[Illustration]
A Hound having started a Hare from his form, after a long run, gave up
the chase. A Goat-herd, seeing him stop, mocked him, saying: "The little
one is the best runner of the two." The hound replied; "You do not see
the difference between us; I was only running for a dinner, but he for
his life."
Incentive spurs effort.
The Kites and the Swans.
The Kites of old time had, equally with the Swans, the privilege of
song. But having heard the neigh of the horse, they were so enchanted
with the sound, that they tried to imitate it; and, in trying to neigh,
they forgot how to sing.
The desire for imaginary benefits often involves the loss of present
blessings.
The Dog in the Manger.
[Illustration]
A Dog lay in a manger, and by his growling and snapping prevented the
oxen from eating the hay which had been placed for them. "What a
selfish Dog!" said one of them to his companions; "he cannot eat the hay
himself, and yet refuses to allow those to eat who can."
We should not deprive others of blessings because we cannot enjoy them
ourselves.
The Crow and the Serpent.
A Crow, in great want of food, saw a Serpent asleep in a sunny nook, and
flying down, greedily seized him. The Serpent, turning about, bit the
Crow with a mortal wound. The Crow in the agony of death exclaimed: "O
unhappy me! who have found in that which I deemed a most happy windfall
the source of my certain destruction."
What seem to be blessings are not always so.
The Cat and the Fox.
[Illustration]
As the Cat and the Fox were talking politics together, Reynard said:
"Let things turn out ever so bad, he did not care, for he had a thousand
tricks for them yet, before they should hurt him." "But pray," says he,
"Mrs. Puss, suppose there should be an invasion, what course do you
design to take?" "Nay," says the Cat, "I have but one shift for it, and
if that won't do, I am undone." "I am sorry for you," replies Reynard,
"with all my heart, and would gladly help you, but indeed, neighbor, as
times go, it is not good to trust; we must even be every one for
himself, as the saying is." These words were scarcely out of his mouth,
when they were alarmed with a pack of hounds, that came upon them in
full cry. The Cat, by the help of her single shift, ran up a tree, and
sat securely among the top branches; from whence she beheld Reynard,
who had not been able to get out of sight, overtaken with his thousand
tricks, and torn in as many pieces by the dogs which had surrounded him.
A little common sense is often of more value than much cunning.
The Eagle and the Arrow.
[Illustration]
An Eagle sat on a lofty rock, watching the movements of a Hare, whom he
sought to make his prey. An archer, who saw him from a place of
concealment, took an accurate aim, and wounded him mortally. The Eagle
gave one look at the arrow that had entered his heart, and saw in that
single glance that its feathers had been furnished by himself. "It is a
double grief to me," he exclaimed, "that I should perish by an arrow
feathered from my own wings."
The misfortunes arising from a man's own misconduct are the hardest to
bear.
The Dog Invited to Supper.
[Illustration]
A Gentleman, having prepared a great feast, invited a Friend to supper;
and the Gentleman's Dog, meeting the Friend's Dog, "Come," said he, "my
good fellow, and sup with us to-night." The Dog was delighted with the
invitation, and as he stood by and saw the preparations for the feast,
said to himself: "Capital fare indeed! this is, in truth, good luck. I
shall revel in dainties, and I will take good care to lay in an ample
stock to-night, for I may have nothing to eat to-morrow." As he said
this to himself, he wagged his tail, and gave a sly look at his friend
who had incited him. But his tail wagging to and fro caught the cook's
eye, who, seeing a stranger, straightway seized him by the legs, and
threw him out the window to the street below. When he reached the
ground, he set off yelping down the street; upon which the neighbors'
dogs ran up to him and asked him how he liked his supper. "In faith,"
said he, with a sorry smile, "I hardly know, for we drank so deeply,
that I can't even tell you which way I got out."
Those who enter by the back stairs must not complain if they are thrown
out by the window.
The Frogs Asking for a King.
[Illustration]
The Frogs, grieved at having no established Ruler, sent ambassadors to
Jupiter entreating for a King. He, perceiving their simplicity, cast
down a huge log into the lake. The Frogs, terrified at the splash
occasioned by its fall, hid themselves in the depth of the pool. But no
sooner did they see that the huge log continued motionless, than they
swam again to the top of the water, dismissed their fears, and came so
to despise it as to climb up, and to squat upon it. After some time they
began to think themselves ill-treated in the appointment of so inert a
Ruler, and sent a second deputation to Jupiter to pray that he would set
over them another sovereign. He then gave them an Eel to govern them.
When the Frogs discovered his easy good-nature, they yet a third time
sent to Jupiter to beg that he would once more choose for them another
King. Jupiter, displeased at their complaints, sent a Heron, who preyed
upon the Frogs day by day, till there were none left to complain.
When you seek to change your condition, be sure that you can better it.
The Prophet.
A Wizard, sitting in the market-place, told the fortunes of the
passers-by. A person ran up in great haste, and announced to him that
the doors of his house had been broken open, and that all his goods
were being stolen. He sighed heavily, and hastened away as fast as he
could run. A neighbor saw him running, and said: "Oh! you follow those?
you say you can foretell the fortunes of others; how is it you did not
foresee your own?"
The Dog and his Master's Dinner.
[Illustration]
A Dog had been taught to take his master's dinner to him every day. As
he smelled the good things in the basket, he was sorely tempted to taste
them, but he resisted the temptation and continued day after day to
carry the basket faithfully. One day all the dogs in the neighborhood
followed him with longing eyes and greedy jaws, and tried to steal the
dinner from the basket. At first the faithful dog tried to run away
from them, but they pressed him so close that at last he stopped to
argue with them. This was what the thieves desired, and they soon
ridiculed him to that extent that he said: "Very well, I will divide
with you," and he seized the best piece of chicken in the basket, and
left the rest for the others to enjoy.
He who stops to parley with temptation, will be very likely to yield.
The Buffoon and the Countryman.
[Illustration]
A rich nobleman once opened the theater to the public without charge,
and gave notice that he would handsomely reward any one who would
produce a new amusement. A Buffoon, well known for his jokes, said that
he had a kind of entertainment that had never been produced in a
theater. This report, being spread about, created a great stir in the
place, and the theater was crowded to see the new entertainment. The
Buffoon appeared, and imitated the squeaking of a little pig so
admirably with his voice, that the audience declared that he had a
porker under his cloak, and demanded that it should be shaken out. When
that was done, and yet nothing was found, they cheered the actor, with
the loudest applause. A countryman in the crowd proclaimed that he would
do the same thing on the next day. On the morrow a still larger crowd
assembled in the theater. Both of the performers appeared on the stage.
The Buffoon grunted and squeaked, and obtained, as on the preceding
day, the applause and cheers of the spectators. Next the Countryman
commenced, and pretending that he concealed a little pig beneath his
clothes (which in truth he did), contrived to lay hold of and to pull
his ear, when he began to squeak. The crowd, however, cried out that the
Buffoon had given a far more exact imitation. On this the Rustic
produced the pig, and showed them the greatness of their mistake.
Critics are not always to be depended upon.
The Boar and the Ass.
[Illustration]
A little scoundrel of an Ass, happening to meet with a Boar, had a mind
to be arch upon him, and so, says he: "Your humble servant." The Boar,
somewhat nettled at his familiarity, bristled up to him, and told him he
was surprised to hear him utter so impudent an untruth, and was just
going to show his resentment by giving him a rip in the flank; but
wisely stifling his passion, he contented himself with saying: "Go, you
sorry beast! I do not care to foul my tusks with the blood of so base a
creature."
Dignity cannot afford to quarrel with its inferiors.
The Fox and the Goat.
[Illustration]
A Fox, having fallen into a well, could find no means of escape. A Goat,
overcome with thirst, came to the well, and, seeing the Fox, inquired if
the water was good. The Fox, concealing his sad plight under a merry
guise, indulged in lavish praise of the water, saying it was beyond
measure excellent, and encouraged him to descend. The Goat, mindful only
of his thirst, thoughtlessly jumped down, when, just as he quenched his
thirst, the Fox informed him of the difficulty they were both in, and
suggested a scheme for their common escape. "If," said he, "you will
place your fore-feet upon the wall, and bend your head, I will run up
your back and escape, and will help you out." On the Goat readily
assenting to this proposal, the Fox leaped upon his back, and steadying
himself with the goat's horns reached in safety the mouth of the well,
and immediately made off as fast as he could. The Goat upbraided him
with the breach of his bargain, when he turned round and cried out:
"You foolish fellow! If you had as many brains in your head as you have
hairs in your beard, you would never have gone down before you had
inspected the way up, nor have exposed yourself to dangers from which
you had determined upon no means of escape."
Look before you leap.
The Oxen and the Butchers.
[Illustration]
The Oxen, once on a time, sought to destroy the Butchers, who practiced
a trade destructive to their race. They assembled on a certain day to
carry out their purpose, and sharpened their horns for the contest. One
of them, an exceedingly old one (for many a field had he ploughed), thus
spoke: "These Butchers, it is true, slaughter us, but they do so with
skillful hands, and with no unnecessary pain. If we get rid of them, we
shall fall into the hands of unskillful operators, and thus suffer a
double death; for you may be assured that, though all the Butchers
should perish, yet will men never want beef."
Do not be in a hurry to change one evil for another.
The Horse and his Rider.
