&&000 Aesop's Fables. &&111 &&000 The Fox and the Crow p5 &&111 A crow who had stolen a piece of cheese was flying toward the top of a tall tree where he hoped to enjoy his prize, when a fox spied him. "If I plan this right," said the fox to himself, "I shall have cheese for supper." So, as he sat under the tree, he began to speak in his politest tones: "Good day, mistress crow, how well you are looking today! How glossy your wings, and your breast is the breast of an eagle. And your claws -- I beg your pardon -- your talons are as strong as steel. I have not heard your voice, but I am certain that it must surpass that of any other bird just as your beauty does." The vain crow was pleased by all this flattery. She believed every word of it and waggled her tail and flapped her wings to show her pleasure. She liked especially what friend fox said about her voice, for she had sometimes been told that her caw was a bit rusty. So, chuckling to think how she was going to surprise the fox with her most beautiful caw, she opened wide her mouth. Down dropped the piece of cheese! The wily fox snatched it before it touched the ground, and as he walked away, licking his chops, he offered these words of advice to the silly crow: "The next time someone praises your beauty be sure to hold your tongue." Application: Flatterers are not to be trusted. &&000 The Fox and the Grapes p18 &&111 Mister Fox was just about famished, and thirsty too, when he stole into a vineyard where the sun-ripened grapes were hanging up on a trellis in a tempting show, but too high for him to reach. He took a run and a jump, snapping at the nearest bunch, but missed. Again and again he jumped only to miss the luscious prize. At last, worn out with his efforts, he retreated, muttering: "Well, I never really wanted those grapes anyway. I am sure they are sour, and perhaps wormy in the bargain. Application: Any fool can despise what he cannot get. &&000 The Hare and the Hound p21 &&111 One day a hound, out hunting by himself, flushed a hare from a thicket and gave chase. The frightened hare gave the dog a long run and escaped. As the disappointed hound turned back toward home, a passing goatherd said jeeringly: "You are a fine hunter! Aren't you ashamed to let a little hare one-tenth your size give you the best of it?" "You forget," replied the hound, "that I was only running for my supper, but the hare was running for his life!" Application: Necessity is our strongest weapon. &&000 Androcles and the lion p34 &&111 Once there was a slave named =Androcles who was cruelly treated by his master. When the opportunity came he escaped to the forest. In his wanderings he came upon a lion. His first instinct was to turn about and flee. Then he noticed that the lion seemed to be in great distress and was moaning and whimpering piteously. As the slave came near, the lion put out his paw, which was swollen and bleeding. A large thorn had penetrated one of the lion's toes, and this was the cause of all of the animal's discomfort. Quickly =Androcles pulled out the thorn and bound up the wounded paw. To show his gratitude the lion licked the man's hand like a dog, and then he led him to his cave for a shelter. Every day, after his wound had healed, he would go hunting in the forest and return with fresh meat for his master's refreshment. But one day, when =Androcles and the lion went out together, they were both captured and taken to the city to be used in the circus. The slave was to be thrown to the lion, after the animal had been kept without food for several days to make him more ferocious. The emperor and all his court came to the arena to view the spectacle. The despairing slave was unchained and led out into the amphitheater before the Emperor's box. Then the lion was let loose, and rushed bounding and roaring toward his victim. But as soon as he came near =Androcles he recognized his friend. To the surprise of the audience, the lion seemed to fawn upon the slave whom they had expected to see torn to shreds by the savage beast. Pleased by the unusual spectacle the Emperor summoned =Androcles to him, and the slave told him the whole story. Thereupon the slave was pardoned and freed, and the lion set loose to return to his native forest. Application: Gratitude is a quality not limited to man. &&000 The Lion and the Dolphin p 38 &&111 The king of the beasts was pacing majestically along the shore of the sea one day when he spied a dolphin basking on the surface of the water. "Hello, there, friend dolphin," roared the lion! "This is a fortunate meeting, indeed. I long have wanted to suggest that you and I form an alliance. As I am the king of the beasts and you are the king of the fishes, what is more natural than that we should be strong friends and powerful allies?" "There is much in what you say," replied the dolphin. Not long afterward the lion came to the seashore where he was challenged by a wild bull. The fight was not going too well for the