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OV. The Baldwin Lbihrv A DVII -- III I ( (L/ '*^--- -Ti -^- c^^ / L !ig^;_, ,- =t >i' TIE DOVES AND THE MOUSE. AESOP'S FABLES, Words of One Syllable. BY MARY GODOLPHIN. NEW YORK: JAMES MILLER, PUBLISHER, 779 BROADWAY. CONTENTS. PAGE THE BOY AND THE WOLF 5 BOYS AND FROGS . . 6 THE.WAR HORSE AND THE Ass . . . . 7 THE FOX AND THE GRAPES 9 THE FLY AND THE MOTH 10 THE LYNX AND THE MOLE II THECHILDANDTHEBROOK 14 THE MICE, THE CAT, AND THE BELL . . .. 15 THE BEAR IN THE WOOD 16 THE OLD FOX AND HER YOUNG ONE . .. 18 THE WOLF AND THE LAMB 20 THE SQUEAK OF A PIG . 23 STONE BROTH . . ..24 THE GNAT AND THE BULL 26 THE DOVESAND THE MOUSE 27 THE COCK AND THE GEM 30 THE MAN AND THE APE 31 THE BAG OF GOLD . . 32 THE KID AND THE WOLF 35 THE FOX WHO HAD LOST HIS TAIL . . .. 36 THE OAK AND THE REED 38 THE MAN AND HIS LIVE STOCK ........ 40 THE FROGS AND THE BULLS 41 THE BLUE WOLF . . 42 THE MAN, HIS SON, AND HIS Ass . . .. 45 THE BOY AND THE HORN BOOK. . . . 48 THE OLD HEN AND HER YOUNG ONES ..... .CO PAGE THE FOX AND THE CRANE 52 THE ASS WITH A LOAD OF SALT . . ... .53 THE WOLF AND THE HOUSE DOG .... .......55 THE STAG IN THE LAKE 58 THE MAN, THE FOX, AND THE BEAR . . . 59 THE BOOR AND THE STAG 61 THE FOX AND THE CROW 64 THE CAT, THE MOUSE, AND THE COCK . ....65 THE PLANE TREE . .. 68 THE DOG WHO WAS HUNG 69 THE BIRDS, THE BEASTS, AND THE BAT . . 72 THE BOY AND THE NUTS 73 THE APE AND HER YOUNG ONES . . . . 74 THE HORSE, THE WOLF, AND THE FOX . . 76 THE LARK AND HER YOUNG ONES . . . .. 78 THE KITE, THE SOW, AND THE CAT . . .80 THE ROSE AND THE CLAY 83 THE MAN AND THE PERCH 84 THE OX AND THE CALF. 85 THE WOLVES AND THE SHEEP . . . .. 87 THE KID AND THE WOLF 88 THE COCK, THE FOX, AND THE SPRING . .. 89 THE OLD DAME AND HER MAIDS. . .. 91 4 CONTENTS. PAGE THE BEES AND THE SNAIL 92 THE ASS AND THE LAMB 94 THE AXE AND THE TREES 96 THE TWO GOATS ON THE BRIDGE . . .. 97 THE DOG AND THE THIEF 98 THE WOLF AND THE FOX IN THE WELL . . 100 THE FLY AND THE ANT 102 THE CAT AND THE MICE 103 THE HART AND THE VINE 105 THE FOX AND THE STORK 106 THE LEAP AT RHODES . 108 THE DAW AND THE JAY IIO THEOWLSANDTHEWREN 112 THE GOOSE WITH THE GOLD EGG .... 113 THE NURSE AND THE WOLF .... .. 114 THE DOG IN THE OX'S STALL ...... 115 THE COCK, THE DOG, AND THE FOX . . .. I16 THE OLD BLIND DAME. II8 THE BOAR AND HORSE. 120 THE APE MADE KING . 121 THE WOLF IN A SHEEP'S SKIN . . ... .123 THE FROG, THE MOUSE, AND THE HAWK . 124 THE DOG WHO WENT OUT TO SUP . . .. .126 THE JUDGE AND THE POOR MAN . . . .. 128 THE STAG IN THE OX'S STALL ...... 131 THE FOX AND THE CAT 132 PAGE THE WAR HORSE . .. 134 THE WIND AND THE SUN 135 THE APE, THE WOLF, AND THE FOX . . .. 136 THE GOAT, AND THE FOX IN THE WELL . 137 THE HOG, OX, COW, DOG, AND SHEEP ... 139 THE MULES AND THE THIEVES . . .. 143 THE BALD KNIGHT . 144 THE BLIND MAN AND THE LAME MAN .... .145 THE MAN, THE HORSE, AND THE ASS . .. 147 THE DRUM AND THE VASE 148 THE STAG, THE CROW AND THE WOLF ... 149 THE FROGS AND THEIR KING . . . .. 152 THE FIELD OF CORN . 154 THE JAY AND THE OWL 157 THE WOLF AND THE STORK ...... 158 THE COCK AND THE FOX 159 THE HAWK, THE ROOKS, AND THE CAT . 162 THELARKANDTHEFINCH 164 THE NURSE AND THE SNAKE . . .. 166 THE MAID AND HER MILK PAIL . . . .. .167 THE HARE AND HER FRIENDS . . .. .169 THE ASS AND THE LAP DOG ......... 171 THE DOVE AND THE ANT 173 AESOP'S FABLES. THE BOY AND THE WOLF. A BOY, who kept watch on a flock of sheep, was heard from time to time to call out, "The Wolf! The Wolf!" in mere sport. Scores of times, in this way, had he drawn the men in the fields from their work. But when they found it was a joke, they made up their minds that, should the boy call "Wolf" 6ESOP'S FABLES. once more, they would not stir to help him. The wolf, at last, did come. "The Wolf! The Wolf!" shrieks out the boy, in great fear, but none will now heed his cries, and the wolf kills the boy, that he may feast on the sheep. One knows not how to trust those who speak lies, though they may tell one the truth. BOYS AND FROGS. SOME boys were at play at the edge of a pond, and, as their game was "ducks and drakes," they had to throw stones with as much force as 6 THE WAR HORSE AND THE ASS. they could, to the great harm of some poor frogs in the pool. At length one of them, who was more brave than the rest, put his head out of the pond, and said, "Oh, dear young sirs, stop, I pray you, for what is sport to you is death to us!" THE WAR HORSE AND THE ASS. A FINE horse broke loose from his stall, and as he ran down the road with a loud, shrill neigh, he met an ass with a load on his back, to whom he said, in a proud tone, that if he did not make way for him, he would 7 kick him with his heels, and tread him in the dust. The poor ass held his peace, and made room for him as fast as he could. In course of time the horse went to the wars, and was shot in the eye, which so spoilt his good looks, that he was sent to work on the farm. Stript of all his pomp, he was met by the ass, who said to him, Ha! is it you? Your state is now as low as mine. I thought your pride would have a fall some day!" 8 IESOP'S FABLES. THE FOX AND TILE GRAPES. THE FOX AND THE GRAPES. ONE hot day a fox saw some grapes which hung on a wall, and he took a spring to seize them, but made too short a bound ; so then he leapt with all his might, but could not quite reach them; and each jump he took was still too short. There hung the fine ripe grapes, but not for him. Then, as he found he could not get at them, he said, It is not worth my while to try, for the grapes are sour." They who can not as they will, must will as they can. 9 THE FLY AND THE MOTH. A FLY, one night, stood on the rim of a pot of jam, and as he could not turn from so rare a feast, he went down the jar that he might reach the fruit ; but found to his cost that he stuck fast like a bird caught with lime. A moth that flew by, chid him thus: "It serves thee right! How couldst thou think that such legs and wings as thine would be safe in a pot of jam ?" By and by the moth saw a lamp in the same room, and flew in the light of it ; but at last his sight grew dim, he sprang IESOP'S FABLES. 