[Illustration]
A Horse-soldier took great pains with his charger. As long as the war
lasted, he looked upon him as his fellow-helper in all emergencies, and
fed him carefully with hay and corn. When the war was over, he only
allowed him chaff to eat, and made him carry heavy loads of wood, and
subjected him to much slavish drudgery and ill-treatment. War, however,
being again proclaimed, the Soldier put on his charger its military
trappings, and mounted, being clad in his heavy coat of mail. The Horse
fell down straightway under the weight, no longer equal to the burden,
and said to his master: "You must now e'en go to the war on foot, for
you have transformed me from a Horse into an Ass."
He who slights his friends when they are not needed must not expect them
to serve him when he needs them.
The Dog and the Hare.
A Hound, having started a Hare on the hill-side, pursued her for some
distance, at one time biting her with his teeth as if he would take her
life, and at another time fawning upon her, as if in play with another
dog. The Hare said to him: "I wish you would act sincerely by me, and
show yourself in your true colors. If you are a friend, why do you bite
me so hard? If an enemy, why do you fawn on me?"
They are no friends whom you know not whether to trust or to distrust.
The Fawn and his Mother.
[Illustration]
A young Fawn once said to his mother: "You are larger than a dog, and
swifter, and more used to running; why, then, O Mother! are you always
in such a terrible fright of the hounds?" She smiled, and said: "I know
full well, my son, that all you say is true. I have the advantages you
mention, but yet when I hear the bark of a single dog I feel ready to
faint."
No arguments will give courage to the coward.
The Lark and her Young Ones.
[Illustration]
A Lark had made her nest in the young green wheat. The brood had almost
grown, when the owner of the field, overlooking his crop, said: "I must
send to all my neighbors to help me with my harvest." One of the young
Larks heard him, and asked his mother to what place they should move for
safety. "There is no occasion to move yet, my son," she replied. The
owner of the field came a few days later, and said: "I will come myself
to-morrow, and will get in the harvest." Then the Lark said to her
brood: "It is time now to be off--he no longer trusts to his friends,
but will reap the field himself."
Self-help is the best help.
The Bowman and the Lion.
[Illustration]
A very skillful Bowman went to the mountains in search of game. All the
beasts of the forest fled at his approach. The Lion alone challenged him
to combat. The Bowman immediately let fly an arrow; and said to the
Lion: "I send thee my messenger, that from him thou mayest learn what I
myself shall be when I assail thee." The Lion, thus wounded, rushed,
away in great fear, and on a Fox exhorting him to be of good courage,
and not to run away at the first attack, he replied: "You counsel me in
vain, for if he sends so fearful a messenger, how shall I abide the
attack of the man himself?"
A man who can strike from a distance is no pleasant neighbor.
The Boy and the Filberts.
A Boy put his hand into a pitcher full of filberts. He grasped as many
as he could possibly hold, but when he endeavored to pull out his hand,
he was prevented from doing so by the neck of the pitcher, which was
much smaller than his closed hand. Unwilling to lose his filberts, and
yet unable to withdraw his hand, he burst into tears, and bitterly
lamented his disappointment. A bystander said to him: "Be satisfied with
half the quantity, and you will readily draw out your hand."
Do not attempt too much at once.
The Woman and her Hen.
[Illustration]
A Woman possessed a Hen that gave her an egg every day. She often
thought with herself how she might obtain two eggs daily instead of
one, and at last, to gain her purpose, determined to give the Hen a
double allowance of barley. From that day the Hen became fat and sleek,
and never once laid another egg.
Covetousness overreacheth itself.
The Lamb and the Wolf.
[Illustration]
A Wolf pursued a Lamb, which fled for refuge to a certain temple. The
Wolf called out to him and said: "The priest will slay you in
sacrifice, if he should catch you;" on which the Lamb replied: "It would
be better for me to be sacrificed in the temple, than to be eaten by
you."
It is safer to be among friends than enemies.
The Bear and the Gardener.
[Illustration]
A Gardener, who lived alone, became discontented, and set out, one day,
to seek a friend who would be a suitable companion. He had not gone far
when he met a Bear, whom he invited to come and live with him. The Bear
was a very silly one, who was also discontented with living alone, so he
went home with the Gardener very willingly. The Gardener provided all
the food, and the only service he required of the Bear was to keep the
flies off his face while he slept in the shade. One day, a fly insisted
upon lighting on the Gardener's face, although he was brushed off again
and again. The silly Bear finally became so enraged that he threw a
heavy stone upon it. He killed the fly, but, alas! he also killed his
friend.
Better have no friend at all than a foolish one.
The Heifer and the Ox.
A Heifer saw an Ox hard at work harnessed to a plough, and tormented him
with reflections on his unhappy fate in being compelled to labor.
Shortly afterward, at the harvest home, the owner released the Ox from
his yoke, but bound the Heifer with cords, and led her away to the altar
to be slain in honor of the festival. The Ox saw what was being done,
and said to the Heifer: "For this you were allowed to live in idleness,
because you were presently to be sacrificed."
The lives of the idle can best be spared.
The Eagle and the Fox.
[Illustration]
An Eagle and a Fox formed an intimate friendship, and decided to live
near each other. The Eagle built her nest in a tall tree, while the Fox
crept into the underwood and there produced her young. Not long after,
when the Fox was ranging for food, the Eagle, being in want of provision
for her young ones, swooped down and seized upon one of the little cubs,
and feasted herself and brood. The Fox on her return, discovering what
had happened, was less grieved for the death of her young than for her
inability to avenge them. A just retribution, however, quickly fell upon
the Eagle. While hovering near an altar, on which some villagers were
sacrificing a goat, she suddenly seized a piece of flesh, and carried
with it to her nest a burning cinder. A strong breeze soon fanned the
spark into a flame, and the eaglets, as yet unfledged and helpless, were
roasted in their nest and dropped down dead at the bottom of the tree.
The Fox gobbled them up in the sight of the Eagle.
The tyrant is never safe from those whom he oppresses.
The Hawk and the Nightingale.
A Nightingale, sitting aloft upon an oak, was seen by a Hawk, who made a
swoop down, and seized him. The Nightingale earnestly besought the Hawk
to let him go, saying that he was not big enough to satisfy the hunger
of a Hawk, who ought to pursue the larger birds. The Hawk said: "I
should indeed have lost my senses if I should let go food ready to my
hand, for the sake of pursuing birds which are not yet even within
sight."
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
The Hen and the Swallow.
A Hen finding the eggs of a viper, and carefully keeping them warm,
nourished them into life. A Swallow observing what she had done, said:
"You silly creature! Why have you hatched these vipers, which, when they
shall have grown, will surely inflict injury on all of us, beginning
with yourself?"
If we nourish evil, it will sooner or later turn upon us.
The Herdsman and the Lost Bull.
[Illustration]
A Herdsman, tending kine in a forest, lost a Bull-calf from the fold.
After a long and fruitless search, he made a vow that, if he could only
discover the thief who had stolen the Calf he would offer a lamb in
sacrifice to the Guardian Deities of the forest. Not long afterwards, as
he ascended a small hillock, he saw at its foot a Lion feeding on the
Calf. Terrified at the sight, he lifted his eyes and his hands to
heaven, and said: "Just now I vowed to offer a lamb to the Guardian
Deities of the forest if I could only find out who had robbed me; but
now that I have discovered the thief, I would willingly add a full-grown
Bull to the Calf I have lost, and give them both to the guardians of the
forest, if I may only secure my own escape from this terrible Lion in
safety."
[Illustration]
That which we are anxious to find, we are sometimes even more anxious to
escape from, when we have succeeded in finding it.
The Shepherd's Boy and Wolf.
A Shepherd-boy, who watched a flock of sheep near a village, brought out
the villagers three or four times by crying out, "Wolf! Wolf!" and when
his neighbors came to help him, laughed at them for their pains. The
Wolf, however, did truly come at last. The Shepherd-boy, now really
alarmed, shouted in an agony of terror: "Pray, do come and help me; the
Wolf is killing the sheep;" but no one paid any heed to his cries.
There is no believing a liar, even when he speaks the truth.
The Hawk, the Kite, and the Pigeons.
[Illustration]
The Pigeons, terrified by the appearance of a Kite, called upon the Hawk
to defend them. He at once consented. When they had admitted him into
the cote, they found that he made more havoc and slew a larger number of
them in a single day, than the Kite could possibly pounce upon in a
whole year.
Avoid a remedy that is worse than the disease.
The Farmer and the Cranes.
Some Cranes made their feeding grounds on some plough-lands newly sown
with wheat. For a long time the Farmer, brandishing an empty sling,
chased them away by the terror he inspired; but when the birds found
that the sling was only swung in the air, they ceased to take any notice
of it, and would not move. The farmer, on seeing this, charged his sling
with stones, and killed a great number. They at once forsook his
plough-lands, and cried to each other: "It is time for us to be off, for
this man is no longer content to scare us, but begins to show us in
earnest what he can do."
If words suffice not, blows must follow.
The Cat and the Mice.
[Illustration]
A certain house was overrun with Mice. A Cat, discovering this, made her
way into it, and began to catch and eat them one by one. The Mice, being
continually devoured, kept themselves close in their holes. The Cat, no
longer able to get at them, perceived that she must tempt them forth by
some device. For this purpose she jumped upon a peg, and, suspending
herself from it, pretended to be dead. When the Mice came near she
pounced among them and killed a great number. Pleased with the success
of the trick, she tried another. She whitened herself with flour, and
lay still on the heap of bags, as though she was one of them. The young
Mice crept dangerously near her, but an old one peeping stealthily out
said: "Ah, my good madam, though you should turn into a real flour-bag,
I will not come too near you."
