PrefaceTHE TALE, the Parable, and the Fable are all common and popularmodesofconveyinginstruction.Eachisdistinguishedbyitsownspecialcharacteristics.TheTaleconsistssimplyinthenarrationofastoryeitherfounded on facts, or created solely by the imagination, and notnecessarilyassociatedwiththeteachingofanymorallesson.TheParableis the designed use of language purposely intended to convey a hiddenand secretmeaning other than that contained in thewords themselves;and which may or may not bear a special reference to the hearer, orreader. The Fable partly agrees with, and partly differs from both ofthese.Itwillcontain,liketheTale,ashortbutrealnarrative;itwillseek,liketheParable,toconveyahiddenmeaning,andthatnotsomuchbytheuseoflanguage,asbytheskilfulintroductionoffictitiouscharacters;andyetunliketoeitherTaleorParable,itwilleverkeepinview,asitshighprerogative, and inseparable attribute, the great purpose of instruction,andwillnecessarilyseektoinculcatesomemoralmaxim,socialduty,orpolitical truth. The true Fable, if it rise to its high requirements, everaimsatonegreatendandpurposerepresentationofhumanmotive,andthe improvement of human conduct, and yet it so conceals its designunder the disguise of fictitious characters, by clothingwith speech theanimals of the field, the birds of the air, the trees of thewood, or thebeasts of the forest, that the reader shall receive advice withoutperceiving the presence of the adviser. Thus the superiority of thecounsellor,whichoftenrenderscounselunpalatable,iskeptoutofview,andthelessoncomeswiththegreateracceptancewhenthereaderisled,unconsciously to himself, to have his sympathies enlisted in behalf ofwhat is pure, honorable, and praiseworthy, and to have his indignationexcited against what is low, ignoble, and unworthy. The true fabulist,therefore,dischargesamostimportantfunction.Heisneitheranarrator,noranallegorist.Heisagreatteacher,acorrectorofmorals,acensorofvice, and a commender of virtue. In this consists the superiority of theFableovertheTaleor theParable.Thefabulist is tocreatea laugh,but

yet, under a merry guise, to convey instruction. Phaedrus, the greatimitator ofAesop, plainly indicates this double purpose to be the trueofficeofthewriteroffables.

Duplex libelli dos est: quod risum movet, Et quod prudenti vitamconsiliomonet.

The continual observance of this twofold aim creates the charm, andaccountsfortheuniversalfavor,ofthefablesofAesop.“Thefable,”saysProfessorK.O.Mueller,“originatedinGreeceinanintentionaltravestieofhumanaffairs.The‘ainos,’as itsnamedenotes, isanadmonition,orratherareproofveiled,eitherfromfearofanexcessoffrankness,orfroma love of fun and jest, beneath the fiction of an occurrence happeningamongbeasts;andwhereverwehaveanyancientandauthenticaccountoftheAesopianfables,wefindittobethesame.”[1]The construction of a fable involves a minute attention to (1) the

narration itself; (2) the deduction of the moral; and (3) a carefulmaintenanceoftheindividualcharacteristicsofthefictitiouspersonagesintroduced into it. The narration should relate to one simple action,consistent with itself, and neither be overladen with a multiplicity ofdetails,nordistractedbyavarietyofcircumstances.Themoralorlessonshouldbesoplain,andsointimatelyinterwovenwith,andsonecessarilydependent on, the narration, that every reader should be compelled togive to it the same undeniable interpretation. The introduction of theanimals or fictitious characters should be marked with anunexceptionablecareandattention to theirnaturalattributes,and to thequalitiesattributedtothembyuniversalpopularconsent.TheFoxshouldbealwayscunning,theHaretimid,theLionbold,theWolfcruel,theBullstrong, theHorse proud, and theAss patient.Many of these fables arecharacterized by the strictest observance of these rules. They areoccupiedwithoneshortnarrative,fromwhichthemoralnaturallyflows,andwithwhichitisintimatelyassociated.“‘Tisthesimplemanner,”saysDodsley, [2] “in which the morals of Aesop are interwoven with hisfablesthatdistinguisheshim,andgiveshimthepreferenceoverallother

mythologists.His‘MountaindeliveredofaMouse,’produces themoralofhis fable in ridiculeofpompouspretenders; andhisCrow,whenshedrops her cheese, lets fall, as it were by accident, the strongestadmonitionagainst thepowerofflattery.Thereisnoneedofaseparatesentencetoexplainit;nopossibilityofimpressingitdeeper,bythatloadwe too often see of accumulated reflections.”[3] An equal amount ofpraiseisduefortheconsistencywithwhichthecharactersoftheanimals,fictitiously introduced, are marked.While they are made to depict themotivesandpassionsofmen,theyretain,inaneminentdegree,theirownspecial features of craft or counsel, of cowardice or courage, ofgenerosityorrapacity.Thesetermsofpraise,itmustbeconfessed,cannotbebestowedonall

thefablesinthiscollection.Manyofthemlackthatunityofdesign,thatcloseconnectionofthemoralwiththenarrative,thatwisechoiceintheintroductionoftheanimals,whichconstitutethecharmandexcellencyoftrue Aesopian fable. This inferiority of some to others is sufficientlyaccountedforinthehistoryoftheoriginanddescentofthesefables.Thegreat bulk of them are not the immediate work of Aesop. Many areobtainedfromancientauthorspriortothetimeinwhichhelived.Thus,thefableofthe“HawkandtheNightingale”isrelatedbyHesiod;[4]the“Eagle wounded by an Arrow, winged with its own Feathers,” byAeschylus; [5] the “Fox avenging his wrongs on the Eagle,” byArchilochus. [6]Many of them again are of later origin, and are to betraced to themonksof themiddle ages: andyet this collection, thoughthus made up of fables both earlier and later than the era of Aesop,rightfully bears his name, because he composed so large a number (allframed in the same mould, and conformed to the same fashion, andstamped with the same lineaments, image, and superscription) as tosecure to himself the right to be considered the father ofGreek fables,and the founderof thisclassofwriting,whichhasever sincebornehisname,andhassecuredforhim,throughallsucceedingages,thepositionofthefirstofmoralists.[7]ThefableswereinthefirstinstanceonlynarratedbyAesop,andfora

long timewerehandeddownby theuncertainchanneloforal tradition.

SocratesismentionedbyPlato[8]ashavingemployedhistimewhileinprison,awaitingthereturnofthesacredshipfromDelphoswhichwastobethesignalofhisdeath,inturningsomeofthesefablesintoverse,buthe thus versified only such as he remembered. Demetrius Phalereus, aphilosopher at Athens about 300 B.C., is said to have made the firstcollection of these fables. Phaedrus, a slave by birth or by subsequentmisfortunes, and admitted by Augustus to the honors of a freedman,imitatedmanyofthesefablesinLatiniambicsaboutthecommencementof the Christian era. Aphthonius, a rhetorician of Antioch, A.D. 315,wroteatreatiseon,andconvertedintoLatinprose,someofthesefables.Thistranslationisthemoreworthyofnotice,asitillustratesacustomofcommon use, both in these and in later times. The rhetoricians andphilosopherswereaccustomedtogivetheFablesofAesopasanexercisetotheirscholars,notonlyinvitingthemtodiscussthemoralofthetale,butalsotopracticeandtoperfectthemselvestherebyinstyleandrulesofgrammar, by making for themselves new and various versions of thefables.Ausonius,[9]thefriendoftheEmperorValentinian,andthelatestpoetofeminenceintheWesternEmpire,hashandeddownsomeofthesefables in verse, which Julianus Titianus, a contemporary writer of nogreat name, translated into prose. Avienus, also a contemporary ofAusonius,put someof these fables intoLatinelegiacs,whicharegivenbyNevelet (in abookwe shall refer tohereafter), and areoccasionallyincorporatedwiththeeditionsofPhaedrus.SevencenturieselapsedbeforethenextnoticeisfoundoftheFablesof

Aesop. During this long period these fables seem to have suffered aneclipse, tohavedisappearedand tohavebeenforgotten;and it isat thecommencementof thefourteenthcentury,whentheByzantineemperorswerethegreatpatronsoflearning,andamidstthesplendorsofanAsiaticcourt, thatwenextfindhonorspaidtothenameandmemoryofAesop.MaximusPlanudes,alearnedmonkofConstantinople,madeacollectionofaboutahundredandfiftyofthesefables.Littleisknownofhishistory.Planudes, however,was nomere recluse, shut up in hismonastery.Hetook an active part in public affairs. In 1327 A.D. he was sent on adiplomaticmissiontoVenicebytheEmperorAndronicustheElder.This

brought him into immediate contactwith theWestern Patriarch,whoseinterestshehenceforthadvocatedwithsomuchzealas tobringonhimsuspicionandpersecutionfromtherulersoftheEasternChurch.Planudeshasbeenexposedtoatwo-foldaccusation.Heischargedontheonehandwith havinghadbefore hima copyofBabrias (towhomwe shall haveoccasiontoreferatgreaterlengthintheendofthisPreface),andtohavehadthebadtaste“totranspose,”ortoturnhispoeticalversionintoprose:and he is asserted, on the other hand, never to have seen the Fables ofAesopatall,buttohavehimselfinventedandmadethefableswhichhepalmedoffunder thenameof the famousGreek fabulist.The truth liesbetween these two extremes. Planudes may have invented some fewfables,orhaveinsertedsomethatwerecurrentinhisday;butthereisanabundance of unanswerable internal evidence to prove that he had anacquaintancewiththeveritablefablesofAesop,althoughtheversionshehad access to were probably corrupt, as contained in the varioustranslations and disquisitional exercises of the rhetoricians andphilosophers.Hiscollectionisinterestingandimportant,notonlyastheparentsourceorfoundationoftheearlierprintedversionsofAesop,butas the direct channel of attracting to these fables the attention of thelearned.The eventual re-introduction, however, of these Fables of Aesop to

theirhighplaceinthegeneralliteratureofChristendom,istobelookedfor in the West rather than in the East. The calamities graduallythickeningroundtheEasternEmpire,andthefallofConstantinople,1453A.D., combined with other events to promote the rapid restoration oflearning in Italy; and with that recovery of learning the revival of aninterestintheFablesofAesopiscloselyidentified.Thesefables,indeed,were among the first writings of an earlier antiquity that attractedattention. They took their place beside the Holy Scriptures and theancient classic authors, in theminds of the great students of that day.LorenzoValla,oneofthemostfamouspromotersofItalianlearning,notonly translated into Latin the Iliad of Homer and the Histories ofHerodotusandThucydides,butalsotheFablesofAesop.These fables, again,were among the books brought into an extended

circulationbytheagencyoftheprintingpress.BonusAccursius,asearlyas1475–1480,printed thecollectionof these fables,madebyPlanudes,which,within fiveyearsafterwards,Caxton translated intoEnglish,andprinted at his press in West-minster Abbey, 1485. [10] It must bementionedalsothatthelearningofthisagehasleftpermanenttracesofitsinfluenceonthesefables,[11]bycausingtheinterpolationwiththemof some of those amusing stories whichwere so frequently introducedinto the public discourses of the great preachers of those days, and ofwhichspecimensareyettobefoundintheextantsermonsofJeanRaulin,Meffreth, and Gabriel Barlette. [12] The publication of this era whichmost probably has influenced these fables, is the “Liber Facetiarum,”[13] a book consistingof a hundred jests and stories, by the celebratedPoggioBracciolini, publishedA.D. 1471, fromwhich the two fables ofthe“Miller,hisSon,andtheAss,”andthe“FoxandtheWoodcutter,”areundoubtedlyselected.TheknowledgeofthesefablesrapidlyspreadfromItalyintoGermany,

and their popularity was increased by the favor and sanction given tothembythegreatfathersoftheReformation,whofrequentlyusedthemas vehicles for satire and protest against the tricks and abuses of theRomish ecclesiastics. The zealous and renownedCamerarius,who tookanactivepart in thepreparationof theConfessionofAugsburgh, foundtime, amidst his numerous avocations, to prepare a version for thestudents in the university of Tubingen, in which he was a professor.Martin Luther translated twenty of these fables, and was urged byMelancthon to complete the whole; while Gottfried Arnold, thecelebrated Lutheran theologian, and librarian to Frederick I, king ofPrussia, mentions that the great Reformer valued the Fables ofAesopnextaftertheHolyScriptures.In1546A.D.thesecondprintededitionofthe collection of the Fables made by Planudes, was issued from theprinting-press of Robert Stephens, in which were inserted someadditionalfablesfromaMS.intheBibliothequeduRoyatParis.Thegreatestadvance,however,towardsare-introductionoftheFables

ofAesoptoaplaceintheliteratureoftheworld,wasmadeintheearlypartoftheseventeenthcentury.Intheyear1610,alearnedSwiss,Isaac

NicholasNevelet,sentforththethirdprintededitionofthesefables,inaworkentitled“MythologiaAesopica.”Thiswasanobleefforttodohonorto the great fabulist, and was the most perfect collection ofAesopianfables ever yet published. It consisted, in addition to the collection offablesgivenbyPlanudesandreprintedinthevariousearliereditions,ofone hundred and thirty-six new fables (never before published) fromMSS. in the Library of the Vatican, of forty fables attributed toAphthonius,andofforty-threefromBabrias. ItalsocontainedtheLatinversionsofthesamefablesbyPhaedrus,Avienus,andotherauthors.ThisvolumeofNeveletformsacomplete“CorpusFabularumAesopicarum;”andtohislaborsAesopoweshisrestorationtouniversalfavorasoneofthewisemoralistsandgreatteachersofmankind.DuringtheintervalofthreecenturieswhichhaselapsedsincethepublicationofthisvolumeofNevelet’s,nobook,withtheexceptionoftheHolyScriptures,hashadawidercirculationthanAesop’sFables.TheyhavebeentranslatedintothegreaternumberofthelanguagesbothofEuropeandoftheEast,andhavebeen read, and will be read, for generations, alike by Jew, Heathen,Mohammedan, and Christian. They are, at the present time, not onlyengrafted into the literature of the civilized world, but are familiar ashouseholdwordsinthecommonintercourseanddailyconversationoftheinhabitantsofallcountries.This collection of Nevelet’s is the great culminating point in the

historyoftherevivalofthefameandreputationofAesopianFables.Itisremarkable,also,ascontaininginitsprefacethegermofanidea,whichhas been since proved to have been correct by a strange chain ofcircumstances.Neveletintimatesanopinion,thatawriternamedBabriaswould be found to be the veritable author of the existing form ofAesopian Fables. This intimation has since given rise to a series ofinquiries, theknowledgeofwhich is necessary, in thepresentday, to afull understanding of the true position ofAesop in connectionwith thewritingsthatbearhisname.ThehistoryofBabrias is sostrangeand interesting, that itmightnot

unfitlybeenumeratedamongthecuriositiesofliterature.Heisgenerallysupposed to have been a Greek of Asia Minor, of one of the Ionic

Colonies, but the exact period in which he lived and wrote is yetunsettled.Heisplaced,byonecritic,[14]asfarbackastheinstitutionoftheAchaianLeague,B.C.250;byanotheraslateastheEmperorSeverus,whodiedA.D.235;whileothersmakehimacontemporarywithPhaedrusinthetimeofAugustus.AtwhatevertimehewrotehisversionofAesop,by some strange accident it seems to have entirely disappeared, and tohavebeenlostsightof.HisnameismentionedbyAvienus;bySuidas,acelebrated critic, at the close of the eleventh century,who gives in hislexiconseveral isolatedversesofhisversionof thefables;andbyJohnTzetzes,agrammarianandpoetofConstantinople,wholivedduringthelatter half of the twelfth century.Nevelet, in thepreface to thevolumewhichwehavedescribed,pointsoutthattheFablesofPlanudescouldnotbetheworkofAesop,astheycontainareferenceintwoplacesto“Holymonks,”andgiveaversefromtheEpistleofSt.Jamesasan“Epimith”tooneofthefables,andsuggestsBabriasastheirauthor.FrancisVavassor,[15]alearnedFrenchjesuit,enteredatgreaterlengthonthissubject,andproducedfurtherproofsfrominternalevidence,fromtheuseofthewordPiraeusindescribingtheharbourofAthens,anamewhichwasnotgiventill two hundred years afterAesop, and from the introduction of othermodern words, that many of these fables must have been at leastcommitted to writing posterior to the time ofAesop, andmore boldlysuggests Babrias as their author or collector. [16] These variousreferences to Babrias inducedDr. Plichard Bentley, at the close of theseventeenthcentury, toexaminemoreminutely theexistingversionsofAesop’sFables,andhemaintainedthatmanyofthemcould,withaslightchange ofwords, be resolved into the Scazonic [17] iambics, inwhichBabrias is known tohavewritten: and,with a greater freedom than theevidencethenjustified,heputforth,inbehalfofBabrias,aclaimtotheexclusive authorship of these fables. Such a seemingly extravaganttheory,thusroundlyasserted,excitedmuchopposition.Dr.Bentley[18]metwithanableantagonistinamemberoftheUniversityofOxford,theHon.Mr.CharlesBoyle,[19]afterwardsEarlofOrrery.Theirlettersanddisputationson this subject,enlivenedonbothsideswithmuchwitandlearning,willeverbearaconspicuousplaceintheliteraryhistoryofthe

seventeenth century. The arguments of Dr. Bentley were yet furtherdefendedafewyearslaterbyMr.ThomasTyrwhitt,awell-readscholar,whogaveuphighcivildistinctionsthathemightdevotehimselfthemoreunreservedly to literary pursuits.Mr. Tyrwhitt published,A.D. 1776, aDissertation on Babrias, and a collection of his fables in choliambicmeter found in aMS. in theBodleian Library atOxford. Francesco deFuria,a learned Italian,contributed further testimony to thecorrectnessofthesuppositionthatBabriashadmadeaveritablecollectionoffablesby printing from aMS. contained in theVatican library several fablesneverbeforepublished. In theyear1844,however,newandunexpectedlightwasthrownuponthissubject.AveritablecopyofBabriaswasfoundinamannerassingularasweretheMSS.ofQuinctilian’sInstitutes,andofCicero’sOrationsbyPoggio in themonasteryofSt.GallA.D.1416.M. Menoides, at the suggestion of M. Villemain, Minister of PublicInstructiontoKingLouisPhilippe,hadbeenentrustedwithacommissiontosearchforancientMSS.,andincarryingouthisinstructionshefoundaMS.at theconventofSt.Laura,onMountAthos,whichproved tobeacopyofthelongsuspectedandwished-forcholiambicversionofBabrias.ThisMS.was found tobedivided into twobooks, theonecontainingahundredandtwenty-five,andtheotherninety-fivefables.Thisdiscoveryattracted very general attention, not only as confirming, in a singularmanner,theconjecturessoboldlymadebyalongchainofcritics,butasbringing to light valuable literary treasures tending to establish thereputation,andtoconfirmtheantiquityandauthenticityofthegreatmassofAesopianFable.TheFablesthusrecoveredweresoonpublished.Theyfound a most worthy editor in the late distinguished Sir GeorgeCornewall Lewis, and a translator equally qualified for his task, in theReverend JamesDavies,M.A., sometime a scholar of LincolnCollege,Oxford, and himself a relation of their English editor. Thus, after aneclipse ofmany centuries, Babrias shines out as the earliest, andmostreliablecollectorofveritableAesopianFables.

Thefollowingarethesourcesfromwhichthepresenttranslationhasbeen

prepared:

BabriiFabulaeAesopeae.GeorgeCornewallLewis.Oxford,1846.

BabriiFabulaeAesopeae.Ecodicemanuscriptopartemsecundamedidit.GeorgeCornewallLewis.London:Parker,1857.

Mythologica Aesopica. Opera et studia Isaaci Nicholai Neveleti.Frankfort,1610.

Fabulae Aesopiacae, quales ante Planudem ferebantur cura et studioFranciscideFuria.Lipsiae,1810.

------.Ex recognitioneCaroliHalmii.Lipsiae,PhaedriFabulaeEsopiae.DelphinClassics.1822.

GeorgeFylerTownsend

TheWolfandtheLambAWOLF,meetingwithaLambastrayfromthefold,resolvednottolayviolent hands on him, but to find someplea to justify to theLamb theWolf’s right to eat him.He thus addressed him: “Sirrah, last year yougrossly insultedme.”“Indeed,”bleated theLambinamournful toneofvoice, “I was not then born.” Then said the Wolf, “You feed in mypasture.”“No,goodsir,”repliedtheLamb,“Ihavenotyettastedgrass.”AgainsaidtheWolf,“Youdrinkofmywell.”“No,”exclaimedtheLamb,“Ineveryetdrankwater, forasyetmymother’smilk isboth foodanddrink tome.”Uponwhich theWolf seizedhimandatehimup, saying,“Well! Iwon’t remain supperless, even thoughyou refute everyoneofmyimputations.”

Thetyrantwillalwaysfindapretextforhistyranny.

TheBatandtheWeaselsABATwhofelluponthegroundandwascaughtbyaWeaselpleadedtobesparedhislife.TheWeaselrefused,sayingthathewasbynaturetheenemy of all birds. The Bat assured him that he was not a bird, but amouse,andthuswassetfree.ShortlyafterwardstheBatagainfelltothegroundandwascaughtbyanotherWeasel,whomhe likewiseentreatednot toeathim.TheWeasel said thathehada specialhostility tomice.TheBatassuredhimthathewasnotamouse,butabat,andthusasecondtimeescaped.

Itiswisetoturncircumstancestogoodaccount.

TheAssandtheGrasshopperAN ASS, having heard some Grasshoppers chirping, was highlyenchanted; and, desiring to possess the same charms of melody,demandedwhat sort of food they lived on to give them such beautifulvoices. They replied, “The dew.” TheAss resolved that he would liveonlyupondew,andinashorttimediedofhunger.

TheLionandtheMouseA LIONwas awakened from sleep by aMouse running over his face.Rising up angrily, he caught him andwas about to kill him, when theMouse piteously entreated, saying: “If youwould only sparemy life, Iwouldbesuretorepayyourkindness.”TheLionlaughedandlethimgo.IthappenedshortlyafterthisthattheLionwascaughtbysomehunters,whoboundhimby strong ropes to theground.TheMouse, recognizinghis roar, came and gnawed the rope with his teeth, and set him free,exclaiming:

“Youridiculedtheideaofmyeverbeingabletohelpyou,notexpectingtoreceivefrommeanyrepaymentofyourfavor;nowyouknowthatitispossibleforevenaMousetoconferbenefitsonaLion.”

TheCharcoal-BurnerandtheFullerACHARCOAL-BURNERcarriedonhistradeinhisownhouse.Onedayhemetafriend,aFuller,andentreatedhimtocomeand livewithhim,saying that they should be far better neighbors and that their

housekeeping expenses would be lessened. The Fuller replied, “ThearrangementisimpossibleasfarasIamconcerned,forwhateverIshouldwhiten,youwouldimmediatelyblackenagainwithyourcharcoal.”

Likewilldrawlike.

TheFatherandHisSonsAFATHERhadafamilyofsonswhowereperpetuallyquarrelingamongthemselves.Whenhefailedtohealtheirdisputesbyhisexhortations,hedeterminedtogivethemapractical illustrationoftheevilsofdisunion;andforthispurposeheonedaytoldthemtobringhimabundleofsticks.When theyhaddone so, heplaced the faggot into thehandsof eachofthem in succession, and ordered them to break it in pieces. They triedwith all their strength, andwere not able to do it. He next opened thefaggot,tookthesticksseparately,onebyone,andagainputthemintohissons’hands,uponwhichtheybrokethemeasily.Hethenaddressedtheminthesewords:“Mysons,ifyouareofonemind,andunitetoassisteachother, youwill be as this faggot, uninjured by all the attempts of yourenemies;butifyouaredividedamongyourselves,youwillbebrokenaseasilyasthesesticks.”

TheBoyHuntingLocustsABOYwashuntingforlocusts.Hehadcaughtagoodlynumber,whenhesawaScorpion,andmistakinghimforalocust,reachedouthishandtotakehim.TheScorpion,showinghissting,said:“Ifyouhadbuttouchedme,myfriend,youwouldhavelostme,andallyourlocuststoo!”

TheCockandtheJewelACOCK,scratchingforfoodforhimselfandhishens,foundapreciousstoneandexclaimed:“Ifyourownerhadfoundthee,andnotI,hewouldhavetakentheeup,andhavesettheeinthyfirstestate;butIhavefoundthee for no purpose. I would rather have one barleycorn than all thejewelsintheworld.”

TheKingdomoftheLionTHEBEASTS of the field and forest had aLion as their king.Hewasneitherwrathful,cruel,nortyrannical,butjustandgentleasakingcouldbe.Duringhisreignhemadearoyalproclamationforageneralassemblyofallthebirdsandbeasts,anddrewupconditionsforauniversalleague,inwhichtheWolfandtheLamb,thePantherandtheKid,theTigerandtheStag,theDogandtheHare,shouldlivetogetherinperfectpeaceandamity.TheHaresaid,“Oh,howIhave longed tosee thisday, inwhichtheweakshalltaketheirplacewithimpunitybythesideofthestrong.”AndaftertheHaresaidthis,heranforhislife.

TheWolfandtheCraneAWOLFwhohad abone stuck inhis throat hired aCrane, for a largesum, to put her head into hismouth and draw out the bone.When theCranehadextracted theboneanddemanded thepromisedpayment, theWolf,grinningandgrindinghisteeth,exclaimed:“Why,youhavesurelyalready had a sufficient recompense, in having been permitted to draw

outyourheadinsafetyfromthemouthandjawsofawolf.”

In serving thewicked, expect no reward, andbe thankful if you escapeinjuryforyourpains.

TheFishermanPipingA FISHERMAN skilled in music took his flute and his nets to theseashore. Standing on a projecting rock, he played several tunes in thehope that the fish, attracted by hismelody,would of their own accorddanceintohisnet,whichhehadplacedbelow.Atlast,havinglongwaitedinvain,helaidasidehisflute,andcastinghisnetintothesea,madeanexcellenthauloffish.Whenhesawthemleapingabout in thenetupontherockhesaid:“Oyoumostperversecreatures,whenIpipedyouwouldnotdance,butnowthatIhaveceasedyoudosomerrily.”

HerculesandtheWagonerACARTERwasdrivingawagonalongacountrylane,whenthewheelssankdowndeepintoarut.Therusticdriver,stupefiedandaghast,stoodlookingatthewagon,anddidnothingbututterloudcriestoHerculestocomeandhelphim.Hercules,itissaid,appearedandthusaddressedhim:“Putyourshoulderstothewheels,myman.Goadonyourbullocks,andnevermore pray tome for help, until you have done your best to helpyourself,ordependuponityouwillhenceforthprayinvain.”

Self-helpisthebesthelp.

TheAntsandtheGrasshopperTHEANTSwerespendinga finewinter’sdaydryinggraincollected inthe summertime.AGrasshopper, perishingwith famine, passed by andearnestly begged for a little food.TheAnts inquired of him, “Whydidyou not treasure up food during the summer?” He replied, “I had notleisureenough.Ipassedthedaysinsinging.”Theythensaidinderision:“If you were foolish enough to sing all the summer, you must dancesupperlesstobedinthewinter.”