10 THE LYNX AND THE MOLE. up to the flame, and was burnt to death. "What!" says the fly, who saw him, "How is this? You love to play with fire! You who took me to task for so small a crime as a taste for jam!" We tax our friends with faults, but see not our own. THE LYNX AND THE MOLE. A LYNX by chance met a mole at the foot of a mound. "Ah, poor wretch!" said the lynx, "what a life is yours! Shut up in the cold, I damp ground, you see no light, nor feel the warmth of the sun, for you do but move from mine to mine. If you could but see me as I vault by your dark mound with limbs so free, and my sight-ah my sight- so keen, you would die of grief at your dull life. Would that I could change it for you, my friend !" "I thank you for your kind wish," said the mole; "but I need not your help, nor do I feel so dull as you think, for I was bred and born in the ground, and all my days have been spent here. I have my dear young ones round me, and more than all, I am safe. My eyes are small, it is .ESOP'S FABLES. 12 THE LYNX AND THE MOLE. true, but that has made my ears sharp, and if they serve me well now, I hear a sound which seems to come from where you stand, and it tells of a foe." Just then up rode some men from the hunt, who thrust a spear through the heart of the poor lynx, and he fell dead; but the mole went safe back to her hole in the bank, and said, when she got there, "Home is home for all that." What the eye sees not, the heart rues not. Though the fox runs, the chick has wings. 13 ,ESOP'S FABLES. THE CHILD AND THE BROOK. AN old man who saw a child stand for a long time by the side of a stream, said, "My boy, why do you gaze so long on this brook ?" "Sir," said the child, " I stay here to wait till the stream has run off, for then I shall pass with dry feet." Nay," quoth the old man, "you might stay out your life, and yet not do that, for this brook will run on as long as time. And as you wend your way through life, you will find this out. If you go with the stream, you will get to the sea; 14 THE MICE, THE CAT, AND THE BELL. 15 but if you do not go with the stream, you will have to wade." THE MICE, THE CAT, AND THE BELL. ONCE on a time some mice were in such great dread of a cat, that they did not dare to stir day or night lest she should kill them. At this rate they thought they should starve, so they all met to talk of the best thing for them to do. While they thus sat in great doubt, a pert young mouse rose and said, "I have thought of a good plan, and that is to tie a bell to the cat's neck, which would ,ESOP'S FABLES. ring at each step she takes, and let us know when she comes near." This bright speech brought hope with it, and made the mice jump for joy. Then a grave old mouse, who till now had been quite mute, rose and said, "I have heard that you 'hold a wolf by the ears' and that you 'put salt on the bird's tail,' but what shall we do to bell the cat ?" Safe bind, safe find. THE BEAR IN THE WOOD. Two men had to pass through a thick wood, and one of them said, "Should we fall in with wild beasts, THE BEAR IN THE WOOD. I will come to your help, if you will do the same by me." So be it," said his friend, and off they set. They had not gone far when a bear made a rush out of the wood. TLhe man who had made the good rule for them to act on, got up a tree to hide, and his poor friend was put to his wits' end to save his life, so he fell flat on the ground, held his breath, and lay quite still, that the bear might think he was dead. The huge beast came close up to him, and felt him with his snout, but as he took him for a dead man, did him no harm. When the bear was gone, and all was safe, the man came down from the tree, and with 2 I7 .ESOP'S FABLES. a smile, said, What did the bear tell you when he put his snout so close up to your ear ?" "Well," said his friend, "what he told me was this-' Have a care of that rogue up the tree, and for the time to come put no trust in him!'" Prove thy friend ere thou have need of him. THE OLD FOX AND HER YOUNG ONE. AN old fox and her young one found their way to a yard where hens were kept, and one by one they put them all to death. It 18 THE OLD FOX AND HER YOUNG ONE. 19 was the wish of the young fox to eat them all then and there, but his dam said, "We have had great luck, yet we must not spend all our stock at once, but put some by, and come for it when we want it." "Don't preach to me," said the pert young fox, "the fowls will not keep sweet a day, so I shall eat as much as I can now, for when the men on the farm see what we have done, they will, of course, look out for us." The young fox then eat such a meal that it was as much as he could do to crawl to his hole, and in less than an hour he was dead. The old fox came back to the hoard, and was caught by the men, who had lain in wait to kill her. "Ah !" said she, with her last breath, each age hath its fault; each bean its black; each day its night; each weal its woe!" THE WOLF AND THE LAMB. ONE hot day a wolf came to quench his thirst at a clear brook that ran down the side of a hill. By chance a young lamb stood there. The wolf had a wish to eat her, but felt some qualms, so for a plea he made out that the lamb was his foe. .ESOP'S FABLES. 20 THE WOLF AND THE LAMB. "Stand off from the banks, sir," said he, "for as you tread them you stir mud in the stream, and all I can get to drink is thick and foul." The young lamb said, in a mild tone, that she did not see how that could be the case, as the brook ran down hill to her from the spot where he stood. "But," said the wolf, "how dare you drink of it at all, till I have had my fill ?" Then the poor lamb told him that as yet her dam's milk was both food and drink to her. "Be that as it may," said the wolf, "you are a bad lamb; for last year I heard that you spoke ill of me and all my race." "Last year! dread sir," quoth the lamb, "why, I have 21 not yet been shorn, and at the time you name I was not born. The wolf, who found it was of no use to tell lies, fell in a great rage, and as he came up to the lamb, he said, "All you sheep have the same dull kind of face, and how is one to know which is which? If it was not you, it was your dam, and that's all the same thing, so I shall not let you go from here." He then flew at the poor meek lamb, and made a meal of her. Might beats Right. ,ESOP'S FABLES. 