whereas the other never told a lie: and they came in the course of
their travels to the land of Apes. The King of the Apes, hearing of
their arrival, ordered them to be brought before him; and by way of
impressing them with his magnificence, he received them sitting on
a throne, while the Apes, his subjects, were ranged in long rows on
either side of him. When the Travellers came into his presence he
asked them what they thought of him as a King. The lying Traveller
said, "Sire, every one must see that you are a most noble and mighty
monarch." "And what do you think of my subjects?" continued the King.
"They," said the Traveller, "are in every way worthy of their royal
master." The Ape was so delighted with his answer that he gave him
a very handsome present. The other Traveller thought that if his
companion was rewarded so splendidly for telling a lie, he himself
would certainly receive a still greater reward for telling the truth;
so, when the Ape turned to him and said, "And what, sir, is your
opinion?" he replied, "I think you are a very fine Ape, and all your
subjects are fine Apes too." The King of the Apes was so enraged at
his reply that he ordered him to be taken away and clawed to death.
THE ASS AND HIS BURDENS
A Pedlar who owned an Ass one day bought a quantity of salt, and
loaded up his beast with as much as he could bear. On the way home the
Ass stumbled as he was crossing a stream and fell into the water. The
salt got thoroughly wetted and much of it melted and drained away, so
that, when he got on his legs again, the Ass found his load had become
much less heavy. His master, however, drove him back to town and
bought more salt, which he added to what remained in the panniers, and
started out again. No sooner had they reached a stream than the Ass
lay down in it, and rose, as before, with a much lighter load. But his
master detected the trick, and turning back once more, bought a large
number of sponges, and piled them on the back of the Ass. When they
came to the stream the Ass again lay down: but this time, as the
sponges soaked up large quantities of water, he found, when he got up
on his legs, that he had a bigger burden to carry than ever.
You may play a good card once too often.
THE SHEPHERD'S BOY AND THE WOLF
A Shepherd's Boy was tending his flock near a village, and thought it
would be great fun to hoax the villagers by pretending that a Wolf was
attacking the sheep: so he shouted out, "Wolf! wolf!" and when the
people came running up he laughed at them for their pains. He did
this more than once, and every time the villagers found they had been
hoaxed, for there was no Wolf at all. At last a Wolf really did come,
and the Boy cried, "Wolf! wolf!" as loud as he could: but the people
were so used to hearing him call that they took no notice of his cries
for help. And so the Wolf had it all his own way, and killed off sheep
after sheep at his leisure.
You cannot believe a liar even when he tells the truth.
THE FOX AND THE GOAT
A Fox fell into a well and was unable to get out again. By and by a
thirsty Goat came by, and seeing the Fox in the well asked him if the
water was good. "Good?" said the Fox, "it's the best water I ever
tasted in all my life. Come down and try it yourself." The Goat
thought of nothing but the prospect of quenching his thirst, and
jumped in at once. When he had had enough to drink, he looked about,
like the Fox, for some way of getting out, but could find none.
Presently the Fox said, "I have an idea. You stand on your hind legs,
and plant your forelegs firmly against the side of the well, and then
I'll climb on to your back, and, from there, by stepping on your
horns, I can get out. And when I'm out, I'll help you out too." The
Goat did as he was requested, and the Fox climbed on to his back and
so out of the well; and then he coolly walked away. The Goat called
loudly after him and reminded him of his promise to help him out: but
the Fox merely turned and said, "If you had as much sense in your head
as you have hair in your beard you wouldn't have got into the well
without making certain that you could get out again."
Look before your leap.
THE FISHERMAN AND THE SPRAT
A Fisherman cast his net into the sea, and when he drew it up again it
contained nothing but a single Sprat that begged to be put back into
the water. "I'm only a little fish now," it said, "but I shall grow
big one day, and then if you come and catch me again I shall be of
some use to you." But the Fisherman replied, "Oh, no, I shall keep you
now I've got you: if I put you back, should I ever see you again? Not
likely!"
THE BOASTING TRAVELLER
A Man once went abroad on his travels, and when he came home he
had wonderful tales to tell of the things he had done in foreign
countries. Among other things, he said he had taken part in a
jumping-match at Rhodes, and had done a wonderful jump which no one
could beat. "Just go to Rhodes and ask them," he said; "every one will
tell you it's true." But one of those who were listening said, "If you
can jump as well as all that, we needn't go to Rhodes to prove it.