Avoid even appearances of danger.
The Father and his Sons.
A Father had a family of sons who were perpetually quarreling among
themselves. When he failed to heal their disputes by his exhortations,
he one day told them to bring him a bundle of sticks. When they had done
so, he placed the bundle into the hands of each of them in succession,
and ordered them to break it in pieces. They each tried with all their
strength, and were not able to do it. He next unclosed the faggot, and
took the sticks, separately, one by one, and again put them into their
hands, on which they broke them easily. He then addressed them in these
words: "My sons, if you are of one mind, and unite to assist each other,
you will be as this faggot, uninjured by all attempts of your enemies;
but if you are divided among yourselves, you will be broken as easily
as these sticks."
Disunited families are easily injured by others.
The Owl and the Grasshopper.
An Owl who was sitting in a hollow tree, dozing away a summer's
afternoon, was very much disturbed by a rogue of a Grasshopper singing
in the grass beneath. So far from keeping quiet, or moving away at the
request of the Owl, the Grasshopper sang all the more, and called her an
old blinker, that only came out at night when all honest people had gone
to bed. The Owl waited in silence for a time, and then artfully
addressed the Grasshopper as follows: "Well, my dear, if one cannot be
allowed to sleep, it is something to be kept awake by such a pleasant
voice. And now I think of it, I have a bottle of delicious nectar. If
you will come up, you shall have a drop." The silly Grasshopper, came
hopping up to the Owl, who at once caught and killed him, and finished
her nap in comfort.
Flattery is not a proof of admiration.
The Fox and the Grapes.
[Illustration]
A famished Fox saw some clusters of ripe black grapes hanging from a
trellised vine. She resorted to all her tricks to get at them, but
wearied herself in vain, for she could not reach them. At last she
turned away, beguiling herself of her disappointment, and saying: "The
Grapes are sour, and not ripe as I thought."
Revile not things beyond your reach.
The Ass carrying the Image.
[Illustration]
An Ass once carried through the streets of the city a famous wooden
Image, to be placed in one of its temples. The crowd as he passed along
made lowly prostration before the Image. The Ass, thinking that they
bowed their heads in token of respect for him, bristled up with pride
and gave himself airs, and refused to move another step. The driver,
seeing him thus stop, laid his whip lustily about his shoulders and
said: "O you perverse dull-head! it is not yet come to this, that men
pay worship to an Ass."
They are not wise who take to themselves the credit due to others.
The Ass and the Lap-Dog.
[Illustration]
A man had an Ass and a Maltese Lap-dog, a very great beauty. The Ass was
left in a stable, and had plenty of oats and hay to eat, just as any
other Ass would. The Lap-dog was a great favorite with his master, and
he frisked and jumped about him in a manner pleasant to see. The Ass had
much work to do, in grinding the corn-mill, and in carrying wood from
the forest or burdens from the farm. He often lamented his own hard
fate, and contrasted it with the luxury and idleness of the Lap-dog,
till at last one day he broke his halter, and galloped into his master's
house, kicking up his heels without measure, and frisking and fawning as
well as he could. He next tried to jump about his master as he had seen
the Lap-dog do, but he broke the table and smashed all the dishes upon
it to atoms. He then attempted to lick his master, and jumped upon his
back. The servants hearing the strange hubbub, and perceiving the danger
of their master, quickly relieved him, and drove out the Ass to his
stable, with kicks, and clubs, and cuffs. The Ass, beaten nearly to
death, thus lamented: "I have brought it all on myself! Why could I not
have been contented to labor with my companions, and not try to live by
idleness?"
The Tortoise and the Eagle.
[Illustration]
A Tortoise, lazily basking in the sun, complained to the sea-birds of
her hard fate, that no one would teach her to fly. An Eagle, hovering
near, heard her lamentation, and demanded what reward she would give
him, if he would take her aloft, and float her in the air. "I will give
you," she said, "all the riches of the Red Sea." "I will teach you to
fly then," said the Eagle; and taking her up in his talons, he carried
her almost to the clouds,--when suddenly letting her go, she fell on a
lofty mountain, and dashed her shell to pieces. The Tortoise exclaimed
in the moment of death: "I have deserved my present fate; for what had I
to do with wings and clouds, who can with difficulty move about on the
earth?"
If men had all they wished, they would be often ruined.
The Porcupine and the Snakes.
A Porcupine, wanting to shelter himself, desired a nest of Snakes to
give him admittance into their cave. They were prevailed upon, and let
him in accordingly; but were so annoyed with his sharp prickly quills
that they soon repented of their easy compliance, and entreated the
Porcupine to withdraw, and leave them their hole to themselves. "No,"
says he, "let them quit the place that don't like it; for my part, I am
well enough satisfied as I am."
Hospitality is a virtue, but should be wisely exercised; we may by
thoughtlessness entertain foes instead of friends.
The Fox who had Lost his Tail.
[Illustration]
A Fox, caught in a trap, escaped with the loss of his "brush."
Henceforth, feeling his life a burden from the shame and ridicule to
which he was exposed, he schemed to bring all the other Foxes into a
like condition with himself. He publicly advised them to cut off their
tails, saying "that they would not only look much better without them,
but that they would get rid of the weight of the brush." One of them
said: "If you had not yourself lost your tail, my friend, you would not
thus counsel us."
Advice prompted by selfishness should not be heeded.
[Illustration]
The Old Lion.
A Lion, worn out with years, lay on the ground at the point of death. A
Boar rushed upon him, and avenged with a stroke of his tusks a long
remembered injury. Shortly afterwards the Bull with his horns gored him
as if he were an enemy. When the Ass saw that the huge beast could be
assailed with impunity, he let drive at his forehead with his heels.
The Ass and the Wolf.
[Illustration]
An Ass, feeding in a meadow, saw a Wolf approaching to seize him, and
immediately pretended to be lame. The Wolf, coming up, inquired the
cause of his lameness. The Ass said that he had a thorn in his foot, and
requested the Wolf to pull it out. The Wolf consenting, the Ass with his
heels kicked his teeth into his mouth, and galloped away. The Wolf
said: "I am rightly served, for why did I attempt the art of healing,
when my father only taught me the trade of a butcher?"
Every one to his trade.
The Horse and the Groom.
[Illustration]
A Groom used to spend whole days in currycombing and rubbing down his
Horse, but at the same time stole his oats, and sold them for his own
profit. "Alas!" said the Horse, "if you really wish me to be in good
condition, you should groom me less, and feed me more."
If you wish to do a service, do it right.
The Ass and his Shadow.
[Illustration]
A traveler hired an Ass to convey him to a distant place. The day being
intensely hot, and the sun shining in its strength, the traveler stopped
to rest, and sought shelter from the heat under the Shadow of the Ass.
As this afforded only protection for one, and as the traveler and the
owner of the Ass both claimed it, a violent dispute arose between them
as to which of them had the right to it. The owner maintained that he
had let the Ass only, and not his Shadow. The traveler asserted that he
had, with the hire of the Ass, hired his Shadow also. The quarrel
proceeded from words to blows, and while the men fought the Ass galloped
off.
In quarreling about the shadow we often lose the substance.
The Horse and the Loaded Ass.
[Illustration]
An idle Horse, and an Ass laboring under a heavy burden, were traveling
the road together. The Ass, ready to faint under his heavy load,
entreated the Horse to assist him, and lighten his burden, by taking
some of it upon his back. The Horse was ill-natured and refused to do
it; upon which the poor Ass tumbled down in the midst of the highway,
and expired. The countryman then took the whole burden, and laid it
upon the Horse, together with the skin of the dead Ass.
Laziness often prepares a burden for its own back.
[Illustration]
The Mules and the Robbers.
Two Mules laden with packs were trudging along. One carried panniers
filled with money, the other sacks of grain. The Mule carrying the
treasure walked with head erect, and tossed up and down the bells
fastened to his neck. His companion followed with quiet and easy step.
All on a sudden Robbers rushed from their hiding-places upon them, and
in the scuffle with their owners wounded the Mule carrying the treasure,
which they greedily seized upon, while they took no notice of the grain.
The Mule which had been wounded bewailed his misfortunes. The other
replied: "I am glad that I was thought so little of, for I have lost
nothing, nor am I hurt with any wound."
The conspicuous run the greatest risk.
The Lion and the Three Bulls.
[Illustration]
Three Bulls for a long time pastured together. A Lion lay in ambush in
the hope of making them his prey, but was afraid to attack them whilst
they kept together. Having at last by guileful speeches succeeded in
separating them, he attacked them without fear, as they fed alone, and
feasted on them one by one at his own leisure.
In union is strength.
The Dog and the Shadow.
[Illustration]
A Dog, crossing a bridge over a stream with a piece of flesh in his
mouth, saw his own shadow in the water, and took it for another Dog,
with a piece of meat double his own in size. He therefore let go his
own, and fiercely attacked the other Dog, to get his larger piece from
him. He thus lost both--that which he grasped at in the water, because
it was a shadow and his own, because the stream swept it away.
It is not wise to be too greedy.
[Illustration]
The Ants and the Grasshopper.
The Ants were employing a fine winter's day in drying grain collected in
the summer time. A Grasshopper, perishing with famine, passed by and
earnestly begged for a little food. The Ants inquired of him: "Why did
you not treasure up food during the summer?" He replied: "I had not
leisure; I passed the days in singing." They then said: "If you were
foolish enough to sing all the summer, you must dance supperless to bed
in the winter."
Idleness brings want.
The Thirsty Pigeon.