TheTravelerandHisDogATRAVELERabouttosetoutonajourneysawhisDogstandatthedoorstretching himself. He asked him sharply: “Why do you stand theregaping? Everything is ready but you, so comewithme instantly.” TheDog,wagginghistail,replied:“O,master!Iamquiteready;itisyouforwhomIamwaiting.”

Theloitereroftenblamesdelayonhismoreactivefriend.

TheDogandtheShadowA DOG, crossing a bridge over a stream with a piece of flesh in hismouth,sawhisownshadowin thewaterand took it for thatofanotherDog,withapieceofmeatdoublehisowninsize.Heimmediatelyletgoof his own, and fiercely attacked the otherDog to get his larger piecefrom him. He thus lost both: that which he grasped at in the water,becauseitwasashadow;andhisown,becausethestreamsweptitaway.

TheMoleandHisMotherAMOLE,acreatureblindfrombirth,oncesaidtohisMother:“Iamsurethan I can see,Mother!” In the desire to prove to himhismistake, hisMotherplacedbeforehimafewgrainsoffrankincense,andasked,“Whatisit?”TheyoungMolesaid,“Itisapebble.”HisMotherexclaimed:“Myson,Iamafraidthatyouarenotonlyblind,but thatyouhavelostyoursenseofsmell.”

TheHerdsmanandtheLostBullA HERDSMAN tending his flock in a forest lost a Bull-calf from thefold.After a long and fruitless search, hemade avow that, if he couldonlydiscoverthethiefwhohadstolentheCalf,hewouldofferalambinsacrificetoHermes,Pan,andtheGuardianDeitiesoftheforest.Notlongafterwards, as he ascended a small hillock, he saw at its foot a LionfeedingontheCalf.Terrifiedatthesight,heliftedhiseyesandhishandstoheaven,andsaid:“JustnowIvowed tooffera lamb to theGuardianDeitiesoftheforestifIcouldonlyfindoutwhohadrobbedme;butnowthatIhavediscoveredthethief,Iwouldwillinglyaddafull-grownBulltotheCalfIhavelost,ifImayonlysecuremyownescapefromhiminsafety.”

TheHareandtheTortoiseAHAREonedayridiculedtheshortfeetandslowpaceof theTortoise,

whoreplied,laughing:“Thoughyoubeswiftasthewind,Iwillbeatyouin a race.” The Hare, believing her assertion to be simply impossible,assentedtotheproposal;andtheyagreedthattheFoxshouldchoosethecourseandfixthegoal.Onthedayappointedfortheracethetwostartedtogether.TheTortoisenever for amoment stopped,butwentonwith aslowbut steady pace straight to the end of the course.TheHare, lyingdownbythewayside,fellfastasleep.Atlastwakingup,andmovingasfast as he could, he saw the Tortoise had reached the goal, and wascomfortablydozingafterherfatigue.

Slowbutsteadywinstherace.

ThePomegranate,Apple-Tree,andBrambleTHE POMEGRANATE and Apple-Tree disputed as to which was themostbeautiful.When their strifewas at its height, aBramble from theneighboringhedgeliftedupitsvoice,andsaidinaboastfultone:“Pray,my dear friends, in my presence at least cease from such vaindisputings.”

TheFarmerandtheStorkA FARMER placed nets on his newly-sown plowlands and caught anumberofCranes,whichcametopickuphisseed.WiththemhetrappedaStorkthathadfracturedhisleginthenetandwasearnestlybeseechingtheFarmertosparehislife.“Praysaveme,Master,”hesaid,“andletmegofreethisonce.Mybrokenlimbshouldexciteyourpity.Besides,IamnoCrane,IamaStork,abirdofexcellentcharacter;andseehowIloveandslaveformyfatherandmother.Looktoo,atmyfeathers—theyare

nottheleastlikethoseofaCrane.”TheFarmerlaughedaloudandsaid,“Itmaybeallasyousay,Ionlyknowthis:Ihavetakenyouwiththeserobbers,theCranes,andyoumustdieintheircompany.”

Birdsofafeatherflocktogether.

TheFarmerandtheSnakeONEWINTERaFarmerfoundaSnakestiffandfrozenwithcold.Hehadcompassiononit,andtakingitup,placeditinhisbosom.TheSnakewasquicklyrevivedbythewarmth,andresumingitsnaturalinstincts,bititsbenefactor, inflicting on him a mortal wound. “Oh,” cried the Farmerwithhislastbreath,“Iamrightlyservedforpityingascoundrel.”

Thegreatestkindnesswillnotbindtheungrateful.

TheFawnandHisMotherAYOUNGFAWNoncesaid tohisMother,“Youare larger thanadog,and swifter, and more used to running, and you have your horns as adefense; why, then, O Mother! do the hounds frighten you so?” Shesmiled,andsaid:“Iknowfullwell,myson,thatallyousayistrue.Ihavetheadvantagesyoumention,butwhenIheareventhebarkofasingledogIfeelreadytofaint,andflyawayasfastasIcan.”

Noargumentswillgivecouragetothecoward.

TheBearandtheFoxA BEAR boasted very much of his philanthropy, saying that of allanimals hewas themost tender in his regard forman, for he had suchrespect for him that he would not even touch his dead body. A Foxhearing thesewordssaidwithasmile to theBear,“Oh! thatyouwouldeatthedeadandnottheliving.”

TheSwallowandtheCrowTHE SWALLOW and the Crow had a contention about their plumage.TheCrowputanendtothedisputebysaying,“Yourfeathersareallverywellinthespring,butmineprotectmeagainstthewinter.”

Fairweatherfriendsarenotworthmuch.

TheMountaininLaborAMOUNTAINwasoncegreatlyagitated.Loudgroansandnoiseswereheard, and crowds of people came from all parts to see what was thematter. While they were assembled in anxious expectation of someterriblecalamity,outcameaMouse.

Don’tmakemuchadoaboutnothing.

TheAss,theFox,andtheLion

THEASSandtheFox,havingenteredintopartnershiptogetherfortheirmutual protection, went out into the forest to hunt. They had notproceededfarwhen theymetaLion.TheFox,seeing imminentdanger,approachedtheLionandpromisedtocontriveforhimthecaptureoftheAssif theLionwouldpledgehiswordnot toharmtheFox.Then,uponassuringtheAssthathewouldnotbeinjured,theFoxledhimtoadeeppitandarrangedthatheshouldfallintoit.TheLion,seeingthattheAsswas secured, immediatelyclutched theFox, andattacked theAssathisleisure.

TheTortoiseandtheEagleATORTOISE, lazilybasking in thesun,complained to thesea-birdsofherhardfate,thatnoonewouldteachhertofly.AnEagle,hoveringnear,heardherlamentationanddemandedwhatrewardshewouldgivehimifhewouldtakeheraloftandfloatherintheair.“Iwillgiveyou,”shesaid,“all the riches of theRedSea.” “Iwill teach you to fly then,” said theEagle;andtakingherupinhistalonshecarriedheralmosttothecloudssuddenlyhelethergo,andshefellonaloftymountain,dashinghershellto pieces. The Tortoise exclaimed in the moment of death: “I havedeservedmy present fate; forwhat had I to dowithwings and clouds,whocanwithdifficultymoveaboutontheearth?”

Ifmenhadalltheywished,theywouldbeoftenruined.

TheFliesandtheHoney-PotA NUMBER of Flies were attracted to a jar of honey which had beenoverturned in a housekeeper’s room, and placing their feet in it, ate

greedily. Their feet, however, became so smeared with the honey thatthey could not use their wings, nor release themselves, and weresuffocated. Just as they were expiring, they exclaimed, “O foolishcreaturesthatweare,forthesakeofalittlepleasurewehavedestroyedourselves.”

Pleasureboughtwithpains,hurts.

TheManandtheLionAMANandaLiontraveledtogetherthroughtheforest.Theysoonbeganto boast of their respective superiority to each other in strength andprowess.As theywere disputing, they passed a statue carved in stone,whichrepresented“aLionstrangledbyaMan.”Thetravelerpointedtoitandsaid:“Seethere!Howstrongweare,andhowweprevailovereventhekingofbeasts.”TheLion replied:“This statuewasmadebyoneofyoumen.IfweLionsknewhowtoerectstatues,youwouldseetheManplacedunderthepawoftheLion.”

Onestoryisgood,tillanotheristold.

TheFarmerandtheCranesSOMECRANESmade their feedinggroundson someplowlandsnewlysownwithwheat.ForalongtimetheFarmer,brandishinganemptysling,chasedthemawaybytheterrorheinspired;butwhenthebirdsfoundthattheslingwasonlyswungin theair, theyceasedto takeanynoticeof itandwouldnotmove.TheFarmer,onseeingthis,chargedhisslingwithstones, andkilled a great number.The remainingbirds at once forsook

hisfields,cryingtoeachother,“ItistimeforustobeofftoLiliput:forthismanisnolongercontenttoscareus,butbeginstoshowusinearnestwhathecando.”

Ifwordssufficenot,blowsmustfollow.

TheDogintheMangerADOGlayinamanger,andbyhisgrowlingandsnappingpreventedtheoxen from eating the hay which had been placed for them. “What aselfishDog!”saidoneofthemtohiscompanions;“hecannoteatthehayhimself,andyetrefusestoallowthosetoeatwhocan.”

TheFoxandtheGoatAFOXonedayfellintoadeepwellandcouldfindnomeansofescape.AGoat,overcomewith thirst, came to thesamewell, andseeing theFox,inquiredifthewaterwasgood.Concealinghissadplightunderamerryguise, the Fox indulged in a lavish praise of the water, saying it wasexcellent beyondmeasure, and encouraging him to descend. The Goat,mindful only of his thirst, thoughtlessly jumped down, but just as hedrank, the Fox informed him of the difficulty they were both in andsuggested a scheme for their common escape. “If,” said he, “you willplaceyourforefeetuponthewallandbendyourhead,Iwillrunupyourback and escape, and will help you out afterwards.” The Goat readilyassented and theFox leaped upon his back. Steadying himselfwith theGoat’s horns, he safely reached themouth of thewell andmade off asfastashecould.WhentheGoatupbraidedhimforbreakinghispromise,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 wouldnever have gone down before you had inspected the way up, nor haveexposedyourselftodangersfromwhichyouhadnomeansofescape.”

Lookbeforeyouleap.

TheBearandtheTwoTravelersTWOMENweretravelingtogether,whenaBearsuddenlymetthemontheir path. One of them climbed up quickly into a tree and concealedhimself in thebranches.Theother,seeingthathemustbeattacked,fellflat on the ground, and when the Bear came up and felt him with hissnout, and smelt him all over, he held his breath, and feigned theappearanceofdeathasmuchashecould.TheBearsoonlefthim,foritissaidhewill not touch a deadbody.Whenhewasquite gone, theotherTraveler descended from the tree, and jocularly inquired of his friendwhatitwastheBearhadwhisperedinhisear.“Hegavemethisadvice,”hiscompanionreplied.“Nevertravelwithafriendwhodesertsyouattheapproachofdanger.”

Misfortuneteststhesincerityoffriends.

TheOxenandtheAxle-TreesAHEAVYWAGONwasbeingdraggedalongacountrylanebyateamofOxen.TheAxle-treesgroanedandcreakedterribly;whereupontheOxen,turninground,thusaddressedthewheels:“Hullothere!whydoyoumakesomuchnoise?Webearallthelabor,andwe,notyou,oughttocryout.”

Thosewhosuffermostcryouttheleast.

TheThirstyPigeonAPIGEON,oppressedbyexcessivethirst,sawagobletofwaterpaintedonasignboard.Notsupposingittobeonlyapicture,sheflewtowardsitwith a loudwhir and unwittingly dashed against the signboard, jarringherself terribly. Having broken her wings by the blow, she fell to theground,andwascaughtbyoneofthebystanders.

Zealshouldnotoutrundiscretion.

TheRavenandtheSwanA RAVEN saw a Swan and desired to secure for himself the samebeautifulplumage.SupposingthattheSwan’ssplendidwhitecolorarosefromhiswashinginthewaterinwhichheswam,theRavenleftthealtarsintheneighborhoodwherehepickeduphisliving,andtookupresidenceinthelakesandpools.Butcleansinghisfeathersasoftenashewould,hecouldnotchangetheircolor,whilethroughwantoffoodheperished.

ChangeofhabitcannotalterNature.

TheGoatandtheGoatherdAGOATHERD had sought to bring back a stray goat to his flock. Hewhistledandsoundedhishorninvain;thestragglerpaidnoattentionto

thesummons.AtlasttheGoatherdthrewastone,andbreakingitshorn,beggedtheGoatnottotellhismaster.TheGoatreplied,“Why,yousillyfellow,thehornwillspeakthoughIbesilent.”

Donotattempttohidethingswhichcannotbehid.

TheMiserAMISERsoldallthathehadandboughtalumpofgold,whichheburiedin a hole in the ground by the side of an oldwall andwent to look atdaily.One of hisworkmen observed his frequent visits to the spot anddecided towatch hismovements.He soon discovered the secret of thehiddentreasure,anddiggingdown,cametothelumpofgold,andstoleit.TheMiser,onhisnextvisit,foundtheholeemptyandbegantotearhishair and tomake loud lamentations.A neighbor, seeing him overcomewithgriefandlearningthecause,said,“Praydonotgrieveso;butgoandtakeastone,andplaceitinthehole,andfancythatthegoldisstilllyingthere.Itwilldoyouquitethesameservice;forwhenthegoldwasthere,youhaditnot,asyoudidnotmaketheslightestuseofit.”

TheSickLionA LION, unable from old age and infirmities to provide himself withfoodbyforce, resolved todosobyartifice.Hereturned tohisden,andlying down there, pretended to be sick, taking care that his sicknessshouldbepubliclyknown.Thebeastsexpressed their sorrow,andcameonebyonetohisden,wheretheLiondevouredthem.Aftermanyofthebeastshadthusdisappeared,theFoxdiscoveredthetrickandpresentinghimself to the Lion, stood on the outside of the cave, at a respectful

distance, andaskedhimhowhewas. “I amverymiddling,” replied theLion,“butwhydoyoustandwithout?Prayenterwithintotalkwithme.”“No,thankyou,”saidtheFox.“Inoticethattherearemanyprintsoffeetenteringyourcave,butIseenotraceofanyreturning.”

Heiswisewhoiswarnedbythemisfortunesofothers.

TheHorseandGroomAGROOMusedtospendwholedaysincurrycombingandrubbingdownhisHorse,butatthesametimestolehisoatsandsoldthemforhisownprofit. “Alas!” said the Horse, “if you really wish me to be in goodcondition,youshouldgroommeless,andfeedmemore.”

TheAssandtheLapdogAMANhadanAss,andaMalteseLapdog,averygreatbeauty.TheAsswasleftinastableandhadplentyofoatsandhaytoeat,justasanyotherAsswould.TheLapdogknewmanytricksandwasagreatfavoritewithhismaster,whooftenfondledhimandseldomwentout todinewithoutbringinghimhomesometidbittoeat.TheAss,onthecontrary,hadmuchworktodoingrindingthecorn-millandincarryingwoodfromtheforestor burdens from the farm. He often lamented his own hard fate andcontrasted itwith the luxuryand idlenessof theLapdog, tillat lastonedayhebrokehiscordsandhalter,andgallopedintohismaster’shouse,kickinguphisheelswithoutmeasure,andfriskingandfawningaswellashe could. He next tried to jump about his master as he had seen theLapdogdo,buthebrokethe tableandsmashedall thedishesuponit toatoms.Hethenattemptedtolickhismaster,andjumpeduponhisback.

The servants, hearing the strange hubbub and perceiving the danger oftheirmaster, quickly relieved him, and drove out theAss to his stablewithkicksandclubsandcuffs.TheAss,ashereturnedtohisstallbeatennearly to death, thus lamented: “I have brought it all onmyself!Whycould I not have been contented to laborwithmy companions, and notwishtobeidleallthedaylikethatuselesslittleLapdog!”

TheLionessACONTROVERSYprevailedamongthebeastsof thefieldas towhichoftheanimalsdeservedthemostcreditforproducingthegreatestnumberofwhelps at a birth. They rushed clamorously into the presence of theLioness anddemandedofher the settlementof thedispute. “Andyou,”theysaid,“howmanysonshaveyouatabirth?”TheLionesslaughedatthem, and said: “Why! I have only one; but that one is altogether athoroughbredLion.”

Thevalueisintheworth,notinthenumber.

TheBoastingTravelerA MAN who had traveled in foreign lands boasted very much, onreturningtohisowncountry,ofthemanywonderfulandheroicfeatshehadperformedinthedifferentplaceshehadvisited.Amongotherthings,hesaidthatwhenhewasatRhodeshehadleapedtosuchadistancethatnomanofhisdaycouldleapanywherenearhimastothat,therewereinRhodes many persons who saw him do it and whom he could call aswitnesses.Oneofthebystandersinterruptedhim,saying:“Now,mygoodman,if thisbeall truethereisnoneedofwitnesses.Supposethistobe

Rhodes,andleapforus.”

TheCatandtheCockA CAT caught a Cock, and pondered how he might find a reasonableexcuse for eating him.He accused him of being a nuisance tomen bycrowing in the nighttime and not permitting them to sleep. The Cockdefendedhimselfbysaying thathedid this for thebenefitofmen, thattheymightrise in timefor their labors.TheCatreplied,“Althoughyouabound in specious apologies, I shall not remain supperless;” and hemadeamealofhim.

ThePiglet,theSheep,andtheGoatAYOUNGPIGwasshutupinafold-yardwithaGoatandaSheep.Onone occasion when the shepherd laid hold of him, he grunted andsqueakedand resistedviolently.TheSheepand theGoatcomplainedofhisdistressingcries,saying,“Heoftenhandlesus,andwedonotcryout.”To this the Pig replied, “Your handling and mine are very differentthings.Hecatchesyouonlyforyourwool,oryourmilk,buthelaysholdonmeformyverylife.”

TheBoyandtheFilbertsABOYputhishandintoapitcherfulloffilberts.Hegraspedasmanyashe could possibly hold, butwhen he tried to pull out his hand, hewaspreventedfromdoingsobytheneckofthepitcher.Unwillingtolosehis

filberts, and yet unable to withdraw his hand, he burst into tears andbitterly lamented his disappointment. A bystander said to him, “Besatisfiedwithhalfthequantity,andyouwillreadilydrawoutyourhand.”

Donotattempttoomuchatonce.

TheLioninLoveALIONdemandedthedaughterofawoodcutterinmarriage.TheFather,unwilling to grant, and yet afraid to refuse his request, hit upon thisexpedient to rid himself of his importunities. He expressed hiswillingness to accept the Lion as the suitor of his daughter on onecondition: thathe shouldallowhim toextracthis teeth, andcutoffhisclaws,ashisdaughterwas fearfullyafraidofboth.TheLioncheerfullyassentedtotheproposal.Butwhenthetoothless,clawlessLionreturnedtorepeathisrequest,theWoodman,nolongerafraid,setuponhimwithhisclub,anddrovehimawayintotheforest.

TheLaborerandtheSnakeASNAKE,havingmadehisholeclosetotheporchofacottage,inflicteda mortal bite on the Cottager’s infant son. Grieving over his loss, theFatherresolved tokill theSnake.Thenextday,whenitcameoutof itsholeforfood,hetookuphisaxe,butbyswingingtoohastily,misseditshead and cutoff only the endof its tail.After some time theCottager,afraidthattheSnakewouldbitehimalso,endeavoredtomakepeace,andplacedsomebreadandsaltinthehole.TheSnake,slightlyhissing,said:“Therecanhenceforthbenopeacebetweenus;forwheneverIseeyouIshallrememberthelossofmytail,andwheneveryouseemeyouwillbe

thinkingofthedeathofyourson.”

No one truly forgets injuries in the presence of him who caused theinjury.

TheWolfinSheep’sClothingONCE UPONA TIME a Wolf resolved to disguise his appearance inorder to secure food more easily. Encased in the skin of a sheep, hepasturedwith the flock, deceiving the shepherd by his costume. In theeveninghewasshutupbytheshepherdinthefold;thegatewasclosed,andtheentrancemadethoroughlysecure.Buttheshepherd,returningtothe fold during the night to obtain meat for the next day, mistakenlycaughtuptheWolfinsteadofasheep,andkilledhiminstantly.

Harmseek,harmfind.

TheAssandtheMuleAMULETEERset forthona journey,drivingbeforehimanAssandaMule, bothwell laden.TheAss, as long ashe traveled along theplain,carriedhisloadwithease,butwhenhebegantoascendthesteeppathofthemountain,felthisloadtobemorethanhecouldbear.Heentreatedhiscompanion to relievehimof a smallportion, thathemight carryhomethe rest; but theMulepaidno attention to the request.TheAss shortlyafterwardsfelldowndeadunderhisburden.Notknowingwhatelsetodoinsowildaregion, theMuleteerplacedupontheMulethe loadcarriedbytheAssinadditiontohisown,andatthetopofallplacedthehideoftheAss,afterhehadskinnedhim.TheMule,groaningbeneathhisheavy

burden, said tohimself:“Iam treatedaccording tomydeserts. If IhadonlybeenwillingtoassisttheAssalittleinhisneed,Ishouldnotnowbebearing,togetherwithhisburden,himselfaswell.”

TheFrogsAskingforaKingTHEFROGS,grievedathavingnoestablishedRuler,sentambassadorstoJupiterentreatingforaKing.Perceivingtheirsimplicity,hecastdownahugelogintothelake.TheFrogswereterrifiedatthesplashoccasionedby its fall andhid themselves in thedepthsof thepool.But as soonasthey realized that thehuge logwasmotionless, they swamagain to thetopof thewater,dismissed their fears,climbedup,andbegansquattingon it in contempt.After some time they began to think themselves ill-treated in the appointment of so inert a Ruler, and sent a seconddeputation to Jupiter to pray that he would set over them anothersovereign. He then gave them an Eel to govern them.When the Frogsdiscoveredhiseasygoodnature, theysentyeta third time toJupiter tobeghimtochooseforthemstillanotherKing.Jupiter,displeasedwithalltheircomplaints,sentaHeron,whopreyedupontheFrogsdaybydaytilltherewerenonelefttocroakuponthelake.

TheBoysandtheFrogsSOMEBOYS,playingnearapond,sawanumberofFrogsin thewaterand began to pelt themwith stones. They killed several of them,whenoneoftheFrogs,liftinghisheadoutofthewater,criedout:“Praystop,myboys:whatissporttoyou,isdeathtous.”

TheSickStagA SICK STAG lay down in a quiet corner of its pasture-ground. Hiscompanionscame ingreatnumbers to inquireafterhishealth,andeachonehelpedhimselftoashareofthefoodwhichhadbeenplacedforhisuse; so that he died, not from his sickness, but from the failure of themeansofliving.

Evilcompanionsbringmorehurtthanprofit.

TheSaltMerchantandHisAssAPEDDLERdrovehisAsstotheseashoretobuysalt.HisroadhomelayacrossastreamintowhichhisAss,makingafalsestep,fellbyaccidentandroseupagainwithhisloadconsiderablylighter,asthewatermeltedthesack.ThePeddler retracedhisstepsandrefilledhispannierswithalargerquantityofsaltthanbefore.Whenhecameagaintothestream,theAss felldownonpurpose in thesamespot,and, regaininghis feetwiththeweightofhisloadmuchdiminished,brayedtriumphantlyasifhehadobtainedwhat he desired. The Peddler saw through his trick and drovehimfor the third timeto thecoast,whereheboughtacargoofspongesinstead of salt. TheAss, again playing the fool, fell down on purposewhenhereachedthestream,butthespongesbecameswollenwithwater,greatlyincreasinghisload.Andthushistrickrecoiledonhim,forhenowcarriedonhisbackadoubleburden.

TheOxenandtheButchers

THE OXEN once upon a time sought to destroy the Butchers, whopracticed a trade destructive to their race.They assembledon a certaindaytocarryouttheirpurpose,andsharpenedtheirhornsforthecontest.But one of them who was exceedingly old (for many a field had heplowed)thusspoke:“TheseButchers,itistrue,slaughterus,buttheydoso with skillful hands, and with no unnecessary pain. If we get rid ofthem,weshallfallintothehandsofunskillfuloperators,andthussufferadoubledeath:foryoumaybeassured,thatthoughalltheButchersshouldperish,yetwillmenneverwantbeef.”

Donotbeinahurrytochangeoneevilforanother.

TheLion,theMouse,andtheFoxALION, fatiguedby theheatofa summer’sday, fell fastasleep inhisden. A Mouse ran over his mane and ears and woke him from hisslumbers. He rose up and shook himself in great wrath, and searchedeverycornerofhisdentofindtheMouse.AFoxseeinghimsaid:“AfineLionyouare,tobefrightenedofaMouse.”“‘TisnottheMouseIfear,”saidtheLion;“Iresenthisfamiliarityandill-breeding.”

Littlelibertiesaregreatoffenses.

TheVainJackdawJUPITERDETERMINED,itissaid,tocreateasovereignoverthebirds,and made proclamation that on a certain day they should all presentthemselvesbeforehim,whenhewouldhimselfchoosethemostbeautifulamong them to be king. The Jackdaw, knowing his own ugliness,

searchedthroughthewoodsandfields,andcollected thefeatherswhichhadfallenfromthewingsofhiscompanions,andstucktheminallpartsof his body, hoping thereby tomake himself themost beautiful of all.When the appointed day arrived, and the birds had assembled beforeJupiter, the Jackdaw also made his appearance in his many featheredfinery. But when Jupiter proposed to make him king because of thebeautyofhisplumage,thebirdsindignantlyprotested,andeachpluckedfromhimhisownfeathers,leavingtheJackdawnothingbutaJackdaw.

TheGoatherdandtheWildGoatsAGOATHERD, driving his flock from their pasture at eventide, foundsomeWildGoatsmingledamongthem,andshut themuptogetherwithhisownforthenight.Thenextdayitsnowedveryhard,sothathecouldnot take theherd to theirusual feedingplaces,butwasobliged tokeeptheminthefold.Hegavehisowngoatsjustsufficientfoodtokeepthemalive,butfedthestrangersmoreabundantlyinthehopeofenticingthemtostaywithhimandofmakingthemhisown.Whenthethawsetin,heled themallout to feed,and theWildGoatsscamperedawayas fastasthey could to the mountains. The Goatherd scolded them for theiringratitudeinleavinghim,whenduringthestormhehadtakenmorecareof them thanofhisownherd.Oneof them, turningabout, said tohim:“That is the very reason why we are so cautious; for if you yesterdaytreatedusbetterthantheGoatsyouhavehadsolong,itisplainalsothatif others came after us, youwould in the samemanner prefer them toourselves.”

Oldfriendscannotwithimpunitybesacrificedfornewones.

