[Illustration: THE ASS, THE LION, AND THE COCK.]
An Ass and a Cock happened to be feeding together in the same place,
when on a sudden they spied a Lion approaching them. This beast is
reported, above all things, to have an aversion, or rather antipathy, to
the crowing of a Cock; so that he no sooner heard the voice of that
bird, but he betook him to his heels, and run away as fast as ever he
could. The Ass fancying he fled for fear of him, in the bravery of his
heart, pursued him, and followed him so far, that they were quite out of
the hearing of the Cock; which the Lion no sooner perceived, but he
turned about and seized the Ass; and just as he was ready to tear him to
pieces, the sluggish creature is said to have expressed himself
thus:--'Alas! fool that I was, knowing the cowardice of my own nature,
thus, by an affected courage, to throw myself into the jaws of death,
when I might have remained secure and unmolested!'