22 ^ ^ : -I~ -- -- -. *:: -I Si ... . .. .. . l S' -- I 'i l' .~. "pik -i ]_ _ _ I ,, 1 --,. ,' :o- '* --" - r ,o--k-'.^ s 4i; - -- jl_ _ V-I_. '-- I = :- - I~ THE SQUEAK OF A PJ1. -^==t~=: '-`c-- -; _.,. 9 THE SQUEAK OF A PIG. THE SQUEAK OF A PIG. A MAN, well known for his wit, said he could show a trick which had not yet been seen. So he took his stand on a stage, and, with his head thrust down, he gave out a sound like the squeak of a pig. This he did so well, that all thought he had brought a young pig in his cloak; but though a search was made, they did not find one. A rough man from a farm, who had come to look on, said, "Faith, I can do this as well as he." So the next night they were both to try their skill. A great crowd came to see them, and the men went on the stage. The first 23 .ESOP'S FABLES. man gave his squeak, which brought a roar of praise, as it had done the first night. The boor's turn then came, and he had a real young pig in his cloak; but though he made it squeak by a hard pinch on the ear, all gave the palm to the first man, and sent the boor off the stage with a loud hiss. Give a man luck, and you may throw him in the sea. STONE BROTH. A POOR man, in a storm of wind and rain, came to a great house to beg for alms, and was sent off with cross 24 STONE BROTH. words. But he went back, and said, "May I but ask to dry my clothes at your fire, for I am wet with rain ?" This the maids thought would not cost them much, so they let him come in. He then told the cook that if she would but give him a pan, and let him fill it from the pump, he would make some stone broth. This kind of dish was so new to the cook, that she let him make it. The man then got a stone from the road, and put it in the pan. The cook gave him some salt, peas, mint, thyme, and all the scraps of meat that she could spare, to throw in. Thus the poor man made a rich mess, and the cook said, Well 25 /ESOP'S FABLES. done! you have made a silk purse out of a sow's ear ; and it just shows that 'they who crave for food will break through stone walls.' " Where there's a will there's a way. THE GNAT AND THE BULL. ONCE on a time a poor gnat sat on the horn of a bull, and said, I have made free to rest on the tip of your horn; but if my weight is at all too much for you, pray say so, and I will move off." "I think you are more nice than wise," said the bull. 26 THE DOVES AND THE MOUSE. " To tell you the truth, I did not know when you sat down, so I shall not miss you when you think fit to rise up." At this the bull gave his head a toss, and put the gnat to death with his tongue. It is a dull bird that points out her own nest. THE DOVES AND THE MOUSE. A MAN who sold doves in the East threw down some grains of rice in a wood, and flung a net on the top of them in such a way that it could not be seen in the grass, and then 27 zESOP'S FABLES. hid close by to watch. Soon the king of the wild doves, "Smooth Neck" by name, flew up to the spot with his train, and said, Whence can all these grains of rice come ? Let it be seen to. Eat them not yet." But the doves, drawn by greed, set to work to pick them up, and they were all caught in the net. "Ha!" said Smooth Neck, " I thought this might be the work of a foe. You would not wait, as I told you to do, and this has come of it. Hark to the plan which I have in hand. We know that small things may work out great ends, and that huge beasts may be bound with straws made firm in a 28 THE DOVES AND THE MOUSE. thick rope. Now, all put out your strength at once, take up the net, and fly off." This they did, and the man who had set the snare was much struck to see his net borne off in the air by the birds. This is well," said one of the doves, "but what are we to do now, with these toils on our feet ?" Smooth Neck said, We are in an ill plight, but Gold Fur, the wise king of the mice, may help us." So he went in search of Gold Fur's hole, which had scores of small doors that led to it, deep down in the ground. The good mouse came out to meet them, and when he had heard their tale, he said, "As long as my teeth do not 29 ,ESOP'S FABLES. break, I will gnaw the nets for you." So with his sharp teeth he cut the snare, and set them all free. Then, with great joy, the king of the doves bent low his smooth neck to him, and said, "How much we owe to you! Think of us as your slaves for life; for a friend in need is the best friend of all." THE COCK AND THE GEM. A COCK came down from his roost at break of day, and set up a loud, shrill crow; he then went to work to scratch the ground in search of 30 THE MAN AND THE APE. food for the hens. By and by, what should he turn up but a bright gem. He gave it a kick and said, " Ha! you are a fine thing, no doubt; but, to my mind, one good grain of. wheat is worth all the gems in the world." Do not cast pearls to swine. THE MAN AND THE APE. A MAN in the East kept a tame ape, who was of great use to him, for he could scare the birds from the fruit and peas. One day the man took his sleep at noon, and 31 the ape sat by his side to brush the flies from his face. One fly came and stood on the tip of his nose, so the ape, with a grin, sent it off; then it flew to his chin, and this put the ape in such a rage that he flung a stone at it, which smote the fly; but, sad to tell, the force with which the stone was thrown broke the man's jaw. A rash friend is worse than a foe. THE BAG OF GOLD. Two men set off to walk from Bath to York, and said they would each share the same fate, come zESOP'S FABLES. 32 THE BAG OF GOLD. what might. All went well till they got half way, when one of them saw a bag of gold in the path, which he took up. "Ha!" said he, I am in luck's way. See, I have found a bag of gold! I will buy a horse and ride the rest of my way." "My friend," said the man who went with him, "when we set out you told me we were to share the same luck, be it good or bad; so you ought to say 'we' have found a bag of gold, not 'I.'" "You may think just as you please," said the man, but as it was I who found the gold, I shall keep it, and do with it as I said, and wish you good day." Just then they heard 3 33 a hue and cry of "Stop thief !" "Come, I pray you," said the man (who held the bag), in a great fright; come, let us hide in this wood, for if the men find us with the gold, they will take us for thieves, and we shall get hung for it." "How now ?" said his friend; "you swore it should be 'I' when you found the bag, so pray let it be 'I' as long as there is fear of theft." A just man's word is as good as a bond. One gets the prize, and both bear the blame. ,ESOP'S FABLES. 