A Pigeon, oppressed by excessive thirst, saw a goblet of water painted
on a sign-board. Not supposing it to be only a picture, she flew toward
it with a loud whirr, and unwittingly dashed against the sign-board and
jarred herself terribly. Having broken her wings by the blow, she fell
to the ground, and was caught by one of the bystanders.
Zeal should not outrun discretion.
The Flies and the Honey.
A Jar of Honey having been upset in a housekeeper's room, a number of
flies were attracted by its sweetness, and placing their feet in it, ate
it greedily. Their feet, however, became so smeared with the honey that
they could not use their wings, nor release themselves, and were
suffocated. Just as they were expiring, they exclaimed, "O foolish
creatures that we are! For the sake of a little pleasure we have
destroyed ourselves."
The Great and the Little Fishes.
[Illustration]
A Fisherman was drawing up a net which he had cast into the sea, full of
all sorts of fish. The Little Fish escaped through the meshes of the
net, and got back into the deep, but the Great Fish were all caught and
hauled into the ship.
Our insignificance is often the cause of our safety.
The Wolves and the Sheep.
[Illustration]
"Why should there always be this implacable warfare between us?" said
the Wolves to the Sheep. "Those evil-disposed Dogs have much to answer
for. They always bark whenever we approach you, and attack us before we
have done any harm. If you would only dismiss them from your heels,
there might soon be treaties of peace between us." The sheep, poor
silly creatures! were easily beguiled, and dismissed the Dogs. The
Wolves destroyed the unguarded flock at their pleasure.
Change not friends for foes.
The Fox and the Stork.
[Illustration]
The Fox invited the Stork to dinner, and provided nothing but a soup, in
a wide, shallow dish. This he could lap up with ease; but the Stork, who
could but just dip in the point of his bill, was not a bit better. A few
days after, he returned the compliment, and invited the Fox; but
suffered nothing to be brought to the table but some minced meat in a
glass jar, the neck of which was so deep and so narrow, that, though the
Stork with his long bill could eat very well, all that the Fox could do
was to lick the brims. Reynard was heartily vexed, but owned that he had
been used as he deserved.
Those who practice cunning must expect to suffer by it.
The Bat and the Weasels.
A Bat, falling upon the ground, was caught by a Weasel, of whom he
earnestly besought his life. The Weasel refused, saying that he was by
nature the enemy of all birds. The Bat assured him that he was not a
bird, but a mouse, and thus saved his life. Shortly afterward the Bat
again fell on the ground, and was caught by another Weasel, whom he
likewise entreated not to eat him. The Weasel said that he had a special
hostility to mice. The Bat assured him that he was not a mouse, but a
bat; and thus a second time escaped.
The Hare and the Tortoise.
[Illustration]
A Hare one day ridiculed the short feet and slow pace of the Tortoise.
The latter, laughing, said: "Though you be swift as the wind, I will
beat you in a race." The Hare, deeming her assertion to be simply
impossible, assented to the proposal; and they agreed that the Fox
should choose the course, and fix the goal. On the day appointed for the
race they started together. The Tortoise never for a moment stopped, but
went on with a slow but steady pace straight to the end of the course.
The Hare, trusting to his native swiftness, cared little about the race,
and lying down by the wayside, fell fast asleep. At last waking up, and
moving as fast as he could, he saw the Tortoise had reached the goal,
and was comfortably dozing after her fatigue.
Perseverance is surer than swiftness.
Jupiter and the Monkey.
Jupiter issued a proclamation to all the beasts of the forest, and
promised a royal reward to the one whose offspring should be deemed the
handsomest. The Monkey came with the rest, and presented, with all a
mother's tenderness, a flat-nosed, hairless, ill-featured young Monkey
as a candidate for the promised reward. A general laugh saluted her on
the presentation of her son. She resolutely said: "I know not whether
Jupiter will allot the prize to my son; but this I do know, that he is
the dearest, handsomest, and most beautiful of all who are here."
A mother's love blinds her to many imperfections.
The Lion in Love.
[Illustration]
A Lion demanded the daughter of a woodcutter in marriage. The Father,
unwilling to grant and yet afraid to refuse his request, hit upon this
expedient. He expressed his willingness to accept him as the suitor of
his daughter on one condition; that he should allow him to extract his
teeth, and cut off his claws. The Lion cheerfully assented to the
proposal: when, however, he next repeated his request, the woodman set
upon him with his club.
The Miser.
[Illustration]
A Miser had a lump of gold which he buried in the ground, coming to look
at the spot every day. One day he found that it was stolen, and he began
to tear his hair and loudly lament. A neighbor, seeing him, said: "Pray
do not grieve so; bury a stone in the hole, and fancy it is the gold. It
will serve you just as well, for when the gold was there you made no use
of it."
The Wolf and the Goat.
[Illustration]
A Wolf saw a Goat feeding at the summit of a steep precipice, where he
had not a chance of reaching her. He called to her, and earnestly
besought her to come lower down, lest she should by some mishap get a
fall; and he added that the meadows lay where he was standing, and that
the herbage was most tender. She replied: "No, my friend, it is not of
me you are thinking, but of yourself."
Invitations prompted by selfishness are not to be accepted.
The Bald Knight.
[Illustration]
A Bald Knight, who wore a wig, went out to hunt. A sudden puff of wind
blew off his hat and wig, at which a loud laugh rang forth from his
companions. He joined in the joke by saying: "What marvel that hairs
which are not mine should fly from me, when my own have forsaken even
the man with whom they were born."
Those who cannot take care of their own, should not be entrusted with
the care of another's property.
The Fox and the Wood-Cutter.
[Illustration]
A Fox, running before the hounds, came across a Wood-cutter felling an
oak, and besought him to show him a safe hiding-place. The Wood-cutter
advised him to take shelter in his own hut. The Fox crept in, and hid
himself in a corner. The Huntsman came up, with his hounds, in a few
minutes, and inquired of the Wood-cutter if he had seen the Fox. He
declared that he had not seen him, and yet pointed, all the time he was
speaking, to the hut where the Fox lay hid. The Huntsman took no notice
of the signs, but, believing his word, hastened forward in the chase. As
soon as they were well away, the Fox departed without taking any notice
of the Wood-cutter; whereon he called to him, and reproached him,
saying: "You ungrateful fellow, you owe your life to me, and yet you
leave me without a word of thanks." The Fox replied: "Indeed, I should
have thanked you most fervently, if your deeds had been as good as your
words."
The Kid and the Wolf.
A Kid, mounted on a high rock, bestowed all manner of abuse upon a Wolf
on the ground below. The Wolf, looking up, replied: "Do not think, vain
creature, that you annoy me. I regard this ill language as coming not
from you, but from the place on which you stand."
The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox.
[Illustration]
A Lion and a Bear seized upon a kid at the same moment, and fought
fiercely for its possession. When they had fearfully lacerated each
other, and were faint from the long combat, they lay down exhausted with
fatigue. A Fox who had gone round them at a distance several times, saw
them both stretched on the ground, and the Kid lying untouched in the
middle, ran in between them, and seizing the Kid, scampered off as fast
as he could. The Lion and the Bear saw him, but not being able to get
up, said: "Woe betide us, that we should have fought and belabored
ourselves only to serve the turn of a Fox!"
It sometimes happens that one man has all the toil, and another all the
profit.
The Stag in the Ox-Stall.
[Illustration]
A Stag, hardly pressed by the hounds, and blind through fear to the
danger he was running into, took shelter in a farm-yard, and hid himself
in a shed among the oxen. An Ox gave him this kindly warning: "O unhappy
creature! why should you thus, of your own accord, incur destruction,
and trust yourself in the house of your enemy?" The Stag replied: "Do
you only suffer me, friend, to stay where I am, and I will undertake to
find some favorable opportunity of effecting my escape." At the approach
of the evening the herdsman came to feed his cattle, but did not see the
Stag. The Stag, congratulating himself on his safety, began to express
his sincere thanks to the Oxen who had kindly afforded him help in the
hour of need. One of them again answered him: "We indeed wish you well,
but the danger is not over. There is one other yet to pass through the
shed, who has as it were a hundred eyes, and, until he has come and
gone, your life is still in peril." At that moment the master himself
entered, and having had to complain that his oxen had not been properly
fed, he went up to their racks, and cried out: "Why is there such a
scarcity of fodder? There is not half enough straw for them to lie on.
Those lazy fellows have not even swept the cobwebs away." While he thus
examined everything, he spied the antlers of the Stag peeping out of the
straw. Summoning his laborers, he ordered that the Stag should be
killed.
What is safety for one is not always safety for another.
The Eagle and the Jackdaw.
[Illustration]
An Eagle, flying down from his eyrie on a lofty rock, seized upon a
lamb, and carried him aloft in his talons. A Jackdaw who witnessed the
capture of the lamb, was stirred with envy, and determined to emulate
the strength and flight of the Eagle. He flew round with a great whirr
of his wings, and settled upon a large sheep, with the intention of
carrying it off, but his claws becoming entangled in its fleece, he was
unable to release himself, although he fluttered with his feathers as
much as he could. The shepherd, seeing what had happened, ran up and
caught him. He at once clipped his wings, and, taking him home at night,
gave him to his children.
We should not permit our ambition to lead us beyond the limits of our
power.
The Three Tradesmen.
