The Talking Beasts: A Book of Fable Wisdom

MALAYAN FABLES

"He who is not possessed of such a book as will dispel many doubts, point out hidden treasures, and is, as it were, a mirror of all things, is even an ignorant man."

MALAYAN FABLES

Father "Lime-stick" and the Flower-pecker

Old Father Lime-stick once limed a tree for birds and caught a Flower-pecker.He was just about to kill and eat it when the bird cried out, "O Grandfather, surely you are not going to eat me?Why, flesh, feathers and all, I am no bigger than your thumb!""What!"said the old man; "do you expect me then to let you go?""Yes," said the bird, "only let me go, and I will fetch you such a talisman as never was—a Bezoar-stone as big as a cocoanut and worth at least a thousand."Said the old man, "Do you really mean it?""Really, I do," replied the bird."Just let me go, and I'll bring it to you."Then, on being released, he flew off and perched on a tree, and began to preen his feathers, to get rid of the bird-lime.

Presently the old man said: "Where has that bird got to? Bird, where is the Bezoar-stone you promised to bring me, the one that was worth at least a thousand?" "Out-on-you," was the reply, "this is really too ridiculous. Just think of me, with my body as big as your thumb, carrying a Bezoar-stone as big as a cocoanut! It really is too absurd. Why, have I even got the strength to lift it?" At this the old man held his peace. "Well," continued the bird, "you will gain nothing by repenting that you set me free. Only remember in future not to undertake an affair quite out of keeping with your own powers. Neither try to get your arms round a tree too big for your embrace, nor attempt to climb one higher than your strength permits you."

The Mouse-deer's Shipwreck

"Come," said the Mouse-deer to the Stump-tailed Heron, "come and sail with me to Java."So they set sail, and Friend Mouse-deer held the tiller and Friend Heron spread the sail, and the wind blew from the north.Soon however Friend Mouse-deer got drowsy, and let the boat fall out of the wind.

At this Friend Heron said: "Why does the boat fall off?How is your helm, Friend Mouse-deer?""I was only taking a few winks," said he."Bring her up to the wind again," said the Heron.And the Mouse-deer replied: "All right, I'm 'on the spot.'" Presently, however, he dozed again and the Heron exclaimed: "Oh, if that's to be it, you may die and be done with.I'll peck a hole in this boat of ours and you'll go to the bottom."

But the Mouse-deer said: "Please don't, I'm such a bad hand at swimming." So they sailed on. And the Mouse-deer dozed a third time. At this the Heron could contain himself no longer, and said, "Confound you, Friend Mouse-deer, for sleeping at the helm." And losing his temper he pecked a hole in the boat, and the boat let in the water and Friend Heron flew away. But the Mouse-deer swam struggling with his feet in the midst of the sea.

Presently there came up a young Shark who exclaimed, "I'll have a meal off you this time at all events."But the Mouse-deer answered, "What, Friend Shark, you'll make a meal off me?Why, in place of the little flesh I've got, if you'll carry me ashore, I'll teach you some excellent Magic which will save you from ever having to hunt for your food again."To this the Shark replied, "Agreed.If you'll teach me 'your excellent Magic' I'll carry you ashore."So the Mouse-deer got upon Friend Shark's back, and was carried straight ashore.

And on their arrival the Mouse-deer said: "Wait here a bit, while I go and get the simples."And going a-land he hunted up a rattan creeper and took it back with him and said: "Now I'll give you the simples I spoke of," and bound it fast to Friend Shark's tail.And presently the Shark said: "Why have you made the line fast to my tail?"But the Mouse-deer replied: "'Keep quite quiet till I have tied you up properly, and then I'll give you the simples."But presently he dragged the Shark up on to the dry beach, and made butcher's meat of him.Just then, however, a Tiger came up, exclaiming, "Here's really a good meal for Me, for once in a way!"To this, however, the Mouse-deer replied: "What is the use of eating me, when there's already plenty of butcher's meat and to spare?""Very well, I'll share it with you," said the Tiger.The Mouse-deer replied, "You may share it with me by all means, if you will only go and get some water to do the cooking."So the Tiger went off to get water and presently came back with it.

"Wash the meat before you roast it," said the Mouse-deer.The Tiger took the meat and washed it in the water."Go and fetch fire and roast it," said the Mouse-deer.The Tiger fetched fire and came back to do the cooking.And when the meat was done, "Now go and fetch some drinking water," said the Mouse-deer, "and we'll have our meal together."So the Tiger went off again to fetch the drinking water.But the Mouse-deer in the meantime made off with the Shark's meat and climbed up with it to the top of a She-oak Tree.And presently the Tiger came back and found both Mouse-deer and meat missing.At this he exclaimed: "For once in a way, Mr. Mouse-deer, you've fairly cheated Me; if we don't meet again no matter, but if we do, I'll be the death of you."And here the story ends.