34 THE KID AND THE WOLF. THE KID AND THE WOLF. A YOUNG kid that would stray from the herd saw a wolf, and did her best to get out of his reach; but when she found that all hope was lost, she said, "Sir wolf, I know that I am to die at your hands, so as my life will now be but short, I pray of you to let it be a gay one. Now do you pipe while I dance." So the wolf pipes, and the kid jumps and springs to please him. A pack of hounds who heard the sound, ran up to see who was there, and then the wolf set off as fast as his legs would take him, and the 35 kid came home safe. Quoth she, with a hop and a skip- "He that sticks to chance, When fools pipe he may dance." But the wolf gave a deep sigh, and said- "He who will not when he may, When he wills, he shall have nay." --g*,.- THE FOX WHO HAD LOST HIS TAIL. A FOX who went to steal some young chicks was caught in a trap, from which he got free, but with the loss of his tail; and when he .ESOP'S FABLES. 36 THE FOX WHO HAD LOST HIS TAIL. came to mix with the world, he saw how high a price he had paid for it, for none of the beasts who stole a look at him could hide a laugh, and the fox thought it would have been well for him if his life had gone with the "brush." But, to make the best of things, he sent to all the rest of his race to beg of them to meet him on a heath, and there the fox held forth and said, I would have you all cut off your tails. You know not the ease with which I can now move. Of what use is the tail to us? If we creep through a hole in the hedge, as we fly from the hounds, it stops us in the way. It is the 'brush,' you know, that man 37 3ESOP'S FABLES. strives for in the hunt; and then, too, in spite of all we can do, it is apt to be caught in a trap." A sly old fox who heard him, said, with a leer, "It strikes me that you would not so much care to see us part with our tails, if you had a chance to get your own back !" Bought wit is the best. THE OAK AND THE REED. AN oak which stood on the side of a brook was torn up by the roots in a storm, and as the wind took it 38 THE OAK AND THE REED. down the stream, its boughs caught on some reeds which grew on the bank. "How strange it is," said the oak, "that such a slight and frail thing as a reed should face the blast, while my proud front, which till now has stood like an Alp, is torn down, root and branch!" A reed, which caught the sound of these words, said, in soft tones, "If I may be free with you, I think the cause of it lies in your pride of heart. You are stiff and hard, and trust in your own strength, while we yield and bow to the rough blast." It is worse to break than to bend. 39 ,,ESOP'S FABLES. THE MAN AND HIS LIVE STOCK. A MAN who had a farm in a cold part of the world, was shut up in it by a deep fall of snow, and could not get out to buy food, so he ate all his sheep, one by one; and as the frost did not break up, he then ate his pigs, then his goats, and, at last, the ox that was kept for the plough. When the dogs on the farm found this out, they said, "Let us be off! for since the man thinks it no harm to kill his sheep, his pigs, his goats, and his ox, how can we hope that he will spare us ?" When the house next door is on 40 THE FROGS AND THE BULLS. fire, it is high time to look to our own. THE FROGS AND THE BULLS. SOME frogs that were in a damp marsh saw two bulls which fought in a field some way off. "Look !" said one of them, "there's a sight! Dear sirs, what must we do ?" "I pray thee," said a young frog, "do not take fright at that. How can the feuds of two bulls hurt us ? They are not of the same tribe as we are, far less in the same rank of life; and as to size, why we are too 41 small for such large beasts as those to take note of us. They do but fight to see which shall be head of the herd." "That is true," said an old frog, "but as one will win the day, one must, of course, yield, and the bull that is sent out of the field will come to the marsh for rush and reed, and will crush us to death at each step. Know you not that when great folk fall out, small folk smart for it ?" THE BLUE WOLF. A WOLF once fell in a vat of blue dye which is made in the East. A man came by and thought he was ,ESOP'S FABLES. 42 dead, so he took him out and laid him on the bank and went his way; and then the wolf, glad to be safe, ran off to the woods. One by one, all the beasts came to gaze on him, and knew not what to make of him. So then the sly wolf said, "My fur is of a fine blue! You see in me a new kind of beast, and so I must, of course, be king of all the rest!" Then the bears, the boars, the apes, the wolves, as well as the ounce, the lynx, the bull, the fox, and all the rest of them, drew near to bow their heads to him as the lord of the wood. But soon the wolves thought they saw in the king some trace of kin, and one of them THE BLUE WOLF. 43 said, "Be it for me to find him out, and let it be done as I say. At night you must all set up a loud yell near him, and if he be one of us-as I think he is-he will send forth a loud howl too." So all at once the wolves put up their heads to howl, and they soon heard the new king join in the cry, for he could not help it. At this, a loud laugh rang through the wood from all the beasts of the plain. What is bred in the bone will not out of the flesh ,'SOP'S FIABLES. 44 ,/' , -J T'IEi MAN, IllS SON, AND ASS. ------; _=_ Sr.= h ' 7=q SE-_-.B _- f: -- .