Let's just imagine this is Rhodes for a minute: and now--jump!"
Deeds, not words.
THE CRAB AND HIS MOTHER
An Old Crab said to her son, "Why do you walk sideways like that, my
son? You ought to walk straight." The Young Crab replied, "Show me
how, dear mother, and I'll follow your example." The Old Crab tried,
but tried in vain, and then saw how foolish she had been to find fault
with her child.
Example is better than precept.
THE ASS AND HIS SHADOW
A certain man hired an Ass for a journey in summertime, and started
out with the owner following behind to drive the beast. By and by, in
the heat of the day, they stopped to rest, and the traveller wanted to
lie down in the Ass's Shadow; but the owner, who himself wished to be
out of the sun, wouldn't let him do that; for he said he had hired the
Ass only, and not his Shadow: the other maintained that his bargain
secured him complete control of the Ass for the time being. From words
they came to blows; and while they were belabouring each other the Ass
took to his heels and was soon out of sight.
THE FARMER AND HIS SONS
A Farmer, being at death's door, and desiring to impart to his Sons a
secret of much moment, called them round him and said, "My sons, I am
shortly about to die; I would have you know, therefore, that in my
vineyard there lies a hidden treasure. Dig, and you will find it." As
soon as their father was dead, the Sons took spade and fork and turned
up the soil of the vineyard over and over again, in their search for
the treasure which they supposed to lie buried there. They found none,
however: but the vines, after so thorough a digging, produced a crop
such as had never before been seen.
THE DOG AND THE COOK
A rich man once invited a number of his friends and acquaintances to
a banquet. His dog thought it would be a good opportunity to invite
another Dog, a friend of his; so he went to him and said, "My master
is giving a feast: there'll be a fine spread, so come and dine with me
to-night." The Dog thus invited came, and when he saw the preparations
being made in the kitchen he said to himself, "My word, I'm in luck:
I'll take care to eat enough to-night to last me two or three days."
At the same time he wagged his tail briskly, by way of showing his
friend how delighted he was to have been asked. But just then the Cook
caught sight of him, and, in his annoyance at seeing a strange Dog in
the kitchen, caught him up by the hind legs and threw him out of the
window. He had a nasty fall, and limped away as quickly as he could,
howling dismally. Presently some other dogs met him, and said, "Well,
what sort of a dinner did you get?" To which he replied, "I had a
splendid time: the wine was so good, and I drank so much of it, that I
really don't remember how I got out of the house!"
Be shy of favours bestowed at the expense of others.
THE MONKEY AS KING
At a gathering of all the animals the Monkey danced and delighted them
so much that they made him their King. The Fox, however, was very much
disgusted at the promotion of the Monkey: so having one day found a
trap with a piece of meat in it, he took the Monkey there and said to
him, "Here is a dainty morsel I have found, sire; I did not take it
myself, because I thought it ought to be reserved for you, our King.
Will you be pleased to accept it?" The Monkey made at once for the
meat and got caught in the trap. Then he bitterly reproached the Fox
for leading him into danger; but the Fox only laughed and said, "O
Monkey, you call yourself King of the Beasts and haven't more sense
than to be taken in like that!"
THE THIEVES AND THE COCK
Some Thieves broke into a house, and found nothing worth taking except
a Cock, which they seized and carried off with them. When they were
preparing their supper, one of them caught up the Cock, and was about
to wring his neck, when he cried out for mercy and said, "Pray do not
kill me: you will find me a most useful bird, for I rouse honest men
to their work in the morning by my crowing." But the Thief replied
with some heat, "Yes, I know you do, making it still harder for us to
get a livelihood. Into the pot you go!"
THE FARMER AND FORTUNE
A Farmer was ploughing one day on his farm when he turned up a pot of
golden coins with his plough. He was overjoyed at his discovery, and
from that time forth made an offering daily at the shrine of the
Goddess of the Earth. Fortune was displeased at this, and came to him
and said, "My man, why do you give Earth the credit for the gift which
I bestowed upon you? You never thought of thanking me for your good
luck; but should you be unlucky enough to lose what you have gained
I know very well that I, Fortune, should then come in for all the
blame."
Show gratitude where gratitude is due.
