-- Aesop's Fables --

[dizzydoll]

For inspiration and guidance:

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."

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 FOX WITHOUT A TAIL
The fox once fell into a trap, and after a struggle managed to get free,
but with the loss of his brush. He was then so much ashamed of his
appearance that he thought life was not worth living unless he could
persuade the other Foxes to part with their tails also, and thus
divert attention from his own loss. So he called a meeting of all the
Foxes, and advised them to cut off their tails: "They're ugly things
anyhow," he said, "and besides they're heavy, and it's tiresome to be
always carrying them about with you." But one of the other Foxes said,
"My friend, if you hadn't lost your own tail, you wouldn't be so keen
on getting us to cut off ours."

THE STAG AT THE POOL
A thirsty Stag went down to a pool to drink. As he bent over the
surface he saw his own reflection in the water, and was struck with
admiration for his fine spreading antlers, but at the same time he
felt nothing but disgust for the weakness and slenderness of his legs.
While he stood there looking at himself, he was seen and attacked by
a Lion; but in the chase which ensued, he soon drew away from his
pursuer, and kept his lead as long as the ground over which he ran was
open and free of trees. But coming presently to a wood, he was caught
by his antlers in the branches, and fell a victim to the teeth and
claws of his enemy. "Woe is me!" he cried with his last breath; "I
despised my legs, which might have saved my life: but I gloried in my
horns, and they have proved my ruin."

MERCURY AND THE TRADESMEN
When Jupiter was creating man, he told Mercury to make an infusion of
lies, and to add a little of it to the other ingredients which went to
the making of the Tradesmen. Mercury did so, and introduced an equal
amount into each in turn--the tallow-chandler, and the greengrocer,
and the haberdasher, and all, till he came to the horse-dealer, who
was last on the list, when, finding that he had a quantity of the
infusion still left, he put it all into him. This is why all Tradesmen
lie more or less, but they none of them lie like a horse-dealer.

THE MICE AND THE WEASELS
There was war between the Mice and the Weasels, in which the Mice
always got the worst of it, numbers of them being killed and eaten by
the Weasels. So they called a council of war, in which an old Mouse
got up and said, "It's no wonder we are always beaten, for we have no
generals to plan our battles and direct our movements in the field."
Acting on his advice, they chose the biggest Mice to be their leaders,
and these, in order to be distinguished from the rank and file,
provided themselves with helmets bearing large plumes of straw. They
then led out the Mice to battle, confident of victory: but they were
defeated as usual, and were soon scampering as fast as they could to
their holes. All made their way to safety without difficulty except
the leaders, who were so hampered by the badges of their rank that
they could not get into their holes, and fell easy victims to their
pursuers.

THE BEAR AND THE FOX
A Bear was once bragging about his generous feelings, and saying how
refined he was compared with other animals. (There is, in fact, a
tradition that a Bear will never touch a dead body.) A Fox, who heard
him talking in this strain, smiled and said, "My friend, when you are
hungry, I only wish you would confine your attention to the dead and
leave the living alone."



continued...........

[dizzydoll]

THE *** AND THE OLD PEASANT
An old Peasant was sitting in a meadow watching his ***, which was
grazing close by, when all of a sudden he caught sight of armed men
stealthily approaching. He jumped up in a moment, and begged the ***
to fly with him as fast as he could, "Or else," said he, "we shall
both be captured by the enemy." But the *** just looked round lazily
and said, "And if so, do you think they'll make me carry heavier loads
than I have to now?" "No," said his master. "Oh, well, then," said the
***, "I don't mind if they do take me, for I shan't be any worse off.

THE OX AND THE FROG
Two little Frogs were playing about at the edge of a pool when an Ox
came down to the water to drink, and by accident trod on one of them
and crushed the life out of him. When the old Frog missed him, she
asked his brother where he was. "He is dead, mother," said the little
Frog; "an enormous big creature with four legs came to our pool this
morning and trampled him down in the mud." "Enormous, was he? Was he
as big as this?" said the Frog, puffing herself out to look as big
as possible. "Oh! yes, _much_ bigger," was the answer. The Frog puffed
herself out still more. "Was he as big as this?" said she. "Oh! yes,
yes, mother, _MUCH_ bigger," said the little Frog. And yet again she
puffed and puffed herself out till she was almost as round as a ball.
"As big as...?" she began--but then she burst.

THE MAN AND THE IMAGE
A poor Man had a wooden Image of a god, to which he used to pray daily
for riches. He did this for a long time, but remained as poor as ever,
till one day he caught up the Image in disgust and hurled it with all
his strength against the wall. The force of the blow split open the
head and a quantity of gold coins fell out upon the floor. The Man
gathered them up greedily, and said, "O you old fraud, you! When I
honoured you, you did me no good whatever: but no sooner do I treat
you to insults and violence than you make a rich man of me!"

HERCULES AND THE WAGGONER
A Waggoner was driving his team along a muddy lane with a full load
behind them, when the wheels of his waggon sank so deep in the mire
that no efforts of his horses could move them. As he stood there,
looking helplessly on, and calling loudly at intervals upon Hercules
for assistance, the god himself appeared, and said to him, "Put your
shoulder to the wheel, man, and goad on your horses, and then you may
call on Hercules to assist you. If you won't lift a finger to help
yourself, you can't expect Hercules or any one else to come to your
aid."

THE BLACKAMOOR
A Man once bought an Ethiopian slave, who had a black skin like all
Ethiopians; but his new master thought his colour was due to his
late owner's having neglected him, and that all he wanted was a good
scrubbing. So he set to work with plenty of soap and hot water, and
rubbed away at him with a will, but all to no purpose: his skin
remained as black as ever, while the poor wretch all but died from the
cold he caught.

THE IMAGE-SELLER
A certain man made a wooden Image of Mercury, and exposed it for sale
in the market. As no one offered to buy it, however, he thought he
would try to attract a purchaser by proclaiming the virtues of the
Image. So he cried up and down the market, "A god for sale! a god for
sale! One who'll bring you luck and keep you lucky!" Presently one of
the bystanders stopped him and said, "If your god is all you make
him out to be, how is it you don't keep him and make the most of him
yourself?" "I'll tell you why," replied he; "he brings gain, it is
true, but he takes his time about it; whereas I want money at once."

THE OLD WOMAN AND THE WINE-JAR
An old Woman picked up an empty Wine-jar which had once contained a
rare and costly wine, and which still retained some traces of its
exquisite bouquet. She raised it to her nose and sniffed at it again
and again. "Ah," she cried, "how delicious must have been the liquid
which has left behind so ravishing a smell."

THE LIONESS AND THE VIXEN
A Lioness and a Vixen were talking together about their young, as
mothers will, and saying how healthy and well-grown they were, and
what beautiful coats they had, and how they were the image of their
parents. "My litter of cubs is a joy to see," said the Fox; and then
she added, rather maliciously, "But I notice you never have more than
one." "No," said the Lioness grimly, "but that one's a lion."

THE VIPER AND THE FILE
A Viper entered a carpenter's shop, and went from one to another of
the tools, begging for something to eat. Among the rest, he addressed
himself to the File, and asked for the favour of a meal. The File
replied in a tone of pitying contempt, "What a simpleton you must be
if you imagine you will get anything from me, who invariably take from
every one and never give anything in return."