- 1-, - -' i-.1'* - __Tl,b ---- _- THE MA N HIS SON, AND HIS ASS. THE MAN, HIS SON, AND HIS ASS. A MAN and his son drove their ass to a fair to sell him. They had not gone far, when one of a group of girls, who stood round a well, said, with a laugh, "Look at those two fools-they let their ass walk at his ease, while they trudge on foot by his side." The man heard this, and set his son on the beast. They had not gone more than half a mile, when they came up to some old men who sat in grave talk. "There," said one of them, "that just proves what I say: now a days the young take no 45 AESOP'S FABLES, care of the old; see, that young rogue rides, while the old man has to walk by his side. Get down, and let your sire rest his limbs." At this the man made his son jump off the ass, that he might ride him. Thus they went on for a space, when they met three kind dames, each with a child on her arm. "Why, you old sloth," said one of them, "what a shame to sit at ease while that poor slight lad can scarce keep pace by the side of you !" The man then took his son on the croup of the ass by his side, and so they rode till they got near the town. Pray, good friend," said a young man who 46 THE MAN, HIS SON, AND HIS ASS. met them, "is that ass your own?" "Yes," said he. "One would not have thought so by the way you load him. Why, it seems to me more fit that you two should take him to the fair, than that he should take you." "Well, be it so," said the old man; "we can but try." So they got off, and made fast the legs of the ass to a pole, which each took hold of at one end, and so went on their way, till they came to a bridge. This was a rare sight, and so the boys and girls thought, for they ran in crowds to laugh at the farce, till the ass-which took fright at the noise-gave a kick which 47 AESOP'S FABLES. broke the cords that bound him; so he fell in the stream, and sank. The old man then made the best of his way home, and said, If we try to please all, we please none. THE BOY AND THE HORN BOOK. A BOY stole a horn book from school, and brought it home to his aunt, who did not take him to task for what he had done, but gave him some plums for his pains. In course of time the child grew up to be a man, and-need we say ?- 48 THE BOY AND THE HORN BOOK. a thief. He stole more and more, and at last was caught in a great theft, and was hung. A crowd came to look on at the sad scene, and with them the aunt of the thief, who, with sobs and tears, tore her hair and beat her breast. The thief saw her, and said to those who were in charge of him, "Give me leave to say a word to my aunt." When she came up, he put his face to hers, as if he would speak, and bit off her ear! At this the aunt gave a loud cry, and all who stood near were struck with awe at so base a deed. "Good sirs," said the young man, "it is she who is the cause of my guilt; for if, when I stole the 4 49 zESOP'S FABLES. horn book from school, she had had the sense to point out to me that I had done wrong, I should not have come to this sad end." Spare the rod, and spoil the child. He that will steal an ounce, will steal a pound. THE OLD HEN AND HER YOUNG ONES. A HEN led her train of young chicks through a yard, to rake the chaff and to show the grain, when one of them flew on the edge of a well to try her wings, and by chance 5" THE OLD HEN AND HER YOUNG ONES. 5s dropt down it, to the great grief of the old bird. The next day, when the hen met one of her chicks from an old brood, she said, "My dear son, I know you are strong and bold, but, for your life, do not go near that well ; if you do, some great harm will come to you." "Why should she give me this charge?" said he. "Does she think I am not brave, or does she store some good thing down the well, which she keeps for her last brood? I will go and see." So he stood at the brink of the well, and, far down in the dark, he saw a spruce young cock, whose plumes rose, and whose wings spread, as if he had a wish .,ESOP'S FABLES. to fight. Down flew the young bird-to rise no more. If a fool is bid not to do a thing, he is sure to do it. The best shield is to keep out of the reach of shot. THE FOX AND THE CRANE. A FOX that had been out to poach, had got hurt in a trap, and lay at the point of death. For a long time he sought in vain for aid, but at last he saw a crane, and said to her, "I beg of you to bring me some drink to quench my thirst, 52 THE ASS WITH A LOAD OF SALT. for I might then gain strength to go in search of food." "Not far in search, I think," said. the crane, "for were I to bring you drink, I make no doubt that the food would come with me." Play not with edge tools. --Zo-- THE ASS WITH A LOAD OF SALT. A MAN drove his ass down to the coast to buy a load of salt, and on his way home the ass fell in the midst of a stream. The salt, of course, did not take long 53 to melt, and so the ass lost his load, and came home fresh and gay. The next day the man set off to the coast for some more salt, and put the load on his ass once more. As they went through the stream, the ass took care to fall down just at the same spot, and thus got rid of his load this time too. But the man, who now saw the trick, made a plan to cure the ass of it. He bought a large load of sponge, and put it on the back of the beast, and drove him, for the third time, to the coast. By and by they came to the stream, when the ass thought to play his old pranks. But the sponge got ,ESOP'S FABLES. 54 THE WOLF AND THE HOUSE DOG. wet through, and the ass found to his cost that so far from a light load, he had now on his back one which was ten times the weight of the first. If a man cheats me once, shame on him. If he cheats me twice, shame on me. THE WOLF AND THE HOUSE DOG. A POOR lean wolf, that was but skin and bone, fell in with a plump house dog, and said, " How comes it, my friend, that 55 ZESOP'S FABLES. you look so fat and sleek, while I who am in the woods night and day in search of food, do but starve at the best?" Well," said the dog, "you may be as well off as I am, if you will do the same for it. I have but to guard the house from thieves; so come home with me and see how you like the life." With all my heart!" cries the wolf. As they went down the road side by side, the wolf saw a mark on the dog's neck, and would know what it was. So they had a talk. Dog.-Well, it may be a slight mark from the chain. Wolf.-Chain! Do you mean 56 THE WOLF AND THE HOUSE DOG. to say that you may not room when and where you please ? Dog.