A great city was besieged, and its inhabitants were called together to
consider the best means of protecting it from the enemy. A Bricklayer
present earnestly recommended bricks, as affording the best materials
for an effectual resistance. A Carpenter, with equal energy, proposed
timber, as providing a preferable method of defense. Upon which a
Currier stood up, and said: "Sirs, I differ from you altogether; there
is no material for resistance equal to a covering of hides; and nothing
so good as leather."
Every man for his trade.
The Dancing Monkeys.
A Prince had some Monkeys trained to dance. Being naturally great mimics
of men's actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils; and when
arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of
the courtiers. The spectacle was often repeated with great applause,
till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket
a handful of nuts, and threw them upon the stage. The Monkeys, at the
sight of the nuts, forgot their dancing, and became (as indeed they
were) Monkeys instead of actors, and pulling off their masks and tearing
their robes, they fought with one another for the nuts. The dancing
spectacle thus came to an end, amidst the laughter and ridicule of the
audience.
They who assume a character will betray themselves by their actions.
The Ass and the Grasshopper.
An Ass, having heard some Grasshoppers chirping, was highly enchanted;
and desiring to possess the same charms of melody, demanded what sort of
food they lived on, to give them such beautiful voices. They replied:
"The dew." The Ass resolved that he would live only upon dew, and in a
short time died of hunger.
Where one may live, another may starve.
The Ass in the Lion's Skin.
[Illustration]
An Ass, having put on the Lion's skin, roamed about in the forest, and
amused himself by frightening all the foolish animals he met with in
his wanderings. At last, meeting a Fox, he tried to frighten him also,
but the Fox no sooner heard the sound of his voice, than he exclaimed:
"I might possibly have been frightened myself, if I had not heard your
bray."
No disguise will hide one's true character.
The Boy Bathing.
[Illustration]
A Boy bathing in a river was in danger of being drowned. He called out
to a traveler passing by for help. The traveler, instead of holding out
a helping hand, stood up unconcernedly, and scolded the boy for his
imprudence. "Oh, sir!" cried the youth, "pray help me now, and scold me
afterwards."
Counsel, without help, is useless.
The Cock and the Fox.
The Fox, passing early one summer's morning near a farm-yard, was caught
in a springe, which the farmer had planted there for that end. The Cock,
at a distance, saw what happened, and, hardly yet daring to trust
himself too near so dangerous a foe, approached him cautiously, and
peeped at him. Reynard addressed himself to him, with all the designing
artifice imaginable. "Dear cousin," says he, "you see what an
unfortunate accident has befallen me here, and all upon your account:
for, as I was creeping through yonder hedge, in my way homeward, I heard
you crow, and was resolved to ask you how you did before I went any
farther; but I met with this disaster; and therefore now I must ask you
for a knife to cut this string; or, at least, to conceal my misfortune
till I have gnawed it asunder." The Cock, seeing how the case stood,
made no reply, but posted away as fast as he could, and told the farmer,
who came and killed the Fox.
To aid the vicious is to become a partner in their guilt.
The Viper and the File.
[Illustration]
A Viper, entering the workshop of a smith, sought from the tools the
means of satisfying his hunger. He more particularly addressed himself
to a File, and asked of him the favor of a meal. The File replied: "You
must indeed be a simple-minded fellow if you expect to get anything from
me, who am accustomed to take from every one, and never to give anything
in return."
The covetous are poor givers.
The Oxen and the Axle-Trees.
A heavy wagon was being dragged along a country lane by a team of oxen.
The axle-trees groaned and creaked terribly, when the oxen, turning
round, thus addressed the wheels: "Hallo there! why do you make so much
noise? We bear all the labor, and we, not you, ought to cry out."
Those who suffer most cry out the least.
The Bear and the Bee-Hives.
A Bear that had found his way into a garden where Bees were kept began
to turn over the hives and devour the honey. The Bees settled in swarms
about his head, and stung his eyes and nose so much, that, maddened with
pain, he tore the skin from his head with his own claws.
The Thrush and the Swallow.
A young Thrush, who lived in an orchard once became acquainted with a
Swallow. A friendship sprang up between them; and the Swallow, after
skimming the orchard and the neighboring meadow, would every now and
then come and visit the Thrush. The Thrush, hopping from branch to
branch, would welcome him with his most cheerful note. "O mother!" said
he to his parent one day, "never had creature such a friend as I have in
this same Swallow."--"Nor ever any mother," replied the parent-bird,
"such a silly son as I have in this same Thrush. Long before the
approach of winter, your friend will have left you; and while you sit
shivering on a leafless bough he will be sporting under sunny skies
hundreds of miles away."
The Sensible Ass.
[Illustration]
An Old Fellow, in time of war, was allowing his Ass to feed in a green
meadow, when he was alarmed by a sudden advance of the enemy. He tried
every means in his power to urge the Ass to fly, but in vain. "The
enemy are upon us!" said he. "And what will the enemy do?" asked the
Ass. "Will they put two pairs of panniers on my back, instead of
one?"--"No," answered the Man; "there is no fear of that."--"Why, then,"
replied the Ass, "I'll not stir an inch. I am born to be a slave; and my
greatest enemy is he who gives me most to carry."
The Lion and the Ass.
[Illustration]
A Lion and an Ass made an agreement to go out hunting together.
By-and-by they came to a cave, where wild goats abode. The Lion took up
his station at the mouth of the cave, and the Ass, going within, kicked
and brayed, and made a mighty fuss to frighten them out. When the Lion
had caught them, the Ass came out and asked him if he had not made a
noble fight. "Yes, indeed," said the Lion; "and I assure you, you would
have frightened me too, if I had not known you to be an Ass."
The Fox and the Ape.
[Illustration]
Upon the decease of the Lion, the beasts of the forest assembled to
choose another king. The Ape played so many grimaces, gambols, and antic
tricks, that he was elected by a large majority; and the crown was
placed upon his head. The Fox, envious of this distinction, seeing, soon
after, a trap baited with a piece of meat, approached the new king, and
said with mock humility: "May it please your majesty, I have found on
your domain a treasure, to which, if you will deign to accompany me, I
will conduct you." The Ape thereupon set off with the Fox, and, on
arriving at the spot, laid his paw upon the meat. Snap! went the trap,
and caught him by the fingers. Mad with the shame and the pain, he
reproached the Fox for a false thief and a traitor. Reynard laughed
heartily, and said, with a sneer: "You a king, and not understand a
trap!"
The Lion and the Wolf.
A Wolf, roaming by the mountain's side, saw his own shadow, as the sun
was setting, become greatly extended and magnified, and he said to
himself: "Why should I, being of such an immense size, and extending
nearly an acre in length, be afraid of the Lion? Ought I not to be
acknowledged as King of all the collected beasts?" While he was
indulging in these proud thoughts, a Lion fell upon him, and killed him.
He exclaimed with a too-late repentance, "Wretched me! this
over-estimation of myself is the cause of my destruction."
It is not wise, to hold too exalted an opinion of one's self.
The Miller, his Son and their Ass.
[Illustration]
A miller and his Son were driving their Ass to a fair. On the way, they
met a troop of girls. "Look there!" cried one of them, "did you ever see
such fools, to be trudging along on foot when they might be riding?"
The old Man, hearing this, quietly bade his Son get on the Ass, and
walked along merrily by his side.
[Illustration]
Presently they came to a group of old men in earnest debate. "There!"
said one of them, "it proves what I was saying. What respect is shown to
old age in these days? Do you see that idle young rogue riding, while
his old father has to walk?--Get down, you scapegrace! and let the old
Man rest his weary limbs." Upon this the Father made his Son dismount,
and got up himself. In this manner they had not proceeded far when they
met a company of women and children. "Why, you lazy old fellow!" cried
several tongues at once, "how can you ride upon the beast, while that
poor little lad there can hardly keep pace by the side of you." The
good-natured Miller immediately took up his Son behind him. They had now
almost reached the town. "Pray, honest friend," said a townsman, "is
that Ass your own?" "Yes," says the old Man. "Oh! One would not have
thought so by the way you load him. Why, you two fellows are better
able to carry the poor beast than he you!" "Anything to please you,"
said the old Man. So, alighting with his Son, they tied the Ass's legs
together, and by the help of a pole endeavored to carry him on their
shoulders over a bridge. The people ran out in crowds to laugh at the
sight; till the Ass, not liking the noise nor his situation, kicked
asunder the cords and, tumbling off the pole, fell into the river. Upon
this the old Man made the best of his way home with his Son--convinced
that, by endeavoring to please every-body, he had succeeded in pleasing
nobody, and lost his Ass into the bargain.
[Illustration]
The Travelers and the Plane-Tree.
Two Travelers, worn out by the heat of the summer's sun, laid themselves
down at noon under the wide-spreading branches of a Plane-tree. As they
rested under its shade, one of the Travelers said to the other: "What a
singularly useless tree is the Plane. It bears no fruit, and is not of
the least service to man." The Plane-tree interrupting him said: "You
ungrateful fellows! Do you, while receiving benefits from me, and
resting under my shade, dare to describe me as useless, and
unprofitable?"
Some men despise their best blessings because they come without cost.
The Tortoise and the Two Ducks.
[Illustration]
A Tortoise, becoming tired of her humble home, resolved to visit foreign
lands, but she did not know which way to go. She repaired to two Ducks
to show her the road, and they told her that the best way to travel was
through the air. On her imploring their help, they made her grasp a
stick with her mouth, and so they bore her aloft. As they flew along,
the gaping people beneath shouted at sight of the spectacle. The vain
Tortoise mistook their shouts for applause. "I am surely a queen," said
she. But, alas! as she opened her mouth to speak she lost her hold of
the stick, and, falling to the ground, was dashed to pieces.