JUPITER AND THE MONKEY
Jupiter issued a proclamation to all the beasts, and offered a
prize to the one who, in his judgment, produced the most beautiful
offspring. Among the rest came the Monkey, carrying a baby monkey in
her arms, a hairless, flat-nosed little fright. When they saw it, the
gods all burst into peal on peal of laughter; but the Monkey hugged
her little one to her, and said, "Jupiter may give the prize to
whomsoever he likes: but I shall always think my baby the most
beautiful of them all."
FATHER AND SONS
A certain man had several Sons who were always quarrelling with one
another, and, try as he might, he could not get them to live together
in harmony. So he determined to convince them of their folly by the
following means. Bidding them fetch a bundle of sticks, he invited
each in turn to break it across his knee. All tried and all failed:
and then he undid the bundle, and handed them the sticks one by one,
when they had no difficulty at all in breaking them. "There, my boys,"
said he, "united you will be more than a match for your enemies: but
if you quarrel and separate, your weakness will put you at the mercy
of those who attack you."
Union is strength.
THE LAMP
A Lamp, well filled with oil, burned with a clear and steady light,
and began to swell with pride and boast that it shone more brightly
than the sun himself. Just then a puff of wind came and blew it out.
Some one struck a match and lit it again, and said, "You just keep
alight, and never mind the sun. Why, even the stars never need to be
relit as you had to be just now."
THE OWL AND THE BIRDS
The Owl is a very wise bird; and once, long ago, when the first oak
sprouted in the forest, she called all the other Birds together and
said to them, "You see this tiny tree? If you take my advice, you will
destroy it now when it is small: for when it grows big, the mistletoe
will appear upon it, from which birdlime will be prepared for your
destruction." Again, when the first flax was sown, she said to them,
"Go and eat up that seed, for it is the seed of the flax, out of which
men will one day make nets to catch you." Once more, when she saw the
first archer, she warned the Birds that he was their deadly enemy, who
would wing his arrows with their own feathers and shoot them. But they
took no notice of what she said: in fact, they thought she was rather
mad, and laughed at her. When, however, everything turned out as she
had foretold, they changed their minds and conceived a great respect
for her wisdom. Hence, whenever she appears, the Birds attend upon
her in the hope of hearing something that may be for their good. She,
however, gives them advice no longer, but sits moping and pondering on
the folly of her kind.
THE ASS IN THE LION'S SKIN
An Ass found a Lion's Skin, and dressed himself up in it. Then he went
about frightening every one he met, for they all took him to be a
lion, men and beasts alike, and took to their heels when they saw
him coming. Elated by the success of his trick, he loudly brayed in
triumph. The Fox heard him, and recognised him at once for the Ass he
was, and said to him, "Oho, my friend, it's you, is it? I, too, should
have been afraid if I hadn't heard your voice."
THE SHE-GOATS AND THEIR BEARDS
Jupiter granted beards to the She-Goats at their own request, much
to the disgust of the he-Goats, who considered this to be an
unwarrantable invasion of their rights and dignities. So they sent a
deputation to him to protest against his action. He, however, advised
them not to raise any objections. "What's in a tuft of hair?" said he.
"Let them have it if they want it. They can never be a match for you
in strength."
THE OLD LION
A Lion, enfeebled by age and no longer able to procure food for
himself by force, determined to do so by cunning. Betaking himself to
a cave, he lay down inside and feigned to be sick: and whenever any of
the other animals entered to inquire after his health, he sprang upon
them and devoured them. Many lost their lives in this way, till one
day a Fox called at the cave, and, having a suspicion of the truth,
addressed the Lion from outside instead of going in, and asked him how
he did. He replied that he was in a very bad way: "But," said he, "why
do you stand outside? Pray come in." "I should have done so," answered
the Fox, "if I hadn't noticed that all the footprints point towards
the cave and none the other way."
THE BOY BATHING
A Boy was bathing in a river and got out of his depth, and was in
great danger of being drowned. A man who was passing along a road
heard his cries for help, and went to the riverside and began to scold
him for being so careless as to get into deep water, but made no
attempt to help him. "Oh, sir," cried the Boy, "please help me first
and scold me afterwards."
Give assistance, not advice, in a crisis.
THE QUACK FROG
Once upon a time a Frog came forth from his home in the marshes and
proclaimed to all the world that he was a learned physician, skilled
in drugs and able to cure all diseases. Among the crowd was a Fox, who
called out, "You a doctor! Why, how can you set up to heal others when
you cannot even cure your own lame legs and blotched and wrinkled
skin?"
Physician, heal thyself.