-Why, not quite. For, you see, they do look on me as the least in the world fierce, so they tie me up by the day, but I am let loose at night. And all in the house pet me, and feed me with scraps from their own plates, and- Come on. What ails you ? Wolf-Oh, good night to you. I wish you joy of your fine life; but, for my part, though I may not be fat, I will at least be free. No one loves chains, though they be made of gold. 57 .ESOP'S FABLES. THE STAG IN THE LAKE. ONE hot day, a stag came to quench his thirst at a lake, and stood there to scan his shape from head to foot, as it shone in the clear pool. "What strength is there," said he, "in this fine pair of horns which branch out with so much grace from each side of my head! If the rest of my form were but of a piece with my horns, I would give place to none. But, ah, me! how slight are these poor legs of mine! I would as lief have none at all." Just then some men, and a pack of hounds that had been on the scent, made to the spot where the stag THE STAG IN THE LAKE. ------ ---- -f --- -=- -- THE MAN, THE FOX, AND THE BEAR. 59 stood. Off he went, at full speed; and those legs, with which he found so much fault, soon took him out of the reach of hounds and men. But the horns which he was so vain of, by ill luck, caught in the boughs of a tree, and held him there till the hounds came to pull him down. THE MAN, THE FOX, AND THE BEAR. A MAN once saw a fox which had so sleek a coat that he felt a wish to kill him for the sake of it, and he thought of a plan by which he might save the skin whole. He dug a deep trench just in front of his hole, on which he spread leaves, sticks, and straw, and then hid in the thick trees out of sight, to wait till the fox came home. But he went to sleep; and while he slept, the fox came up, saw the piece of meat, and had a great wish to taste it; yet when he stole a look round him, he had his doubts that all was right, so he did not touch it. Soon a bear came up, and sprang on the bait. The sticks gave way as he lit on them, and down he fell in the pit. The noise woke up the man, who, as he thought of course it was his friend the fox, went down the 6o ,ESOP'S FABLES. THE BOOR AND THE STAG. pit, where the bear gave him a hug which took all the breath out of his lungs, and then ate him up. So the man was caught in his own trap. He must rise in good time who would cheat the fox. THE BOOR AND THE STAG. A STAG that had left the hounds a long way off, came up to a man who was at work on a farm, to ask if he would show him some safe place to hide in. So the man bade 61 6ESOP'S FABLES. him hide in his own hut, which was close by. The stag lay quite still in the hut, and in a short time up came the squire and his train with the hounds. The squire caught sight of the boor, and drew back to ask him if he had seen the stag pass that way. "No," said the boor, in a loud tone, "I have not." At the same time-as he had a wish to keep on good terms with the squire -he held out his hand, with a sly look, to point to the hut where the stag lay hid; but as luck would have it, the squire took no heed of this sign, nor did he so much as see it. So on he went to join the rest; but though they rode through 62 THE BOOR AND THE STAG. the field where the hut was, they did not see the stag. As soon as they were well out of sight, the stag stole from the hut, but said not a word to the boor, who now gave a loud call to him. "You wretch!" said he, "you owe your life to me, yet when you leave my hut, where I sent you to screen you from your foes, you say not one word of thanks." "Nay," quoth the stag, "you may make sure I should fill your ears as full of praise and thanks as my heart is of joy, if your deeds had been true to your words; in short, if I had not, through the door of the hut, seen your hand play false to your tongue." 63 .ESOP'S FABLES. THE FOX AND THE CROW. A CROW sat on a bough of a tree with a piece of cheese in her beak. A sly old fox which saw her, said, "What a fine bird thou art! How bright is thine eye, how sleek are thy wings, what grace is there in the turn of thy whole form! Oh, that such a bird should lack a voice !" The poor crow was much struck with this speech, saw not its guile, and would fain prove how sweet her note was; so she gave a loud caw, and down fell the cheese to the ground. The fox ran off with it, and said, as he went, "I 64 THE CAT, THE MOUSE, AND THE COCK. 65 spoke loud of her charms; but fair words do not cost much, nor does the heart feel all that the false tongue speaks. Yet I said not a word of her brains ; for a wise head makes a close mouth, and a close mouth will catch no flies." THE CAT, THE MOUSE, AND THE COCK. A YOUNG mouse, which had not seen much of the world, came home one day and said, "Oh, I have had such a fright! I have seen a thing with such a fierce look, that struts 5 6ESOP'S FABLES. now here, now there, on two legs; on his head he wears a small red flag, and one round his throat, his arms flap up and down on his sides as if he meant to rise in the air. But you should have seen him stretch out his head and roar at me with his sharp mouth, till I thought he would eat me up. It made me shake from head to foot with fear, and I was glad to run home as fast as my feet would take me. But for this I should have made friends with as sweet a soul as could be. She had soft fur like ours, which was black and gray in streaks. Her look was so bland and meek that I fell quite in love 66 THE CAT, THE MOUSE, AND THE COCK. 67 with her. Then she had a fine long tail, which you might see wave to and fro, first on this side, then on that; and when I saw her fix her bright eyes on me I thought she had a wish to speak ; when that fierce wretch set up his scream, which drove me in this haste, quite out of breath with fear." "Ah my dear child," said the old mouse, "in good truth, you have run for your life; but the fierce thing you speak of was not your foe, for it was but a bird, that would not have done you the least harm in the world; while that sweet thing, of which you seem so fond, was a cat, and cats eat all us mice when they have a chance-in short, they live on mice." Judge not by looks. --Z-~- THE PLANE TREE. ONE hot day in June, two men lay down in the shade of a plane tree, to get out of the rays of the sun, and as they lay