TheMischievousDogADOGusedtorunupquietlytotheheelsofeveryonehemet,andtobitethemwithoutnotice.HismastersuspendedabellabouthisnecksothattheDogmightgivenoticeofhispresencewhereverhewent.Thinkingitamarkofdistinction, theDoggrewproudofhisbellandwent tinklingitalloverthemarketplace.Onedayanoldhoundsaidtohim:“Whydoyoumake such an exhibition of yourself? That bell that you carry is not,believeme,anyorderofmerit,butonthecontraryamarkofdisgrace,apublicnoticetoallmentoavoidyouasanill-mannereddog.”

Notorietyisoftenmistakenforfame.

TheFoxWhoHadLostHisTailAFOXcaughtinatrapescaped,butinsodoinglosthistail.Thereafter,feeling his life a burden from the shame and ridicule towhich hewasexposed, he schemed to convince all theotherFoxes that being taillesswasmuchmore attractive, thusmaking up for his owndeprivation.HeassembledagoodmanyFoxesandpubliclyadvisedthemtocutofftheirtails,sayingthattheywouldnotonlylookmuchbetterwithoutthem,butthattheywouldgetridoftheweightofthebrush,whichwasaverygreatinconvenience. One of them interrupting him said, “If you had notyourselflostyourtail,myfriend,youwouldnotthuscounselus.”

TheBoyandtheNettles

ABOYwasstungbyaNettle.HeranhomeandtoldhisMother,saying,“Although it hurtsme verymuch, I only touched it gently.” “Thatwasjust why it stung you,” said his Mother. “The next time you touch aNettle,graspitboldly,anditwillbesoftassilktoyourhand,andnotintheleasthurtyou.”

Whateveryoudo,dowithallyourmight.

TheManandHisTwoSweetheartsAMIDDLE-AGEDMAN,whosehairhadbeguntoturngray,courtedtwowomen at the same time. One of them was young, and the other welladvanced in years. The elderwoman, ashamed to be courted by amanyoungerthanherself,madeapoint,wheneverheradmirervisitedher,topulloutsomeportionofhisblackhairs.Theyounger,onthecontrary,notwishing to become the wife of an old man, was equally zealous inremoving every gray hair she could find. Thus it came to pass thatbetweenthembothheverysoonfoundthathehadnotahairleftonhishead.

Thosewhoseektopleaseeverybodypleasenobody.

TheAstronomerANASTRONOMER used to go out at night to observe the stars. Oneevening, as he wandered through the suburbs with his whole attentionfixedonthesky,hefellaccidentallyintoadeepwell.Whilehelamentedandbewailedhissoresandbruises,andcriedloudlyforhelp,aneighborran to the well, and learning what had happened said: “Hark ye, old

fellow,why,instrivingtopryintowhatisinheaven,doyounotmanagetoseewhatisonearth?”

TheWolvesandtheSheep“WHY SHOULD there always be this fear and slaughter between us?”said theWolves to theSheep.“Thoseevil-disposedDogshavemuch toanswer for.They alwaysbarkwheneverwe approachyou and attackusbefore we have done any harm. If you would only dismiss them fromyour heels, there might soon be treaties of peace and reconciliationbetween us.” The Sheep, poor silly creatures,were easily beguiled anddismissed the Dogs, whereupon the Wolves destroyed the unguardedflockattheirownpleasure.

TheOldWomanandthePhysicianANOLDWOMANhavinglosttheuseofhereyes,calledinaPhysicianto heal them, and made this bargain with him in the presence ofwitnesses:thatifheshouldcureherblindness,heshouldreceivefromhera sum of money; but if her infirmity remained, she should give himnothing. This agreement being made, the Physician, time after time,applied his salve to her eyes, and on every visit took something away,stealingallherpropertylittlebylittle.Andwhenhehadgotallshehad,he healed her and demanded the promised payment. The OldWoman,when she recovered her sight and saw none of her goods in her house,wouldgivehimnothing.ThePhysicianinsistedonhisclaim,and,asshestillrefused,summonedherbeforetheJudge.TheOldWoman,standingupintheCourt,argued:“Thismanherespeaksthetruthinwhathesays;for I did promise to give him a sum ofmoney if I should recovermy

sight:butifIcontinuedblind,Iwastogivehimnothing.NowhedeclaresthatIamhealed.IonthecontraryaffirmthatIamstillblind;forwhenIlosttheuseofmyeyes,Isawinmyhousevariouschattelsandvaluablegoods:butnow,thoughheswearsIamcuredofmyblindness,Iamnotabletoseeasinglethinginit.”

TheFightingCocksandtheEagleTWO GAME COCKS were fiercely fighting for the mastery of thefarmyard. One at last put the other to flight. The vanquished Cockskulked away and hid himself in a quiet corner, while the conqueror,flyinguptoahighwall,flappedhiswingsandcrowedexultinglywithallhismight.AnEaglesailingthroughtheairpounceduponhimandcarriedhimoffinhistalons.ThevanquishedCockimmediatelycameoutofhiscorner,andruledhenceforthwithundisputedmastery.

Pridegoesbeforedestruction.

TheChargerandtheMillerACHARGER,feeling the infirmitiesofage,wassent towork inamillinstead of going out to battle. But when he was compelled to grindinstead of serving in the wars, he bewailed his change of fortune andcalled tomindhis formerstate,saying,“Ah!Miller, Ihad indeed togocampaigning before, but I was barbed from counter to tail, and amanwentalongtogroomme;andnowIcannotunderstandwhatailedmetoprefer the mill before the battle.” “Forbear,” said the Miller to him,“harping on what was of yore, for it is the common lot of mortals tosustaintheupsanddownsoffortune.”

TheFoxandtheMonkeyAMONKEYoncedanced in anassemblyof theBeasts, and sopleasedthem all by his performance that they elected him their King.A Fox,envyinghim the honor, discovered a piece ofmeat lying in a trap, andleadingtheMonkeytotheplacewhereitwas,saidthatshehadfoundastore,buthadnotusedit,shehadkeptitforhimastreasuretroveofhiskingdom,andcounseledhim to layholdof it.TheMonkeyapproachedcarelessly and was caught in the trap; and on his accusing the Fox ofpurposely leading him into the snare, she replied, “OMonkey, and areyou,withsuchamindasyours,goingtobeKingovertheBeasts?”

TheHorseandHisRiderAHORSESOLDIERtooktheutmostpainswithhischarger.Aslongasthe war lasted, he looked upon him as his fellow-helper in allemergenciesandfedhimcarefullywithhayandcorn.Butwhenthewarwas over, he only allowed him chaff to eat andmade him carry heavyloads of wood, subjecting him to much slavish drudgery and ill-treatment.War was again proclaimed, however, and when the trumpetsummonedhimtohisstandard,theSoldierputonhischargeritsmilitarytrappings,andmounted,beingcladinhisheavycoatofmail.TheHorsefell down straightway under theweight, no longer equal to the burden,andsaidtohismaster,“Youmustnowgotothewaronfoot,foryouhavetransformedmefromaHorseintoanAss;andhowcanyouexpectthatIcanagainturninamomentfromanAsstoaHorse?”

TheBellyandtheMembersTHEMEMBERSoftheBodyrebelledagainsttheBelly,andsaid,“Whyshouldwebeperpetuallyengagedinadministeringtoyourwants,whileyoudonothingbuttakeyourrest,andenjoyyourselfinluxuryandself-indulgence?” The Members carried out their resolve and refused theirassistancetotheBelly.ThewholeBodyquicklybecamedebilitated,andthehands,feet,mouth,andeyes,whentoolate,repentedoftheirfolly.

TheVineandtheGoatAVINEwas luxuriant in the timeofvintagewith leavesandgrapes.AGoat, passing by, nibbled its young tendrils and its leaves. The Vineaddressedhimandsaid:“Whydoyouthusinjuremewithoutacause,andcropmyleaves?Istherenoyounggrassleft?ButIshallnothavetowaitlongformyjustrevenge;forifyounowshouldcropmyleaves,andcutmedowntomyroot,Ishallprovidethewinetopouroveryouwhenyouareledasavictimtothesacrifice.”

JupiterandtheMonkeyJUPITER ISSUED a proclamation to all the beasts of the forest andpromisedaroyalrewardtotheonewhoseoffspringshouldbedeemedthehandsomest. TheMonkey camewith the rest and presented, with all amother’stenderness,aflat-nosed,hairless,ill-featuredyoungMonkeyasacandidateforthepromisedreward.Ageneral laughsalutedheronthepresentationofherson.Sheresolutelysaid,“IknownotwhetherJupiterwillallottheprizetomyson,butthisIdoknow,thatheisatleastinthe

eyes ofme hismother, the dearest, handsomest, andmost beautiful ofall.”

TheWidowandHerLittleMaidensAWIDOWwhowasfondofcleaninghad twolittlemaidens towaitonher. She was in the habit of waking them early in the morning, atcockcrow.Themaidens,aggravatedbysuchexcessivelabor,resolvedtokillthecockwhorousedtheirmistresssoearly.Whentheyhaddonethis,they found that theyhadonlyprepared for themselves greater troubles,fortheirmistress,nolongerhearingthehourfromthecock,wokethemuptotheirworkinthemiddleofthenight.

TheShepherd’sBoyandtheWolfA SHEPHERD-BOY, who watched a flock of sheep near a village,broughtoutthevillagersthreeorfourtimesbycryingout,“Wolf!Wolf!”andwhenhisneighborscametohelphim,laughedatthemfortheirpains.TheWolf,however,didtrulycomeatlast.TheShepherd-boy,nowreallyalarmed,shoutedinanagonyofterror:“Pray,docomeandhelpme;theWolf is killing the sheep;” but no one paid any heed to his cries, norrenderedanyassistance.TheWolf,havingnocauseoffear,athisleisurelaceratedordestroyedthewholeflock.

Thereisnobelievingaliar,evenwhenhespeaksthetruth.

TheCatandtheBirds

A CAT, hearing that the Birds in a certain aviary were ailing, dressedhimselfupasaphysician,and,takinghiscaneandabagofinstrumentsbecominghisprofession,went to call on them.Heknockedat thedoorandinquiredoftheinmateshowtheyalldid,sayingthatiftheywereill,hewould be happy to prescribe for them and cure them. They replied,“We are all verywell, and shall continue so, if youwill only be goodenoughtogoaway,andleaveusasweare.”

TheKidandtheWolfAKIDstandingon the roofofahouse,outofharm’sway, sawaWolfpassing by and immediately began to taunt and revile him. TheWolf,lookingup,said,“Sirrah!Ihearthee:yetitisnotthouwhomockestme,buttheroofonwhichthouartstanding.”

Timeandplaceoftengivetheadvantagetotheweakoverthestrong.

TheOxandtheFrogANOXdrinkingatapooltrodonabroodofyoungfrogsandcrushedoneof them todeath.TheMother comingup, andmissingoneofher sons,inquired of his brothers what had become of him. “He is dead, dearMother;for justnowaveryhugebeastwithfourgreatfeetcameto thepoolandcrushedhim todeathwithhisclovenheel.”TheFrog,puffingherself out, inquired, “if the beast was as big as that in size.” “Cease,Mother,topuffyourselfout,”saidherson,“anddonotbeangry;foryouwould,Iassureyou,soonerburstthansuccessfullyimitatethehugenessofthatmonster.”

TheShepherdandtheWolfA SHEPHERDonce found thewhelp of aWolf and brought it up, andafter awhile taught it to steal lambs from the neighboring flocks. TheWolf, having shown himself an apt pupil, said to the Shepherd, “Sinceyouhavetaughtmetosteal,youmustkeepasharplookout,oryouwilllosesomeofyourownflock.”

TheFatherandHisTwoDaughtersAMANhadtwodaughters,theonemarriedtoagardener,andtheothertoatile-maker.Afteratimehewenttothedaughterwhohadmarriedthegardener,andinquiredhowshewasandhowallthingswentwithher.Shesaid,“All thingsareprosperingwithme,andIhaveonlyonewish, thattheremay be a heavy fall of rain, in order that the plantsmay bewellwatered.”Not long after, hewent to the daughterwho hadmarried thetilemaker, and likewise inquired of her how she fared; she replied, “Iwant for nothing, and have only one wish, that the dry weather maycontinue, and the sun shine hot and bright, so that the bricksmight bedried.”He said to her, “If your sister wishes for rain, and you for dryweather,withwhichofthetwoamItojoinmywishes?”

TheFarmerandHisSonsAFATHER,beingonthepointofdeath,wishedtobesurethathissonswouldgivethesameattentiontohisfarmashehimselfhadgivenit.He

called them tohisbedsideand said, “Mysons, there is agreat treasurehidinoneofmyvineyards.”Thesons,afterhisdeath,tooktheirspadesandmattocks and carefully dug over every portion of their land. Theyfoundnotreasure,butthevinesrepaidtheirlaborbyanextraordinaryandsuperabundantcrop.

TheCrabandItsMotherACRABsaidtoherson,“Whydoyouwalksoone-sided,mychild?Itisfar more becoming to go straight forward.” The young Crab replied:“Quitetrue,dearMother;andifyouwillshowmethestraightway,Iwillpromisetowalkin it.”TheMother triedinvain,andsubmittedwithoutremonstrancetothereproofofherchild.

Exampleismorepowerfulthanprecept.

TheHeiferandtheOxAHEIFERsawanOxhardatworkharnessed toaplow,and tormentedhim with reflections on his unhappy fate in being compelled to labor.Shortlyafterwards,attheharvestfestival,theownerreleasedtheOxfromhisyoke,butboundtheHeiferwithcordsandledhimawaytothealtartobeslaininhonoroftheoccasion.TheOxsawwhatwasbeingdone,andsaid with a smile to the Heifer: “For this you were allowed to live inidleness,becauseyouwerepresentlytobesacrificed.”

TheSwallow,theSerpent,andtheCourtofJustice

A SWALLOW, returning from abroad and especially fond of dwellingwithmen,builtherselfanestinthewallofaCourtofJusticeandtherehatchedsevenyoungbirds.ASerpentglidingpastthenestfromitsholein thewall ate up the youngunfledgednestlings.TheSwallow, findinghernestempty,lamentedgreatlyandexclaimed:“Woetomeastranger!that in this placewhere all others’ rights are protected, I alone shouldsufferwrong.”

TheThiefandHisMotherA BOY stole a lesson-book from one of his schoolfellows and took ithome to his Mother. She not only abstained from beating him, butencouragedhim.Henexttimestoleacloakandbroughtittoher,andsheagaincommendedhim.TheYouth,advancedtoadulthood,proceededtosteal thingsof stillgreatervalue.At lasthewascaught in theveryact,and having his hands bound behind him, was led away to the place ofpublic execution.HisMother followed in the crowd and violently beather breast in sorrow, whereupon the young man said, “I wish to saysomething to my Mother in her ear.” She came close to him, and hequicklyseizedherearwithhisteethandbititoff.TheMotherupbraidedhimasanunnaturalchild,whereonhereplied,“Ah!ifyouhadbeatenmewhenIfirststoleandbroughttoyouthatlesson-book,Ishouldnothavecometothis,norhavebeenthusledtoadisgracefuldeath.”

TheOldManandDeathAN OLD MAN was employed in cutting wood in the forest, and, incarrying the faggots to the city for sale one day, became verywearied

withhis long journey.Hesatdownby thewayside, and throwingdownhis load, besought “Death” to come. “Death” immediately appeared inanswertohissummonsandaskedforwhatreasonhehadcalledhim.TheOldManhurriedly replied, “That, lifting up the load, youmayplace itagainuponmyshoulders.”

TheFir-TreeandtheBrambleAFIR-TREEsaidboastinglytotheBramble,“Youareusefulfornothingatall;while I ameverywhereused for roofsandhouses.”TheBrambleanswered: “Youpoor creature, if youwould only call tomind the axesand sawswhich are about to hewyou down, youwould have reason towishthatyouhadgrownupaBramble,notaFir-Tree.”

Betterpovertywithoutcare,thanricheswith.

TheMouse,theFrog,andtheHawkAMOUSEwhoalwayslivedontheland,byanunluckychanceformedanintimate acquaintance with a Frog, who lived for the most part in thewater.TheFrog,onedayintentonmischief,boundthefootoftheMousetightlytohisown.Thusjoinedtogether,theFrogfirstofallledhisfriendtheMousetothemeadowwheretheywereaccustomedtofindtheirfood.Afterthis,hegraduallyledhimtowardsthepoolinwhichhelived,untilreachingtheverybrink,hesuddenlyjumpedin,draggingtheMousewithhim.TheFrogenjoyedthewateramazingly,andswamcroakingabout,asifhehaddoneagooddeed.TheunhappyMousewassoonsuffocatedbythewater,andhisdeadbodyfloatedaboutonthesurface,tiedtothefootof theFrog.AHawkobserved it,and,pouncingupon itwithhis talons,

carrieditaloft.TheFrog,beingstillfastenedtothelegoftheMouse,wasalsocarriedoffaprisoner,andwaseatenbytheHawk.

Harmhatch,harmcatch.

TheManBittenbyaDogAMANwhohadbeenbittenbyaDogwentabout inquestofsomeonewhomighthealhim.Afriend,meetinghimandlearningwhathewanted,said,“Ifyouwouldbecured,takeapieceofbread,anddipitinthebloodfromyourwound,andgoandgiveit totheDogthatbityou.”TheManwhohadbeenbittenlaughedatthisadviceandsaid,“Why?IfIshoulddoso,itwouldbeasifIshouldbegeveryDoginthetowntobiteme.”

Benefitsbestowedupontheevil-disposedincreasetheirmeansofinjuringyou.

TheTwoPotsARIVERcarrieddowninitsstreamtwoPots,onemadeofearthenwareandtheotherofbrass.TheEarthenPotsaidtotheBrassPot,“Praykeepat a distance and do not come near me, for if you touch me ever soslightly,Ishallbebrokeninpieces,andbesides,Ibynomeanswishtocomenearyou.”

Equalsmakethebestfriends.

TheWolfandtheSheepAWOLF,sorelywoundedandbittenbydogs,laysickandmaimedinhislair.Being inwant of food, he called to aSheepwhowaspassing, andaskedhimtofetchsomewaterfromastreamflowingclosebesidehim.“For,”hesaid,“ifyouwillbringmedrink,Iwillfindmeanstoprovidemyself with meat.” “Yes,” said the Sheep, “if I should bring you thedraught,youwoulddoubtlessmakemeprovidethemeatalso.”

Hypocriticalspeechesareeasilyseenthrough.

TheAethiopTHEPURCHASERofablackservantwaspersuadedthatthecolorofhisskinarosefromdirtcontractedthroughtheneglectofhisformermasters.On bringing him home he resorted to every means of cleaning, andsubjected theman to incessant scrubbings.The servant caught a severecold,butheneverchangedhiscolororcomplexion.

What’sbredinthebonewillsticktotheflesh.

TheFishermanandHisNetsAFISHERMAN,engagedinhiscalling,madeaverysuccessfulcastandcapturedagreathauloffish.Hemanagedbyaskillfulhandlingofhisnettoretainallthelargefishandtodrawthemtotheshore;buthecouldnotpreventthesmallerfishfromfallingbackthroughthemeshesofthenetintothesea.

TheHuntsmanandtheFishermanAHUNTSMAN,returningwithhisdogsfromthefield,fellinbychancewithaFishermanwhowasbringinghomeabasketwellladenwithfish.TheHuntsmanwished tohave the fish, and their owner experienced anequal longing for thecontentsof thegame-bag.Theyquicklyagreed toexchangetheproduceoftheirday’ssport.Eachwassowellpleasedwithhis bargain that theymade for some time the same exchange day afterday.Finallyaneighborsaidtothem,“Ifyougooninthisway,youwillsoondestroybyfrequentusethepleasureofyourexchange,andeachwillagainwishtoretainthefruitsofhisownsport.”

Abstainandenjoy.

TheOldWomanandtheWine-JarAN OLDWOMAN found an empty jar which had lately been full ofprimeoldwineandwhichstill retained the fragrantsmellof its formercontents.Shegreedilyplaceditseveraltimestohernose,anddrawingitbackwards and forwards said, “O most delicious! How nice must theWine itself have been, when it leaves behind in the very vessel whichcontaineditsosweetaperfume!”

Thememoryofagooddeedlives.

TheFoxandtheCrow

ACROWhavingstolenabitofmeat,perchedinatreeandhelditinherbeak.AFox, seeing this, longed to possess themeat himself, and by awilystratagemsucceeded.“Howhandsome is theCrow,”heexclaimed,“inthebeautyofhershapeandinthefairnessofhercomplexion!Oh,ifher voice were only equal to her beauty, she would deservedly beconsidered theQueenofBirds!”Thishesaiddeceitfully;but theCrow,anxioustorefutethereflectioncastuponhervoice,setupaloudcawanddropped theflesh.TheFoxquicklypicked itup,and thusaddressed theCrow: “My good Crow, your voice is right enough, but your wit iswanting.”

TheTwoDogsAMANhadtwodogs:aHound,trainedtoassisthiminhissports,andaHousedog, taught to watch the house. When he returned home after agoodday’ssport,healwaysgavetheHousedogalargeshareofhisspoil.TheHound, feelingmuch aggrieved at this, reproached his companion,saying,“Itisveryhardtohaveallthislabor,whileyou,whodonotassistin the chase, luxuriate on the fruits of my exertions.” The Housedogreplied,“Donotblameme,myfriend,butfindfaultwiththemaster,whohasnottaughtmetolabor,buttodependforsubsistenceonthelaborofothers.”

Childrenarenottobeblamedforthefaultsoftheirparents.

TheStagintheOx-StallASTAG,roundlychasedbythehoundsandblindedbyfeartothedangerhewasrunninginto,tookshelterinafarmyardandhidhimselfinashed

among the oxen. An Ox gave him this kindly warning: “O unhappycreature!whyshouldyouthus,ofyourownaccord,incurdestructionandtrustyourselfinthehouseofyourenemy?”TheStagreplied:“Onlyallowme, friend, to stay where I am, and I will undertake to find somefavorable opportunity of effecting my escape.”At the approach of theevening theherdsmancame to feedhis cattle,butdidnot see theStag;andeven the farm-bailiffwith several laborerspassed through the shedandfailedtonoticehim.TheStag,congratulatinghimselfonhissafety,began to expresshis sincere thanks to theOxenwhohadkindlyhelpedhimin thehourofneed.Oneof themagainansweredhim:“We indeedwishyouwell,butthedangerisnotover.Thereisoneotheryettopassthrough the shed, who has as it were a hundred eyes, and until he hascome and gone, your life is still in peril.”At that moment themasterhimselfentered,andhavinghad tocomplain thathisoxenhadnotbeenproperlyfed,hewentuptotheirracksandcriedout:“Whyistheresuchascarcity of fodder? There is not half enough straw for them to lie on.Those lazy fellows have not even swept the cobwebs away.”While hethusexaminedeverything in turn,hespied the tipsof theantlersof theStagpeepingoutofthestraw.Thensummoninghislaborers,heorderedthattheStagshouldbeseizedandkilled.

TheHawk,theKite,andthePigeonsTHE PIGEONS, terrified by the appearance of a Kite, called upon theHawktodefendthem.Heatonceconsented.Whentheyhadadmittedhiminto the cote, they found that he made more havoc and slew a largernumberof theminonedaythantheKitecouldpounceuponinawholeyear.

Avoidaremedythatisworsethanthedisease.

TheWidowandtheSheepA CERTAIN poor widow had one solitary Sheep. At shearing time,wishingtotakehisfleeceandtoavoidexpense,sheshearedhimherself,but used the shears so unskillfully thatwith the fleece she sheared theflesh. The Sheep, writhing with pain, said, “Why do you hurt me so,Mistress?Whatweight canmybloodadd to thewool? If youwantmyflesh,thereisthebutcher,whowillkillmeinaninstant;butifyouwantmyfleeceandwool,thereistheshearer,whowillshearandnothurtme.”

Theleastoutlayisnotalwaysthegreatestgain.

TheWildAssandtheLionA WILDASS and a Lion entered into an alliance so that they mightcapture the beasts of the forest with greater ease. The Lion agreed toassist theWildAsswithhisstrength,whiletheWildAssgavetheLionthebenefitofhisgreaterspeed.Whentheyhadtakenasmanybeastsastheirnecessitiesrequired, theLionundertooktodistribute theprey,andforthispurposedivideditintothreeshares.“Iwilltakethefirstshare,”hesaid,“becauseIamKing:andthesecondshare,asapartnerwithyouin the chase: and the third share (believeme)will be a sourceof greateviltoyou,unlessyouwillinglyresignittome,andsetoffasfastasyoucan.”

Mightmakesright.

TheEagleandtheArrowANEAGLEsatonaloftyrock,watchingthemovementsofaHarewhomhesoughttomakehisprey.Anarcher,whosawtheEaglefromaplaceofconcealment,tookanaccurateaimandwoundedhimmortally.TheEaglegave one look at the arrow that had entered his heart and saw in thatsingle glance that its feathers had been furnished by himself. “It is adouble grief to me,” he exclaimed, “that I should perish by an arrowfeatheredfrommyownwings.”

TheSickKiteAKITE,sickuntodeath,said tohismother:“OMother!donotmourn,butatonceinvokethegodsthatmylifemaybeprolonged.”Shereplied,“Alas!myson,whichofthegodsdoyouthinkwillpityyou?Isthereonewhomyouhavenotoutragedbyfilchingfromtheirveryaltarsapartofthesacrificeoffereduptothem?”

We must make friends in prosperity if we would have their help inadversity.

TheLionandtheDolphinALIONroamingbytheseashoresawaDolphinliftupitsheadoutofthewaves,andsuggestedthattheycontractanalliance,sayingthatofalltheanimals theyought tobe thebest friends,since theonewas thekingofbeasts on the earth, and the other was the sovereign ruler of all theinhabitants of the ocean. TheDolphin gladly consented to this request.NotlongafterwardstheLionhadacombatwithawildbull,andcalledon

theDolphin tohelphim.TheDolphin, thoughquitewilling togivehimassistance,wasunabletodoso,ashecouldnotbyanymeansreachtheland.TheLion abusedhim as a traitor.TheDolphin replied, “Nay,myfriend,blamenotme,butNature,which,whilegivingmethesovereigntyofthesea,hasquitedeniedmethepoweroflivingupontheland.”

TheLionandtheBoarON A SUMMER DAY, when the great heat induced a general thirstamongthebeasts,aLionandaBoarcameatthesamemomenttoasmallwell to drink. They fiercely disputedwhich of them should drink first,andwere soon engaged in the agonies of amortal combat.When theystoppedsuddenlytocatchtheirbreathforafiercerrenewalofthefight,theysawsomeVultureswaiting in thedistance to feaston theone thatshouldfallfirst.Theyatoncemadeuptheirquarrel,saying,“Itisbetterforustomakefriends,thantobecomethefoodofCrowsorVultures.”

TheOne-EyedDoeADOEblindinoneeyewasaccustomedtograzeasneartotheedgeofthecliffasshepossiblycould,inthehopeofsecuringhergreatersafety.Sheturnedhersoundeyetowardsthelandthatshemightgettheearliesttidingsof theapproachofhunterorhound,andher injuredeye towardsthe sea, from whence she entertained no anticipation of danger. Someboatmen sailing by saw her, and taking a successful aim, mortallywoundedher.Yieldingupher lastbreath, shegasped forth this lament:“OwretchedcreaturethatIam!totakesuchprecautionagainsttheland,and after all to find this seashore, to which I had come for safety, somuchmoreperilous.”

