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WOLF, meeting with a Lamb astray from the fold, resolved not to lay
violent hands on him, but to find some plea to justify to the Lamb the
Wolf's right to eat him. He thus addressed him: "Sirrah, last year you
grossly insulted me." "Indeed," bleated the Lamb in a mournful tone of
voice, "I was not then born." Then said the Wolf, "You feed in my
pasture." "No, good sir," replied the Lamb, "I have not yet tasted grass."
Again said the Wolf, "You drink of my well." "No," exclaimed the Lamb, "I
never yet drank water, for as yet my mother's milk is both food and drink
to me." Upon which the Wolf seized him and ate him up, saying, "Well! I
won't remain supperless, even though you refute every one of my
imputations." The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny.
The Bat and the Weasels
A BAT who fell upon the ground and was caught by a Weasel pleaded
to be spared 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 was set free. Shortly
afterwards the Bat again fell to 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.It is wise to turn circumstances to good account.
The Lion and the Mouse
A LION was awakened from sleep by a Mouse running over his face. Rising
up angrily, he caught him and was about to kill him, when the Mouse
piteously entreated, saying: "If you would only spare my life, I would be
sure to repay your kindness." The Lion laughed and let him go. It
happened shortly after this that the
Lion was caught by some hunters, who bound him by st ropes to the
ground. The Mouse, recognizing his roar, came gnawed the rope with his
teeth, and set him free, exclaim"You ridiculed the idea of my ever being able to help you, expecting to
receive from me any repayment of your favor; I now you know that it is
possible for even a Mouse to con benefits on a Lion."
The Kingdom of the Lion
THE beasts of the field and forest had a Lion as their king. He was neither
wrathful, cruel, nor tyrannical, but just and gentle as a king could be.
During his reign he made a royal proclamation for a general assembly of all
the birds and beasts, and drew up conditions for a universal league, in
which the Wolf and the Lamb, the Panther and the Kid, the Tiger and the
Stag, the Dog and the Hare, should live together in perfect peace and
amity. The Hare said, "Oh, how I have longed to see this day, in which
the weak shall take their place with impunity by the side of the strong."
And after the Hare said this, he ran for his life.
The Ants and the Grasshopper
The Ants were spending a fine winter's day drying grain collected in the
summertime. 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
enough. I passed the days in singing." They then said in derision: "If you
were foolish enough to sing all the summer, you must dance supperless to
bed in the winter."
The Dog and the Shadow
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 that of another Dog, with
a piece of meat double his own in size. He immediately let go of 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.
The Bear and the Two Travelers
Two men were traveling together, when a Bear suddenly met them on their
path. One of them climbed up quickly into a tree and concealed himself in
the branches. The other, seeing that he must be attacked, fell flat on the
ground, and when the Bear came up and felt him with his snout, and smelt
him all over, he held his breath, and feigned the appearance of death as
much as he could. The Bear soon left him, for it is said he will not touch a
dead body. When he was quite gone, the other Traveler descended from
the tree, and jocularly inquired of his friend what it was the Bear had
whispered in his ear. "He gave me this advice," his companion replied.
"Never travel with a friend who deserts you at the approach of danger."Misfortune tests the sincerity of friends.
The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
Once upon a time a Wolf resolved to disguise his appearance in order to
secure food more easily. Encased in the skin of a sheep, he pastured with
the flock deceiving the shepherd by his costume. In the evening he was
shut up by the shepherd in the fold; the gate was closed, and the
entrance made thoroughly secure. But the shepherd, returning to the fold
during the night to obtain meat for the next day, mistakenly caught up the
Wolf instead of a sheep, and killed him instantly.Harm seek. harm find.
The Thief and His Mother
A boy stole a lesson-book from one of his schoolfellows and took it home
to his Mother. She not only abstained from beating him, but encouraged
him. He next time stole a cloak and brought it to her, and she again
commended him. The Youth, advanced to adulthood, proceeded to steal
things of still greater value. At last he was caught in the very act, and
having his hands bound behind him, was led away to the place of public
execution. His Mother followed in the crowd and violently beat her breast
in sorrow, whereupon the young man said, "I wish to say something to my
Mother in her ear." She came close to him, and he quickly seized her ear
with his teeth and bit it off. The Mother upbraided him as an unnatural
child, whereon he replied, "Ah! if you had beaten me when I first stole and
brought to you that lesson-book, I should not have come to this, nor have
been thus led to a disgraceful death."