Those who are not able to roam should stay at home.
The Countryman and the Snake.
[Illustration]
A Villager found a Snake under a hedge, almost dead with cold. He could
not help having a compassion for the poor creature, so he brought it
home, and laid it upon the hearth near the fire; but it had not lain
there long, before (being revived with the heat) it began to erect
itself, and fly at his wife and children. The Countryman, hearing an
outcry, and perceiving what the matter was, caught up a mattock, and
soon dispatched him, upbraiding him at the same time in these words: "Is
this, vile wretch, the reward you make to him that saved your life?"
Kindness to the ungrateful and the vicious is thrown away.
The Madman who Sold Wisdom.
A Madman once set himself up in the market place, and with loud cries
announced that he would sell Wisdom. The people at once crowded about
him, and some gave him gold for his wares, but they each got only a blow
on the ear and a bunch of thread, and were well laughed at by their
companions. One of them, however, took it more seriously than the
others, and asked a wise sage what it meant. "It means," said the sage,
"that if one would not be hurt by a Madman, he must put a bunch of
thread over his ears." So the Madman was really selling Wisdom.
The Leopard and the Fox.
[Illustration]
A Leopard, being no longer able, by reason of old age, to pursue his
prey, feigned illness, and gave out that he would confer great favors
upon any animal that would cure him. A cunning Fox heard of the
proclamation, and lost no time in visiting the Leopard, first making
himself look as much like a physician as he could. On seeing him, the
Leopard declared that such a distinguished looking animal could not
fail to cure him. This so flattered the Fox that he came near, and at
once fell a victim to his vanity, being unable to flee because of the
disguise, which fettered his limbs.
Flattery is a dangerous weapon in the hands of an enemy.
The Hare afraid of his Ears.
[Illustration]
The Lion, being badly hurt by the horns of a goat, swore in a great rage
that every animal with horns should be banished from his kingdom. A
silly Hare, seeing the shadow of his ears, was in great fear lest they
should be taken for horns, and scampered away.
The Peacock and the Crane.
[Illustration]
A Peacock, spreading its gorgeous tail, mocked a Crane that passed by,
ridiculing the ashen hue of its plumage, and saying: "I am robed like a
king, in gold and purple, and all the colors of the rainbow; while you
have not a bit of color on your wings." "True," replied the Crane, "but
I soar to the heights of heaven, and lift up my voice to the stars,
while you walk below, like a cock, among the birds of the dunghill."
Fine feathers don't make fine birds.
The Mouse and the Weasel.
[Illustration]
A little starveling Mouse had made his way with some difficulty into a
basket of corn, where, finding the entertainment so good, he stuffed and
crammed himself to such an extent, that when he would have got out again
he found the hole was too small to allow his puffed-up body to pass. As
he sat at the hole groaning over his fate, a Weasel, who was brought to
the spot by his cries, thus addressed him: "Stop there, my friend, and
fast till you are thin; for you will never come out till you reduce
yourself to the same condition as when you entered."
The Fox and the Tiger.
[Illustration]
A skillful archer, coming into the woods, directed his arrows so
successfully that he slew many wild beasts, and pursued several others.
This put the whole savage kind into a fearful consternation, and made
them fly to the most retired thickets for refuge. At last, the Tiger
resumed courage, and, bidding them not be afraid, said that he alone
would engage the enemy; telling them they might depend upon his valor
and strength to revenge their wrongs. In the midst of these threats,
while he was lashing himself with his tail, and tearing up the ground
for anger, an arrow pierced his ribs, and hung by its barbed point in
his side. He set up an hideous and loud roar, occasioned by the anguish
which he felt, and endeavored to draw out the painful dart with his
teeth; when the Fox, approaching him, inquired with an air of surprise
who it was that could have strength and courage enough to wound so
mighty and valorous a beast! "Ah!" says the Tiger, "I was mistaken in my
reckoning: it was that invincible man yonder."
There is always some vulnerable point in the strongest armor.
The Fox and the Turkeys.
[Illustration]
A Fox spied some turkeys roosting in a tree. He managed to attract
their attention and then ran about the tree, pretended to climb, walked
on his hind legs, and did all sorts of tricks. Filled with fear, the
Turkeys watched every one of his movements until they became dizzy, and,
one by one, fell from their safe perch.
By too much attention to danger, we may fall victims to it.
The Eagle, the Cat, and the Wild Sow.
[Illustration]
An Eagle had made her nest at the top of a lofty oak. A Cat, having
found a convenient hole, lived with her kittens in the middle of the
trunk; and a Wild Sow with her young had taken shelter in a hollow at
its foot. The Cat resolved to destroy by her arts this chance-made
colony. She climbed to the nest of the Eagle, and said: "Destruction is
preparing for you, and for me too. The Wild Sow, whom you may see daily
digging up the earth, wishes to uproot the oak, that she may, on its
fall, seize our families as food." Then she crept down to the cave of
the Sow and said: "Your children are in great danger; for as soon as you
shall go out with your litter to find food, the Eagle is prepared to
pounce upon one of your little pigs." When night came, she went forth
with silent foot and obtained food for herself and her kittens; but,
feigning to be afraid, she kept a look-out all through the day.
Meanwhile, the Eagle, full of fear of the Sow, sat still on the
branches, and the Sow, terrified by the Eagle, did not dare to go out
from her cave; and thus they each, with their families, perished from
hunger.
Those who stir up enmities are not to be trusted.
The Peacock and the Magpie.
[Illustration]
The Birds once met together to choose a king; and, among others, the
Peacock was a candidate. Spreading his showy tail, and stalking up and
down with affected grandeur, he caught the eyes of the silly multitude
by his brilliant appearance, and was elected with acclamation. The
Magpie then stepped forth into the midst of the assembly, and thus
addressed the new king: "May it please your majesty, elect to permit a
humble admirer to propose a question. As our king, we put our lives and
fortunes in your hands. If, therefore, the Eagle, the Vulture, and the
Kite, should make a descent upon us, what means would you take for our
defense?" This pithy question opened the eyes of the Birds to the
weakness of their choice and they canceled the election.
The Two Goats.
[Illustration]
Two Goats started at the same moment, from opposite ends, to cross a
rude bridge that was only wide enough for one to cross at a time.
Meeting at the middle of the bridge, neither would give way to the
other. They locked horns and fought for the right of way, until they
both fell into the torrent below and were drowned.
The Dove and the Ant.
[Illustration]
An Ant went to the bank of a river to quench its thirst, and, being
carried away by the rush of the stream, was on the point of being
drowned. A Dove, sitting on a tree overhanging the water, plucked a
leaf, and let it fall into the stream close to her. The Ant, climbing on
to it, floated in safety to the bank. Shortly afterwards a bird catcher
came close and stood under the tree, and laid his lime-twigs for the
Dove, which sat in the branches. The Ant, perceiving his design, stung
him in the foot. He suddenly threw down the twigs, and thereupon made
the Dove take wing.
The grateful heart will always find opportunities to show its gratitude.
The Eagle and the Beetle.
[Illustration]
The Eagle and the Beetle were at enmity together, and they destroyed one
another's nests. The Eagle gave the first provocation in seizing upon
and in eating the young ones of the Beetle. The Beetle got by stealth at
the Eagle's eggs, and rolled them out of the nest, and followed the
Eagle even into the presence of Jupiter. On the Eagle making his
complaint, Jupiter ordered him to make his nest in his lap; and while
Jupiter had the eggs in his lap, the Beetle came flying about him, and
Jupiter, rising up unawares to drive him away from his head, threw down
the eggs, and broke them.
The weak often revenge themselves on those who use them ill, even though
they be the more powerful.
The Mule.
[Illustration]
A Mule, frolicsome from want of work and from overmuch corn, galloped
about in a very extravagant manner, and said to himself: "My father
surely was a high-mettled racer, and I am his own child in speed and
spirit." On the next day, being driven a long journey, and feeling very
weary, he exclaimed in a disconsolate tone: "I must have made a mistake;
my father, after all, could have been only an ass."
The Cat, the Weasel and the Rabbit.
[Illustration]
While a Rabbit was absent from his hole one day, a Weasel took
possession of it. On the Rabbit's return, seeing the Weasel's nose
sticking out, he said: "You must leave this hole immediately. There is
only room for one, and it has always belonged to me and my fathers
before me." "The more reason that you should give it up now," said the
Weasel, "and leave its possession to me." As they could not settle the
dispute, they agreed to leave the question of ownership to a wise old
Cat, to whom they went without more ado. "I am deaf," said the Cat. "Put
your noses close to my ears." No sooner had they done so, than she
clapped a paw upon each of them, and killed them both.
The strong are apt to settle all questions by the rule of might.
[Illustration]
The Rat and the Frog.
[Illustration]
A Rat in an evil day made acquaintance with a Frog, and they set off on
their travels together. The Frog, on pretense of great affection, and of
keeping his companion out of harm's way, tied the Rat's foot to his own
hind-leg, and thus they proceeded for some distance by land. Presently
they came to some water, and the Frog, bidding the Rat have good
courage, began to swim across. They had scarcely, however, arrived
midway, when the Frog took a sudden plunge to the bottom, dragging the
unfortunate Rat after him. But the struggling and floundering of the Rat
made so great a commotion in the water that it attracted the attention
of a Kite, who, pouncing down and bearing off the Rat, carried away the
Frog at the same time in his train.
Inconsiderate and ill-matched alliances generally end in ruin; and the
man who compasses the destruction of his neighbor, is often caught in
his own snare.
