The Wolf and the Lamb A 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 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.
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, exclaiming “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 confer benefits on
a Lion.”
The Charcoal-Burner and the Fuller A CHARCOAL-BURNER carried on his trade
in his own house. One day he met a friend, a Fuller, and entreated him to
come and live with him, saying that they should
be far better neighbors and that their housekeeping expenses would be lessened.
The Fuller replied, “The
arrangement is impossible as far as I am concerned, for whatever I should whiten, you
would immediately blacken again with your charcoal.”
Like will draw like.
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
determined to give them a practical illustration of the evils of
disunion; and for this purpose he one day told them to bring him a bundle of
sticks. When they had done so, he placed the faggot into the hands of
each of them in succession, and ordered them to break it in pieces. They
tried with all their strength, and were not able to do it. He
next opened the faggot, took the sticks separately, one by one, and
again put them into his sons” hands, upon 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 the attempts of your enemies; but if you are divided among
yourselves, you will be broken as easily as these sticks.”
The Boy Hunting Locusts A BOY was hunting for locusts. He had caught a
goodly number, when he saw a Scorpion, and mistaking him for a locust, reached out his
hand to take him. The Scorpion, showing
his sting, said: “If you had but touched me, my friend, you would
have lost me, and all your locusts too!”
The Cock and the Jewel A COCK, scratching for food for himself and his hens, found a precious stone and exclaimed: “If your owner had
found thee, and not I, he would have taken thee up, and have set thee in thy first
estate; but I have found thee for no purpose. I would rather have one barleycorn than
all the jewels in the world.”
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 Wolf and the Crane A WOLF who had a bone stuck in his throat hired a Crane, for a large sum, to put her head into his mouth and draw out the bone. When the Crane had extracted the bone and demanded the
promised payment, the Wolf, grinning and grinding his teeth, exclaimed: “Why,
you have surely already had a sufficient recompense, in having been permitted to draw
out your head in safety from the mouth and jaws of a wolf.”
In serving the wicked, expect no reward, and be thankful if you escape injury for your
pains.