THE SWOLLEN FOX
A hungry Fox found in a hollow tree a quantity of bread and meat,
which some shepherds had placed there against their return. Delighted
with his find he slipped in through the narrow aperture and greedily
devoured it all. But when he tried to get out again he found himself
so swollen after his big meal that he could not squeeze through the
hole, and fell to whining and groaning over his misfortune. Another
Fox, happening to pass that way, came and asked him what the matter
was; and, on learning the state of the case, said, "Well, my friend, I
see nothing for it but for you to stay where you are till you shrink
to your former size; you'll get out then easily enough."
THE MOUSE, THE FROG, AND THE HAWK
A Mouse and a Frog struck up a friendship; they were not well mated,
for the Mouse lived entirely on land, while the Frog was equally
at home on land or in the water. In order that they might never be
separated, the Frog tied himself and the Mouse together by the leg
with a piece of thread. As long as they kept on dry land all went
fairly well; but, coming to the edge of a pool, the Frog jumped in,
taking the Mouse with him, and began swimming about and croaking with
pleasure. The unhappy Mouse, however, was soon drowned, and floated
about on the surface in the wake of the Frog. There he was spied by a
Hawk, who pounced down on him and seized him in his talons. The Frog
was unable to loose the knot which bound him to the Mouse, and thus
was carried off along with him and eaten by the Hawk.
THE BOY AND THE NETTLES
A Boy was gathering berries from a hedge when his hand was stung by a
Nettle. Smarting with the pain, he ran to tell his mother, and said
to her between his sobs, "I only touched it ever so lightly, mother."
"That's just why you got stung, my son," she said; "if you had grasped
it firmly, it wouldn't have hurt you in the least."
THE PEASANT AND THE APPLE-TREE
A Peasant had an Apple-tree growing in his garden, which bore no
fruit, but merely served to provide a shelter from the heat for the
sparrows and grasshoppers which sat and chirped in its branches.
Disappointed at its barrenness he determined to cut it down, and went
and fetched his axe for the purpose. But when the sparrows and the
grasshoppers saw what he was about to do, they begged him to spare
it, and said to him, "If you destroy the tree we shall have to seek
shelter elsewhere, and you will no longer have our merry chirping to
enliven your work in the garden." He, however, refused to listen to
them, and set to work with a will to cut through the trunk. A few
strokes showed that it was hollow inside and contained a swarm of bees
and a large store of honey. Delighted with his find he threw down his
axe, saying, "The old tree is worth keeping after all."
Utility is most men's test of worth.
THE JACKDAW AND THE PIGEONS
A Jackdaw, watching some Pigeons in a farmyard, was filled with envy
when he saw how well they were fed, and determined to disguise himself
as one of them, in order to secure a share of the good things they
enjoyed. So he painted himself white from head to foot and joined the
flock; and, so long as he was silent, they never suspected that he
was not a pigeon like themselves. But one day he was unwise enough
to start chattering, when they at once saw through his disguise and
pecked him so unmercifully that he was glad to escape and join his own
kind again. But the other jackdaws did not recognise him in his white
dress, and would not let him feed with them, but drove him away: and
so he became a homeless wanderer for his pains.
JUPITER AND THE TORTOISE
Jupiter was about to marry a wife, and determined to celebrate the
event by inviting all the animals to a banquet. They all came except
the Tortoise, who did not put in an appearance, much to Jupiter's
surprise. So when he next saw the Tortoise he asked him why he had not
been at the banquet. "I don't care for going out," said the Tortoise;
"there's no place like home." Jupiter was so much annoyed by this
reply that he decreed that from that time forth the Tortoise should
carry his house upon his back, and never be able to get away from home
even if he wished to.
THE DOG IN THE MANGER
A Dog was lying in a Manger on the hay which had been put there for
the cattle, and when they came and tried to eat, he growled and
snapped at them and wouldn't let them get at their food. "What a
selfish beast," said one of them to his companions; "he can't eat
himself and yet he won't let those eat who can."
THE TWO BAGS
Every man carries Two Bags about with him, one in front and one
behind, and both are packed full of faults. The Bag in front contains
his neighbours' faults, the one behind his own. Hence it is that men
do not see their own faults, but never fail to see those of others.
THE OXEN AND THE AXLETREES
A pair of Oxen were drawing a heavily loaded waggon along the highway,
and, as they tugged and strained at the yoke, the Axletrees creaked
and groaned terribly. This was too much for the Oxen, who turned round
indignantly and said, "Hullo, you there! Why do you make such a noise
when we do all the work?"