there, they cast their eyes up to the boughs. "A plane tree bears no fruit," said one of them. In good sooth," quoth his friend, "that seems but a poor tree that is of no use to man!" The plane chid them, and said, "Sirs, 68 SESOP'S FABLES. THE DOG WHO WAS HUNG. you must be as blind as you are base, to come here and lie in the shade I give, and yet rail at me as a thing that is of no use to man. THE DOG WHO WAS HUNG. ONCE on a time two sheep met, and one of them said to her friend, "Last night our dog Spring ate a lamb, and then bit the old one to death, as well as the man of the farm." "Nay," quoth the friend, "if that be true, in whom can we put our 69 7IESOP'S FABLES. trust ?" Thus spread the news, and such was the crime of Spring, who now lay bound, while a group of men sat to judge his case. Spring then said, with a firm voice, "For more than ten years I have done my work as a sheep dog should. Last night, as I lay on the ground, a wolf leapt forth from the wood, sprang at a lamb, and drank its blood, then let fall his prize, and stood at bay. We fought and I slew the wolf. But now, when I saw the lamb, as it lay dead on the grass, I could in no way curb my wish to eat it. While I was at my feast, the ewe came up to seek for her young one; so, lest she should charge its death on 70 THE DOG WHO WAS HUNG. me, I thought it best to kill her. Just then, up came the man of the farm, who of course thought that I had put both to death. His eye met mine; he held up his staff; I could not pause; dead men tell no tales, thought I, and so flew at his throat. You know, too well, the rest." If we do not crush sin in the bud, it will grow strong, and crush US. Do what you ought, come what may. 71 .ESOP'S FABLES. "72 THE BIRDS, THE BEASTS, AND THE BAT. THE birds and the beasts once went to war. The bat-which could not be said to be bird or beast-at first kept out of the way of both, but when he thought the beasts would win the day, he was found in their ranks, and to prove his right to be there, he said, "Can you find a bird that has two rows of teeth in his head, as I have?" At last the birds had the best of the fight, so then the bat was seen to join their ranks. "Look," said he, "I have wings, so what else can I be but a bird ?" "To grind with all THE BOY AND THE NUTS. winds" was thought base in the bat by both sides of the fight, and he could not get bird or beast to own him, and to this day he hides and skulks in caves and stems of trees, and does not come out till dark, when all the birds of the air have gone to roost, and the beasts of the field are wrapt in sleep. One must not blow hot and cold. THE BOY AND THE NUTS. A YOUNG child put his hands in a jar where nuts and figs were kept. He took all that his fist could 73 ,ESOP'S FABLES. hold, but when he came to pull it out, the neck of the jar was too small for him to do so. At this the tears came in his eyes, and a friend, who stood by, said, "Grasp at but half, my boy, and you will have it; but grasp at all, and lose all." THE APE AND HER YOUNG ONES. AN ape, who had two young ones, felt a great love for her fine child, but did not care at all for the plain one. One day, when by chance the 74 THE APE AND HER YOUNG ONES. old dam was put to flight, she caught up the fine young ape in her arms, but left the plain one to get on as it could, so it leapt on the dam's back, and off they set. The old ape ran so fast to save her pet, that in her haste its head was caught by the branch of a tree, and it fell down dead from the blow; but the plain one clung on tight to the dam's rough back, and so came off safe and sound. The pet child may die from too much care. 75 .,ESOP'S ;FABLES. THE HORSE, THE WOLF, AND THE FOX. A FOX one night had been out some hours in the snow in search of food, and yet had found none. At last he met a wolf in the same case, to whom he said, "Do you see the horse in that field ? Well, I think if you lend me your help, I could kill him." When they came up to the horse, the fox was much struck to find how small his size was by the side of him. May I ask your name, and that of the man who owns you ?" "My name is Squire," said the horse ; I have not yet heard the man's name, but I 76 THE HORSE, THE WOLF, AND THE FOX. 77 think if you wish to know it you can see the stamp on my shoe." The sly fox, who made a shrewd guess at what this meant, said, "( Nay, I do not know how to read, but"-here he gave a low bow to the wolf-"my friend has a gift that way." The wolf, who was made quite vain by this soft speech, came up to read, but as he bent down his head to do so, Squire gave a kick, which clave his skull in two. Take the nuts out of the fire with the cat's paw. 78 IESOP'S FABLES. THE LARK AND HER YOUNG ONES. A LARK had a nest of young birds in a field of corn, and one day two men came to look at the state of the crop. "Well," says one of them to his son, "I think this wheat is ripe, so now go and ask our friends to help us reap it." When the old lark came back to her nest, the young brood told her, in a great fright, what they had heard. "So they look to their friends," said she; "well, I think we have no cause to fear." The next day the man of the farm came, and saw no friends in the corn field, so he bade his 1 THE LARK AND HER YOUNG ONES. son fetch his kith and kin to help him. This the young birds heard, and told to the old one when she came home to her nest. Quoth she, "I do not see that men go much out of their way to help those that are of the same kith and kin." In the course of a day or two, as the man found that no one came, he said to his son, Hark you, John; we will trust to none, but you and I will reap the corn at dawn of day." "Now," said the old lark, "we must be gone; for when a man takes his work in his own hands, it is sure to be done." No eye so good as one's own; no work so well done. 79 oESOP'S FABLES. He that by the plough would thrive . must hold or drive. "THE KITE, THE SOW, AND THE CAT. A KITE had built her nest at the top of an old oak, and in a hole half way up the tree, a wild cat had found a home; while the foot of the tree made a stye for a sow and her young pigs. For some time they all went on in peace, and might have done so to this day, but