lion, so he called upon the dolphin for his promised support. The latter, though ready and willing to aid his ally, found himself unable to come out of the sea to join the battle. After the wild bull had been put to flight, the lion upbraided the dolphin. "You are a fine ally," said the lion. "I could have been killed, and you never turned a fin to help me." "Do not blame me," said the dolphin in reply, "but blame nature, which made me powerful in the sea but altogether helpless on land." Application: In choosing allies look to their power as well as their will to help you. &&000 The Ass Eating Thistles p42 &&111 It was harvesttime and the master and the reapers were out in the field. When the sun was high in the sky the maidservants loaded the ass with good things to eat and drink and sent him to the field. On his way he noticed a fine large thistle growing in the lane, and being hungry he began to eat it. As he chewed it slowly, he reflected: "How many greedy people would think themselves happy amidst such a variety of delicacies as I am carrying. But for my taste, this bitter, prickly thistle is more savory and appetizing than the most sumptuous banquet. Application: One man's meat may be another man's poison. &&000 The Frogs Desired a King p47 &&111 The frogs had always lived a happy life in the marshes. They had jumped and splashed about with never a care in the world. Yet some of them were not satisfied with their easygoing life. They thought they should have a king to rule over them and to watch over their morals. So they decided to send a petition to =Jupiter asking him to appoint a king. =Jupiter was amused by the frogs' plea. Good-naturedly he threw down a log into the lake, which landed with such a splash that it send all the frogs scampering for safety. But after a while, when one venturesome frog saw that the log lay still, he encouraged his friends to approach the fallen monster. In no time at all the frogs, growing bolder and bolder, swarmed over the log =Jupiter had sent and treated it with the greatest contempt. Dissatisfied with so tame a ruler, the petitioned =Jupiter a second time, saying: "We want a real king, a king who will really rule over us." =Jupiter, by this time, had lost some of his good nature and was tired of the frogs' complaining. So he sent them a stork, who proceeded to gobble up the frogs left and right. After a few days the survivors sent =Mercury with a private message to =Jupiter beseeching him to take pity on them once more. "Tell them," said =Jupiter coldly, "that this is their own doing. They wanted a king. Now they will have to make the best of what they asked for." Application: Let well enough alone! &&000 The Hen and the Fox p49 &&111 A fox was out looking for a late supper. He came to a henhouse, and through the open door he could see a hen far up on the highest perch, safe out of his reach. Here, thought the fox, was a case for diplomacy. Either that or go hungry! So he gave considerable thought to just how he should approach his intended supper. "Hello, there, friend hen," said he in an anxious voice. "I haven't seen you about of late. Somebody told me that you have had a sick spell and I was sincerely worried over you. You look pale as a ghost. If you will just step down I'll take your pulse and look at your tongue. I'm afraid you in for quite a siege." "You never said a truer word, cousin fox," replied the hen. "It will have to be a siege, for I am in such a state that if I were to climb down to where you are, I'm afraid it would be the death of me." Application: Beware of the insincere friend! &&000 The Miller, His Son and their Donkey p52 &&111 A miller and his son were driving their donkey to a neighboring fair to sell him. They had not gone far when they met a group of girls returning from town laughing and talking together. "Look there," cried on of them! "Did you ever see such fools, to be trudging along the road on foot, when they ought to be riding!" So the man put the boy on the donkey, and they went on their way. Presently they came up to a group of old men in earnest debate. "There," said one of them! "That proves exactly what I was saying. No one pays any respect to old age in these days. Look at that idle young rogue riding, while his poor old father has to walk. Get down, you lazy lout, and let the old man rest his weary limbs." The miller made his son dismount, and got on the donkey's back in his place. And in this manner they proceeded along the way until they met a company of women and children. "Why, shame on you, lazybones," they cried! "How can you ride while that poor little lad can hardly keep up with you?" The miller, wishing to please, took up his son to sit behind him. But just as they reached the edge of the village a townsman came out to them: "I have a good mind to report you to the authorities for overloading that poor beast so shamelessly. You big hulking fellows should better be able to carry that donkey than the