TheShepherdandtheSeaASHEPHERD,keepingwatchoverhissheepneartheshore,sawtheSeavery calm and smooth, and longed to make a voyage with a view tocommerce.Hesoldallhis flock, invested it inacargoofdates,andsetsail.Butaverygreat tempestcameon,and theshipbeing indangerofsinking,hethrewallhismerchandiseoverboard,andbarelyescapedwithhislifeintheemptyship.NotlongafterwardswhensomeonepassedbyandobservedtheunruffledcalmoftheSea,heinterruptedhimandsaid,“Itisagaininwantofdates,andthereforelooksquiet.”

TheAss,theCock,andtheLionANASSandaCockwereinastraw-yardtogetherwhenaLion,desperatefromhunger,approachedthespot.HewasabouttospringupontheAss,when theCock (to the sound ofwhose voice theLion, it is said, has asingular aversion) crowed loudly, and the Lion fled away as fast as hecould.TheAss,observinghistrepidationatthemerecrowingofaCocksummoned courage to attack him, and galloped after him for thatpurpose. He had run no long distance, when the Lion, turning about,seizedhimandtorehimtopieces.

Falseconfidenceoftenleadsintodanger.

TheMiceandtheWeasels

THEWEASELSandtheMicewagedaperpetualwarwitheachother,inwhichmuchbloodwasshed.TheWeaselswerealways thevictors.TheMicethoughtthatthecauseoftheirfrequentdefeatswasthattheyhadnoleaderssetapartfromthegeneralarmytocommandthem,andthattheywereexposedtodangersfromlackofdiscipline.TheythereforechoseasleadersMicethatweremostrenownedfortheirfamilydescent,strength,andcounsel,aswellasthosemostnotedfortheircourageinthefight,sothat they might be better marshaled in battle array and formed intotroops, regiments,andbattalions.Whenall thiswasdone,and thearmydisciplined, and the herald Mouse had duly proclaimed war bychallenging theWeasels, the newly chosen generals bound their headswith straws, that they might be more conspicuous to all their troops.Scarcelyhadthebattlebegun,whenagreatroutoverwhelmedtheMice,whoscamperedoffasfastastheycouldtotheirholes.Thegenerals,notbeingabletogetinonaccountoftheornamentsontheirheads,wereallcapturedandeatenbytheWeasels.

Themorehonor,themoredanger.

TheMiceinCouncilTHEMICE summoned a council to decide how theymight best devisemeans ofwarning themselves of the approach of their great enemy theCat.Amongthemanyplanssuggested,theonethatfoundmostfavorwastheproposal to tieabell to theneckof theCat,so that theMice,beingwarnedbythesoundofthetinkling,mightrunawayandhidethemselvesin their holes at his approach. Butwhen theMice further debatedwhoamongthemshouldthus“belltheCat,”therewasnoonefoundtodoit.

TheWolfandtheHousedogAWOLF,meetingabigwell-fedMastiffwithawoodencollarabouthisneck,askedhimwhoitwasthatfedhimsowellandyetcompelledhimtodrag that heavy log aboutwherever hewent. “Themaster,” he replied.ThensaidtheWolf:“Maynofriendofmineeverbeinsuchaplight;fortheweightofthischainisenoughtospoiltheappetite.”

TheRiversandtheSeaTHERIVERSjoinedtogethertocomplaintotheSea,saying,“Whyisitthatwhenweflowintoyour tidessopotableandsweet,youwork inussuchachange,andmakeussaltyandunfittodrink?”TheSea,perceivingthat they intendedto throwtheblameonhim,said,“Praycease toflowintome,andthenyouwillnotbemadebriny.”

ThePlayfulAssANASSclimbedup to the roofofabuilding,and friskingabout there,brokeinthetiling.Theownerwentupafterhimandquicklydrovehimdown, beating him severelywith a thickwooden cudgel. TheAss said,“Why, I saw the Monkey do this very thing yesterday, and you alllaughedheartily,asifitaffordedyouverygreatamusement.”

TheThreeTradesmenAGREATCITYwasbesieged,anditsinhabitantswerecalledtogetherto

consider the bestmeans of protecting it from the enemy.ABricklayerearnestly recommended bricks as affording the best material for aneffectiveresistance.ACarpenter,withequalenthusiasm,proposedtimberas a preferablemethod of defense.Uponwhich aCurrier stood up andsaid, “Sirs, I differ from you altogether: there is no material forresistanceequaltoacoveringofhides;andnothingsogoodasleather.”

Everymanforhimself.

TheMasterandHisDogsACERTAINMAN,detainedbyastorminhiscountryhouse,firstofallkilledhissheep,andthenhisgoats,forthemaintenanceofhishousehold.Thestormstillcontinuing,hewasobligedtoslaughterhisyokeoxenforfood.Onseeingthis,hisDogstookcounseltogether,andsaid,“Itistimeforus tobeoff, for if themaster sparenot his oxen,whowork forhisgain,howcanweexpecthimtospareus?”

Heisnottobetrustedasafriendwhomistreatshisownfamily.

TheWolfandtheShepherdsAWOLF, passingby, saw someShepherds in a hut eating a haunchofmuttonfortheirdinner.Approachingthem,hesaid,“WhataclamoryouwouldraiseifIweretodoasyouaredoing!”

TheDolphins,theWhales,andtheSprat

THEDOLPHINSandWhaleswagedafiercewarwitheachother.Whenthebattlewasat itsheight, aSprat lifted itsheadoutof thewavesandsaidthathewouldreconciletheirdifferencesiftheywouldaccepthimasan umpire. One of the Dolphins replied, “We would far rather bedestroyedinourbattlewitheachotherthanadmitanyinterferencefromyouinouraffairs.”

TheAssCarryingtheImageANASS once carried through the streets of a city a famous woodenImage,tobeplacedinoneofitsTemples.Ashepassedalong,thecrowdmade lowly prostration before the Image. TheAss, thinking that theybowedtheirheadsintokenofrespectforhimself,bristledupwithpride,gavehimself airs, and refused tomoveanother step.Thedriver, seeinghimthusstop,laidhiswhiplustilyabouthisshouldersandsaid,“Oyouperversedull-head!itisnotyetcometothis,thatmenpayworshiptoanAss.”

Theyarenotwisewhogivetothemselvesthecreditduetoothers.

TheTwoTravelersandtheAxeTWOMENwerejourneyingtogether.Oneofthempickedupanaxethatlay upon the path, and said, “I have found an axe.” “Nay,my friend,”repliedtheother,“donotsay‘I,’but‘We’havefoundanaxe.”Theyhadnotgonefarbeforetheysawtheowneroftheaxepursuingthem,andhewho had picked up the axe said, “We are undone.” “Nay,” replied theother, “keep toyour firstmodeof speech,my friend;whatyou thought

rightthen,thinkrightnow.Say‘I,’not‘We’areundone.”

Hewhosharesthedangeroughttosharetheprize.

TheOldLionA LION, worn out with years and powerless from disease, lay on thegroundatthepointofdeath.ABoarrusheduponhim,andavengedwithastrokeofhistusksalong-rememberedinjury.ShortlyafterwardstheBullwithhishornsgoredhimasifhewereanenemy.WhentheAsssawthatthe huge beast could be assailed with impunity, he let drive at hisforehead with his heels. The expiring Lion said, “I have reluctantlybrooked the insults of the brave, but to be compelled to endure suchtreatment from thee, a disgrace to Nature, is indeed to die a doubledeath.”

TheOldHoundAHOUND,whointhedaysofhisyouthandstrengthhadneveryieldedtoanybeastoftheforest,encounteredinhisoldageaboarinthechase.Heseizedhimboldlybytheear,butcouldnotretainhisholdbecauseofthe decay of his teeth, so that the boar escaped. His master, quicklycomingup,wasverymuchdisappointed,andfiercelyabusedthedog.TheHoundlookedupandsaid,“Itwasnotmyfaultmaster:myspiritwasasgoodasever,butIcouldnothelpmyinfirmities. I ratherdeservetobepraisedforwhatIhavebeen,thantobeblamedforwhatIam.”

TheBeeandJupiterA BEE from Mount Hymettus, the queen of the hive, ascended toOlympus to present Jupiter some honey fresh from her combs. Jupiter,delighted with the offering of honey, promised to give whatever sheshouldask.Shethereforebesoughthim,saying,“Giveme,Ipraythee,asting,thatifanymortalshallapproachtotakemyhoney,Imaykillhim.”Jupiterwasmuchdispleased,forhelovedtheraceofman,butcouldnotrefuse the request because of his promise. He thus answered the Bee:“Youshallhaveyourrequest,butitwillbeattheperilofyourownlife.Forifyouuseyoursting,itshallremaininthewoundyoumake,andthenyouwilldiefromthelossofit.”

Evilwishes,likechickens,comehometoroost.

TheMilk-WomanandHerPailAFARMER’SdaughterwascarryingherPailofmilk from the field tothefarmhouse,whenshefella-musing.“Themoneyforwhichthismilkwillbesold,willbuyatleastthreehundredeggs.Theeggs,allowingforallmishaps,willproduce twohundredand fiftychickens.Thechickenswill become ready for the market when poultry will fetch the highestprice,sothatbytheendoftheyearIshallhavemoneyenoughfrommysharetobuyanewgown.InthisdressIwillgototheChristmasparties,whereall theyoungfellowswillproposetome,butIwill tossmyheadandrefusethemeveryone.”Atthismomentshetossedherheadinunisonwithherthoughts,whendownfellthemilkpailtotheground,andallherimaginaryschemesperishedinamoment.

TheSeasideTravelersSOME TRAVELERS, journeying along the seashore, climbed to thesummitofatallcliff,andlookingoverthesea,sawinthedistancewhattheythoughtwasalargeship.Theywaitedinthehopeofseeingitentertheharbor,butas theobjectonwhich they lookedwasdrivennearer toshoreby thewind, theyfound that itcouldat themostbeasmallboat,andnotaship.When,however,itreachedthebeach,theydiscoveredthatit was only a large faggot of sticks, and one of them said to hiscompanions, “We have waited for no purpose, for after all there isnothingtoseebutaloadofwood.”

Ourmereanticipationsoflifeoutrunitsrealities.

TheBrazierandHisDogABRAZIERhadalittleDog,whichwasagreatfavoritewithhismaster,andhisconstantcompanion.WhilehehammeredawayathismetalstheDogslept;butwhen,on theotherhand,hewent todinnerandbegan toeat,theDogwokeupandwaggedhistail,asifhewouldaskforashareofhis meal. His master one day, pretending to be angry and shaking hisstickathim,said,“Youwretchedlittlesluggard!whatshallIdotoyou?While I amhammeringon the anvil, you sleepon themat; andwhen Ibegintoeataftermytoil,youwakeupandwagyourtailforfood.Doyounot know that labor is the source of every blessing, and that none butthosewhoworkareentitledtoeat?”

TheAssandHisShadow

ATRAVELERhired anAss to convey him to a distant place. The daybeing intensely hot, and the sun shining in its strength, the Travelerstoppedtorest,andsoughtshelterfromtheheatundertheShadowoftheAss.Asthisaffordedonlyprotectionforone,andastheTravelerandtheowneroftheAssbothclaimedit,aviolentdisputearosebetweenthemastowhichofthemhadtherighttotheShadow.TheownermaintainedthathehadlettheAssonly,andnothisShadow.TheTravelerassertedthathehad, with the hire of the Ass, hired his Shadow also. The quarrelproceeded from words to blows, and while the men fought, the Assgallopedoff.

Inquarrelingabouttheshadowweoftenlosethesubstance.

TheAssandHisMastersANASS,belongingtoanherb-sellerwhogavehimtoolittlefoodandtoomuchwork,made a petition to Jupiter to be released from his presentserviceandprovidedwithanothermaster.Jupiter,afterwarninghimthathe would repent his request, caused him to be sold to a tile-maker.Shortlyafterwards,findingthathehadheavierloadstocarryandharderwork in the brick-field, he petitioned for another change of master.Jupiter,tellinghimthatitwouldbethelasttimethathecouldgranthisrequest,ordainedthathebesold toa tanner.TheAssfoundthathehadfallen into worse hands, and noting his master’s occupation, said,groaning:“Itwouldhavebeenbetterformetohavebeeneitherstarvedby the one, or to have been overworked by the other of my formermasters, than tohavebeenboughtbymypresentowner,whowill evenafterIamdeadtanmyhide,andmakemeusefultohim.”

TheOakandtheReedsAVERYLARGEOAKwas uprooted by thewind and thrown across astream. It fell among some Reeds, which it thus addressed: “I wonderhow you,who are so light andweak, are not entirely crushed by thesestrongwinds.”Theyreplied,“Youfightandcontendwith thewind,andconsequentlyyouaredestroyed;whileweonthecontrarybendbeforetheleastbreathofair,andthereforeremainunbroken,andescape.”

Stooptoconquer.

TheFishermanandtheLittleFishAFISHERMANwholivedontheproduceofhisnets,onedaycaughtasingle small Fish as the result of his day’s labor. The Fish, pantingconvulsively, thus entreated for his life: “OSir,what good can I be toyou,andhowlittleamIworth?Iamnotyetcometomyfullsize.Praysparemylife,andputmebackintothesea.Ishallsoonbecomealargefish fit for the tablesof the rich,and thenyoucancatchmeagain,andmakeahandsomeprofitofme.”TheFishermanreplied,“Ishouldindeedbeaverysimplefellowif,forthechanceofagreateruncertainprofit,Iweretoforegomypresentcertaingain.”

TheHunterandtheWoodmanAHUNTER, not very bold,was searching for the tracks of a Lion.Heasked aman felling oaks in the forest if he had seen anymarks of hisfootsteps or knewwhere his lair was. “I will,” said the man, “at onceshowyoutheLionhimself.”TheHunter,turningverypaleandchattering

withhisteethfromfear,replied,“No,thankyou.Ididnotaskthat;itishistrackonlyIaminsearchof,nottheLionhimself.”

Theheroisbraveindeedsaswellaswords.

TheWildBoarandtheFoxAWILDBOARstoodunderatreeandrubbedhistusksagainstthetrunk.AFoxpassingbyaskedhimwhyhethussharpenedhisteethwhentherewasnodangerthreateningfromeitherhuntsmanorhound.Hereplied,“Idoitadvisedly;foritwouldneverdotohavetosharpenmyweaponsjustatthetimeIoughttobeusingthem.”

TheLioninaFarmyardALIONenteredafarmyard.TheFarmer,wishingtocatchhim,shutthegate.When the Lion found that he could not escape, he flew upon thesheepandkilledthem,andthenattackedtheoxen.TheFarmer,beginningtobealarmedforhisownsafety,openedthegateandreleasedtheLion.Onhis departure theFarmergrievously lamented thedestructionof hissheep andoxen, buthiswife,whohadbeen a spectator to all that tookplace,said,“Onmyword,youarerightlyserved,forhowcouldyouforamoment think of shutting up a Lion along with you in your farmyardwhenyouknowthatyoushakeinyourshoesifyouonlyhearhisroaratadistance?”

MercuryandtheSculptor

MERCURYONCEDETERMINEDto learn inwhatesteemhewasheldamongmortals.Forthispurposeheassumedthecharacterofamanandvisited in this disguise a Sculptor’s studio having looked at variousstatues,hedemandedthepriceoftwofiguresofJupiterandJuno.Whenthesumatwhichtheywerevaluedwasnamed,hepointedtoafigureofhimself,sayingtotheSculptor,“Youwillcertainlywantmuchmoreforthis, as it is the statue of theMessenger of theGods, and author of allyourgain.”TheSculptorreplied,“Well, ifyouwillbuy these, I’ll flingyouthatintothebargain.”

TheSwanandtheGooseACERTAINrichmanboughtinthemarketaGooseandaSwan.Hefedtheoneforhistableandkepttheotherforthesakeofitssong.WhenthetimecameforkillingtheGoose,thecookwenttogethimatnight,whenitwasdark,andhewasnotabletodistinguishonebirdfromtheother.Bymistakehecaught theSwaninsteadof theGoose.TheSwan, threatenedwith death, burst forth into song and thusmade himself known by hisvoice,andpreservedhislifebyhismelody.

TheSwollenFoxAVERYHUNGRYFOX,seeingsomebreadandmeatleftbyshepherdsinthehollowofanoak,creptintotheholeandmadeaheartymeal.Whenhefinished,hewassofull thathewasnotable togetout,andbegantogroan and lament his fate.AnotherFoxpassing by heard his cries, andcomingup,inquiredthecauseofhiscomplaining.Onlearningwhathadhappened,hesaidtohim,“Ah,youwillhavetoremainthere,myfriend,

untilyoubecomesuchasyouwerewhenyoucreptin,andthenyouwilleasilygetout.”

TheFoxandtheWoodcutterAFOX,runningbeforethehounds,cameacrossaWoodcutterfellinganoak and begged him to show him a safe hiding-place. TheWoodcutteradvisedhim to take shelter in his ownhut, so theFox crept in andhidhimself in a corner. The huntsman soon came up with his hounds andinquiredof theWoodcutter if hehad seen theFox.Hedeclared thathehadnotseenhim,andyetpointed,allthetimehewasspeaking,tothehutwheretheFoxlayhidden.Thehuntsmantooknonoticeofthesigns,butbelievinghisword,hastenedforwardinthechase.Assoonastheywerewellaway,theFoxdepartedwithouttakinganynoticeoftheWoodcutter:whereonhe called to him and reproached him, saying, “Youungratefulfellow,youoweyourlifetome,andyetyouleavemewithoutawordofthanks.”TheFoxreplied,“Indeed,Ishouldhavethankedyouferventlyifyour deeds hadbeen as good as yourwords, and if your hands had notbeentraitorstoyourspeech.”

TheBirdcatcher,thePartridge,andtheCockABIRDCATCHERwas about to sit down to a dinner of herbswhen afriend unexpectedly came in. The bird-trapwas quite empty, as he hadcaughtnothing,andhehadtokillapiedPartridge,whichhehadtamedforadecoy.Thebirdentreatedearnestlyforhislife:“Whatwouldyoudowithoutmewhen next you spread your nets?Whowould chirp you tosleep, or call for you the covey of answering birds?” The Birdcatcherspared his life, and determined to pick out a fine young Cock just

attaining to his comb.But theCock expostulated in piteous tones fromhisperch:“Ifyoukillme,whowill announce toyou theappearanceofthedawn?Whowillwakeyou toyourdaily tasksor tellyouwhenit istimetovisitthebird-trapinthemorning?”Hereplied,“Whatyousayistrue.Youareacapitalbirdattellingthetimeofday.ButmyfriendandImusthaveourdinners.”

Necessityknowsnolaw.

TheMonkeyandtheFishermenAMONKEYpercheduponaloftytreesawsomeFishermencastingtheirnetsintoariver,andnarrowlywatchedtheirproceedings.TheFishermenafterawhilegaveupfishing,andongoinghometodinnerlefttheirnetsupon the bank. The Monkey, who is the most imitative of animals,descended from the treetop and endeavored to do as they had done.Havinghandledthenet,hethrewitintotheriver,butbecametangledinthemeshesanddrowned.Withhis lastbreathhesaid tohimself,“Iamrightlyserved;forwhatbusinesshadIwhohadneverhandledanettotryandcatchfish?”

TheFleaandtheWrestlerAFLEAsettleduponthebarefootofaWrestlerandbithim,causingthemantocallloudlyuponHerculesforhelp.WhentheFleaasecondtimehoppeduponhisfoot,hegroanedandsaid,“OHercules!ifyouwillnothelpmeagainstaFlea,howcanIhopeforyourassistanceagainstgreaterantagonists?”

TheTwoFrogsTWOFROGSdweltinthesamepool.Whenthepooldriedupunderthesummer’sheat,theyleftitandsetouttogetherforanotherhome.Astheywentalongtheychancedtopassadeepwell,amplysuppliedwithwater,andwhentheysawit,oneoftheFrogssaidtotheother,“Letusdescendandmakeourabodeinthiswell:itwillfurnishuswithshelterandfood.”Theotherrepliedwithgreatercaution,“Butsupposethewatershouldfailus.Howcanwegetoutagainfromsogreatadepth?”

Donothingwithoutaregardtotheconsequences.

TheCatandtheMiceA CERTAINHOUSEwas overrun withMice.A Cat, discovering this,madeherwayintoitandbegantocatchandeatthemonebyone.Fearingfortheirlives,theMicekeptthemselvescloseintheirholes.TheCatwasno longer able to get at them and perceived that shemust tempt themforth by some device. For this purpose she jumped upon a peg, andsuspending herself from it, pretended to be dead. One of the Mice,peeping stealthily out, saw her and said, “Ah, my good madam, eventhoughyoushouldturnintoameal-bag,wewillnotcomenearyou.”

TheLion,theBear,andtheFoxALIONandaBearseizedaKidatthesamemoment,andfoughtfiercelyforitspossession.Whentheyhadfearfullylaceratedeachotherandwere

faintfromthelongcombat,theylaydownexhaustedwithfatigue.AFox,who had gone round them at a distance several times, saw them bothstretchedonthegroundwith theKid lyinguntouchedin themiddle.Heran in between them, and seizing the Kid scampered off as fast as hecould.TheLionandtheBearsawhim,butnotbeingabletogetup,said,“Woebetous,thatweshouldhavefoughtandbelaboredourselvesonlytoservetheturnofaFox.”

It sometimeshappens that onemanhas all the toil, and another all theprofit.

TheDoeandtheLionADOEhardpressedbyhunters sought refuge in a cavebelonging to aLion.TheLionconcealedhimselfonseeingherapproach,butwhenshewassafewithinthecave,spranguponherandtorehertopieces.“Woeisme,” exclaimed the Doe, “who have escaped fromman, only to throwmyselfintothemouthofawildbeast?”

Inavoidingoneevil,caremustbetakennottofallintoanother.

TheFarmerandtheFoxA FARMER, who bore a grudge against a Fox for robbing his poultryyard,caughthimatlast,andbeingdeterminedtotakeanamplerevenge,tiedsomeropewellsoakedinoiltohistail,andsetitonfire.TheFoxbya strange fatality rushed to the fields of the Farmer who had capturedhim.Itwasthetimeofthewheatharvest;buttheFarmerreapednothingthatyearandreturnedhomegrievingsorely.

TheSeagullandtheKiteASEAGULL,havingbolteddowntoolargeafish,burstitsdeepgullet-bag and lay down on the shore to die.AKite saw him and exclaimed:“Yourichlydeserveyourfate;forabirdoftheairhasnobusinesstoseekitsfoodfromthesea.”

Everymanshouldbecontenttomindhisownbusiness.

ThePhilosopher,theAnts,andMercuryAPHILOSOPHERwitnessedfromtheshoretheshipwreckofavessel,ofwhich the crew andpassengerswere all drowned.He inveighed againstthe injustice of Providence, which would for the sake of one criminalperchancesailing in theshipallowsomany innocentpersons toperish.Ashewasindulginginthesereflections,hefoundhimselfsurroundedbya whole army ofAnts, near whose nest he was standing. One of themclimbedupandstunghim,andheimmediatelytrampledthemalltodeathwith his foot.Mercury presented himself, and striking the Philosopherwithhiswand,said,“AndareyouindeedtomakeyourselfajudgeofthedealingsofProvidence,whohastthyselfinasimilarmannertreatedthesepoorAnts?”

TheMouseandtheBullA BULL was bitten by a Mouse and, angered by the wound, tried to

capturehim.But theMousereachedhishole insafety.ThoughtheBulldug into thewallswithhis horns, he tiredbefore he could rout out theMouse,andcrouchingdown,went tosleepoutside thehole.TheMousepeepedout,creptfurtivelyuphisflank,andagainbitinghim,retreatedtohis hole. The Bull, rising up and not knowing what to do, was sadlyperplexed.Atwhich theMouse said, “The great do not always prevail.There are times when the small and lowly are the strongest to domischief.”

TheLionandtheHareALIONcameacrossaHare,whowasfastasleep.Hewasjustintheactofseizingher,whenafineyoungHarttrottedby,andhelefttheHaretofollowhim.TheHare,scaredbythenoise,awokeandscuddedaway.TheLionwasunableafteralongchasetocatchtheHart,andreturnedtofeedupontheHare.OnfindingthattheHarealsohadrunoff,hesaid,“Iamrightlyserved,forhavingletgoofthefoodthatIhadinmyhandforthechanceofobtainingmore.”

ThePeasantandtheEagleAPEASANTfoundanEaglecaptured ina trap,andmuchadmiring thebird,sethimfree.TheEagledidnotproveungratefultohisdeliverer,forseeingthePeasantsittingunderawallwhichwasnotsafe,heflewtowardhim and with his talons snatched a bundle from his head. When thePeasantroseinpursuit,theEagleletthebundlefallagain.Takingitup,themanreturnedtothesameplace,tofindthatthewallunderwhichhehad been sitting had fallen to pieces; and he marveled at the servicerenderedhimbytheEagle.

TheImageofMercuryandtheCarpenterA VERY POOR MAN, a Carpenter by trade, had a wooden image ofMercury,beforewhichhemadeofferingsdaybyday,andbeggedtheidolto make him rich, but in spite of his entreaties he became poorer andpoorer. At last, being very angry, he took his image down from itspedestalanddasheditagainst thewall.Whenitsheadwasknockedoff,out came a streamof gold,which theCarpenter quickly picked up andsaid, “Well, I think thou art altogether contradictory and unreasonable;forwhenIpaidyouhonor,Ireapednobenefits:butnowthatImaltreatyouIamloadedwithanabundanceofriches.”

TheBullandtheGoatABULL,escapingfromaLion,hidinacavewhichsomeshepherdshadrecently occupied. As soon as he entered, a He-Goat left in the cavesharply attacked him with his horns. The Bull quietly addressed him:“Buttawayasmuchasyouwill. Ihavenofearofyou,butof theLion.Let that monster go away and I will soon let you know what is therespectivestrengthofaGoatandaBull.”

Itshowsanevildispositiontotakeadvantageofafriendindistress.

TheDancingMonkeysA PRINCE had someMonkeys trained to dance. Being naturally great

mimicsofmen’s actions, they showed themselvesmost apt pupils, andwhenarrayedintheirrichclothesandmasks,theydancedaswellasanyofthecourtiers.Thespectaclewasoftenrepeatedwithgreatapplause,tillon one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket ahandfulofnutsandthrewthemuponthestage.TheMonkeysatthesightof the nuts forgot their dancing and became (as indeed they were)Monkeys instead of actors. Pulling off their masks and tearing theirrobes, they foughtwithoneanother for thenuts.Thedancing spectaclethuscametoanendamidstthelaughterandridiculeoftheaudience.

TheFoxandtheLeopardTHEFOXandtheLeoparddisputedwhichwasthemorebeautifulofthetwo.TheLeopardexhibitedonebyonethevariousspotswhichdecoratedhis skin. But the Fox, interrupting him, said, “And how much morebeautifulthanyouamI,whoamdecorated,notinbody,butinmind.”