They complain most who suffer least.
THE BOY AND THE FILBERTS
A Boy put his hand into a jar of Filberts, and grasped as many as his
fist could possibly hold. But when he tried to pull it out again, he
found he couldn't do so, for the neck of the jar was too small to
allow of the passage of so large a handful. Unwilling to lose his nuts
but unable to withdraw his hand, he burst into tears. A bystander, who
saw where the trouble lay, said to him, "Come, my boy, don't be so
greedy: be content with half the amount, and you'll be able to get
your hand out without difficulty."
Do not attempt too much at once.
THE FROGS ASKING FOR A KING
Time was when the Frogs were discontented because they had no one to
rule over them: so they sent a deputation to Jupiter to ask him to
give them a King. Jupiter, despising the folly of their request, cast
a log into the pool where they lived, and said that that should be
their King. The Frogs were terrified at first by the splash, and
scuttled away into the deepest parts of the pool; but by and by, when
they saw that the log remained motionless, one by one they ventured to
the surface again, and before long, growing bolder, they began to feel
such contempt for it that they even took to sitting upon it. Thinking
that a King of that sort was an insult to their dignity, they sent to
Jupiter a second time, and begged him to take away the sluggish King
he had given them, and to give them another and a better one. Jupiter,
annoyed at being pestered in this way, sent a Stork to rule over them,
who no sooner arrived among them than he began to catch and eat the
Frogs as fast as he could.
THE OLIVE-TREE AND THE FIG-TREE
An Olive-tree taunted a Fig-tree with the loss of her leaves at a
certain season of the year. "You," she said, "lose your leaves every
autumn, and are bare till the spring: whereas I, as you see, remain
green and flourishing all the year round." Soon afterwards there came
a heavy fall of snow, which settled on the leaves of the Olive so that
she bent and broke under the weight; but the flakes fell harmlessly
through the bare branches of the Fig, which survived to bear many
another crop.
THE LION AND THE BOAR
One hot and thirsty day in the height of summer a Lion and a Boar came
down to a little spring at the same moment to drink. In a trice they
were quarrelling as to who should drink first. The quarrel soon became
a fight and they attacked one another with the utmost fury. Presently,
stopping for a moment to take breath, they saw some vultures seated on
a rock above evidently waiting for one of them to be killed, when they
would fly down and feed upon the carcase. The sight sobered them at
once, and they made up their quarrel, saying, "We had much better be
friends than fight and be eaten by vultures."
THE WALNUT-TREE
A Walnut-tree, which grew by the roadside, bore every year a plentiful
crop of nuts. Every one who passed by pelted its branches with sticks
and stones, in order to bring down the fruit, and the tree suffered
severely. "It is hard," it cried, "that the very persons who enjoy my
fruit should thus reward me with insults and blows."
THE MAN AND THE LION
A Man and a Lion were companions on a journey, and in the course of
conversation they began to boast about their prowess, and each claimed
to be superior to the other in strength and courage. They were still
arguing with some heat when they came to a cross-road where there
was a statue of a Man strangling a Lion. "There!" said the Man
triumphantly, "look at that! Doesn't that prove to you that we are
stronger than you?" "Not so fast, my friend," said the Lion: "that is
only your view of the case. If we Lions could make statues, you may be
sure that in most of them you would see the Man underneath."
There are two sides to every question.
THE TORTOISE AND THE EAGLE
A Tortoise, discontented with his lowly life, and envious of the birds
he saw disporting themselves in the air, begged an Eagle to teach him
to fly. The Eagle protested that it was idle for him to try, as nature
had not provided him with wings; but the Tortoise pressed him with
entreaties and promises of treasure, insisting that it could only be
a question of learning the craft of the air. So at length the Eagle
consented to do the best he could for him, and picked him up in his
talons. Soaring with him to a great height in the sky he then let him
go, and the wretched Tortoise fell headlong and was dashed to pieces
on a rock.
THE KID ON THE HOUSETOP
A Kid climbed up on to the roof of an outhouse, attracted by the
grass and other things that grew in the thatch; and as he stood there
browsing away, he caught sight of a Wolf passing below, and jeered at
him because he couldn't reach him. The Wolf only looked up and said,
"I hear you, my young friend; but it is not you who mock me, but the
roof on which you are standing."
THE FOX WITHOUT A TAIL