The Tiger Gets His Deserts

A Tiger which had been caught in a trap, seeing a man, begged to be released.The man said to the Tiger: "If I let you out of the trap will you promise not to attack me?""Certainly," said the Tiger, and the man therefore let the Tiger go; but the moment the Tiger was loose it sprang upon the man and caught him.At this the man begged the Tiger to wait until he had inquired how the law stood with reference to their contract, and the Tiger agreed to do so.The man and the Tiger therefore set out together; and on coming to a Road the man said: "O Road, Road, is it lawful to requite evil for good, or good for good only?"The Road replied: "I do good to mankind, but they requite me with evil, defiling my surface as they go."Then they came to a Tree, of which the man asked the same question.The Tree replied: "I do good to mankind, but they requite me with evil, lopping off my branches and cutting me down."At last they came to the Mouse-deer and the man made the same inquiry as before.The Mouse-deer replied: "I must really go into the question thoroughly before I answer it; let us go back together to the trap."On reaching the trap, he requested the Tiger to "Step inside," and the Tiger entering the trap, the Mouse-deer let down the door of the trap, and exclaimed, "Accursed Brute, you have returned evil for good and now you shall die for it."He then called in the neighbours and had the Tiger killed.

The Tune That Makes the Tiger Drowsy

There is a tune which when played upon the "Kerotong" (a two-stringed bamboo harp) makes Rimau the Tiger drowsy, but only a few old people know it.One evening two men were sitting together and playing in a hut in the jungle when two tigers overheard them.

The Tigers took counsel together, and one of them said to the other, "You shall be the first to go into the house.Whatever you seize shall therefore be your portion, but Whatever plunges down the steps to escape shall be mine."

At this the second Tiger ascended the house-ladder and was just crouching upon the topmost rung when one of the men to amuse himself commenced to play the Tune that makes the Tiger drowsy.As soon as the Tiger heard it he began to grow sleepy, and presently fell plump down the steps to the ground, where he was seized by his companion.When he objected his companion exclaimed, "Did we not agree that Whatever plunged down the steps was to be my portion?"and, so saying, he proceeded to devour him at his leisure.

The Tiger and the Shadow

There was a "salt-lick" in the jungle to which all the beasts of the forest resorted, but they were greatly afraid by reason of an old Tiger which killed one of them every day.At length, therefore, P'lando' the Mouse-deer said to the Tiger, "Why not permit me to bring you a beast every day, to save you from hunting for your food?"The Tiger consented and P'lando' went off to make arrangement with the beasts.But he could not persuade any of them to go, and after three days he set off, taking nobody with him but Kuwis the smallest of the Flying Squirrels.

On their arrival P'lando' said to the Tiger: "I could not bring you any of the other beasts because the way was blocked by a fat old Tiger with a Flying Squirrel sitting astride its muzzle."On hearing this the Tiger exclaimed, "Let us go and find it and drive it away."The three therefore set out, the Flying Squirrel perched upon the Tiger's muzzle and the Mouse-deer sitting astride upon its hind quarters.On reaching the river, the Mouse-deer pointed to the Tiger's likeness in the water and exclaimed, "Look there!That is the fat old Tiger that I saw."On hearing this, the Tiger sprang into the river to attack his own shadow, and was drowned immediately.

The King-crow and the Water-snail

A Water-snail was coming up-stream from the lower reaches, when a King-crow heard it.Said the King-crow to himself: "Who can it be coming up-stream that exclaims so loudly at the rapids?One might say it was a man, but that there is nothing to be seen."So the King-crow settled on a tree to watch, but as he could see nothing from his perch on the tree he flew down to the ground, and walked along by the water-side.And when he thought to see some man exclaiming, he caught sight of the Water-snail.

"Hullo, you there," said he, "where do you come from?""I come from the eddy below the rapids," said the Water-snail, "and I only want to get as far as the head-waters of this river."Said the King-crow: "Wait a bit.Suppose you go down to the river-mouth as quickly as you can and we will have a wager on it."(Now rivers are the Water-snail's domain, in which he has many comrades.)

"What is to be the stake?"asked the Water-snail."If I am beaten I will be your slave, and look after your aroids and wild caladiums on which all Water-snails feed."Then the King-crow asked: "And what will you stake?"The Water-snail replied, "If I am beaten, the river shall be handed over to you and you shall be King of the River."But the Water-snail begged for a delay of twice seven days, saying that he felt knocked up after ascending the rapids, and the delay was granted accordingly.

Meanwhile, however, the Water-snail hunted up a great number of his friends and instructed them to conceal themselves in each of the higher reaches of the river, and to reply immediately when the King-crow challenged them.