TheMonkeysandTheirMotherTHEMONKEY,itissaid,hastwoyoungonesateachbirth.TheMotherfondlesoneandnurturesitwiththegreatestaffectionandcare,buthatesandneglects the other. It happenedonce that the youngonewhichwascaressed and loved was smothered by the too great affection of theMother,while the despised onewas nurtured and reared in spite of theneglecttowhichitwasexposed.

Thebestintentionswillnotalwaysensuresuccess.

TheOaksandJupiterTHEOAKS presented a complaint to Jupiter, saying, “We bear for nopurposetheburdenof life,asofall the trees thatgrowweare themostcontinuallyinperiloftheaxe.”Jupitermadeanswer:“Youhaveonlytothankyourselvesforthemisfortunestowhichyouareexposed:forifyoudid notmake such excellent pillars and posts, and prove yourselves soserviceable to the carpenters and the farmers, the axe would not sofrequentlybelaidtoyourroots.”

TheHareandtheHoundAHOUNDstartedaHarefromhislair,butafteralongrun,gaveupthechase.Agoat-herd,seeinghimstop,mockedhim,saying,“Thelittleoneis thebest runnerof the two.”TheHound replied, “Youdonot see thedifference between us: I was only running for a dinner, but he for hislife.”

TheTravelerandFortuneA TRAVELERwearied from a long journey lay down, overcome withfatigue,ontheverybrinkofadeepwell.Justashewasabouttofallintothewater,DameFortune,itissaid,appearedtohimandwakinghimfromhisslumberthusaddressedhim:“GoodSir,praywakeup:forifyoufallintothewell,theblamewillbethrownonme,andIshallgetanillnameamongmortals;forIfindthatmenaresuretoimputetheircalamitiestome,howevermuchbytheirownfolly theyhavereallybrought themonthemselves.”

Everyoneismoreorlessmasterofhisownfate.

TheBaldKnightABALDKNIGHT,whoworeawig,wentouttohunt.Asuddenpuffofwindblewoffhishatandwig,atwhichaloudlaughrangforthfromhiscompanions.Hepulleduphishorse,andwithgreatgleejoinedinthejokebysaying,“Whatamarvelitisthathairswhicharenotmineshouldflyfrom me, when they have forsaken even the man on whose head theygrew.”

TheShepherdandtheDogASHEPHERDpenninghis sheep in the fold for thenightwasabout toshut up a wolf with them, when his Dog, perceiving the wolf, said,“Master,howcanyouexpectthesheeptobesafeifyouadmitawolfintothefold?”

TheLampALAMP,soakedwith toomuchoilandflaringbrightly,boasted that itgavemorelightthanthesun.Thenasuddenpuffofwindarose,andtheLamp was immediately extinguished. Its owner lit it again, and said:“Boast nomore, but henceforth be content to give thy light in silence.Knowthatnoteventhestarsneedtoberelit.”

TheLion,theFox,andtheAssTHELION,theFoxandtheAssenteredintoanagreementtoassisteachotherinthechase.Havingsecuredalargebooty,theLionontheirreturnfromtheforestaskedtheAsstoallothisdueportiontoeachofthethreepartnersinthetreaty.TheAsscarefullydividedthespoilintothreeequalshares andmodestly requested the two others tomake the first choice.The Lion, bursting out into a great rage, devoured the Ass. Then herequested the Fox to do him the favor to make a division. The Foxaccumulated all that they had killed into one large heap and left tohimself the smallest possible morsel. The Lion said, “Who has taughtyou,myveryexcellent fellow, theartofdivision?Youareperfect toafraction.”Hereplied,“IlearneditfromtheAss,bywitnessinghisfate.”

Happyisthemanwholearnsfromthemisfortunesofothers.

TheBull,theLioness,andtheWild-BoarHunterABULL,findingalion’scubasleep,goredhimtodeathwithhishorns.The Lioness came up, and bitterly lamented the death of herwhelp.Awild-boarHunter,seeingherdistress,stoodatadistanceandsaidtoher,“Thinkhowmanymen therearewhohave reason to lament the lossoftheirchildren,whosedeathshavebeencausedbyyou.”

TheOakandtheWoodcuttersTHEWOODCUTTER cut down aMountainOak and split it in pieces,

makingwedgesofitsownbranchesfordividingthetrunk.TheOaksaidwithasigh,“Idonotcareabouttheblowsoftheaxeaimedatmyroots,but I do grieve at being torn in pieces by thesewedgesmade frommyownbranches.”

Misfortunesspringingfromourselvesarethehardesttobear.

TheHenandtheGoldenEggsACOTTAGERandhiswifehadaHenthatlaidagoldeneggeveryday.They supposed that the Hen must contain a great lump of gold in itsinside, and inorder toget thegold theykilled it.Havingdone so, theyfoundtotheirsurprisethattheHendifferedinnorespectfromtheirotherhens.Thefoolishpair, thushoping tobecomerichallatonce,deprivedthemselvesofthegainofwhichtheywereassureddaybyday.

TheAssandtheFrogsANASS, carrying a load of wood, passed through a pond.As he wascrossingthroughthewaterhelosthisfooting,stumbledandfell,and,notbeing able to rise on account of his load, groaned heavily. SomeFrogsfrequentingthepoolheardhislamentation,andsaid,“Whatwouldyoudoifyouhadtoliveherealwaysaswedo,whenyoumakesuchafussaboutamerefallintothewater?”

Men often bear little grievances with less courage than they do largemisfortunes.

TheCrowandtheRavenACROWwasjealousoftheRaven,becausehewasconsideredabirdofgoodomenandalwaysattracted theattentionofmen,whonotedbyhisflight the good or evil course of future events. Seeing some travelersapproaching,theCrowflewupintoatree,and,perchingherselfononeofthebranches,cawedasloudlyasshecould.Thetravelersturnedtowardsthesoundandwonderedwhatitforeboded,whenoneofthemsaidtohiscompanion,“Letusproceedonourjourney,myfriend,foritisonlythecawofacrow,andhercry,youknow,isnoomen.”

Thosewhoassumeacharacterwhichdoesnotbelongtothem,onlymakethemselvesridiculous.

TheTreesandtheAxeAMANcameintoaforestandaskedtheTreestoprovidehimahandleforhisaxe.TheTreesconsentedtohisrequestandgavehimayoungash-tree.Nosoonerhadthemanfittedanewhandletohisaxefromit,thanhebegan touse it andquickly felledwithhis strokes thenoblestgiantsofthe forest.An old oak, lamenting when too late the destruction of hiscompanions,saidtoaneighboringcedar,“Thefirststephaslostusall.Ifwehadnotgivenuptherightsoftheash,wemightyethaveretainedourownprivilegesandhavestoodforages.”

TheCrabandtheFoxACRAB,forsaking theseashore,choseaneighboringgreenmeadowas

itsfeedingground.AFoxcameacrosshim,and,beingveryhungry,atehimup.Justashewasonthepointofbeingeaten,theCrabsaid,“Iwelldeservemyfate,forwhatbusinesshadIontheland,whenbymynatureandhabitsIamonlyadaptedforthesea?”

Contentmentwithourlotisanelementofhappiness.

TheWomanandHerHenAWOMANpossessedaHen thatgaveheraneggeveryday.Sheoftenponderedhowshemightobtaintwoeggsdailyinsteadofone,andatlast,to gain her purpose, determined to give theHen a double allowance ofbarley.FromthatdaytheHenbecamefatandsleek,andneveroncelaidanotheregg.

TheAssandtheOldShepherdASHEPHERD,watchinghisAssfeedinginameadow,wasalarmedallofa suddenby thecriesof theenemy.Heappealed to theAss to flywithhim, lest they should both be captured, but the animal lazily replied,“WhyshouldI,pray?Doyouthinkitlikelytheconquerorwillplaceonmetwosetsofpanniers?”“No,”rejoinedtheShepherd.“Then,”saidtheAss, “as long as I carry the panniers, what matters it to me whom Iserve?”

Inachangeofgovernmentthepoorchangenothingbeyondthenameoftheirmaster.

TheKitesandtheSwansTHEKITES of olden times, aswell as the Swans, had the privilege ofsong.But having heard the neigh of the horse, theywere so enchantedwiththesound,thattheytriedtoimitateit;and,intryingtoneigh,theyforgothowtosing.

The desire for imaginary benefits often involves the loss of presentblessings.

TheWolvesandtheSheepdogsTHEWOLVESthusaddressedtheSheepdogs:“Whyshouldyou,whoarelikeus insomanythings,notbeentirelyofonemindwithus,and livewithusasbrothersshould?Wedifferfromyouinonepointonly.Welivein freedom,but youbowdown to and slave formen,who in return foryour services flog youwithwhips and put collars on your necks. Theymake you also guard their sheep, andwhile they eat themutton throwonlythebonestoyou.Ifyouwillbepersuadedbyus,youwillgiveusthesheep,andwewillenjoythemincommon,tillweallaresurfeited.”TheDogs listened favorably to theseproposals, and, entering thedenof theWolves,theyweresetuponandtorntopieces.

TheHaresandtheFoxesTHEHARESwagedwarwith theEagles, and called upon theFoxes tohelpthem.Theyreplied,“Wewouldwillinglyhavehelpedyou,ifwehadnotknownwhoyouwere,andwithwhomyouwerefighting.”

Countthecostbeforeyoucommityourselves.

TheBowmanandLionA VERY SKILLFUL BOWMAN went to the mountains in search ofgame,butallthebeastsoftheforestfledathisapproach.TheLionalonechallengedhimtocombat.TheBowmanimmediatelyshotoutanarrowand said to the Lion: “I send thee my messenger, that from him thoumayest learnwhat Imyself shall bewhen I assail thee.” ThewoundedLion rushed away in great fear, and when a Fox who had seen it allhappen told him to be of good courage and not to back off at the firstattack,hereplied:“Youcounselmeinvain;for ifhesendssofearfulamessenger,howshallIabidetheattackofthemanhimself?”

Beonguardagainstmenwhocanstrikefromadistance.

TheCamelWHENMANfirst saw theCamel,hewasso frightenedathisvast sizethatheranaway.Afteratime,perceivingthemeeknessandgentlenessofthebeast’stemper,hesummonedcourageenoughtoapproachhim.Soonafterwards,observingthathewasananimalaltogetherdeficientinspirit,he assumed such boldness as to put a bridle in hismouth, and to let achilddrivehim.

Useservestoovercomedread.

TheWaspandtheSnakeA WASP seated himself upon the head of a Snake and, striking himunceasinglywithhisstings,woundedhimtodeath.TheSnake,being ingreat torment andnot knowinghow to ridhimself of his enemy, sawawagonheavilyladenwithwood,andwentandpurposelyplacedhisheadunder the wheels, saying, “At least my enemy and I shall perishtogether.”

TheDogandtheHareAHOUND,having startedaHareon thehillside,pursuedher for somedistance,atonetimebitingherwithhisteethasifhewouldtakeherlife,andatanotherfawninguponher,asifinplaywithanotherdog.TheHaresaidtohim,“Iwishyouwouldactsincerelybyme,andshowyourselfinyour truecolors. Ifyouareafriend,whydoyoubitemesohard?Ifanenemy,whydoyoufawnonme?”

Noonecanbeafriendifyouknownotwhethertotrustordistrusthim.

TheBullandtheCalfA BULLwas striving with all his might to squeeze himself through anarrowpassagewhichledtohisstall.AyoungCalfcameup,andofferedtogobeforeandshowhim thewaybywhichhecouldmanage topass.“Saveyourselfthetrouble,”saidtheBull;“Iknewthatwaylongbeforeyouwereborn.”

TheStag,theWolf,andtheSheepASTAGaskedaSheeptolendhimameasureofwheat,andsaidthattheWolfwouldbehissurety.TheSheep, fearingsomefraudwas intended,excusedherself,saying,“TheWolfisaccustomedtoseizewhathewantsandtorunoff;andyou,too,canquicklyoutstripmeinyourrapidflight.HowthenshallIbeabletofindyou,whenthedayofpaymentcomes?”

Twoblacksdonotmakeonewhite.

ThePeacockandtheCraneAPEACOCKspreadingitsgorgeoustailmockedaCranethatpassedby,ridiculing the ashenhueof its plumageand saying, “I am robed, like aking,ingoldandpurpleandallthecolorsoftherainbow;whileyouhavenotabitofcoloronyourwings.”“True,”repliedtheCrane;“butIsoartotheheightsofheavenand liftupmyvoice to the stars,whileyouwalkbelow,likeacock,amongthebirdsofthedunghill.”

Finefeathersdon’tmakefinebirds.

TheFoxandtheHedgehogA FOX swimming across a rapid riverwas carried by the force of thecurrentintoaverydeepravine,wherehelayforalongtimeverymuchbruised,sick,andunabletomove.Aswarmofhungryblood-suckingfliessettleduponhim.AHedgehog,passingby,sawhisanguishandinquired

if he should drive away the flies that were tormenting him. “By nomeans,”repliedtheFox;“praydonotmolestthem.”“Howisthis?”saidtheHedgehog;“doyounotwant toberidof them?”“No,”returned theFox, “for these flieswhich you see are full of blood, and stingme butlittle,andifyouridmeofthesewhicharealreadysatiated,othersmorehungrywill come in their place, andwill drink up all the blood I haveleft.”

TheEagle,theCat,andtheWildSowANEAGLEmadehernestatthetopofaloftyoak;aCat,havingfoundaconvenient hole,moved into themiddle of the trunk; and aWild Sow,with her young, took shelter in a hollow at its foot. TheCat cunninglyresolvedtodestroythischance-madecolony.Tocarryoutherdesign,sheclimbedto thenestof theEagle,andsaid,“Destructionispreparingforyou,andforme too,unfortunately.TheWildSow,whomyouseedailydigginguptheearth,wishestouproottheoak,soshemayonitsfallseizeourfamiliesasfoodforheryoung.”HavingthusfrightenedtheEagleoutof her senses, she crept down to the cave of the Sow, and said, “Yourchildrenareingreatdanger;forassoonasyougooutwithyourlittertofindfood,theEagleispreparedtopounceupononeofyourlittlepigs.”HavinginstilledthesefearsintotheSow,shewentandpretendedtohideherself in thehollowof the tree.Whennight came shewent forthwithsilentfootandobtainedfoodforherselfandherkittens,but feigning tobeafraid,shekepta lookoutall throughtheday.Meanwhile, theEagle,fulloffearoftheSow,satstillonthebranches,andtheSow,terrifiedbytheEagle,didnotdaretogooutfromhercave.Andthustheyboth,alongwiththeirfamilies,perishedfromhunger,andaffordedampleprovisionfortheCatandherkittens.

TheThiefandtheInnkeeperA THIEF hired a room in a tavern and stayed a while in the hope ofstealingsomethingwhichshouldenablehimtopayhisreckoning.Whenhehadwaitedsomedaysinvain,hesawtheInnkeeperdressedinanewandhandsomecoatandsittingbeforehisdoor.TheThiefsatdownbesidehim and talkedwith him.As the conversation began to flag, the Thiefyawnedterriblyandatthesametimehowledlikeawolf.TheInnkeepersaid,“Whydoyouhowlso fearfully?”“Iwill tellyou,” said theThief,“butfirstletmeaskyoutoholdmyclothes,orIshalltearthemtopieces.I know not, sir, when I got this habit of yawning, nor whether theseattacksofhowlingwereinflictedonmeasajudgmentformycrimes,orfor anyother cause; but this I doknow, thatwhen I yawn for the thirdtime, I actually turn into awolf and attackmen.”With this speech hecommencedasecondfitofyawningandagainhowledlikeawolf,ashehadat first.The Innkeeper,hearinghis taleandbelievingwhathesaid,becamegreatlyalarmedand,risingfromhisseat,attemptedtorunaway.TheThief laidholdofhiscoatandentreatedhimtostop,saying,“Praywait,sir,andholdmyclothes,orIshalltearthemtopiecesinmyfury,whenIturnintoawolf.”Atthesamemomentheyawnedthethirdtimeand set up a terrible howl. The Innkeeper, frightened lest he should beattacked,lefthisnewcoatintheThief’shandandranasfastashecouldinto the inn for safety. The Thief made off with the coat and did notreturnagaintotheinn.

Everytaleisnottobebelieved.

TheMuleA MULE, frolicsome from lack of work and from too much corn,

galloped about in a very extravagantmanner, and said tohimself: “Myfathersurelywasahigh-mettledracer,andIamhisownchild inspeedandspirit.”Onthenextday,beingdrivenalongjourney,andfeelingverywearied, he exclaimed in a disconsolate tone: “I must have made amistake;myfather,afterall,couldhavebeenonlyanass.”

TheHartandtheVineAHART,hardpressedinthechase,hidhimselfbeneaththelargeleavesof a Vine. The huntsmen, in their haste, overshot the place of hisconcealment. Supposing all danger to have passed, the Hart began tonibble the tendrils of the Vine. One of the huntsmen, attracted by therustling of the leaves, looked back, and seeing theHart, shot an arrowfromhisbowandstruckit.TheHart,atthepointofdeath,groaned:“Iamrightlyserved,forIshouldnothavemaltreatedtheVinethatsavedme.”

TheSerpentandtheEagleA SERPENT and an Eagle were struggling with each other in deadlyconflict. The Serpent had the advantage, andwas about to strangle thebird.A countryman saw them, and running up, loosed the coil of theSerpentandlettheEaglegofree.TheSerpent, irritatedattheescapeofhis prey, injected his poison into the drinking horn of the countryman.The rustic, ignorant of his danger, was about to drink, when the Eaglestruckhishandwithhiswing,and,seizingthedrinkinghorninhistalons,carrieditaloft.

TheCrowandthePitcherACROWperishingwith thirst sawapitcher, andhoping to findwater,flewtoitwithdelight.Whenhereachedit,hediscoveredtohisgriefthatit contained so littlewater thathecouldnotpossiblyget at it.He triedeverythinghecouldthinkoftoreachthewater,butallhiseffortswereinvain.At lasthecollectedasmanystonesashecouldcarryanddroppedthemonebyonewithhisbeakintothepitcher,untilhebroughtthewaterwithinhisreachandthussavedhislife.

Necessityisthemotherofinvention.

TheTwoFrogsTWOFROGSwereneighbors.One inhabited a deeppond, far removedfrompublicview; theother lived inagullycontaining littlewater, andtraversedbyacountryroad.TheFrog that lived in thepondwarnedhisfriend tochangehis residenceandentreatedhim tocomeand livewithhim, saying that he would enjoy greater safety from danger and moreabundant food.The other refused, saying that he felt it so very hard toleaveaplacetowhichhehadbecomeaccustomed.Afewdaysafterwardsaheavywagonpassedthroughthegullyandcrushedhimtodeathunderitswheels.

Awillfulmanwillhavehiswaytohisownhurt.

TheWolfandtheFoxATONETIMEaverylargeandstrongWolfwasbornamongthewolves,

who exceeded all his fellow-wolves in strength, size, and swiftness, sothattheyunanimouslydecidedtocallhim“Lion.”TheWolf,withalackof senseproportioned tohis enormous size, thought that theygavehimthis name in earnest, and, leaving his own race, consorted exclusivelywith the lions. An old sly Fox, seeing this, said, “May I never makemyself so ridiculous as youdo in your pride and self-conceit; for eventhoughyouhavethesizeofalionamongwolves,inaherdoflionsyouaredefinitelyawolf.”

TheWalnut-TreeAWALNUTTREE standing by the roadside bore an abundant crop offruit. For the sake of the nuts, the passers-by broke its branches withstones and sticks. The Walnut-Tree piteously exclaimed, “O wretchedme! that thosewhomI cheerwithmy fruit should repaymewith thesepainfulrequitals!”

TheGnatandtheLionAGNATcameandsaidtoaLion,“Idonotintheleastfearyou,norareyoustrongerthanIam.Forinwhatdoesyourstrengthconsist?Youcanscratch with your claws and bite with your teeth an a woman in herquarrels.IrepeatthatIamaltogethermorepowerfulthanyou;andifyoudoubt it, let us fight and see who will conquer.” The Gnat, havingsoundedhishorn, fastenedhimselfupon theLionandstunghimon thenostrils and the parts of the face devoid of hair.While trying to crushhim, the Lion tore himself with his claws, until he punished himselfseverely.TheGnatthusprevailedovertheLion,and,buzzingaboutinasongoftriumph,flewaway.Butshortlyafterwardshebecameentangled

inthemeshesofacobwebandwaseatenbyaspider.Hegreatlylamentedhisfate,saying,“Woeisme!thatI,whocanwagewarsuccessfullywiththe hugest beasts, should perish myself from this spider, the mostinconsiderableofinsects!”

TheMonkeyandtheDolphinASAILOR,boundonalongvoyage,tookwithhimaMonkeytoamusehimwhileon shipboard.Ashe sailedoff thecoastofGreece, aviolenttempestaroseinwhichtheshipwaswreckedandhe,hisMonkey,andallthecrewwereobligedtoswimfortheirlives.ADolphinsawtheMonkeycontendingwiththewaves,andsupposinghimtobeaman(whomheisalwayssaidtobefriend),cameandplacedhimselfunderhim,toconveyhimonhisbackinsafetytotheshore.WhentheDolphinarrivedwithhisburden insightof landnot far fromAthens,heasked theMonkey ifhewere an Athenian. The latter replied that he was, and that he wasdescendedfromoneofthemostnoblefamiliesinthatcity.TheDolphinthen inquired if he knew the Piraeus (the famous harbor of Athens).Supposingthatamanwasmeant,theMonkeyansweredthatheknewhimverywelland thathewasan intimate friend.TheDolphin, indignantatthesefalsehoods,dippedtheMonkeyunderthewateranddrownedhim.

TheJackdawandtheDovesA JACKDAW, seeing some Doves in a cote abundantly provided withfood, painted himself white and joined them in order to share theirplentifulmaintenance.TheDoves,aslongashewassilent,supposedhimtobeoneofthemselvesandadmittedhimtotheircote.Butwhenonedayheforgothimselfandbegantochatter,theydiscoveredhistruecharacter

anddrovehimforth,peckinghimwiththeirbeaks.FailingtoobtainfoodamongtheDoves,hereturnedtotheJackdaws.Theytoo,notrecognizinghim on account of his color, expelled him from living with them. Sodesiringtwoends,heobtainedneither.

TheHorseandtheStagATONETIMEtheHorsehadtheplainentirelytohimself.ThenaStagintruded intohisdomainand sharedhispasture.TheHorse,desiring torevengehimselfon thestranger,askedamanifhewerewilling tohelphim in punishing the Stag. The man replied that if the Horse wouldreceive a bit in his mouth and agree to carry him, he would contriveeffectiveweaponsagainsttheStag.TheHorseconsentedandallowedtheman to mount him. From that hour he found that instead of obtainingrevengeontheStag,hehadenslavedhimselftotheserviceofman.

TheKidandtheWolfAKID,returningwithoutprotectionfromthepasture,waspursuedbyaWolf. Seeing he could not escape, he turned round, and said: “I know,friendWolf,thatImustbeyourprey,butbeforeIdieIwouldaskofyouone favor you will play me a tune to which I may dance.” TheWolfcomplied,andwhilehewaspipingandtheKidwasdancing,somehoundshearingthesoundranupandbeganchasingtheWolf.TurningtotheKid,hesaid,“It is justwhat Ideserve; for I,whoamonlyabutcher,shouldnothaveturnedpipertopleaseyou.”

TheProphetAWIZARD, sitting in themarketplace,was telling the fortunes of thepassers-bywhenapersonranupingreathaste,andannouncedtohimthatthedoorsofhishousehadbeenbrokenopenandthatallhisgoodswerebeingstolen.Hesighedheavilyandhastenedawayasfastashecouldrun.Aneighborsawhimrunningandsaid,“Oh!youfellowthere!yousayyoucan foretell the fortunes of others; how is it you did not foresee yourown?”

TheFoxandtheMonkeyAFOXandaMonkeyweretravelingtogetheronthesameroad.Astheyjourneyed,theypassedthroughacemeteryfullofmonuments.“Allthesemonumentswhich you see,” said theMonkey, “are erected in honor ofmy ancestors, who were in their day freedmen and citizens of greatrenown.”TheFoxreplied,“Youhavechosenamostappropriatesubjectforyourfalsehoods,asIamsurenoneofyourancestorswillbeable tocontradictyou.”

Afalsetaleoftenbetraysitself.

TheThiefandtheHousedogATHIEFcame in thenight tobreak intoahouse.HebroughtwithhimseveralslicesofmeatinordertopacifytheHousedog,sothathewouldnot alarm hismaster by barking.As theThief threw him the pieces ofmeat, theDogsaid,“Ifyouthinktostopmymouth,youwillbegreatlymistaken.This suddenkindness atyourhandswill onlymakememore

watchful, lest under these unexpected favors tomyself, you have someprivate ends to accomplish for your own benefit, and for mymaster’sinjury.”

TheMan,theHorse,theOx,andtheDogAHORSE,Ox,andDog,driventogreatstraitsbythecold,soughtshelterand protection fromMan.He received them kindly, lighted a fire, andwarmedthem.HelettheHorsemakefreewithhisoats,gavetheOxanabundance of hay, and fed the Dog with meat from his own table.Gratefulforthesefavors,theanimalsdeterminedtorepayhimtothebestoftheirability.Forthispurpose,theydividedthetermofhislifebetweenthem,andeachendowedoneportionofitwiththequalitieswhichchieflycharacterizedhimself.TheHorsechosehisearliestyearsandgavethemhis own attributes: hence every man is in his youth impetuous,headstrong, andobstinate inmaintaininghis ownopinion.TheOx tookunderhispatronagethenexttermoflife,andthereforemaninhismiddleageisfondofwork,devotedtolabor,andresolutetoamasswealthandtohusband his resources. The end of life was reserved for the Dog,wherefore the old man is often snappish, irritable, hard to please, andselfish,tolerantonlyofhisownhousehold,butaversetostrangersandtoallwhodonotadministertohiscomfortortohisnecessities.

TheApesandtheTwoTravelersTWO MEN, one who always spoke the truth and the other who toldnothingbutlies,weretravelingtogetherandbychancecametothelandofApes.OneoftheApes,whohadraisedhimselftobeking,commandedthemtobeseizedandbroughtbeforehim,thathemightknowwhatwas

saidofhimamongmen.HeorderedatthesametimethatalltheApesbearrangedinalongrowonhisrighthandandonhisleft,andthatathronebe placed for him, as was the custom among men. After thesepreparationshesignifiedthatthetwomenshouldbebroughtbeforehim,andgreetedthemwiththissalutation:“WhatsortofakingdoIseemtoyoutobe,Ostrangers?”TheLyingTravelerreplied,“Youseemtomeamostmightyking.”“Andwhatisyourestimateofthoseyouseearoundme?”“These,”hemadeanswer,“areworthycompanionsofyourself,fitat least to be ambassadors and leaders of armies.”TheApe and all hiscourt, gratified with the lie, commanded that a handsome present begiventotheflatterer.OnthisthetruthfulTravelerthoughttohimself,“Ifsogreatarewardbegivenforalie,withwhatgiftmaynotIberewarded,if,accordingtomycustom,I tell the truth?”TheApequickly turnedtohim.“AndprayhowdoIandthesemyfriendsaroundmeseemtoyou?”“Thouart,”hesaid,“amostexcellentApe,andallthesethycompanionsafterthyexampleareexcellentApestoo.”TheKingoftheApes,enragedat hearing these truths, gave him over to the teeth and claws of hiscompanions.

