The Eagle and his Captor
A Man once caught an Eagle, and after clipping his wings turned him
loose among the fowls in his hen-house, where he moped in a corner,
looking very dejected and forlorn. After a while his Captor was glad
enough to sell him to a neighbour, who took him home and let his wings
grow again. As soon as he had recovered the use of them, the Eagle
flew out and caught a hare, which he brought home and presented to his
benefactor. A fox observed this, and said to the Eagle, "Don't waste
your gifts on him! Go and give them to the man who first caught you;
make _him_ your friend, and then perhaps he won't catch you and clip
your wings a second time."
The Blacksmith and his Dog
A Blacksmith had a little Dog, which used to sleep when his master was
at work, but was very wide awake indeed when it was time for meals.
One day his master pretended to be disgusted at this, and when he had
thrown him a bone as usual, he said, "What on earth is the good of a
lazy cur like you? When I am hammering away at my anvil, you just curl
up and go to sleep: but no sooner do I stop for a mouthful of food
than you wake up and wag your tail to be fed."
Those who will not work deserve to starve.
The Stag at the Pool
A thirsty Stag went down to a pool to drink. As he bent over the
surface he saw his own reflection in the water, and was struck with
admiration for his fine spreading antlers, but at the same time he
felt nothing but disgust for the weakness and slenderness of his legs.
While he stood there looking at himself, he was seen and attacked by
a Lion; but in the chase which ensued, he soon drew away from his
pursuer, and kept his lead as long as the ground over which he ran was
open and free of trees. But coming presently to a wood, he was caught
by his antlers in the branches, and fell a victim to the teeth and claws
of his enemy. "Woe is me!" he cried with his last breath; "I despised
my legs, which might have saved my life: but I gloried in my horns,
and they have proved my ruin."
What is worth most is often valued least.
The Dog and the Shadow
A Dog was crossing a plank bridge over a stream with a piece of meat
in his mouth, when he happened to see his own reflection in the water.
He thought it was another dog with a piece of meat twice as big; so
he let go his own, and flew at the other dog to get the larger piece.
But, of course, all that happened was that he got neither; for one was
only a shadow, and the other was carried away by the current.
Mercury and the Tradesmen
When Jupiter was creating man, he told Mercury to make an infusion of
lies, and to add a little of it to the other ingredients which went to
the making of the Tradesmen. Mercury did so, and introduced an equal
amount into each in turn -the tallow-chandler, and the greengrocer,
and the haberdasher, and all, till he came to the horse-dealer, who was
last on the list, when, finding that he had a quantity of the infusion
still left, he put it all into him. This is why all Tradesmen lie more or less,
but they none of them lie like a horse-dealer.
The Mice and the Weasels
There was war between the Mice and the Weasels, in which the Mice
always got the worst of it, numbers of them being killed and eaten by
the Weasels. So they called a council of war, in which an old Mouse
got up and said, "It's no wonder we are always beaten, for we have no
generals to plan our battles and direct our movements in the field."
Acting on his advice, they chose the biggest Mice to be their leaders,
and these, in order to be distinguished from the rank and file,
provided themselves with helmets bearing large plumes of straw.
They then led out the Mice to battle, confident of victory: but they were
defeated as usual, and were soon scampering as fast as they could to
their holes. All made their way to safety without difficulty except
the leaders, who were so hampered by the badges of their rank that
they could not get into their holes, and fell easy victims to their pursuers.
Greatness carries its own penalties.
The Peacook and Juno
The Peacock was greatly discontented because he had not a beautiful
voice like the nightingale, and he went and complained to Juno about
it. "The nightingale's song," said he, "is the envy of all the birds;
but whenever I utter a sound I become a laughing-stock." The goddess
tried to console him by saying, "You have not, it is true, the power
of song, but then you far excel all the rest in beauty: your neck
flashes like the emerald and your splendid tail is a marvel of
gorgeous colour." But the Peacock was not appeased. "What is the use,"
said he, "of being beautiful, with a voice like mine?" Then Juno
replied, with a shade of sternness in her tones, "Fate has allotted to
all their destined gifts: to yourself beauty, to the eagle strength,
to the nightingale song, and so on to all the rest in their degree;
but you alone are dissatisfied with your portion. Make, then, no more
complaints. For, if your present wish were granted, you would quickly
find cause for fresh discontent."