The day arrived, and the King-crow flew off, and in each of the higher reaches the Water-snail's friends replied to the challenge, while at the river-mouth the Water-snail replied in person.So the King-crow was defeated and has ever since remained the slave of the Water-snail.

The Elephant Has a Bet with the Tiger

In the beginning Gajah the Elephant and Rimau the Tiger were sworn friends.But one day they came to a clearing and presently encountered Lotong, the long-tailed Spectacle-monkey.And when he saw the Monkey, the Elephant said, "Mr. Lotong yonder is far too noisy; let us try and shake him off; if he falls to me I am to eat you; and if he falls to you, you are to eat me—we will make a wager of it."The Tiger said, "Agreed"; and the Elephant replied, "Agreed.""Very well!"said the Tiger; "you shall try and menace him first."So the Elephant tried to menace the Monkey."AU!AU!AU!"he trumpeted, and each time he trumpeted the Monkey was scared.But the Monkey went jumping head foremost through the branches and never fell to the ground at all.

Presently, therefore, the Tiger asked the Elephant, "Well, Friend Elephant, would you like to try your luck again?"But the Elephant said, "No, thank you.It shall be your turn now; and if he falls to you, you shall eat me—if you really can make him fall!"Then the Tiger went and roared his longest and loudest, and shortened his body as for a spring and growled and menaced the Monkey thrice.And the Monkey leaped and fell at the Tiger's feet, for his feet and hands were paralyzed and would not grip the branches any more.Then the Tiger said: "Well, Friend Elephant, I suppose I may eat you now."But the Elephant said: "You have, I admit, won the wager; but I beg you to grant me just seven days' respite, to enable me to visit my wife and children and to make my will."The Tiger granted the request, and the Elephant went home, bellowing and sobbing every foot of the way.

Now the Elephant's wife heard the sound of her husband's voice, and said to her children, "What can be the matter with your Father that he keeps sobbing so?"And the children listened to make sure, and said, "Yes, it really is Father's voice, the sobbing, and not that of anybody else."Presently Father Elephant arrived, and Mother Elephant asked: "What were you sobbing for, Father?What have you done to yourself?"Father Elephant replied: "I made a wager with Friend Tiger about shaking down a Monkey, and Friend Tiger beat me; I menaced the Monkey, but he did not fall; if he had fallen to me, I was to have eaten Friend Tiger, but if he fell to Friend Tiger, Friend Tiger was to eat me.I was beaten, and now Friend Tiger says he is going to eat me.So I begged leave to come home and see you, and he has given me just seven days' respite."

Now for the seven days Father Elephant kept sobbing aloud, and neither ate nor slept.And the thing came to the hearing of Friend Mouse-deer."What can be the matter with Friend Elephant that he keeps bellowing and bellowing; neither does he sleep, so that night is turned into day, and day into night?What on earth is the matter with him?Suppose I go and see," said the Mouse-deer.Then the Mouse-deer went to see what was wrong, and asked: "What is the matter with you, Friend Elephant, that we hear you bellowing and bellowing every single day and every single night, just now, too, when the Rains are upon us?You are far too noisy."

But the Elephant said: "It is no mere empty noise, Friend Mouse-deer; I have got into a dreadful scrape.""What sort of a scrape?"inquired the Mouse-deer."I made a wager with Friend Tiger about shaking down a Monkey, and he beat me.""What was the stake?"asked the Mouse-deer."The stake was that Friend Tiger might eat me if Friend Tiger frightened it down; and if I frightened it down, I might eat Friend Tiger.It fell to Friend Tiger, and now Friend Tiger wants to eat me.And my reason for not eating or sleeping any more is that I have got only just seven days' respite to go home and visit my wife and children and to make my will."Then the Mouse-deer said: "If it came to Friend Tiger's eating you, I should feel exceedingly sorrowful, exceedingly distressed; but things being only as you say, I feel neither.""If you will assist me," said the Elephant, "I will become your slave, and my descendants shall be your slaves forever.""Very well, it that is the case, I will assist you," said the Mouse-deer."Go and look for a jar full of molasses."Friend Elephant promised to do so, and went to look for it at the house of a maker of palm-wine.The owner of the house fled for his life, and the jar fell into Friend Elephant's possession, who bore it back to the Mouse-deer.

Then Friend Mouse-deer said, "When does your promise expire?"and Friend Elephant replied, "To-morrow."So when next morning arrived they started, and the Mouse-deer said, "Now pour the molasses over your back and let it spread and spread and run down your legs."Friend Elephant did as he was ordered.Friend Mouse-deer then instructed the Elephant as follows: "As soon as I begin to lick up the molasses on your back, bellow as loud as you can and make believe to be hurt, and writhe and wriggle this way and that."