other way round." So, alighting, the miller and his son tied the beast's legs together, and with a pole across their shoulders, carried the donkey over the bridge that led to the town. This was such an entertaining sight to the townsfolk that crowds came out to laugh at it. The poor animal, frightened by the uproar, began to struggle to free himself. In the midst of the turmoil the ass slipped off the pole and over the rail of the bridge into the water and was drowned. Application: Try to please all and you end by pleasing none. &&000 The Eagle and the Fox p 82 &&111 An eagle and a fox long had live together as good neighbors, the eagle at the top of a high tree and the fox in a hole at the foot of it. One day, however, while the fox was away, the eagle, seeking a tender morsel for her nestful of young ones, swooped down upon the fox's cub and carried it away to her nest. The fox, on her return home, upbraided the eagle for this breach of friendship, and pleaded with the eagle to return the cub to her den. But the eagle, feeling sure that her own brood high up in their treetop nest was safe from any possible revenge, ignored the entreaties of the cub's mother. Quickly running to the place where she knew an altar fire to be burning, the fox snatched a brand and hurried back to the tree. The mother eagle, who was just on the point of tearing the cub to pieces to feed to her babies, looked down and saw that the fox was going to set fire to the tree and burn it and her next and eaglets to ashes. "Hold on, dear neighbor," she screamed! "Don't set fire to our tree. I'll bring back your cub to you safe and sound!" Application: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. &&000 The Two Pots p144 &&111 Two pots, one of earthenware and the other of brass, were carried downstream by a river in flood. The brass pot begged his companion to remain as close by his side as possible, and he would protect him. "You are very kind," replied the earthen pot, "but that is just what I am afraid of. If you will only keep your distance, I shall be able to float down in safety. But should we come too close, whether I strike you or you strike me, I am sure to be the one who will get the worst of it." Application: Avoid too powerful neighbors. &&000 The Young Man and the Swallow p 145 &&111 A foolish man received his inheritance from his father, and lost no time in spending it in gambling and riotous living. The day the last of his substance was lost he was walking along the road. It was wintertime, but the sun was shining and it was unseasonably warm. A foolish swallow, pretending it was spring, flew gaily around in the sky. "It looks as though spring was here," said the foolish man. "I won't be needing all these clothes." So he pawned them,, gambled with the proceeds, and lost. But now, when he left the town, the sun was gone. Snow lay on the ground, and everything was frozen hard. The foolish swallow, frozen stiff, lay dead in the snow. Looking at the dead bird, the shivering man said with chattering teeth: "It is all your fault that I am in this unhappy fix!" Application: There is no profit in blaming your foolish mistakes on foolish advisors. &&000 The Quack Frog p224 &&111 A frog, emerging from the mud of the swamp, announced to all the animal world that he could cure every manner of disease. Interested to see what all the croaking was about, the animals gathered around, and the frog, more puffed up than ever by the attention he was receiving bellowed: "Here, come and see! You are looking upon the greatest physician in all the world. Not even =Aesculapis, =Jove's court doctor -- ." He was interrupted by a loud bray from the jackass. A goat, also, seemed to be somewhat skeptical of the frog's boasting and said so. Then up spoke the fox: "How dare you set up to heal others? Why do you not try first to cure your own limping gait?" "And your own blotched and wrinkled skin," added the hare. "And your own bulging and ugly eyes," said the sheep. At this the quack frog drew in his head and hopped away in the direction of the bog whence he had come while the animals laughed him to scorn. Application: Physician, heal thyself! &&000 The Ass and His Driver p227 &&111 A farmer was driving an ass along a country lane on the way to town. The beast bore no burden and was being allowed to amble along at his own gait. Suddenly the idea came to him to leave the beaten track and make for the edge of a precipice which bordered the roadway. When he was just on the point of falling over, his master ran up and, seizing him by the tail, tried with might and main to pull him back. Willfully the ass resisted, pulling the contrary way. The farmer, seeing that he was about to be pulled over the precipice along with the stubborn beast, let go his hold. As the ass went hurtling over the brink his master cried after him: "Well, =Jack, if you will be master, you will have to continue on alone." Application: A willful beast must go his own way.