The Bear and the Fox
A Bear was once bragging about his generous feelings, and saying how
refined he was compared with other animals. (There is, in fact, a
tradition that a Bear will never touch a dead body.) A Fox, who heard
him talking in this strain, smiled and said, "My friend, when you are
hungry, I only wish you would confine your attention to the dead and
leave the living alone."
A hypocrite deceives no one but himself.
The Ass and the old Peasant
An old Peasant was sitting in a meadow watching his Ass, which was
grazing close by, when all of a sudden he caught sight of armed men
stealthily approaching. He jumped up in a moment, and begged the Ass
to fly with him as fast as he could, "Or else," said he, "we shall
both be captured by the enemy." But the Ass just looked round lazily
and said, "And if so, do you think they'll make me carry heavier loads
than I have to now?" "No," said his master. "Oh, well, then," said the Ass,
"I don't mind if they do take me, for I shan't be any worse off."
The Ox and the Frog
Two little Frogs were playing about at the edge of a pool when an Ox
came down to the water to drink, and by accident trod on one of them
and crushed the life out of him. When the old Frog missed him, she
asked his brother where he was. "He is dead, mother," said the little
Frog; "an enormous big creature with four legs came to our pool this
morning and trampled him down in the mud." "Enormous, was he? Was he
as big as this?" said the Frog, puffing herself out to look as big
as possible. "Oh! yes, much bigger," was the answer. The Frog puffed
herself out still more. "Was he as big as this?" said she. "Oh! yes,
yes, mother, MUCH bigger," said the little Frog. And yet again she
puffed and puffed herself out till she was almost as round as a ball.
"As big as...?" she began -but then she burst.
The Man and the Image
A poor Man had a wooden Image of a god, to which he used to pray daily
for riches. He did this for a long time, but remained as poor as ever,
till one day he caught up the Image in disgust and hurled it with all
his strength against the wall. The force of the blow split open the
head and a quantity of gold coins fell out upon the floor. The Man
gathered them up greedily, and said, "O you old fraud, you! When
I honoured you, you did me no good whatever: but no sooner do I treat
you to insults and violence than you make a rich man of me!"
Hercules and the Waggoner
A Waggoner was driving his team along a muddy lane with a full load
behind them, when the wheels of his waggon sank so deep in the mire
that no efforts of his horses could move them. As he stood there,
looking helplessly on, and calling loudly at intervals upon Hercules
for assistance, the god himself appeared, and said to him, "Put your
shoulder to the wheel, man, and goad on your horses, and then you may
call on Hercules to assist you. If you won't lift a finger to help yourself,
you can't expect Hercules or any one else to come to your aid."
Heaven helps those who help themselves.
The Pomegranate, the Apple-Tree and the Bramble
A Pomegranate and an Apple-tree were disputing about the quality of
their fruits, and each claimed that its own was the better of the two.
High words passed between them, and a violent quarrel was imminent,
when a Bramble impudently poked its head out of a neighbouring hedge
and said, "There, that's enough, my friends; don't let us quarrel."
The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox
A Lion and a Bear were fighting for possession of a kid, which they
had both seized at the same moment. The battle was long and fierce,
and at length both of them were exhausted, and lay upon the ground
severely wounded and gasping for breath. A Fox had all the time been
prowling round and watching the fight: and when he saw the combatants
lying there too weak to move, he slipped in and seized the kid, and
ran off with it. They looked on helplessly, and one said to the other,
"Here we've been mauling each other all this while, and no one the
better for it except the Fox!"
The Blackamoor
A Man once bought an Ethiopian slave, who had a black skin like all
Ethiopians; but his new master thought his colour was due to his
late owner's having neglected him, and that all he wanted was a good
scrubbing. So he set to work with plenty of soap and hot water, and
rubbed away at him with a will, but all to no purpose: his skin remained
as black as ever, while the poor wretch all but died from the cold he caught.