TheWolfandtheShepherdAWOLFfollowedaflockofsheepforalongtimeanddidnotattempttoinjureoneofthem.TheShepherdatfirststoodonhisguardagainsthim,as against an enemy, and kept a strict watch over hismovements. ButwhentheWolf,dayafterday,keptinthecompanyofthesheepanddidnotmake the slightest effort to seize them, theShepherdbegan to lookuponhimasaguardianofhisflockratherthanasaplotterofevilagainstit;andwhenoccasioncalledhimonedayintothecity,heleftthesheepentirely in his charge. TheWolf, now that he had the opportunity, fellupon the sheep, and destroyed the greater part of the flock.When theShepherdreturnedtofindhisflockdestroyed,heexclaimed:“Ihavebeen

rightlyserved;whydidItrustmysheeptoaWolf?”

TheHaresandtheLionsTHE HARES harangued the assembly, and argued that all should beequal.TheLionsmade this reply:“Yourwords,OHares!aregood;buttheylackbothclawsandteethsuchaswehave.”

TheLarkandHerYoungOnesALARKhadmadehernestintheearlyspringontheyounggreenwheat.Thebroodhadalmostgrowntotheirfullstrengthandattainedtheuseoftheirwingsandthefullplumageoftheirfeathers,whentheownerofthefield, lookingoverhisripecrop,said,“ThetimehascomewhenImustask all my neighbors to help me with my harvest.” One of the youngLarks heardhis speech and related it to hismother, inquiringof her towhatplace theyshouldmove for safety.“There isnooccasion tomoveyet,myson,”shereplied;“themanwhoonlysendstohisfriendstohelphimwithhisharvestisnotreallyinearnest.”Theownerofthefieldcameagainafewdayslaterandsawthewheatsheddingthegrainfromexcessofripeness.Hesaid,“Iwillcomemyselftomorrowwithmylaborers,andwithasmanyreapersasIcanhire,andwillgetintheharvest.”TheLarkonhearing thesewordssaid toherbrood,“It is timenowtobeoff,mylittle ones, for theman is in earnest this time; he no longer trusts hisfriends,butwillreapthefieldhimself.”

Self-helpisthebesthelp.

TheFoxandtheLionWHENAFOXwhohadneveryetseenaLion,fellinwithhimbychancefor the first time in the forest,hewas so frightened thathenearlydiedwith fear. On meeting him for the second time, he was still muchalarmed,butnot to the sameextent as at first.On seeinghim the thirdtime,hesoincreasedinboldnessthathewentuptohimandcommencedafamiliarconversationwithhim.

Acquaintancesoftensprejudices.

TheWeaselandtheMiceA WEASEL, inactive from age and infirmities, was not able to catchmiceasheoncedid.Hethereforerolledhimselfinflourandlaydowninadarkcorner.AMouse,supposinghimtobefood,leapeduponhim,andwasinstantlycaughtandsqueezedtodeath.Anotherperishedinasimilarmanner,andthenathird,andstillothersafter them.AveryoldMouse,whohadescapedmanyatrapandsnare,observedfromasafedistancethetrickofhiscraftyfoeandsaid,“Ah!youthatliethere,mayyouprosperjustinthesameproportionasyouarewhatyoupretendtobe!”

TheBoyBathingABOYbathinginariverwasindangerofbeingdrowned.Hecalledouttoapassingtravelerforhelp,butinsteadofholdingoutahelpinghand,themanstoodbyunconcernedly,andscoldedtheboyforhisimprudence.“Oh,sir!”criedtheyouth,“prayhelpmenowandscoldmeafterwards.”

Counselwithouthelpisuseless.

TheAssandtheWolfANASSfeedinginameadowsawaWolfapproachingtoseizehim,andimmediately pretended to be lame. TheWolf, coming up, inquired thecauseofhis lameness.TheAss replied thatpassing throughahedgehehadtrodwithhisfootuponasharpthorn.HerequestedthattheWolfpullit out, lest when he ate him it should injure his throat. The Wolfconsented and liftedup the foot, andwasgivinghiswholemind to thediscoveryofthethorn,whentheAss,withhisheels,kickedhisteethintohis mouth and galloped away. TheWolf, being thus fearfully mauled,said,“Iamrightlyserved,forwhydidIattempttheartofhealing,whenmyfatheronlytaughtmethetradeofabutcher?”

TheSellerofImagesACERTAINMANmadeawoodenimageofMercuryandoffereditforsale. When no one appeared willing to buy it, in order to attractpurchasers,hecriedoutthathehadthestatuetosellofabenefactorwhobestowedwealthandhelpedtoheapupriches.Oneofthebystanderssaidtohim,“Mygoodfellow,whydoyousellhim,beingsuchaoneasyoudescribe,whenyoumayyourselfenjoythegoodthingshehastogive?”“Why,”he replied, “I am inneedof immediatehelp, andhe iswont togivehisgoodgiftsveryslowly.”

TheFoxandtheGrapesAFAMISHEDFOXsawsomeclustersofripeblackgrapeshangingfromatrellisedvine.Sheresortedtoallhertrickstogetatthem,butweariedherself in vain, for she could not reach them.At last she turned away,hidingherdisappointmentandsaying:“TheGrapesaresour,andnotripeasIthought.”

TheManandHisWifeAMANhadaWifewhomadeherselfhatedbyall themembersofhishousehold.Wishingtofindoutifshehadthesameeffectonthepersonsinherfather’shouse,hemadesomeexcusetosendherhomeonavisittoherfather.Afterashorttimeshereturned,andwhenheinquiredhowshehad got on and how the servants had treated her, she replied, “Theherdsmenandshepherdscastonmelooksofaversion.”Hesaid,“OWife,ifyouweredislikedbythosewhogooutearlyinthemorningwiththeirflocksand return late in theevening,whatmusthavebeen felt towardsyoubythosewithwhomyoupassedthewholeday!”

Strawsshowhowthewindblows.

ThePeacockandJunoTHE PEACOCK made complaint to Juno that, while the nightingalepleasedeveryearwithhissong,hehimselfnosooneropenedhismouththanhebecamea laughingstock to allwhoheardhim.TheGoddess, toconsolehim,said,“Butyoufarexcelinbeautyandinsize.Thesplendorof theemerald shines inyourneckandyouunfolda tailgorgeouswith

painted plumage.” “But for what purpose have I,” said the bird, “thisdumb beauty so long as I am surpassed in song?” “The lot of each,”repliedJuno,“hasbeenassignedbythewilloftheFates—tothee,beauty;to the eagle, strength; to the nightingale, song; to the raven, favorable,and to the crow,unfavorable auguries.These are all contentedwith theendowmentsallottedtothem.”

TheHawkandtheNightingaleANIGHTINGALE,sittingaloftuponanoakandsingingaccordingtohiswont,wasseenbyaHawkwho,beinginneedoffood,swoopeddownandseizedhim.TheNightingale,abouttolosehislife,earnestlybeggedtheHawk to let him go, saying that he was not big enough to satisfy thehunger of a Hawk who, if he wanted food, ought to pursue the largerbirds.TheHawk, interruptinghim, said: “I should indeedhave lostmysensesifIshouldletgofoodreadyinmyhand,forthesakeofpursuingbirdswhicharenotyetevenwithinsight.”

TheDog,theCock,andtheFoxA DOG and a Cock being great friends, agreed to travel together. Atnightfalltheytookshelterinathickwood.TheCockflyingup,perchedhimselfonthebranchesofatree,whiletheDogfoundabedbeneathinthehollowtrunk.Whenthemorningdawned,theCock,asusual,crowedveryloudlyseveraltimes.AFoxheardthesound,andwishingtomakeabreakfast on him, came and stood under the branches, saying howearnestly he desired to make the acquaintance of the owner of somagnificentavoice.TheCock,suspectinghiscivilities,said:“Sir,Iwishyouwoulddomethefavorofgoingaroundtothehollowtrunkbelowme,

and waking my porter, so that he may open the door and let you in.”When theFoxapproached the tree, theDogsprangoutandcaughthim,andtorehimtopieces.

TheWolfandtheGoatAWOLFsawaGoatfeedingatthesummitofasteepprecipice,wherehehadnochanceofreachingher.Hecalledtoherandearnestlybeggedhertocomelowerdown,lestshefallbysomemishap;andheaddedthatthemeadows lay where he was standing, and that the herbage was mosttender. She replied, “No, my friend, it is not for the pasture that youinviteme,butforyourself,whoareinwantoffood.”

TheLionandtheBullALION,greatlydesiringtocaptureaBull,andyetafraid toattackhimonaccountofhisgreatsize,resortedtoatricktoensurehisdestruction.Heapproached theBullandsaid,“Ihaveslaina finesheep,my friend;and if you will come home and partake of him with me, I shall bedelightedtohaveyourcompany.”TheLionsaidthisinthehopethat,asthe Bull was in the act of reclining to eat, he might attack him toadvantage, and make his meal on him. The Bull, on approaching theLion’sden,sawthehugespitsandgiantcaldrons,andnosignwhateverofthesheep,and,withoutsayingaword,quietlytookhisdeparture.TheLioninquiredwhyhewentoffsoabruptlywithoutawordofsalutationtohishost,whohadnotgivenhimanycause foroffense. “Ihave reasonsenough,” said the Bull. “I see no indication whatever of your havingslaughtered a sheep, while I do see very plainly every preparation foryourdiningonabull.”

TheGoatandtheAssA MAN once kept a Goat and anAss. The Goat, envying theAss onaccountofhisgreaterabundanceoffood,said,“Howshamefullyyouaretreated: at one timegrinding in themill, and at another carryingheavyburdens;”andhe furtheradvisedhim topretend tobeepilepticand fallintoaditchandsoobtainrest.TheAsslistenedtohiswords,andfallinginto a ditch, was very much bruised. His master, sending for a leech,askedhisadvice.HebadehimpouruponthewoundsthelungsofaGoat.TheyatoncekilledtheGoat,andsohealedtheAss.

TheTownMouseandtheCountryMouseACOUNTRYMOUSEinvitedaTownMouse,anintimatefriend,topayhim a visit and partake of his country fare.As they were on the bareplowlands, eating there wheat-stocks and roots pulled up from thehedgerow,theTownMousesaidtohisfriend,“Youliveherethelifeofthe ants, while inmy house is the horn of plenty. I am surrounded byevery luxury, and if youwill comewithme, as Iwish youwould, youshallhaveanampleshareofmydainties.”TheCountryMousewaseasilypersuaded,andreturnedtotownwithhisfriend.Onhisarrival,theTownMouseplacedbeforehimbread,barley,beans,driedfigs,honey,raisins,and, last of all, brought a dainty piece of cheese from a basket. TheCountryMouse, beingmuch delighted at the sight of such good cheer,expressedhissatisfactioninwarmtermsandlamentedhisownhardfate.Just as theywere beginning to eat, someone opened the door, and theybothranoffsqueaking,asfastastheycould,toaholesonarrowthattwo

couldonly find room in itby squeezing.Theyhad scarcelybegun theirrepast again when someone else entered to take something out of acupboard, whereupon the two Mice, more frightened than before, ranawayandhid themselves.At last theCountryMouse, almost famished,saidtohisfriend:“Althoughyouhavepreparedformesodaintyafeast,Imust leave you to enjoy it by yourself. It is surrounded by too manydangers to please me. I prefer my bare plowlands and roots from thehedgerow,whereIcanliveinsafety,andwithoutfear.”

TheWolf,theFox,andtheApeAWOLFaccusedaFoxoftheft,buttheFoxentirelydeniedthecharge.AnApeundertook toadjudge thematterbetween them.WheneachhadfullystatedhiscasetheApeannouncedthissentence:“Idonotthinkyou,Wolf,everlostwhatyouclaim;andIdobelieveyou,Fox,tohavestolenwhatyousostoutlydeny.”

Thedishonest,iftheyacthonestly,getnocredit.

TheFlyandtheDraught-MuleA FLY sat on the axle-tree of a chariot, and, addressing the Draught-Mule,said,“Howslowyouare!Whydoyounotgofaster?SeeifIdonotprickyourneckwithmysting.”TheDraught-Mulereplied,“Idonotheedyour threats; Ionlycare forhimwhositsaboveyou,andwhoquickensmypacewithhiswhip,orholdsmebackwiththereins.Away,therefore,with your insolence, for I knowwell when to go fast, andwhen to goslow.”

TheFishermenSOMEFISHERMENwereouttrawlingtheirnets.Perceivingthemtobeveryheavy,theydancedaboutforjoyandsupposedthattheyhadtakenalargecatch.Whentheyhaddraggedthenetstotheshoretheyfoundbutfewfish:thenetswerefullofsandandstones,andthemenwerebeyondmeasure cast down so much at the disappointment which had befallenthem,butbecausetheyhadformedsuchverydifferentexpectations.Oneoftheircompany,anoldman,said,“Letusceaselamenting,mymates,for,asitseemstome,sorrowisalwaysthetwinsisterofjoy;anditwasonly tobe looked for thatwe,who justnowwereover-rejoiced, shouldnexthavesomethingtomakeussad.”

TheLionandtheThreeBullsTHREEBULLSforalongtimepasturedtogether.ALionlayinambushinthehopeofmakingthemhisprey,butwasafraidtoattackthemwhilethey kept together. Having at last by guileful speeches succeeded inseparating them, he attacked them without fear as they fed alone, andfeastedonthemonebyoneathisownleisure.

Unionisstrength.

TheFowlerandtheViperAFOWLER,takinghisbird-limeandhistwigs,wentouttocatchbirds.Seeinga thrush sittingupona tree,hewished to take it, and fittinghis

twigs to a proper length, watched intently, having his whole thoughtsdirected towards the sky.While thus looking upwards, he unknowinglytrodupon aViper asleep just before his feet.TheViper, turning about,stunghim,andfallingintoaswoon,themansaidtohimself,“Woeisme!thatwhile Ipurposed tohuntanother, Iammyself fallenunawares intothesnaresofdeath.”

TheHorseandtheAssAHORSE,proudofhisfinetrappings,metanAssonthehighway.TheAss,beingheavilyladen,movedslowlyoutoftheway.“Hardly,”saidtheHorse,“canIresistkickingyouwithmyheels.”TheAssheldhispeace,and made only a silent appeal to the justice of the gods. Not longafterwards the Horse, having become broken-winded, was sent by hisownertothefarm.TheAss,seeinghimdrawingadungcart,thusderidedhim: “Where, O boaster, are now all thy gay trappings, thou who arethyselfreducedtotheconditionyousolatelytreatedwithcontempt?”

TheFoxandtheMaskA FOX entered the house of an actor and, rummaging through all hisproperties,cameuponaMask,anadmirableimitationofahumanhead.Heplacedhispawsonitandsaid,“Whatabeautifulhead!Yetitisofnovalue,asitentirelylacksbrains.”

TheGeeseandtheCranes

THEGEESEand theCraneswere feeding in thesamemeadow,whenabirdcatchercametoensnaretheminhisnets.TheCranes,beinglightofwing,fledawayathisapproach;whiletheGeese,beingslowerofflightandheavierintheirbodies,werecaptured.

TheBlindManandtheWhelpABLINDMANwas accustomed to distinguishingdifferent animals bytouching themwith his hands. The whelp of aWolf was brought him,witharequest thathewouldfeel it,andsaywhat itwas.Hefelt it,andbeingindoubt,said:“IdonotquiteknowwhetheritisthecubofaFox,orthewhelpofaWolf,butthisIknowfullwell.Itwouldnotbesafetoadmithimtothesheepfold.”

Eviltendenciesareshowninearlylife.

TheDogsandtheFoxSOMEDOGS,finding theskinofa lion,began to tear it inpieceswiththeirteeth.AFox,seeingthem,said,“Ifthislionwerealive,youwouldsoonfindoutthathisclawswerestrongerthanyourteeth.”

Itiseasytokickamanthatisdown.

TheCobblerTurnedDoctorACOBBLERunabletomakealivingbyhistradeandmadedesperateby

poverty,begantopracticemedicineinatowninwhichhewasnotknown.He sold a drug, pretending that it was an antidote to all poisons, andobtained a great name for himself by long-winded puffs andadvertisements. When the Cobbler happened to fall sick himself of aseriousillness,theGovernorofthetowndeterminedtotesthisskill.Forthispurposehecalledforacup,andwhilefillingitwithwater,pretendedtomixpoisonwith theCobbler’santidote,commandinghim todrink iton the promise of a reward. The Cobbler, under the fear of death,confessed that he had no knowledge of medicine, and was only madefamousby thestupidclamorsof thecrowd.TheGovernor thencalledapublicassemblyandaddressedthecitizens:“Ofwhatfollyhaveyoubeenguilty?Youhavenothesitatedtoentrustyourheadstoaman,whomnoonecouldemploytomakeeventheshoesfortheirfeet.”

TheWolfandtheHorseAWOLFcomingoutofa fieldofoatsmetaHorseand thusaddressedhim:“Iwouldadviseyoutogointothatfield.Itisfulloffineoats,whichIhaveleftuntouchedforyou,asyouareafriendwhomIwouldlovetohearenjoyinggoodeating.”TheHorsereplied,“Ifoatshadbeenthefoodofwolves,youwouldneverhave indulgedyourearsat thecostofyourbelly.”

Menofevilreputation,whentheyperformagooddeed,failtogetcreditforit.

TheBrotherandtheSisterAFATHERhadonesonandonedaughter,theformerremarkableforhis

good looks, the latter for her extraordinary ugliness. While they wereplaying one day as children, they happened by chance to look togetherinto a mirror that was placed on their mother’s chair. The boycongratulatedhimselfonhisgoodlooks; thegirlgrewangry,andcouldnotbeartheself-praisesofherBrother,interpretingallhesaid(andhowcould she do otherwise?) into reflection on herself. She ran off to herfather, to be avenged on her Brother, and spitefully accused him ofhaving, as a boy, made use of that which belonged only to girls. Thefather embraced them both, and bestowing his kisses and affectionimpartially on each, said, “Iwish you bothwould look into themirrorevery day: you, my son, that you may not spoil your beauty by evilconduct; andyou,mydaughter, thatyoumaymakeup foryour lackofbeautybyyourvirtues.”

TheWasps,thePartridges,andtheFarmerTHEWASPSandthePartridges,overcomewiththirst,cametoaFarmerand besought him to give them some water to drink. They promisedamplytorepayhimthefavorwhichtheyasked.ThePartridgesdeclaredthattheywoulddigaroundhisvinesandmakethemproducefinergrapes.TheWasps said that theywould keep guard and drive off thieveswiththeirstings.ButtheFarmerinterruptedthem,saying:“Ihavealreadytwooxen,who,withoutmakinganypromises,doallthesethings.Itissurelybetterformetogivethewatertothemthantoyou.”

TheCrowandMercuryACROWcaught in a snare prayed toApollo to release him,making avowtooffersomefrankincenseathisshrine.Butwhenrescuedfromhis

danger,heforgothispromise.Shortlyafterwards,againcaughtinasnare,hepassedbyApolloandmadethesamepromisetoofferfrankincensetoMercury. Mercury soon appeared and said to him, “O thou most basefellow? how can I believe thee, who hast disowned and wronged thyformerpatron?”

TheNorthWindandtheSunTHE NORTH WIND and the Sun disputed as to which was the mostpowerful,andagreedthatheshouldbedeclaredthevictorwhocouldfirststripawayfaringmanofhisclothes.TheNorthWindfirsttriedhispowerand blew with all his might, but the keener his blasts, the closer theTravelerwrappedhiscloakaroundhim,untilatlast,resigningallhopeofvictory,theWindcalledupontheSuntoseewhathecoulddo.TheSunsuddenlyshoneoutwithallhiswarmth.TheTravelernosoonerfelthisgenialraysthanhetookoffonegarmentafteranother,andatlast,fairlyovercomewithheat,undressedandbathedinastreamthatlayinhispath.

PersuasionisbetterthanForce.

TheTwoMenWhoWereEnemiesTWO MEN, deadly enemies to each other, were sailing in the samevessel.Determinedtokeepasfarapartaspossible,theoneseatedhimselfinthestem,andtheotherintheprowoftheship.Aviolentstormarose,and with the vessel in great danger of sinking, the one in the sterninquired of the pilotwhichof the two ends of the shipwould go downfirst.Onhisreplyingthathesupposeditwouldbetheprow,theMansaid,“Deathwouldnotbegrievous tome, if IcouldonlyseemyEnemydie

beforeme.”

TheGamecocksandthePartridgeAMANhad twoGamecocks inhispoultry-yard.OnedaybychancehefoundatamePartridgeforsale.Hepurchaseditandbroughtithometobe reared with his Gamecocks. When the Partridge was put into thepoultry-yard,theystruckatitandfolloweditabout,sothatthePartridgebecamegrievouslytroubledandsupposedthathewasthusevillytreatedbecausehewasastranger.NotlongafterwardshesawtheCocksfightingtogetherandnotseparatingbeforeonehadwellbeatentheother.Hethensaid tohimself, “I shall no longerdistressmyself at being struckat bythese Gamecocks, when I see that they cannot even refrain fromquarrelingwitheachother.”

TheQuackFrogAFROGonceupona timecameforth fromhishome in themarshandproclaimedtoallthebeaststhathewasalearnedphysician,skilledintheuseofdrugs and able toheal all diseases.AFoxaskedhim, “Howcanyoupretendtoprescribeforothers,whenyouareunabletohealyourownlamegaitandwrinkledskin?”

TheLion,theWolf,andtheFoxALION,growingold, lay sick inhis cave.All thebeasts came tovisittheir king, except the Fox. TheWolf therefore, thinking that he had a

capitalopportunity,accusedtheFoxtotheLionofnotpayinganyrespecttohimwhohadtheruleoverthemallandofnotcomingtovisithim.AtthatverymomenttheFoxcameinandheardtheselastwordsoftheWolf.TheLionroaringoutinarageagainsthim,theFoxsoughtanopportunitytodefendhimselfandsaid,“AndwhoofallthosewhohavecometoyouhavebenefitedyousomuchasI,whohavetraveledfromplacetoplaceinevery direction, and have sought and learnt from the physicians themeans of healing you?” TheLion commanded him immediately to tellhimthecure,whenhereplied,“Youmustflayawolfaliveandwraphisskin yet warm around you.” The Wolf was at once taken and flayed;whereon the Fox, turning to him, saidwith a smile, “You should havemovedyourmasternottoill,buttogood,will.”

TheDog’sHouseINTHEWINTERTIME,aDogcurledupinassmallaspaceaspossibleon account of the cold, determined tomake himself a house.However,whenthesummerreturnedagain,helayasleepstretchedathisfulllengthandappearedtohimself tobeofagreatsize.Nowheconsideredthat itwouldbeneither an easynor a necessarywork tomakehimself such ahouseaswouldaccommodatehim.

TheWolfandtheLionROAMING BY the mountainside at sundown, a Wolf saw his ownshadowbecomegreatlyextendedandmagnified,andhesaidtohimself,“Whyshould I,beingofsuchan immensesizeandextendingnearlyanacreinlength,beafraidoftheLion?OughtInottobeacknowledgedasKingofallthecollectedbeasts?”Whilehewasindulgingintheseproud

thoughts,aLionfelluponhimandkilledhim.Heexclaimedwitha toolaterepentance,“Wretchedme!thisoverestimationofmyselfisthecauseofmydestruction.”

TheBirds,theBeasts,andtheBatTHE BIRDS waged war with the Beasts, and each were by turns theconquerors.ABat,fearingtheuncertainissuesofthefight,alwaysfoughtonthesidewhichhefeltwasthestrongest.Whenpeacewasproclaimed,hisdeceitful conductwasapparent tobothcombatants.Thereforebeingcondemnedbyeachforhistreachery,hewasdrivenforthfromthelightof day, and henceforth concealed himself in dark hiding-places, flyingalwaysaloneandatnight.

TheSpendthriftandtheSwallowAYOUNGMAN,agreatspendthrift,hadrunthroughallhispatrimonyandhadbutonegoodcloakleft.OnedayhehappenedtoseeaSwallow,which had appeared before its season, skimming along a pool andtwitteringgaily.Hesupposedthatsummerhadcome,andwentandsoldhiscloak.Notmanydayslater,wintersetinagainwithrenewedfrostandcold.WhenhefoundtheunfortunateSwallowlifelessontheground,hesaid,“Unhappybird!whathaveyoudone?Bythusappearingbeforethespringtimeyouhavenotonlykilledyourself,butyouhavewroughtmydestructionalso.”

TheFoxandtheLion

A FOX saw a Lion confined in a cage, and standing near him, bitterlyreviledhim.TheLionsaidtotheFox,“Itisnotthouwhorevilestme;butthismischancewhichhasbefallenme.”

TheOwlandtheBirdsANOWL, inherwisdom,counseled theBirds thatwhen theacorn firstbegan to sprout, to pull it all up out of the ground and not allow it togrow. She said acorns would produce mistletoe, from which anirremediablepoison,thebird-lime,wouldbeextractedandbywhichtheywouldbecaptured.TheOwlnextadvisedthemtopluckuptheseedoftheflax,whichmenhadsown,asitwasaplantwhichbodednogoodtothem.And,lastly,theOwl,seeinganarcherapproach,predictedthatthisman,beingonfoot,wouldcontrivedartsarmedwithfeatherswhichwouldflyfasterthanthewingsoftheBirdsthemselves.TheBirdsgavenocredencetothesewarningwords,butconsideredtheOwltobebesideherselfandsaidthatshewasmad.Butafterwards,findingherwordsweretrue,theywondered at her knowledge and deemed her to be the wisest of birds.Henceitisthatwhensheappearstheylooktoherasknowingallthings,whileshenolongergivesthemadvice,butinsolitudelamentstheirpastfolly.

TheTrumpeterTakenPrisonerA TRUMPETER, bravely leading on the soldiers, was captured by theenemy.Hecriedout tohiscaptors,“Prayspareme,anddonot takemylifewithout cause orwithout inquiry. I have not slain a singleman ofyourtroop.Ihavenoarms,andcarrynothingbutthisonebrasstrumpet.”

“Thatistheveryreasonforwhichyoushouldbeputtodeath,”theysaid;“for,whileyoudonotfightyourself,yourtrumpetstirsalltheotherstobattle.”

TheAssintheLion’sSkinANASS,havingputon theLion’sskin, roamedabout in the forestandamused himself by frightening all the foolish animals he met in hiswanderings.AtlastcominguponaFox,hetriedtofrightenhimalso,butthe Fox no sooner heard the sound of his voice than he exclaimed, “Imight possibly have been frightened myself, if I had not heard yourbray.”