The Widow and the Sheep.
There was a certain Widow who had an only Sheep, and, wishing to make
the most of his wool, she sheared him so closely that she cut his skin
as well as his fleece. The Sheep, smarting under this treatment, cried
out: "Why do you torture me thus? What will my blood add to the weight
of the wool? If you want my flesh, Dame, send for the Butcher, who will
put me out of my misery at once; but if you want my fleece, send for the
Shearer, who will clip my wool without drawing my blood."
Economy may be carried too far.
The Man Bitten by a Dog.
A Man who had been bitten by a Dog was going about asking who could cure
him. One that met him said: "Sir, if you would be cured, take a bit of
bread and dip it in the blood of the wound, and give it to the dog that
bit you." The Man smiled, and said: "If I were to follow your advice, I
should be bitten by all the dogs in the city."
He who proclaims himself ready to buy up his enemies will never want a
supply of them.
The Horse and the Wolf.
[Illustration]
A Wolf saw a Horse grazing in a field. Putting on a grave air, he
approached him and said: "Sir, you must be very ill; I have some skill
as a physician, and if you will tell me where your ailment is, I shall
be glad to be of service." Said the horse: "If you will examine my foot,
you will find what ails me." But as the wily Wolf approached him, with a
kick he sent him flying into the air.
The Goatherd and the Goats.
It was a stormy day, and the snow was falling fast, when a Goatherd
drove his Goats, all white with snow, into a desert cave for shelter.
There he found that a herd of Wild Goats, more numerous and larger than
his own, had already taken possession. So, thinking to secure them all,
he left his own Goats to take care of themselves, and threw the branches
which he had brought for them to the Wild Goats to browse on. But when
the weather cleared up, he found his own Goats had perished from hunger,
while the Wild Goats were off and away to the hills and woods. So the
Goatherd returned a laughing-stock to his neighbors, having failed to
gain the Wild Goats, and having lost his own.
They who neglect their old friends for the sake of new ones, are rightly
served if they lose both.
The Goose with the Golden Eggs.
[Illustration]
A certain man had the good fortune to possess a Goose that laid him a
Golden Egg every day. But dissatisfied with so slow an income, and
thinking to seize the whole treasure at once, he killed the Goose, and
cutting her open, found her--just what any other goose would be!
Much wants more, and loses all.
The Old Woman and the Wine-Jar.
[Illustration]
An Old Woman found an empty jar which had lately been full of prime old
wine, and which still retained the fragrant smell of its former
contents. She greedily placed it several times to her nose, and drawing
it backwards and forwards, said: "O most delicious! How nice must the
Wine itself have been when it leaves behind in the very vessel which
contained it so sweet a perfume!"
The memory of a good deed lives.
The Ass Carrying Salt.
[Illustration]
A certain Huckster who kept an Ass, hearing that Salt was to be had
cheap at the sea-side, drove down his Ass thither to buy some. Having
loaded the beast as much as he could bear, he was driving him home,
when, as they were passing a slippery ledge of rock, the Ass fell into
the stream below, and the Salt being melted, the Ass was relieved of his
burden, and having gained the bank with ease, pursued his journey
onward, light in body and in spirit. The Huckster soon afterwards set
off for the sea-shore for some more Salt, and loaded the Ass, if
possible, yet more heavily than before. On their return, as they crossed
the stream into which he had formerly fallen, the Ass fell down on
purpose, and by the dissolving of the Salt, was again released from his
load. The Master, provoked at the loss, and thinking how he might cure
him of this trick, on his next journey to the coast freighted the beast
with a load of sponges. When they arrived at the same stream as before,
the Ass was at his old tricks again, and rolled himself into the water;
but he found to his cost, as he proceeded homewards, that instead of
lightening his burden, he had more than doubled its weight.
The same measures will not suit all circumstances.
The Gnat and the Bull.
A Gnat that had been buzzing about the head of a Bull, at length
settling himself down upon his horn, begged his pardon for incommoding
him; "but if," says he, "my weight at all inconveniences you, pray say
so, and I will be off in a moment." "Oh, never trouble your head about
that," says the Bull, "for 'tis all one to me whether you go or stay;
and, to say the truth, I did not know you were there."
The smaller the Mind the greater the Conceit.
The Lion and the Gnat.
[Illustration]
As a Gnat was buzzing around a Lion, the Lion said to him: "How dare you
approach so near? Be off, or I will kill you with the least stroke of
my paw." The Gnat, knowing the advantage of his small size, and his
alertness, immediately challenged the boaster to combat, and alighting
first upon his nose and then upon his tail, made the Lion so furious
that he injured himself grievously with his paws. As the Gnat flew away
he boasted of his own prowess in thus defeating the King of Beasts
without the slightest injury to himself. But, in his carelessness, he
flew directly into a spider's web, and the spider instantly seized and
killed him.
The Lion, the Ass and the Fox Hunting.
The Lion, the Ass and the Fox formed a party to go out hunting. They
took a large booty, and when the sport was ended, bethought themselves
of having a hearty meal. The Lion bade the Ass allot the spoil. So,
dividing it into three equal parts, the Ass begged his friends to make
their choice; at which the Lion, in great indignation, fell upon the Ass
and tore him to pieces. He then bade the Fox make a division; who,
gathering the whole into one great heap, reserved but the smallest mite
for himself. "Ah! friend," says the Lion, "who taught you to make so
equitable a division?" "I wanted no other lesson," replied the Fox,
"than the Ass's fate."
Better be wise by the misfortunes of others than by your own.
The Dog Whose Ears were Cropped.
[Illustration]
A Dog complained of the cruelty of her master in cutting off her ears,
and was so ashamed of her appearance that she resolved to stay in her
kennel with her family. A friendly hunting dog said to her: "If you had
been peaceful, and not always fighting, you would have saved your ears
and your good looks. If you will fight, it is a kindness to crop your
ears, that they may not give your enemy the advantage."
The Wind and the Sun.
[Illustration]
A dispute once arose between the Wind and the Sun, which was the
stronger of the two, and they agreed to settle the point upon this
issue--that whichever of the two soonest made a traveler take off his
cloak, should be accounted the more powerful. The Wind began, and blew
with all his might and main a blast, cold and fierce as a Thracian
storm; but the stronger he blew, the closer the traveler wrapped his
cloak around him, and the tighter he grasped it with his hands. Then
broke out the Sun. With his welcome beams he dispersed the vapor and the
cold; the traveler felt the genial warmth, and as the Sun shone brighter
and brighter, he sat down, quite overcome with the heat, and taking off
his cloak, cast it on the ground.
Thus the Sun was declared the conqueror; and it has ever been deemed
that persuasion is better than force; and that the sunshine of a kind
and gentle manner will sooner lay open a poor man's heart than all the
threatenings and force of blustering authority.
The Wild Boar and the Fox.
A Wild Boar was whetting his tusks against a tree, when a Fox coming by,
asked why he did so; "for," said he, "I see no reason for it; there is
neither hunter nor hound in sight, nor any other danger that I can see,
at hand." "True," replied the Boar; "but when that danger does arise, I
shall have something else to do than to sharpen my weapons."
It is too late to whet the sword when the trumpet sounds to draw it.
The Hunter and the Wolf.
[Illustration]
A greedy Hunter one day shot a fine Deer, and ere he could dress it, a
pretty Fawn came that way, and an arrow brought it to the ground. A Boar
now chanced to be passing, and the Hunter wounded it so that it lay upon
the ground as if dead. Not satisfied with this game, he must needs
pursue a Partridge that came fluttering near, and while he was doing so
the wounded Boar regained enough strength to spring upon him and kill
him. A Wolf came that way, and seeing the four dead bodies, said: "Here
is food for a month; but I will save the best, and be content to-day
with the bow-string." But when he seized the string it loosened the
fixed arrow, which shot him through the heart.
The greedy man and the miser cannot enjoy their gains.
The Astronomer.
An Astronomer used to walk out every night to gaze upon the stars. It
happened one night that, with his whole thoughts rapt up in the skies,
he fell into a well. One who heard his cries ran up to him, and said:
"While you are trying to pry into the mysteries of heaven, you overlook
the common objects under your feet."
We should never look so high as to miss seeing the things that are
around us.
The Bulls and the Frogs.
[Illustration]
Two Bulls lived in the same herd, and each aspiring to be the leader and
master, they finally engaged in a fierce battle. An old Frog, who sat on
the bank of a stream near by, began to groan and to quake with fear. A
thoughtless young Frog said to the old one: "Why need you be afraid?
What is it to you that the Bulls fight for supremacy?" "Do you not see,"
said the old Frog, "that one must defeat the other, and that the
defeated Bull, being driven from the field, will be forced to stay in
the marshes, and will thus trample us to death?"
The poor and weak are often made to suffer for the follies of the
great.
The Thief and His Mother.
[Illustration]
A Schoolboy stole a horn-book from one of his schoolfellows, and brought
it home to his mother. Instead of chastising him, she rather encouraged
him in the deed. In course of time the boy, now grown into a man, began
to steal things of greater value, until, at last, being caught in the
very act, he was brought to the Judge and sentenced to be hung. As he
was being led to the scaffold, the mother bowed herself to the ground
with grief. A neighbor seeing her thus, said to her: "It is too late for
you to moan and sob now. If you had been as much grieved when he
committed his first theft, you would have corrected him in time, and
thus have saved yourself this sorrowful day."
Nip evil in the bud.
The Man and His Two Wives.