The two Soldiers and the Robber
Two Soldiers travelling together were set upon by a Robber. One of
them ran away, but the other stood his ground, and laid about him so
lustily with his sword that the Robber was fain to fly and leave
him in peace. When the coast was clear the timid one ran back, and,
flourishing his weapon, cried in a threatening voice, "Where is he?
Let me get at him, and I'll soon let him know whom he's got to deal
with." But the other replied, "You are a little late, my friend: I only
wish you had backed me up just now, even if you had done no more
than speak, for I should have been encouraged, believing your words to
be true. As it is, calm yourself, and put up your sword: there is no
further use for it. You may delude others into thinking you're as brave as
a lion: but I know that, at the first sign of danger, you run away like a hare."
The Lion and the wild Ass
A Lion and a Wild Ass went out hunting together: the latter was to run
down the prey by his superior speed, and the former would then come
up and despatch it. They met with great success; and when it came to
sharing the spoil the Lion divided it all into three equal portions.
"I will take the first," said he, "because I am King of the beasts; I will
will also take the second, because, as your partner, I am entitled to
half of what remains; and as for the third--well, unless you give it
up to me and take yourself off pretty quick, the third, believe me,
will make you feel very sorry for yourself!"
Might makes right.
The Man and the Satyr
A Man and a Satyr became friends, and determined to live together.
All went well for a while, until one day in winter-time the Satyr saw the
Man blowing on his hands. "Why do you do that?" he asked. "To warm
my hands," said the Man. That same day, when they sat down to supper
together, they each had a steaming hot bowl of porridge, and the Man
raised his bowl to his mouth and blew on it. "Why do you do that?"
asked the Satyr. "To cool my porridge," said the Man. The Satyr got up
from the table. "Good-bye," said he, "I'm going: I can't be friends
with a man who blows hot and cold with the same breath."
The Image Seller
A certain man made a wooden Image of Mercury, and exposed it for sale
in the market. As no one offered to buy it, however, he thought he
would try to attract a purchaser by proclaiming the virtues of the
Image. So he cried up and down the market, "A god for sale! a god for
sale! One who'll bring you luck and keep you lucky!" Presently one of
the bystanders stopped him and said, "If your god is all you make
him out to be, how is it you don't keep him and make the most of him
yourself?" "I'll tell you why," replied he; "he brings gain, it is true,
but he takes his time about it; whereas I want money at once."
The Eagle and the Arrow
An Eagle sat perched on a lofty rock, keeping a sharp look-out for
prey. A huntsman, concealed in a cleft of the mountain and on the
watch for game, spied him there and shot an Arrow at him. The shaft
struck him full in the breast and pierced him through and through.
As he lay in the agonies of death, he turned his eyes upon the Arrow.
"Ah! cruel fate!" he cried, "that I should perish thus: but oh! fate
more cruel still, that the Arrow which kills me should be winged with
an Eagle's feathers!"
The rich Man and the Tanner
A rich Man took up his residence next door to a Tanner, and found the
smell of the tan-yard so extremely unpleasant that he told him he must
go. The Tanner delayed his departure, and the rich Man had to speak
to him several times about it; and every time the Tanner said he was
making arrangements to move very shortly. This went on for some time,
till at last the rich Man got so used to the smell that he ceased to
mind it, and troubled the Tanner with his objections no more.
The Wolf, the Mother, and her Child
A hungry Wolf was prowling about in search of food. By and by,
attracted by the cries of a Child, he came to a cottage. As he
crouched beneath the window, he heard the Mother say to the Child,
"Stop crying, do! or I'll throw you to the Wolf." Thinking she really
meant what she said, he waited there a long time in the expectation of
satisfying his hunger. In the evening he heard the Mother fondling her
Child and saying, "If the naughty Wolf comes, he shan't get my little one:
Daddy will kill him." The Wolf got up in much disgust and walked away:
"As for the people in that house," said he to himself, "you can't believe
a word they say."