TheSparrowandtheHareAHAREpounceduponbyaneaglesobbedverymuchandutteredcrieslike a child. A Sparrow upbraided her and said, “Where now is thyremarkable swiftnessof foot?Whywereyour feet so slow?”While theSparrowwasthusspeaking,ahawksuddenlyseizedhimandkilledhim.TheHarewascomfortedinherdeath,andexpiringsaid,“Ah!youwhosolately,whenyousupposedyourselfsafe,exultedovermycalamity,havenowreasontodeploreasimilarmisfortune.”

TheFleaandtheOxAFLEAthusquestionedanOx:“Whatailsyou, thatbeingsohugeandstrong, you submit to the wrongs you receive frommen and slave for

themdaybyday,whileI,beingsosmallacreature,mercilesslyfeedontheirfleshanddrinktheirbloodwithoutstint?”TheOxreplied:“Idonotwishtobeungrateful,forIamlovedandwellcaredforbymen,andtheyoftenpatmyheadandshoulders.”“Woe’sme!”saidtheflea;“thisverypatting which you like, whenever it happens to me, brings with it myinevitabledestruction.”

TheGoodsandtheIllsALLtheGoodswereoncedrivenoutbytheIllsfromthatcommonsharewhich theyeachhad in theaffairsofmankind; for theIllsbyreasonoftheir numbers had prevailed to possess the earth. The Goods waftedthemselves to heaven and asked for a righteous vengeance on theirpersecutors. They entreated Jupiter that they might no longer beassociatedwith the Ills, as they had nothing in common and could notlive together, but were engaged in unceasing warfare; and that anindissoluble lawmight be laid down for their future protection. JupitergrantedtheirrequestanddecreedthathenceforththeIllsshouldvisittheearthincompanywitheachother,butthattheGoodsshouldonebyoneenter the habitations ofmen. Hence it arises that Ills abound, for theycomenotonebyone, but in troops, andbynomeans singly:while theGoods proceed from Jupiter, and are given, not alike to all, but singly,andseparately;andonebyonetothosewhoareabletodiscernthem.

TheDoveandtheCrowADOVE shut up in a cagewas boasting of the large number of youngoneswhichshehadhatched.ACrowhearingher,said:“Mygoodfriend,cease from this unseasonable boasting. The larger the number of your

family, thegreateryourcauseofsorrow, inseeing themshutup in thisprison-house.”

MercuryandtheWorkmenAWORKMAN, fellingwoodby the sideofa river, lethisaxedropbyaccident into a deep pool. Being thus deprived of the means of hislivelihood,hesatdownonthebankandlamentedhishardfate.Mercuryappeared and demanded the cause of his tears. After he told him hismisfortune,Mercuryplungedinto thestream,and,bringingupagoldenaxe,inquiredifthatweretheonehehadlost.Onhissayingthatitwasnothis,Mercurydisappearedbeneaththewaterasecondtime,returnedwitha silver axe in his hand, and again asked theWorkman if it were his.WhentheWorkmansaid itwasnot,hedivedinto thepoolfor the thirdtimeandbroughtuptheaxethathadbeenlost.TheWorkmanclaimeditandexpressedhisjoyatitsrecovery.Mercury,pleasedwithhishonesty,gave him the golden and silver axes in addition to his own. TheWorkman,onhis return tohishouse, related tohiscompanionsall thathadhappened.Oneof thematonceresolved to tryandsecure thesamegoodfortuneforhimself.Herantotheriverandthrewhisaxeonpurposeinto the pool at the same place, and sat down on the bank to weep.Mercuryappearedtohimjustashehopedhewould;andhavinglearnedthecauseofhisgrief,plunged into the streamandbroughtupagoldenaxe, inquiring if he had lost it. The Workman seized it greedily, anddeclared that truly itwas the very same axe that he had lost.Mercury,displeasedathisknavery,notonlytookawaythegoldenaxe,butrefusedtorecoverforhimtheaxehehadthrownintothepool.

TheEagleandtheJackdaw

ANEAGLE, flyingdown fromhisperchona lofty rock, seizeduponalambandcarriedhimaloft inhis talons.AJackdaw,whowitnessed thecaptureofthelamb,wasstirredwithenvyanddeterminedtoemulatethestrengthandflightoftheEagle.Heflewaroundwithagreatwhirofhiswings and settled upon a large ram,with the intention of carrying himoff,buthisclawsbecameentangled in the ram’s fleeceandhewasnotabletoreleasehimself,althoughheflutteredwithhisfeathersasmuchashe could. The shepherd, seeing what had happened, ran up and caughthim.He at once clipped the Jackdaw’swings, and taking him home atnight, gave him to his children.On their saying, “Father,what kind ofbird is it?” he replied, “Tomy certain knowledge he is aDaw; but hewouldlikeyoutothinkanEagle.”

TheFoxandtheCraneA FOX invited a Crane to supper and provided nothing for hisentertainmentbutsomesoupmadeofpulse,whichwaspouredoutintoabroad flat stonedish.The soup fell out of the longbill of theCrane ateverymouthful,andhisvexationatnotbeingabletoeataffordedtheFoxmuchamusement.TheCrane,inhisturn,askedtheFoxtosupwithhim,and setbeforeher a flagonwith a longnarrowmouth, so thathe couldeasily insert his neck and enjoy its contents at his leisure. The Fox,unableeventotasteit,metwithafittingrequital,afterthefashionofherownhospitality.

Jupiter,Neptune,Minerva,andMomus

ACCORDING to an ancient legend, the firstmanwasmadeby Jupiter,the first bull by Neptune, and the first house by Minerva. On thecompletionoftheirlabors,adisputearoseastowhichhadmadethemostperfectwork.TheyagreedtoappointMomusasjudge,andtoabidebyhisdecision.Momus,however,beingveryenviousofthehandicraftofeach,foundfaultwithall.HefirstblamedtheworkofNeptunebecausehehadnotmade the horns of the bull below his eyes, so hemight better seewheretostrike.HethencondemnedtheworkofJupiter,becausehehadnotplacedtheheartofmanontheoutside,thateveryonemightreadthethoughts of the evil disposed and take precautions against the intendedmischief.And,lastly,heinveighedagainstMinervabecauseshehadnotcontrived ironwheels in the foundation of her house, so its inhabitantsmight more easily remove if a neighbor proved unpleasant. Jupiter,indignant at such inveterate faultfinding, drove him from his office ofjudge,andexpelledhimfromthemansionsofOlympus.

TheEagleandtheFoxANEAGLEandaFoxformedanintimatefriendshipanddecidedtolivenear each other.TheEagle built her nest in the branches of a tall tree,while the Fox crept into the underwood and there produced her young.Notlongaftertheyhadagreeduponthisplan,theEagle,beinginwantofprovision for her young ones, swooped down while the Fox was out,seizedupononeofthelittlecubs,andfeastedherselfandherbrood.TheFoxonherreturn,discoveredwhathadhappened,butwaslessgrievedforthe death of her young than for her inability to avenge them. A justretribution,however,quicklyfellupontheEagle.Whilehoveringnearanaltar, on which some villagers were sacrificing a goat, she suddenlyseizedapieceoftheflesh,andcarriedit,alongwithaburningcinder,toher nest.A strong breeze soon fanned the spark into a flame, and theeaglets, as yet unfledged and helpless, were roasted in their nest and

droppeddowndeadat thebottomof the tree.There, in the sightof theEagle,theFoxgobbledthemup.

TheManandtheSatyrAMANandaSatyroncedrank together in tokenof abondof alliancebeingformedbetweenthem.Oneverycoldwintryday,astheytalked,theManputhisfingerstohismouthandblewonthem.WhentheSatyraskedthereasonforthis,hetoldhimthathedidittowarmhishandsbecausetheyweresocold.Lateroninthedaytheysatdowntoeat,andthefoodprepared was quite scalding. TheMan raised one of the dishes a littletowards his mouth and blew in it. When the Satyr again inquired thereason,hesaidthathedidittocoolthemeat,whichwastoohot.“Icannolongerconsideryouasafriend,”saidtheSatyr,“afellowwhowiththesamebreathblowshotandcold.”

TheAssandHisPurchaserAMANwished to purchase anAss, and agreedwith its owner that heshould tryout theanimalbeforeheboughthim.He took theAsshomeandputhiminthestraw-yardwithhisotherAsses,uponwhichthenewanimal left all theothersandatonce joined theone thatwasmost idleandthegreatesteaterofthemall.Seeingthis,themanputahalteronhimandledhimbacktohisowner.Onbeingaskedhow,insoshortatime,hecould havemade a trial of him, he answered, “I do not need a trial; Iknow that he will be just the same as the one he chose for hiscompanion.”

Amanisknownbythecompanyhekeeps.

TheTwoBagsEVERYMAN,accordingtoanancientlegend,isbornintotheworldwithtwobagssuspendedfromhisneck:abag in front fullofhisneighbors’faults,andalargebagbehindfilledwithhisownfaults.Henceitisthatmenarequicktoseethefaultsofothers,andyetareoftenblindtotheirownfailings.

TheStagatthePoolASTAGoverpoweredbyheatcametoaspringtodrink.Seeinghisownshadowreflectedinthewater,hegreatlyadmiredthesizeandvarietyofhishorns,but feltangrywithhimself forhavingsuchslenderandweakfeet.While hewas thus contemplating himself, a Lion appeared at thepool and crouched to spring upon him. The Stag immediately took toflight,andexertinghisutmostspeed,aslongastheplainwassmoothandopenkepthimselfeasilyatasafedistancefromtheLion.Butenteringawoodhebecameentangledbyhishorns,andtheLionquicklycameuptohimandcaughthim.Whentoolate,hethusreproachedhimself:“Woeisme!HowIhavedeceivedmyself!ThesefeetwhichwouldhavesavedmeI despised, and I gloried in these antlers which have proved mydestruction.”

Whatismosttrulyvaluableisoftenunderrated.

TheJackdawandtheFox

AHALF-FAMISHEDJACKDAWseatedhimselfonafig-tree,whichhadproduced some fruit entirelyoutof season, andwaited in thehope thatthe figswould ripen.AFoxseeinghimsittingso longand learning thereasonofhisdoingso,saidtohim,“Youareindeed,sir,sadlydeceivingyourself;youareindulgingahopestrongenoughtocheatyou,butwhichwillneverrewardyouwithenjoyment.”

TheLarkBuryingHerFatherTHELARK(accordingtoanancientlegend)wascreatedbeforetheearthitself,andwhenherfatherdied,astherewasnoearth,shecouldfindnoplaceofburial forhim.She lethimlieuninterredfor fivedays,andonthe sixth day, not knowingwhat else to do, she buried him in her ownhead. Hence she obtained her crest, which is popularly said to be herfather’sgrave-hillock.

Youth’sfirstdutyisreverencetoparents.

TheGnatandtheBullAGNATsettledonthehornofaBull,andsattherealongtime.Justashewasabouttoflyoff,hemadeabuzzingnoise,andinquiredoftheBullif hewould like him to go. TheBull replied, “I did not know you hadcome,andIshallnotmissyouwhenyougoaway.”

Somemenareofmoreconsequenceintheirowneyesthanintheeyesoftheirneighbors.

TheBitchandHerWhelpsABITCH,readytowhelp,earnestlybeggedashepherdforaplacewhereshemightlitter.Whenherrequestwasgranted,shebesoughtpermissiontorearherpuppiesinthesamespot.Theshepherdagainconsented.Butatlast theBitch,protectedby thebodyguardofherWhelps,whohadnowgrown up and were able to defend themselves, asserted her exclusiverighttotheplaceandwouldnotpermittheshepherdtoapproach.

TheDogsandtheHidesSOMEDOGSfamishedwithhungersawanumberofcowhidessteepinginariver.Notbeingabletoreachthem,theyagreedtodrinkuptheriver,butithappenedthattheyburstthemselveswithdrinkinglongbeforetheyreachedthehides.

Attemptnotimpossibilities.

TheShepherdandtheSheepASHEPHERDdrivinghisSheep toawood,sawanoakofunusualsizefullofacorns,andspreadinghiscloakunderthebranches,heclimbedupinto the tree and shook them down. The Sheep eating the acornsinadvertently frayedand tore thecloak.When theShepherdcamedownandsawwhatwasdone,hesaid,“Oyoumostungratefulcreatures!Youprovidewool tomake garments for all othermen, but you destroy theclothesofhimwhofeedsyou.”

TheGrasshopperandtheOwlANOWL,accustomedtofeedatnightand tosleepduring theday,wasgreatly disturbed by the noise of aGrasshopper and earnestly besoughther to stop chirping. The Grasshopper refused to desist, and chirpedlouder and louder themore the Owl entreated.When she saw that shecouldgetnoredressandthatherwordsweredespised,theOwlattackedthechattererbyastratagem.“SinceIcannotsleep,”shesaid,“onaccountof your songwhich, believeme, is sweet as the lyre ofApollo, I shallindulgemyself indrinking somenectarwhichPallas latelygaveme. Ifyou do not dislike it, come to me and we will drink it together.” TheGrasshopper,whowas thirsty, andpleasedwith thepraiseofhervoice,eagerlyflewup.TheOwlcameforthfromherhollow,seizedher,andputhertodeath.

TheMonkeyandtheCamelTHEBEASTSof the forest gave a splendid entertainment atwhich theMonkeystoodupanddanced.Havingvastlydelighted theassembly,hesat down amidst universal applause. TheCamel, envious of the praisesbestowedontheMonkeyanddesiringtodiverttohimselfthefavoroftheguests,proposed tostandup inhis turnanddancefor theiramusement.HemovedaboutinsoutterlyridiculousamannerthattheBeasts,inafitof indignation, set upon him with clubs and drove him out of theassembly.

Itisabsurdtoapeourbetters.

ThePeasantandtheApple-TreeA PEASANT had in his garden anApple-Treewhich bore no fruit butonlyservedasaharborforthesparrowsandgrasshoppers.Heresolvedtocutitdown,andtakinghisaxeinhishand,madeaboldstrokeatitsroots.The grasshoppers and sparrows entreated him not to cut down the treethat sheltered them, but to spare it, and they would sing to him andlightenhislabors.Hepaidnoattentiontotheirrequest,butgavethetreeasecondanda thirdblowwithhisaxe.Whenhe reached thehollowofthetree,hefoundahivefullofhoney.Havingtastedthehoneycomb,hethrewdownhisaxe,andlookingonthetreeassacred,tookgreatcareofit.

Self-interestalonemovessomemen.

TheTwoSoldiersandtheRobberTWOSOLDIERStravelingtogetherweresetuponbyaRobber.Theonefledaway;theotherstoodhisgroundanddefendedhimselfwithhisstoutrighthand.TheRobberbeingslain,thetimidcompanionranupanddrewhissword,andthen,throwingbackhistravelingcloaksaid,“I’llathim,andI’lltakecareheshalllearnwhomhehasattacked.”Onthis,hewhohad fought with the Robber made answer, “I only wish that you hadhelped me just now, even if it had been only with those words, for Ishould have been themore encouraged, believing them to be true; butnowputupyourswordinitssheathandholdyourequallyuselesstongue,till you can deceive others who do not know you. I, indeed, who haveexperienced with what speed you run away, know right well that no

dependencecanbeplacedonyourvalor.”

TheTreesUndertheProtectionoftheGodsTHEGODS,accordingtoanancientlegend,madechoiceofcertaintreesto be under their special protection. Jupiter chose the oak, Venus themyrtle, Apollo the laurel, Cybele the pine, and Hercules the poplar.Minerva, wondering why they had preferred trees not yielding fruit,inquiredthereasonfortheirchoice.Jupiterreplied,“Itislestweshouldseemtocovetthehonorforthefruit.”ButsaidMinerva,“Letanyonesaywhathewill,theoliveismoredeartomeonaccountofitsfruit.”ThensaidJupiter, “Mydaughter,youare rightlycalledwise; forunlesswhatwedoisuseful,thegloryofitisvain.”

TheMotherandtheWolfA FAMISHEDWOLFwas prowling about in themorning in search offood.As he passed the door of a cottage built in the forest, he heard aMothersaytoherchild,“Bequiet,orIwillthrowyououtofthewindow,andtheWolfshalleatyou.”TheWolfsatalldaywaitingatthedoor.Inthe evening he heard the same woman fondling her child and saying:“Youarequietnow,andiftheWolfshouldcome,wewillkillhim.”TheWolf, hearing these words, went home, gasping with cold and hunger.Whenhereachedhisden,MistressWolfinquiredofhimwhyhereturnedwearied and supperless, so contrary to his wont. He replied: “Why,forsooth!useIgavecredencetothewordsofawoman!”

TheAssandtheHorseAN ASS besought a Horse to spare him a small portion of his feed.“Yes,”saidtheHorse;“ifanyremainsoutofwhatIamnoweatingIwillgiveityouforthesakeofmyownsuperiordignity,andifyouwillcomewhenIreachmyownstallintheevening,Iwillgiveyoualittlesackfullofbarley.”TheAssreplied,“Thankyou.ButIcan’tthinkthatyou,whorefuse me a little matter now, will by and by confer on me a greaterbenefit.”

TruthandtheTravelerAWAYFARINGMAN, traveling in the desert,met awoman standingalone and terribly dejected. He inquired of her, “Who art thou?” “MynameisTruth,”shereplied.“Andforwhatcause,”heasked,“haveyouleft the city to dwell alone here in thewilderness?” Shemade answer,“Because in former times, falsehoodwaswith few, but is nowwith allmen.”

TheManslayerAMAN committed amurder, and was pursued by the relations of themanwhomhemurdered.OnhisreachingtheriverNilehesawaLiononitsbankand,beingfearfullyafraid,climbedupatree.Hefoundaserpentin the upper branches of the tree, and again being greatly alarmed, hethrewhimself into theriver,whereacrocodilecaughthimandatehim.Thustheearth,theair,andthewateralikerefusedsheltertoamurderer.

TheLionandtheFoxAFOXenteredintopartnershipwithaLiononthepretenseofbecominghisservant.Eachundertookhisproperduty inaccordancewithhisownnatureandpowers.TheFoxdiscoveredandpointedouttheprey;theLionsprang on it and seized it. The Fox soon became jealous of the Lioncarryingoff theLion’sshare,andsaid thathewouldno longer findoutthe prey, but would capture it on his own account. The next day heattemptedtosnatchalambfromthefold,buthehimselffellpreytothehuntsmenandhounds.

TheLionandtheEagleANEAGLE stayed his flight and entreated a Lion tomake an alliancewith him to their mutual advantage. The Lion replied, “I have noobjection, but youmust excuseme for requiring you to find surety foryourgoodfaith,forhowcanItrustanyoneasafriendwhoisabletoflyawayfromhisbargainwheneverhepleases?”

Trybeforeyoutrust.

TheHenandtheSwallowAHEN, finding the eggs of a viper and carefully keeping themwarm,nourishedthemintolife.ASwallow,observingwhatshehaddone,said,“Yousillycreature!whyhaveyouhatchedtheseviperswhich,whentheyshallhavegrown,willinflictinjuryonall,beginningwithyourself?”

TheBuffoonandtheCountrymanA RICH NOBLEMAN once opened the theaters without charge to thepeople, andgave a public notice that hewould handsomely reward anypersonwhoinventedanewamusementfor theoccasion.Variouspublicperformers contended for the prize.Among them came aBuffoonwellknownamongthepopulaceforhis jokes,andsaid thathehadakindofentertainmentwhichhadneverbeenbroughtoutonanystagebefore.Thisreportbeingspreadaboutmadeagreatstir,andthetheaterwascrowdedineverypart.TheBuffoonappearedaloneupontheplatform,withoutanyapparatus or confederates, and the very sense of expectation caused anintense silence. He suddenly bent his head towards his bosom andimitatedthesqueakingofalittlepigsoadmirablywithhisvoicethattheaudiencedeclaredhehadaporkerunderhiscloak,anddemandedthatitshouldbeshakenout.When thatwasdoneandnothingwasfound, theycheered the actor, and loaded him with the loudest applause. ACountryman in the crowd, observing all that has passed, said, “So helpme,Hercules,heshallnotbeatmeatthattrick!”andatonceproclaimedthathewoulddothesamethingonthenextday,thoughinamuchmorenaturalway.Onthemorrowastilllargercrowdassembledinthetheater,but now partiality for their favorite actor very generally prevailed, andthe audience came rather to ridicule the Countryman than to see thespectacle. Both of the performers appeared on the stage. The Buffoongruntedandsqueakedawayfirst,andobtained,asontheprecedingday,the applause and cheers of the spectators. Next the Countrymancommenced, and pretending that he concealed a little pig beneath hisclothes (which in truth he did, but not suspected by the audience )contrivedtotakeholdofandtopullhisearcausingthepigtosqueak.TheCrowd,however,criedoutwithoneconsentthattheBuffoonhadgivenafarmoreexactimitation,andclamoredfortheCountrymantobekickedoutofthetheater.Onthistherusticproducedthelittlepigfromhiscloak

and showed by the most positive proof the greatness of their mistake.“Lookhere,”hesaid,“thisshowswhatsortofjudgesyouare.”

TheCrowandtheSerpentACROW in greatwant of food saw a Serpent asleep in a sunny nook,and,flyingdown,greedilyseizedhim.TheSerpent,turningabout,bittheCrowwithamortalwound.Intheagonyofdeath,thebirdexclaimed:“Ounhappyme!whohavefoundinthatwhichIdeemedahappywindfallthesourceofmydestruction.”

TheHunterandtheHorsemanACERTAINHUNTER,havingsnaredahare,placedituponhisshouldersand set out homewards. On his way he met a man on horseback whobegged the hare of him, under the pretense of purchasing it. However,when the Horseman got the hare, he rode off as fast as he could. TheHunter ran after him, as if he was sure of overtaking him, but theHorseman increased more and more the distance between them. TheHunter, sorely against his will, called out to him and said, “Get alongwithyou!forIwillnowmakeyouapresentofthehare.”

TheKing’sSonandthePaintedLionAKING,whoseonlysonwasfondofmartialexercises,hadadreaminwhichhewaswarned thathis sonwouldbekilledbya lion.Afraid thedream should prove true, he built for his son a pleasant palace and

adorneditswallsforhisamusementwithallkindsoflife-sizedanimals,amongwhichwasthepictureofalion.WhentheyoungPrincesawthis,hisgrief at being thus confinedburst out afresh, and, standingnear thelion,hesaid:“Oyoumostdetestableofanimals!throughalyingdreamofmyfather’s,whichhesawinhissleep,IamshutuponyouraccountinthispalaceasifIhadbeenagirl:whatshallInowdotoyou?”Withthesewords he stretched out his hands toward a thorn-tree,meaning to cut astick from its branches so that he might beat the lion. But one of thetree’spricklespiercedhisfingerandcausedgreatpainandinflammation,so that the young Prince fell down in a fainting fit. A violent feversuddenlysetin,fromwhichhediednotmanydayslater.

Wehadbetterbearourtroublesbravelythantrytoescapethem.

TheCatandVenusACATfellinlovewithahandsomeyoungman,andentreatedVenustochangeherintotheformofawoman.Venusconsentedtoherrequestandtransformed her into a beautiful damsel, so that the youth saw her andlovedher,andtookherhomeashisbride.Whilethetwowererecliningintheirchamber,Venus,wishingtodiscoveriftheCatinherchangeofshapehadalsoalteredherhabitsoflife,letdownamouseinthemiddleof the room.TheCat, quite forgetting her present condition, started upfromthecouchandpursuedthemouse,wishingtoeatit.Venuswasmuchdisappointedandagaincausedhertoreturntoherformershape.

Natureexceedsnurture.

TheShe-GoatsandTheirBeards

THESHE-GOATShavingobtainedabeardbyrequesttoJupiter,theHe-Goats were sorely displeased and made complaint that the femalesequaledthemindignity.“Allowthem,”saidJupiter,“toenjoyanemptyhonorandtoassumethebadgeofyournoblersex,solongastheyarenotyourequalsinstrengthorcourage.”

Itmatterslittleifthosewhoareinferiortousinmeritshouldbelikeusinoutsideappearances.

TheCamelandtheArab

ANARABCAMEL-DRIVER,aftercompletingtheloadingofhisCamel,askedhimwhichhewouldlikebest,togouphillordown.Thepoorbeastreplied,notwithoutatouchofreason:“Whydoyouaskme?Isitthatthelevelwaythroughthedesertisclosed?”

TheMiller,HisSon,andTheirAssAMILLERandhissonweredrivingtheirAsstoaneighboringfairtosellhim. They had not gone far when they met with a troop of womencollectedroundawell, talkingand laughing.“Look there,”criedoneofthem, “did you ever see such fellows, to be trudging along the roadonfootwhentheymightride?”Theoldman,hearingthis,quicklymadehisson mount theAss, and continued to walk along merrily by his side.Presentlytheycameuptoagroupofoldmeninearnestdebate.“There,”saidoneofthem,“itproveswhatIwasa-saying.Whatrespectisshownto old age in these days?Do you see that idle lad ridingwhile his oldfatherhastowalk?Getdown,youyoungscapegrace,andlettheoldmanresthiswearylimbs.”Uponthistheoldmanmadehissondismount,andgotuphimself.Inthismannertheyhadnotproceededfarwhentheymet

a company of women and children: “Why, you lazy old fellow,” criedseveraltonguesatonce,“howcanyourideuponthebeast,whilethatpoorlittle lad there can hardly keep pace by the side of you?” The good-naturedMiller immediately tookuphis sonbehindhim.Theyhadnowalmostreachedthetown.“Pray,honestfriend,”saidacitizen,“isthatAssyourown?”“Yes,”repliedtheoldman.“O,onewouldnothavethoughtso,”saidtheother,“bythewayyouloadhim.Why,youtwofellowsarebetterabletocarrythepoorbeastthanheyou.”“Anythingtopleaseyou,”saidtheoldman;“wecanbut try.”So,alightingwithhisson, theytiedthe legs of theAss together andwith the help of a pole endeavored tocarryhimontheirshouldersoverabridgeneartheentrancetothetown.Thisentertainingsightbroughtthepeopleincrowdstolaughatit,tilltheAss,notlikingthenoisenorthestrangehandlingthathewassubjectto,broke thecords thatboundhimand, tumblingoff thepole, fell into theriver.Upon this, theoldman,vexedandashamed,made thebestofhiswayhomeagain,convinced thatbyendeavoring topleaseeverybodyhehadpleasednobody,andlosthisAssinthebargain.

TheCrowandtheSheepATROUBLESOMECROWseatedherself on the backof aSheep.TheSheep,muchagainsthiswill,carriedherbackwardandforwardforalongtime,andat last said,“Ifyouhad treatedadog in thisway,youwouldhavehadyourdesertsfromhissharpteeth.”TothistheCrowreplied,“Idespisetheweakandyieldtothestrong.IknowwhomImaybullyandwhomImustflatter;andIthusprolongmylifetoagoodoldage.”

TheFoxandtheBramble

AFOXwasmountingahedgewhenhelosthisfootingandcaughtholdofaBrambletosavehimself.Havingprickedandgrievouslytomthesolesofhisfeet,heaccusedtheBramblebecause,whenhehadfledtoherforassistance, shehadusedhimworse than thehedge itself.TheBramble,interruptinghim,said,“Butyoureallymusthavebeenoutofyoursensesto fasten yourself onme,who ammyself always accustomed to fastenuponothers.”