for the spite of the cat. For, first of all, she crept up to the kite, and said, Good 80 'I'l l : K l I THEi SI \\, \N i) 'ITil V \T THE KITE, THE SOW, AND THE CAT 81 friend, I have news to tell you, which will plunge us both in grief. The old sow does naught else than grub at the foot of the tree, and we all know what that will come to. It is clear that she means to root it up, that she may kill your young ones. For my part, I will take care of my own, and you can do as you please; but you may be sure I shall watch her well, though I were to stay at home for a month for it." When she had said this to "the kite, she went down and made -a call on the sow at the foot of the tree. She put on a grave face, and said, "I hope you do not mean to go out?" "Why not ?" said the 6 sow. "Nay," said she, "you may do as you please ; but I heard the kite say to her brood that she would treat them with a pig the first time she saw you go out; and I do not feel sure that she may not take one of my young ones at the same time. So good day to you, for I must look at home, you see." With these words she went back to her hole. The scheme that puss had in her head was to steal out at night for her prey, and peep all day at her hole, that the sow and the kite might think she was in great dread. Thit plan put them both in such a fright,. that the kite did not dare to stir out in search of food, for fear of the 82 ,ESOP'S FABLES. THE ROSE AND THE CLAY sow, nor the sow for fear of the kite; and the end of it was that they and their young ones were all kept in their homes to starve, and so were made a prey of by the cat. --Z- THE ROSE AND THE CLAY. A MAN in the East by chance took up a piece of clay which lay in his "C- pathl, and was much struck to find :it smell so sweet. "It is but a .or piece of clay," said he, "a 'mean clod of earth, yet how sweet is it! How fresh! But whence 83 .ESOP'S FABLES. has it this scent ?" The clay said, "I have dwelt with the rose." Make friends with the good, if you wish to be like them. THE MAN AND THE PERCH. A MAN went to fish in a fresh stream, and caught a small perch, who said, "I pray of you to save my life, and put me in the stream once more, for as I am but young and small now, it is not so well worth your while to take me as it will be some time hence, when I 84 THE OX AND THE CALF am grown a large fish." "So you think," said the man; "but I am not one of those who give up that which is at hand for that which is far off; nor do I make sure of fish, flesh, or fowl till I have got it, for one bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." All is fish that comes to the net. THE OX AND THE CALF. IN days of old, a calf that ran wild in some fields near Rome, and had not yet felt the yoke, said to an 8.ESOP'S FABLES. old ox, "Dull slave! How can you drudge on in this way from day to day with a plough at your tail ? Look at me, see how I skip and play!" The ox said not a word, but went on with his work. The next day there was a great feast held at Rome, so the ox did not go to the plough; but his friend the calf was led off in great pomp to be slain, with a wreath round his neck. "If this is the last scene of your gay life," said the ox, "let me drudge on at the plough, for the yoke is more to my mind than the axe." Of two ills, choose the least. 86 THE WOL VES AND THE SHEEP. THE WOLVES AND THE SHEEP. THE wolves and the sheep had been for a long time at war. At last the wolves said, "It is the dogs that are the cause of it all; they bark if we do but come near you. Now, if you will but send them off from your heels, we, on our part, will give up our young ones to you." The poor sheep thought it a fair thing; but as soon as the change was made, the young cubs set up a howl for want of their dams. On this the old wolves gave out that the peace was at an end; so they fell on the sheep, who, as they had lost their 87 .ESOP'S FABLES. best friends, the dogs, had none now to help them, and were torn to death by the wolves. THE KID AND THE WOLF. A YOUNG kid who stood on the roof of a house, out of harm's way, saw a wolf pass by, and set to work to taunt and tease his foe. But the wolf said, "I hear you. Yet it is not you who mock me, but the roof on which you stand." Time and place will give to the weak more strength than the strong. 88 THE COCK, THE FOX, AND THE SPRING. 89 THE COCK, THE FOX, AND THE SPRING. A FOX, who came to a farm at break of day, was caught in a spring, which had been put there for that end. A cock, who sat on the bough of a tree, did not at first dare to go near so dire a foe; but when he saw that the fox could not stir from the spot, he came down from the tree to greet him. The fox said, "Dear bird, you see what has come to me, and all for your sake; for as I crept through the hedge, on my way home, I felt I must come to ask how you are. AESOP'S FABLES. And now I will beg of you to fetch me a knife to cut this wire." The cock spoke not, but flew off as fast as he could to tell the news to the men on the farm, who soon came up with a knife with which to cut the wire, and kill the fox. The cock said that he thought those who spoke doves' words should lead doves' lives. "Ha!" cries the fox, "he gives twice who gives in a trice." 90 THE OLD DAME AND HER MAIDS. THE OLD DAME AND HER MAIDS. IN the good old times, when there were no clocks, an old dame kept a cock in her yard, which at dawn of day gave a loud crow, and then she got up to rouse her maids, that they might go to their work. But they thought it hard to be woke out of their sweet sleep at such an hour, so, one day, they wrung the cock's neck. The next night the old dame slept till late, as she had not heard the cock crow ; but when she found that he was dead, and that there was now no means by which to tell the time, she went at all hours of 91 the night to wake up her maids, for fear they should sleep too long. Strive to mend, and you will oft times mar what's well. THE BEES AND THE SNAIL. A SNAIL, one day, made his way through the hole of a bee hive, where, in a great rage, the bees flew round him, and stung him to death. But soon they found that the snail, when dead, was all the more a foe than when he had life, .ESOP'S FABLES. 92 |