The old Woman and the Wine Jar
An old Woman picked up an empty Wine-jar which had once contained
a rare and costly wine, and which still retained some traces of its
exquisite bouquet. She raised it to her nose and sniffed at it again
and again. "Ah," she cried, "how delicious must have been the liquid
which has left behind so ravishing a smell."
The Lioness and the Vixen
A Lioness and a Vixen were talking together about their young, as
mothers will, and saying how healthy and well-grown they were, and
what beautiful coats they had, and how they were the image of their
parents. "My litter of cubs is a joy to see," said the Fox; and then she
added, rather maliciously, "But I notice you never have more than one."
"No," said the Lioness grimly, "but that one's a lion."
Quality, not quantity.
The Viper and the File
A Viper entered a carpenter's shop, and went from one to another of
the tools, begging for something to eat. Among the rest, he addressed
himself to the File, and asked for the favour of a meal. The File
replied in a tone of pitying contempt, "What a simpleton you must be
if you imagine you will get anything from me, who invariably take from
every one and never give anything in return."
The covetous are poor givers.
The Cat and the Cock
A Cat pounced on a Cock, and cast about for some good excuse for
making a meal off him, for Cats don't as a rule eat Cocks, and she
knew she ought not to. At last she said, "You make a great nuisance of
yourself at night by crowing and keeping people awake: so I am going
to make an end of you." But the Cock defended himself by saying that
he crowed in order that men might wake up and set about the day's work
in good time, and that they really couldn't very well do without him.
"That may be," said the Cat, "but whether they can or not, I'm not
going without my dinner"; and she killed and ate him.
The want of a good excuse never kept a villain from crime.
The Hare and the Tortoise
A Hare was one day making fun of a Tortoise for being so slow upon his
feet. "Wait a bit," said the Tortoise; "I'll run a race with you, and
I'll wager that I win." "Oh, well," replied the Hare, who was much
amused at the idea, "let's try and see"; and it was soon agreed that
the fox should set a course for them, and be the judge. When the time
came both started off together, but the Hare was soon so far ahead
that he thought he might as well have a rest: so down he lay and fell
fast asleep. Meanwhile the Tortoise kept plodding on, and in time
reached the goal. At last the Hare woke up with a start, and dashed on
at his fastest, but only to find that the Tortoise had already won the race.
Slow and steady wins the race.
The Soldier and his Horse
A Soldier gave his Horse a plentiful supply of oats in time of war,
and tended him with the utmost care, for he wished him to be strong to
endure the hardships of the field, and swift to bear his master, when
need arose, out of the reach of danger. But when the war was over he
employed him on all sorts of drudgery, bestowing but little attention
upon him, and giving him, moreover, nothing but chaff to eat. The time
came when war broke out again, and the Soldier saddled and bridled his
Horse, and, having put on his heavy coat of mail, mounted him to ride
off and take the field. But the poor half-starved beast sank down
under his weight, and said to his rider, "You will have to go into battle
on foot this time. Thanks to hard work and bad food, you have turned
me from a Horse into an ass; and you cannot in a moment turn me
back again into a Horse."
The Oxen and the Butchers
Once upon a time the Oxen determined to be revenged upon the Butchers
for the havoc they wrought in their ranks, and plotted to put them to
death on a given day. They were all gathered together discussing how
best to carry out the plan, and the more violent of them were engaged
in sharpening their horns for the fray, when an old Ox got up upon his
feet and said, "My brothers, you have good reason, I know, to hate
these Butchers, but, at any rate, they understand their trade and do
what they have to do without causing unnecessary pain. But if we kill
them, others, who have no experience, will be set to slaughter us,
and will by their bungling inflict great sufferings upon us. For you may
be sure that, even though all the Butchers perish, mankind will never
go without their beef."
The Wolf and the Lion
A wolf stole a lamb from the flock, and was carrying it off to devour
it at his leisure when he met a Lion, who took his prey away from him
and walked off with it. He dared not resist, but when the Lion had
gone some distance he said, "It is most unjust of you to take what's
mine away from me like that." The Lion laughed and called out in
reply, "It was justly yours, no doubt! The gift of a friend, perhaps, eh?"