TheWolfandtheLionAWOLF,havingstolenalambfromafold,wascarryinghimofftohislair.ALionmethiminthepath,andseizingthelamb,tookitfromhim.Standingatasafedistance,theWolfexclaimed,“Youhaveunrighteouslytaken that which was mine from me!” To which the Lion jeeringlyreplied,“Itwasrighteouslyyours,eh?Thegiftofafriend?”

TheDogandtheOysterADOG,usedtoeatingeggs,sawanOysterand,openinghismouthtoitswidestextent,swalloweditdownwiththeutmostrelish,supposingit tobeanegg.Soonafterwardssufferinggreatpaininhisstomach,hesaid,“Ideserve all this torment, formy folly in thinking that everything roundmustbeanegg.”

Theywhoactwithoutsufficientthought,willoftenfallintounsuspecteddanger.

TheAntandtheDoveANANTwenttothebankofarivertoquenchitsthirst,andbeingcarriedawayby the rushof the stream,wason thepoint of drowning.ADovesittingonatreeoverhangingthewaterpluckedaleafandletitfallintothestreamclosetoher.TheAntclimbedontoitandfloatedinsafetytothebank.Shortlyafterwardsabirdcatchercameandstoodunderthetree,andlaidhislime-twigsfortheDove,whichsatinthebranches.TheAnt,perceivinghisdesign,stunghiminthefoot.Inpainthebirdcatcherthrewdownthetwigs,andthenoisemadetheDovetakewing.

ThePartridgeandtheFowlerA FOWLER caught a Partridge andwas about to kill it. The Partridgeearnestlybeggedhimtosparehislife,saying,“Pray,master,permitmeto liveandIwillenticemanyPartridges toyouinrecompenseforyourmercy tome.” The Fowler replied, “I shall nowwith less scruple takeyourlife,becauseyouarewillingtosaveitatthecostofbetrayingyourfriendsandrelations.”

TheFleaandtheManAMAN, verymuch annoyedwith a Flea, caught him at last, and said,“Who are youwho dare to feed onmy limbs, and to costme somuchtroubleincatchingyou?”TheFleareplied,“Omydearsir,praysparemylife,anddestroymenot, forIcannotpossiblydoyoumuchharm.”TheMan,laughing,replied,“Nowyoushallcertainlydiebymineownhands,fornoevil,whetheritbesmallorlarge,oughttobetolerated.”

TheThievesandtheCockSOMETHIEVESbrokeintoahouseandfoundnothingbutaCock,whomtheystole,andgotoffasfastastheycould.UponarrivingathometheypreparedtokilltheCock,whothuspleadedforhislife:“Prayspareme;Iamveryserviceabletomen.Iwakethemupinthenighttotheirwork.”“That is thevery reasonwhywemust themorekillyou,” they replied;“for when you wake your neighbors, you entirely put an end to ourbusiness.”

Thesafeguardsofvirtuearehatefultothosewithevilintentions.

TheDogandtheCookARICHMANgaveagreat feast, towhichhe invitedmanyfriendsandacquaintances. His Dog availed himself of the occasion to invite astrangerDog,afriendofhis,saying,“Mymastergivesafeast,andthereisalwaysmuchfoodremaining;comeandsupwithmetonight.”TheDogthusinvitedwentatthehourappointed,andseeingthepreparationsforsograndanentertainment,saidinthejoyofhisheart,“HowgladIamthatIcame! Idonotoftenget sucha chanceas this. Iwill take care andeatenough to last me both today and tomorrow.” While he wascongratulatinghimselfandwagginghistailtoconveyhispleasuretohisfriend, theCook saw himmoving about among his dishes and, seizinghimbyhisforeandhindpaws,bundledhimwithoutceremonyoutofthewindow.He fellwith force upon the ground and limped away, howlingdreadfully.Hisyellingsoonattractedotherstreetdogs,whocameup tohimand inquiredhowhehad enjoyedhis supper.He replied, “Why, totellyouthetruth,IdranksomuchwinethatIremembernothing.Idonot

knowhowIgotoutofthehouse.”

TheTravelersandthePlane-TreeTWO TRAVELERS, worn out by the heat of the summer’s sun, laidthemselvesdownatnoonunderthewide-spreadingbranchesofaPlane-Tree.As they rested under its shade, one of the Travelers said to theother,“WhatasingularlyuselesstreeisthePlane!Itbearsnofruit,andisnotof the leastservice toman.”ThePlane-Tree, interruptinghim,said,“Youungratefulfellows!Doyou,whilereceivingbenefits frommeandresting under my shade, dare to describe me as useless, andunprofitable?”

Somemenunderratetheirbestblessings.

TheHaresandtheFrogsTHEHARES, oppressed by their own exceeding timidity andweary ofthe perpetual alarm to which they were exposed, with one accorddetermined to put an end to themselves and their troubles by jumpingfromaloftyprecipiceintoadeeplakebelow.Astheyscamperedoff inlargenumberstocarryouttheirresolve,theFrogslyingonthebanksofthelakeheardthenoiseoftheirfeetandrushedhelter-skeltertothedeepwaterforsafety.Onseeingtherapiddisappearanceof theFrogs,oneoftheHares criedout to his companions: “Stay,my friends, donot do asyouintended;foryounowseethattherearecreatureswhoarestillmoretimidthanourselves.”

TheLion,Jupiter,andtheElephantTHELIONwearied Jupiterwith his frequent complaints. “It is true,OJupiter!”hesaid,“thatIamgiganticinstrength,handsomeinshape,andpowerful in attack. I have jaws well provided with teeth, and feetfurnishedwithclaws, and I lord itoverall thebeastsof the forest, andwhatadisgrace it is, thatbeingsuchasIam,Ishouldbefrightenedbythecrowingofacock.”Jupiterreplied,“Whydoyoublamemewithoutacause? I have given you all the attributes which I possessmyself, andyourcourageneverfailsyouexceptinthisoneinstance.”OnhearingthistheLiongroanedandlamentedverymuchand,reproachinghimselfwithhis cowardice, wished that he might die. As these thoughts passedthrough his mind, he met an Elephant and came close to hold aconversationwithhim.AfteratimeheobservedthattheElephantshookhisearsveryoften,andheinquiredwhatwasthematterandwhyhisearsmoved with such a tremor every now and then. Just at that moment aGnatsettledontheheadoftheElephant,andhereplied,“Doyouseethatlittlebuzzing insect? If itentersmyear,myfate issealed. Ishoulddiepresently.”TheLionsaid,“Well,sincesohugeabeastisafraidofatinygnat,Iwillnomorecomplain,norwishmyselfdead.Ifindmyself,evenasIam,betteroffthantheElephant.”

TheLambandtheWolfAWOLFpursuedaLamb,whichfledforrefugetoacertainTemple.TheWolfcalledouttohimandsaid,“ThePriestwillslayyouinsacrifice,ifheshouldcatchyou.”OnwhichtheLambreplied,“ItwouldbebetterformetobesacrificedintheTemplethantobeeatenbyyou.”

TheRichManandtheTannerA RICH MAN lived near a Tanner, and not being able to bear theunpleasantsmellofthetan-yard,hepressedhisneighbortogoaway.TheTanner put off his departure from time to time, saying that he wouldleavesoon.Butashestillcontinuedtostay,astimewenton,therichmanbecame accustomed to the smell, and feeling no manner ofinconvenience,madenofurthercomplaints.

TheShipwreckedManandtheSeaA SHIPWRECKEDMAN, having been cast upon a certain shore, sleptafterhisbuffetingswith thedeep.After awhilehe awoke, and lookingupon the Sea, loaded itwith reproaches.He argued that it enticedmenwiththecalmnessofitslooks,butwhenithadinducedthemtoplowitswaters,itgrewroughanddestroyedthem.TheSea,assumingtheformofawoman,repliedtohim:“Blamenotme,mygoodsir,butthewinds,forIambymyownnatureascalmandfirmevenasthisearth;butthewindssuddenlyfallingonmecreatethesewaves,andlashmeintofury.”

TheMulesandtheRobbersTWOMULESwell-ladenwith packs were trudging along. One carriedpanniers filled with money, the other sacks weighted with grain. TheMulecarryingthetreasurewalkedwithheaderect,asifconsciousofthevalue of his burden, and tossed up and down the clear-toned bellsfastened tohisneck.His companion followedwithquiet andeasy step.AllofasuddenRobbersrusheduponthemfromtheirhiding-places,and

inthescufflewiththeirowners,woundedwithaswordtheMulecarryingthe treasure, which they greedily seized while taking no notice of thegrain. The Mule which had been robbed and wounded bewailed hismisfortunes.Theother replied,“Iam indeedglad that Iwas thought solittleof,forIhavelostnothing,noramIhurtwithanywound.”

TheViperandtheFileA LION, entering the workshop of a smith, sought from the tools themeansofsatisfyinghishunger.HemoreparticularlyaddressedhimselftoaFile,andaskedofhimthefavorofameal.TheFilereplied,“Youmustindeedbeasimple-mindedfellowifyouexpecttogetanythingfromme,whoamaccustomedtotakefromeveryone,andnevertogiveanythinginreturn.”

TheLionandtheShepherdALION,roamingthroughaforest,troduponathorn.SoonafterwardhecameuptoaShepherdandfawneduponhim,wagginghistailasiftosay,“Iamasuppliant,andseekyouraid.”TheShepherdboldlyexaminedthebeast, discovered the thorn, and placing his pawuponhis lap, pulled itout;thusrelievedofhispain,theLionreturnedintotheforest.Sometimeafter, the Shepherd, being imprisoned on a false accusation, wascondemned“tobecast to theLions”as thepunishment forhis imputedcrime.ButwhentheLionwasreleasedfromhiscage,herecognizedtheShepherd as the man who healed him, and instead of attacking him,approached and placed his foot upon his lap. The King, as soon as heheardthetale,orderedtheLiontobesetfreeagainintheforest,andtheShepherdtobepardonedandrestoredtohisfriends.

TheCamelandJupiterTHECAMEL,whenhesawtheBulladornedwithhorns,enviedhimandwishedthathehimselfcouldobtainthesamehonors.HewenttoJupiter,andbesoughthimtogivehimhorns.Jupiter,vexedathisrequestbecausehewasnot satisfiedwithhis sizeand strengthofbody, anddesiredyetmore, not only refused to give him horns, but even deprived him of aportionofhisears.

ThePantherandtheShepherdsA PANTHER, by some mischance, fell into a pit. The Shepherdsdiscoveredhim,andsomethrewsticksathimandpeltedhimwithstones,while others, moved with compassion towards one about to die eventhoughnooneshouldhurthim,threwinsomefoodtoprolonghislife.Atnighttheyreturnedhome,notdreamingofanydanger,butsupposingthatonthemorrowtheywouldfindhimdead.ThePanther,however,whenhehadrecruitedhisfeeblestrength,freedhimselfwithasuddenboundfromthepit,andhastenedtohisdenwithrapidsteps.Afterafewdayshecameforth and slaughtered the cattle, and, killing the Shepherds who hadattackedhim,ragedwithangryfury.Thentheywhohadsparedhis life,fearingfortheirsafety,surrenderedtohimtheirflocksandbeggedonlyfor their lives.To themthePanthermade this reply:“I rememberalikethosewhosoughtmylifewithstones,andthosewhogavemefoodaside,therefore, forget your fears. I return as an enemy only to those whoinjuredme.”

TheAssandtheChargerANASS congratulated aHorse on being so ungrudgingly and carefullyprovided for,whilehehimselfhad scarcelyenough toeat andnoteventhatwithouthardwork.Butwhenwarbrokeout,aheavilyarmedsoldiermounted theHorse, and riding him to the charge, rushed into the verymidst of the enemy. The Horse was wounded and fell dead on thebattlefield.ThentheAss,seeingall thesethings,changedhismind,andcommiseratedtheHorse.

TheEagleandHisCaptorANEAGLEwasoncecapturedbyaman,who immediately clippedhiswings and put him into his poultry-yardwith the other birds, atwhichtreatment the Eagle was weighed down with grief. Later, anotherneighbor purchased him and allowed his feathers to grow again. TheEagle took flight, and pouncing upon a hare, brought it at once as anoffering to his benefactor. A Fox, seeing this, exclaimed, “Do notcultivatethefavorofthisman,butofyourformerowner,lestheshouldagainhuntforyouanddepriveyouasecondtimeofyourwings.”

TheBaldManandtheFlyAFLYbit thebareheadofaBaldManwho,endeavoring todestroy it,gavehimselfaheavyslap.Escaping,theFlysaidmockingly,“Youwhohavewished to revenge,evenwithdeath, thePrickofa tiny insect, seewhatyouhavedone toyourself toadd insult to injury?”TheBaldManreplied,“Icaneasilymakepeacewithmyself,becauseIknowtherewas

nointentiontohurt.Butyou,anill-favoredandcontemptibleinsectwhodelightsinsuckinghumanblood,IwishthatIcouldhavekilledyouevenifIhadincurredaheavierpenalty.”

TheOlive-TreeandtheFig-TreeTHEOLIVE-TREEridiculed theFig-Treebecause,whileshewasgreenall the year round, the Fig-Tree changed its leaveswith the seasons.Ashowerofsnowfelluponthem,and,findingtheOlivefulloffoliage, itsettledupon itsbranchesandbroke themdownwith itsweight, atoncedespoiling itof itsbeautyandkilling the tree.But finding theFig-Treedenudedofleaves,thesnowfellthroughtotheground,anddidnotinjureitatall.

TheEagleandtheKiteANEAGLE,overwhelmedwithsorrow,satuponthebranchesofatreeincompanywith aKite. “Why,” said theKite, “do I see youwith such arueful look?”“Iseek,”shereplied,“amatesuitableforme,andamnotabletofindone.”“Takeme,”returnedtheKite,“Iammuchstrongerthanyou are.” “Why, are you able to secure the means of living by yourplunder?”“Well, Ihaveoftencaughtandcarriedawayanostrichinmytalons.”TheEagle,persuadedbythesewords,acceptedhimashermate.Shortlyafterthenuptials,theEaglesaid,“Flyoffandbringmebacktheostrich you promisedme.”TheKite, soaring aloft into the air, broughtbacktheshabbiestpossiblemouse,stinkingfromthelengthoftimeithadlainaboutthefields.“Isthis,”saidtheEagle,“thefaithfulfulfillmentofyourpromise tome?”TheKite replied,“That Imightattainyour royalhand, there isnothing that Iwouldnothavepromised,howevermuch I

knewthatImustfailintheperformance.”

TheAssandHisDriverANASS,beingdrivenalongahighroad,suddenlystartedoffandboltedto the brink of a deep precipice.While he was in the act of throwinghimselfover,hisownerseizedhimby the tail,endeavoring topullhimback.WhentheAsspersistedinhiseffort,themanlethimgoandsaid,“Conquer,butconquertoyourcost.”

TheThrushandtheFowlerA THRUSH was feeding on a myrtle-tree and did not move from itbecause itsberriesweresodelicious.AFowlerobservedher stayingsolonginonespot,and,havingwellbird-limedhisreeds,caughther.TheThrush,beingatthepointofdeath,exclaimed,“OfoolishcreaturethatIam!For thesakeofa littlepleasantfoodIhavedeprivedmyselfofmylife.”

TheRoseandtheAmaranthANAMARANTHplantedinagardennearaRose-Tree,thusaddressedit:“What a lovely flower is theRose, a favorite alikewithGods andwithmen. I envy you your beauty and your perfume.” The Rose replied, “Iindeed,dearAmaranth, flourishbut forabriefseason! Ifnocruelhandpluckmefrommystem,yetImustperishbyanearlydoom.Butthouartimmortalanddostneverfade,butbloomestforeverinrenewedyouth.”

TheFrogs’ComplaintAgainsttheSunONCEUPONATIME,when theSunannouncedhis intention to takeawife, the Frogs lifted up their voices in clamor to the sky. Jupiter,disturbed by the noise of their croaking, inquired the cause of theircomplaint.Oneof themsaid,“TheSun,nowwhileheissingle,parchesupthemarsh,andcompelsustodiemiserablyinouraridhomes.Whatwillbeourfutureconditionifheshouldbegetothersuns?”

LifeofAesopTHELIFEandHistoryofAesopisinvolved,likethatofHomer,themostfamousofGreekpoets, inmuchobscurity.Sardis, thecapitalofLydia;Samos, a Greek island; Mesembria, an ancient colony in Thrace; andCotiaeum, the chief city of a province of Phrygia, contend for thedistinction of being the birthplace ofAesop. Although the honor thusclaimedcannotbedefinitelyassignedtoanyoneoftheseplaces,yetthereare a few incidents now generally accepted by scholars as establishedfacts,relatingtothebirth, life,anddeathofAesop.Heis,byanalmostuniversalconsent,allowedtohavebeenbornabouttheyear620B.C.,andto have been by birth a slave. He was owned by two masters insuccession,bothinhabitantsofSamos,XanthusandJadmon,thelatterofwhomgavehimhis libertyasarewardforhis learningandwit.Oneoftheprivilegesofafreedmanin theancient republicsofGreece,was thepermissiontotakeanactiveinterestinpublicaffairs;andAesop,likethephilosophers Phaedo, Menippus, and Epictetus, in later times, raisedhimself from the indignity of a servile condition to a position of highrenown. Inhisdesire alike to instruct and tobe instructed,he travelledthroughmanycountries,andamongotherscametoSardis,thecapitalofthefamouskingofLydia,thegreatpatron,inthatday,oflearningandoflearnedmen.HemetatthecourtofCroesuswithSolon,Thales,andothersages,and is relatedso tohavepleasedhis royalmaster,by theparthetookintheconversationsheldwiththesephilosophers,thatheappliedtohimanexpressionwhichhassincepassedintoaproverb,“ThePhrygianhasspokenbetterthanall.”

On the invitation of Croesus he fixed his residence at Sardis, and wasemployed by that monarch in various difficult and delicate affairs ofState.InhisdischargeofthesecommissionshevisitedthedifferentpettyrepublicsofGreece.AtonetimeheisfoundinCorinth,andatanotherinAthens, endeavouring, by the narration of some of his wise fables, to

reconcile the inhabitants of those cities to the administration of theirrespective rulers Periander and Pisistratus. One of these ambassadorialmissions,undertakenatthecommandofCroesus,wastheoccasionofhisdeath. Having been sent to Delphi with a large sum of gold fordistributionamongthecitizens,hewassoprovokedattheircovetousnessthatherefused todivide themoney,andsent itback tohismaster.TheDelphians, enraged at this treatment, accused him of impiety, and, inspite of his sacred character as ambassador, executed him as a publiccriminal.ThiscrueldeathofAesopwasnotunavenged.ThecitizensofDelphiwerevisitedwithaseriesofcalamities,untiltheymadeapublicreparation of their crime; and, “The blood of Aesop” became a well-knownadage,bearingwitnesstothetruththatdeedsofwrongwouldnotpassunpunished.Neitherdidthegreatfabulist lackposthumoushonors;forastatuewaserectedtohismemoryatAthens,theworkofLysippus,oneof themost famousofGreeksculptors.Phaedrus thus immortalizestheevent:

AesopoingentemstatuamposuereAttici,Servumquecollocaruntaeternain basi: Patere honoris scirent ut cuncti viam; Nec generi tribui sedvirtutigloriam.

Thesefewfactsareallthatcanbereliedonwithanydegreeofcertainty,inreferencetothebirth,life,anddeathofAesop.Theywerefirstbroughttolight,afterapatientsearchanddiligentperusalofancientauthors,byaFrenchman,M. Claude Gaspard Bachet deMezeriac, who declined thehonorof being tutor toLouisXIII ofFrance, fromhis desire todevotehimself exclusively to literature.HepublishedhisLifeofAesop,AnnoDomini1632.The later investigationsofahostofEnglishandGermanscholars have added very little to the facts given byM.Mezeriac. Thesubstantial truthofhisstatementshasbeenconfirmedbylatercriticismand inquiry. It remains to state, that prior to this publication of M.Mezeriac, the life ofAesopwas from the pen ofMaximus Planudes, amonkofConstantinople,whowassentonanembassy toVeniceby theByzantineEmperorAndronicustheelder,andwhowroteintheearlypart

ofthefourteenthcentury.Hislifewasprefixedtoalltheearlyeditionsofthesefables,andwasrepublishedaslateas1727byArchdeaconCroxallastheintroductiontohiseditionofAesop.ThislifebyPlanudescontains,however,sosmallanamountoftruth,andissofullofabsurdpicturesofthe grotesque deformity of Aesop, of wondrous apocryphal stories, oflying legends, and gross anachronisms, that it is now universallycondemnedas false,puerile, andunauthentic.[101] It isgivenup in thepresent day, by general consent, as unworthy of the slightest credit.G.F.T.

Footnotes

[Footnote 101: M. Bayle thus characterises this Life of Aesop byPlanudes,“Tousleshabilesgensconviennentquec’estunroman,etqueles absurditesgrossieresqui l’ony trouve le rendent indignede toute.”DictionnaireHistorique.Art.Esope.]

[Footnote 1:A History of the Literature ofAncient Greece, by K. O.Mueller.Vol.i,p.191.London,Parker,1858.]

[Footnote2:SelectFablesofAesop,andotherFabulists.Inthreebooks,translatedbyRobertDodsley,accompaniedwithaselectionofnotes,andanEssayonFable.Birmingham,1864.P.60.]

[Footnote3:Someof these fableshad,nodoubt, in the first instance,aprimary and private interpretation. On the first occasion of their beingcomposedtheywereintendedtorefertosomepassingevent,ortosomeindividual acts of wrong-doing. Thus, the fables of the “Eagle and theFox”andofthe“FoxandMonkey”aresupposedtohavebeenwrittenbyArchilochus, toavenge the injuriesdonehimbyLycambes.Soalso thefables of the “Swollen Fox” and of the “Frogs asking a King” werespokenbyAesopfortheimmediatepurposeofreconcilingtheinhabitantsofSamosandAthenstotheirrespectiverulers,PerianderandPisistratus;while the fable of the “Horse and Stag” was composed to caution theinhabitants of Himera against granting a bodyguard to Phalaris. In asimilarmanner, the fable fromPhaedrus, the “Marriage of theSun,” issupposed to have reference to the contemplated union of Livia, thedaughter ofDrusus,with Sejanus the favourite, andminister ofTrajan.These fables, however, though thus originating in special events, anddesigned at first to meet special circumstances, are so admirablyconstructed as to be fraught with lessons of general utility, and of

universalapplication.]

[Footnote4:Hesiod.OperaetDies,verse202.]

[Footnote 5:Aeschylus.Fragment of theMyrmidons.Aeschylus speaksof this fable as existing before his day. See Scholiast on theAves ofAristophanes,line808.]

[Footnote 6: Fragment. 38, ed.Gaisford. See alsoMueller’sHistory oftheLiteratureofAncientGreece,vol.i.pp.190-193.]

[Footnote7:M.BaylehaswellputthisinhisaccountofAesop.“Iln’yapointd’apparencequelesfablesquiportentaujourd’huisonnomsoientlesmemes qu’il avait faites; elles viennent bien de lui pour la plupart,quant a lamatiere et la pensee;mais les paroles sont d’un autre.”Andagain,“C’estdoncaHesiode,quej’aimeraismieuxattribuerlagloiredel’invention;mais sans doute il laissa la chose tres imparfaite.Esope laperfectionne si heureusement, qu’on l’a regarde comme le vrai pere decettesortedeproduction.”M.Bayle.DictionnaireHistorique.]

[Footnote8:PlatoinPhoedone.]

[Footnote 9:Apologos en! misit tibiAb usque Rheni limiteAusoniusnomenItalumPraeceptorAugustituiAesopiamtrimetriam;Quamvertitexili stylo Pedestre concinnans opus Fandi Titianus artifex. AusoniiEpistola,xvi.75-80.]

[Footnote10:BoththesepublicationsareintheBritishMuseum,andareplaced in the library in cases under glass, for the inspection of thecurious.]

[Footnote11:Fablesmaypossiblyhavebeennotentirelyunknowntothemediaevalscholars.Therearetwocelebratedworkswhichmightbysomebeclassedamongstworksofthisdescription.Theoneisthe“Speculum

Sapientiae,” attributed to St. Cyril,Archbishop of Jerusalem, but of aconsiderably later origin, and existing only in Latin. It is divided intofour books, and consists of long conversations conducted by fictitiouscharactersunderthefiguresthebeastsofthefieldandforest,andaimedat the rebuke of particular classes ofmen, the boastful, the proud, theluxurious, the wrathful, &c. None of the stories are precisely those ofAesop, and none have the concinnity, terseness, and unmistakabledeductionofthelessonintendedtobetaughtbythefable,soconspicuousinthegreatGreekfabulist.Theexacttitleofthebookisthis:“SpeculumSapientiae,B.CyrilliEpiscopi:aliasquadripartitusapologeticusvocatus,incujusquidemproverbiisomnisettotiussapientiaespeculumclaretetfeliciterincipit.”Theotherisalargerworkintwovolumes,publishedinthe fourteenthcenturybyCaesarHeisterbach, aCistercianmonk,underthe title of “Dialogus Miraculorum,” reprinted in 1851. This workconsists of conversations in which many stories are interwoven on allkindsofsubjects.IthasnocorrespondencewiththepureAesopianfable.]

[Footnote12:Post-medievalPreachers,byS.Baring-Gould.Rivingtons,1865.]

[Footnote 13: For an account of this work see the Life of PoggioBracciolini,bytheRev.WilliamShepherd.Liverpool.1801.]

[Footnote14:ProfessorTheodoreBergh.SeeClassicalMuseum,No.viii.July,1849.]

[Footnote 15: Vavassor’s treatise, entitled “De Ludicra Dictione” waswrittenA.D. 1658, at the request of the celebratedM. Balzac (thoughpublishedafterhisdeath),forthepurposeofshowingthattheburlesquestyle ofwriting adoptedbyScarron andD’Assouci, and at that time sopopular in France, had no sanction from the ancient classic writers.FrancisciVavassorisoperaomnia.Amsterdam.1709.]

[Footnote16:TheclaimsofBabriasalso foundawarmadvocate in the

learned Frenchman, M. Bayle, who, in his admirable dictionary,(DictionnaireHistoriqueetCritiquedePierreBayle.Paris,1820,)givesadditional arguments in confirmation of the opinions of his learnedpredecessors,NeveletandVavassor.]

[Footnote17:Scazonic,orhalting,iambics;acholiambic(alame,haltingiambic)differsfromtheiambicSenariusinalwayshavingaspondeeortricheeforitslastfoot;thefifthfoot,toavoidshortnessofmeter,beinggenerally an iambic. See Fables of Babrias, translated by Rev. JamesDavies.Lockwood,1860.Preface,p.27.]

[Footnote 18: See Dr. Bentley’s Dissertations upon the Epistles ofPhalaris.]

[Footnote19:Dr.Bentley’sDissertationsontheEpistlesofPhalaris,andFablesofAesopexamined.BytheHonorableCharlesBoyle.]