead,dearMother;forjustnowaveryhugebeastwithfourgreatfeetcametothepoolandcrushedhimtodeathwithhisclovenheel。\"TheFrog,puffingherselfout,inquired,\"ifthebeastwasasbigasthatinsize。\"\"Cease,Mother,topuffyourselfout,\"saidherson,\"anddonotbeangry;foryouwould,Iassureyou,soonerburstthansuccessfullyimitatethehugenessofthatmonster。\"

TheShepherdandtheWolfASHEPHERDoncefoundthewhelpofaWolfandbroughtitup,andafterawhiletaughtittosteallambsfromtheneighboringflocks。TheWolf,havingshownhimselfanaptpupil,saidtotheShepherd,\"Sinceyouhavetaughtmetosteal,youmustkeepasharplookout,oryouwilllosesomeofyourownflock。\"

TheFatherandHisTwoDaughtersAMANhadtwodaughters,theonemarriedtoagardener,andtheothertoatile-maker。Afteratimehewenttothedaughterwhohadmarriedthegardener,andinquiredhowshewasandhowallthingswentwithher。Shesaid,\"Allthingsareprosperingwithme,andIhaveonlyonewish,thattheremaybeaheavyfallofrain,inorderthattheplantsmaybewellwatered。\"Notlongafter,hewenttothedaughterwhohadmarriedthetilemaker,andlikewiseinquiredofherhowshefared;shereplied,\"Iwantfornothing,andhaveonlyonewish,thatthedryweathermaycontinue,andthesunshinehotandbright,sothatthebricksmightbedried。\"Hesaidtoher,\"Ifyoursisterwishesforrain,andyoufordryweather,withwhichofthetwoamItojoinmywishes?\'

TheFarmerandHisSonsAFATHER,beingonthepointofdeath,wishedtobesurethathissonswouldgivethesameattentiontohisfarmashehimselfhadgivenit。Hecalledthemtohisbedsideandsaid,\"Mysons,thereisagreattreasurehidinoneofmyvineyards。\"Thesons,afterhisdeath,tooktheirspadesandmattocksandcarefullydugovereveryportionoftheirland。Theyfoundnotreasure,butthevinesrepaidtheirlaborbyanextraordinaryandsuperabundantcrop。

TheCrabandItsMotherACRABsaidtoherson,\"Whydoyouwalksoone-sided,mychild?

Itisfarmorebecomingtogostraightforward。\"TheyoungCrabreplied:\"Quitetrue,dearMother;andifyouwillshowmethestraightway,Iwillpromisetowalkinit。\"TheMothertriedinvain,andsubmittedwithoutremonstrancetothereproofofherchild。

Exampleismorepowerfulthanprecept。

TheHeiferandtheOxAHEIFERsawanOxhardatworkharnessedtoaplow,andtormentedhimwithreflectionsonhisunhappyfateinbeingcompelledtolabor。Shortlyafterwards,attheharvestfestival,theownerreleasedtheOxfromhisyoke,butboundtheHeiferwithcordsandledhimawaytothealtartobeslaininhonoroftheoccasion。TheOxsawwhatwasbeingdone,andsaidwithasmiletotheHeifer:\"Forthisyouwereallowedtoliveinidleness,becauseyouwerepresentlytobesacrificed。\"

TheSwallow,theSerpent,andtheCourtofJusticeASWALLOW,returningfromabroadandespeciallyfondofdwellingwithmen,builtherselfanestinthewallofaCourtofJusticeandtherehatchedsevenyoungbirds。ASerpentglidingpastthenestfromitsholeinthewallateuptheyoungunfledgednestlings。TheSwallow,findinghernestempty,lamentedgreatlyandexclaimed:\"Woetomeastranger!thatinthisplacewhereallothers\'rightsareprotected,Ialoneshouldsufferwrong。\"

TheThiefandHisMotherABOYstolealesson-bookfromoneofhisschoolfellowsandtookithometohisMother。Shenotonlyabstainedfrombeatinghim,butencouragedhim。Henexttimestoleacloakandbroughtittoher,andsheagaincommendedhim。TheYouth,advancedtoadulthood,proceededtostealthingsofstillgreatervalue。Atlasthewascaughtintheveryact,andhavinghishandsboundbehindhim,wasledawaytotheplaceofpublicexecution。HisMotherfollowedinthecrowdandviolentlybeatherbreastinsorrow,whereupontheyoungmansaid,\"IwishtosaysomethingtomyMotherinherear。\"Shecameclosetohim,andhequicklyseizedherearwithhisteethandbititoff。TheMotherupbraidedhimasanunnaturalchild,whereonhereplied,\"Ah!ifyouhadbeatenmewhenIfirststoleandbroughttoyouthatlesson-book,Ishouldnothavecometothis,norhavebeenthusledtoadisgracefuldeath。\"

TheOldManandDeathANOLDMANwasemployedincuttingwoodintheforest,and,incarryingthefaggotstothecityforsaleoneday,becameveryweariedwithhislongjourney。Hesatdownbythewayside,andthrowingdownhisload,besought\"Death\"tocome。\"Death\"

immediatelyappearedinanswertohissummonsandaskedforwhatreasonhehadcalledhim。TheOldManhurriedlyreplied,\"That,liftinguptheload,youmayplaceitagainuponmyshoulders。\"

TheFir-TreeandtheBrambleAFIR-TREEsaidboastinglytotheBramble,\"Youareusefulfornothingatall;whileIameverywhereusedforroofsandhouses。\"

TheBrambleanswered:\'Youpoorcreature,ifyouwouldonlycalltomindtheaxesandsawswhichareabouttohewyoudown,youwouldhavereasontowishthatyouhadgrownupaBramble,notaFir-Tree。\"

Betterpovertywithoutcare,thanricheswith。

TheMouse,theFrog,andtheHawkAMOUSEwhoalwayslivedontheland,byanunluckychanceformedanintimateacquaintancewithaFrog,wholivedforthemostpartinthewater。TheFrog,onedayintentonmischief,boundthefootoftheMousetightlytohisown。Thusjoinedtogether,theFrogfirstofallledhisfriendtheMousetothemeadowwheretheywereaccustomedtofindtheirfood。Afterthis,hegraduallyledhimtowardsthepoolinwhichhelived,untilreachingtheverybrink,hesuddenlyjumpedin,draggingtheMousewithhim。TheFrogenjoyedthewateramazingly,andswamcroakingabout,asifhehaddoneagooddeed。TheunhappyMousewassoonsuffocatedbythewater,andhisdeadbodyfloatedaboutonthesurface,tiedtothefootoftheFrog。AHawkobservedit,and,pouncinguponitwithhistalons,carrieditaloft。TheFrog,beingstillfastenedtothelegoftheMouse,wasalsocarriedoffaprisoner,andwaseatenbytheHawk。

Harmhatch,harmcatch。

TheManBittenbyaDogAMANwhohadbeenbittenbyaDogwentaboutinquestofsomeonewhomighthealhim。Afriend,meetinghimandlearningwhathewanted,said,\"Ifyouwouldbecured,takeapieceofbread,anddipitinthebloodfromyourwound,andgoandgiveittotheDogthatbityou。\"TheManwhohadbeenbittenlaughedatthisadviceandsaid,\"Why?IfIshoulddoso,itwouldbeasifI

shouldbegeveryDoginthetowntobiteme。\"