In days when a man was allowed more wives than one, a middle-aged
bachelor, who could be called neither young nor old, and whose hair was
only just beginning to turn gray, must needs fall in love with two women
at once, and marry them both. The one was young and blooming, and wished
her husband to appear as youthful as herself; the other was somewhat
more advanced in age, and was as anxious that her husband should appear
a suitable match for her. So, while the young one seized every
opportunity of pulling out the good man's gray hairs, the old one was
as industrious in plucking out every black hair she could find, till he
found that, between the one and the other, he had not a hair left.
He that submits his principles to the influence and caprices of opposite
parties will end in having no principles at all.
The Heifer, the Goat, the Sheep and the Lion.
[Illustration]
A Heifer, a Goat, a Sheep, and a Lion formed a partnership, and agreed
to divide their earnings. The Goat having snared a stag, they sent for
the Lion to divide it for them. The Lion said: "I will make four
parts--the first shall be mine as judge; the second, because I am
strongest; the third, because I am bravest; and the fourth--I will kill
any one who dares touch it."
He who will steal a part will steal the whole.
The Camel and the Travelers.
[Illustration]
Two Travelers on a desert saw a Camel in the distance, and were greatly
frightened at his huge appearance, thinking it to be some huge monster.
While they hid behind some low shrubs, the animal came nearer, and they
discovered that it was only a harmless Camel which had excited their
fears.
Distance exaggerates dangers.
The Swan and the Goose.
[Illustration]
A certain rich man bought in the market a Goose and a Swan. He fed the
one for his table, and kept the other for the sake of its song. When the
time came for killing the Goose, the cook went to take him at night,
when it was dark, and he was not able to distinguish one bird from the
other, and he caught the Swan instead of the Goose. The Swan, threatened
with death, burst forth into song, and thus made himself known by his
voice, and preserved his life by his melody.
Sweet words may deliver us from peril, when harsh words would fail.
The Dolphins and the Sprat.
The Dolphins and the Whales were at war with one another, and the Sprat
stepped in and endeavored to separate them. But one of the Dolphins
cried out: "We would rather perish in the contest, than be reconciled by
you."
The Shepherd and the Sea.
[Illustration]
A Shepherd moved down his flock to feed near the shore, and beholding
the Sea lying in a smooth calm, he was seized with a strong desire to
sail over it. So he sold all his sheep and bought a cargo of Dates, and
loaded a vessel, and set sail. He had not gone far when a storm arose;
his ship was wrecked, and his Dates and everything lost, and he himself
with difficulty escaped to land. Not long after, when the Sea was again
calm, and one of his friends came up to him and was admiring its repose,
he said: "Have a care, my good fellow, of that smooth surface, it is
only looking out for your Dates."
The Bees, the Drones, and the Wasp.
Some Bees had built their comb in the hollow trunk of an oak. The Drones
asserted that it was their doing, and belonged to them. The cause was
brought into court before Judge Wasp. Knowing something of the parties,
he thus addressed them: "The plaintiffs and defendants are so much alike
in shape and color as to render the ownership a doubtful matter. Let
each party take a hive to itself, and build up a new comb, that from the
shape of the cells and the taste of the honey, the lawful proprietors of
the property in dispute may appear." The Bees readily assented to the
Wasp's plan. The Drones declined it. Whereupon the Wasp gave judgment:
"It is clear now who made the comb, and who cannot make it; the Court
adjudges the honey to the Bees."
Professions are best tested by deeds.
The Wolf, the Goat and the Kid.
[Illustration]
As an old Goat was going forth to pasture, she carefully latched her
door, and bid her kid not to open it to any one who could not give this
pass-word: "Beware of the Wolf and all his race." A Wolf happened to be
passing, and overheard what the old Goat said. When she was gone, he
went to the door, and, knocking, said: "Beware of the Wolf and all his
race." But the Kid, peeping through a crack, said: "Show me a white paw
and I will open the door." As the Wolf could not do this, he had to
depart, no better than he came.
Two sureties are better than one.
The Fox and the Hedgehog.
[Illustration]
A Fox, while crossing over a river, was driven by the stream into a
narrow gorge, and lay there for a long time unable to get out, covered
with myriads of horse-flies that had fastened themselves upon him. A
Hedgehog, who was wandering in that direction, saw him, and taking
compassion on him, asked him if he should drive away the flies that were
so tormenting him. But the Fox begged him to do nothing of the sort.
"Why not?" asked the Hedgehog. "Because," replied the Fox, "these flies
that are upon me now are already full, and draw but little blood, but
should you remove them, a swarm of fresh and hungry ones will come, who
will not leave a drop of blood in my body."
When we throw off rulers or dependents, who have already made the most
of us, we do but, for the most part, lay ourselves open to others, who
will make us bleed yet more freely.
The Brazier and His Dog.
A Brazier had a little Dog, which was a great favorite with his master,
and his constant companion. While he hammered away at his metals the Dog
slept; but when, on the other hand, he went to dinner, and began to eat,
the Dog woke up, and wagged his tail, as if he would ask for a share of
his meal. His master one day, pretending to be angry, and shaking his
stick at him, said: "You wretched little sluggard! what shall I do to
you? While I am hammering on the anvil, you sleep on the mat, and when I
begin to eat after my toil, you wake up and wag your tail for food. Do
you not know that labor is the source of every blessing, and that none
but those who work are entitled to eat?"
The Wild Ass and the Lion.
A Wild Ass and a Lion entered into an alliance that they might capture
the beasts of the forest with the greater ease. The Lion agreed to
assist the Wild Ass with strength, while the Wild Ass gave the Lion the
benefit of his greater speed. When they had taken as many beasts as
their necessities required, the Lion undertook to distribute the prey,
and for this purpose divided it into three shares. "I will take the
first share," he said, "because I am king; and the second share, as a
partner with you in the chase; and the third share (believe me) will be
a source of great evil to you, unless you willingly resign it to me, and
set off as fast as you can."
Might makes right.
The Father and His Two Daughters.
A man had two daughters, the one married to a gardener, and the other to
a tile-maker. After a time he went to the daughter who had married the
gardener, and inquired how she was, and how all things went with her.
She said: "All things are prospering with me, and I have only one wish,
that there may be a heavy fall of rain, in order that the plants may be
well watered." Not long after he went to the daughter who had married
the tile-maker, and likewise inquired of her how she fared; she replied:
"I want for nothing, and have only one wish, that the dry weather may
continue, and the sun shine hot and bright, so that the bricks might be
dried." He said to her: "If your sister wishes for rain, and you for dry
weather, with which of the two am I to join my wishes?"
The Fir Tree and the Bramble.
A Fir Tree said boastingly to the Bramble: "You are useful for nothing
at all, while I am everywhere used for roofs and houses." The Bramble
made answer: "You poor creature, if you would only call to mind the axes
and saws which are about to hew you down, you would have reason to wish
that you had grown up a Bramble, not a Fir Tree."
Better poverty without care, than riches with.
The Fox and the Monkey.
A Monkey once danced in an assembly of the Beasts, and so pleased them
all by his performance that they elected him their king. A Fox envying
him the honor, discovered a piece of meat lying in a trap, and leading
the Monkey to the place where it was, said "that she had found a store,
but had not used it, but had kept it for him as treasure trove of his
kingdom, and counseled him to lay hold of it." The Monkey approached
carelessly, and was caught in the trap; and on his accusing the Fox of
purposely leading him into the snare, she replied: "O Monkey, and are
you, with such a mind as yours, going to be king over the Beasts?"
The Farmer and His Sons.
A Farmer being on the point of death, wished to insure from his sons the
same attention to his farm as he had himself given it. He called them to
his bedside, and said: "My sons, there is a great treasure hid in one of
my vineyards." The sons, after his death, took their spades and
mattocks, and carefully dug over every portion of their land. They found
no treasure, but the vines repaid their labor by an extraordinary and
superabundant crop.
The Cat and the Birds.
A Cat, hearing that the Birds in a certain aviary were ailing, dressed
himself up as a physician, and, taking with him his cane and the
instruments becoming his profession, went to the aviary, knocked at the
door, and inquired of the inmates how they all did, saying that if they
were ill, he would be happy to prescribe for them and cure them. They
replied: "We are all very well, and shall continue so, if you will only
be good enough to go away, and leave us as we are."
The Stag, the Wolf and the Sheep.
A Stag asked a Sheep to lend him a measure of wheat, and said that the
Wolf would be his surety. The Sheep, fearing some fraud was intended,
excused herself, saying: "The Wolf is accustomed to seize what he wants,
and to run off, and you, too, can quickly out-strip me in your rapid
flight. How then shall I be able to find you when the day of payment
comes?"
Two blacks do not make one white.
The Raven and the Swan.
A Raven saw a Swan, and desired to secure for himself a like beauty of
plumage. Supposing that his splendid white color arose from his washing
in the water in which he swam, the Raven left the altars in the
neighborhood of which he picked up his living, and took up his abode in
the lakes and pools. But cleansing his feathers as often as he would, he
could not change their color, while through want of food he perished.
Change of habit cannot alter nature.
The Lioness.
A controversy prevailed among the beasts of the field, as to which of
the animals deserved the most credit for producing the greatest number
of whelps at a birth. They rushed clamorously into the presence of the
Lioness, and demanded of her the settlement of the dispute. "And you,"
they said, "how many sons have you at a birth?" The Lioness laughed at
them, and said: "Why! I have only one; but that one is altogether a
thorough-bred Lion."
The value is in the worth, not in the number.