And presently Friend Mouse-deer commenced to lick hard, and Friend Elephant writhed and wriggled and made believe to be hurt, and made a prodigious noise of trumpeting.In this way they proceeded and Friend Mouse-deer got up and sat astride upon Friend Elephant's back.And the Elephant trumpeted and trumpeted all the way till they met with Friend Tiger.At this Friend Mouse-deer exclaimed, "A single Elephant is very short commons; if I could only catch that big and fat old Tiger there, it would be just enough to satisfy my hunger."

Now when Friend Tiger heard these words of the Mouse-deer, he said to himself, "So I suppose if you catch me, you'll eat me into the bargain, will you?"And Friend Tiger stayed not a moment longer, but fled for his life, fetching very lofty bounds.

And soon he met with the Black Ape, and Friend Ape asked, "Why running so hard, Friend Tiger? Why so much noise, and why, just when the Rains are upon us, too, do you go fetching such lofty bounds?" Friend Tiger replied, "What do you mean by 'so much noise'? What was the Thing that was got upon Friend Elephant's back, that had caught Friend Elephant and was devouring him so that he went writhing and wriggling for the pain of it, and the blood went streaming down in floods? Moreover the Thing that was got on Friend Elephant's back said, to my hearing, that a single Elephant was very short commons: but if It could catch a fat old Tiger like myself that would be just enough to satisfy Its hunger." Friend Ape said, "What was that Thing, Friend Tiger?" "I don't know," said the Tiger. "Ah," mused the Ape, "I wonder if it could be Friend Mouse-deer!" "Certainly not," said the Tiger; "why, how in the world could Friend Mouse-deer swallow Me?To say nothing of his not being used to meat food.""Come and let us go back again," said the Ape.

Then they went back again to find the Elephant, and first the Ape went the faster, and then the Tiger went the faster, and then the Ape got in front again.But Friend Mouse-deer sitting on Friend Elephant's back saw them coming and shouted."Hullo, Father Ape," said he, "this is a dog's trick indeed; you promised to bring me two tigers and you only bring me one.I refuse to accept it, Father Ape."

Now when Friend Tiger heard this, he ran off at first as fast as he could, but presently he slackened his pace and said, "It is too bad of you, Friend Ape, to try to cozen me in order to pay your own debts.For shame, Father Ape!It was only through good luck that he refused to accept me; if he had accepted, I should have been dead and done with.So now, if you come down to the ground, you shall die the death yourself, just for your trying to cheat me."

Thus the Tiger and the Ape were set at enmity, and to this day the Tiger is very wroth with the Ape for trying to cheat him.And here the story ends.

MOORISH FABLES

  "While watching man in all his phases,
  And seeing that, in many cases,
    He acts just like the brute creation—
  I've thought the lord of all these races
  Of no less failings showed the traces
    Than do his lieges in relation."

MOORISH FABLES

The Wagtail and the Jackal

At a time when the animals spoke, a Wagtail laid her eggs on the ground.The little ones grew up.A Jackal and a Fox came to them.The Jackal said to the Fox:

"Swear to me that the Wagtail owes me a pound of butter."

The Fox swore to it.The Bird began to weep.A Greyhound came to her and asked her what was the matter.She answered him:

"The Fox has calumniated me."

"Well," said the Hound, "put me in this sack of skin."

She put him in the sack."Tie up the top well," said the Hound.When the Jackal returned she said to him,

"Come and measure out the butter."

The Jackal advanced and unfastened the sack.He saw the Hound, who stretched out his paws and said to the Fox,

"I am ill; come and measure, Fox."

The Fox approached.The Hound seized him.The Jackal said:

"Remember your false testimony."

The Wren

A Wren had built its nest on the side of a road.When the eggs were hatched, a Camel passed that way.The little Wrens saw it and said to their father when he returned from the fields:

"O papa, a gigantic animal passed by."

The Wren stretched out his foot."As big as this, my children?"

"O papa, much bigger."

He stretched out his foot and his wing."As big as this?"

"O papa, much bigger."

Finally he stretched out fully his feet and legs.

"As big as this then?"

"Much bigger."

"That is a lie; there is no animal bigger than I am."

"Well, wait," said the little ones, "and you will see."

The Camel came back while browsing the grass of the roadside.

The Wren stretched himself out near the nest.The Camel seized the bird, which passed through its teeth safe and sound.

"Truly," he said to them, "the Camel is a gigantic animal, but I am not ashamed of myself."

On the earth it generally happens that the vain are as if they did not exist; but sooner or later a rock falls and crushes them.

Mule, Jackal, and Lion

The Mule, the Jackal, and the Lion went in company.

"We will eat the one whose race is bad," they said to each other.

"Lion, who is your father?"

"My father is a lion, and my mother is a lioness."

"And you, Jackal, what is your father?"

"My father is a jackal, and my mother too."

"And you, Mule, what is your father?"

"My father is an ass, and my mother is a mare."

"Your race is bad; we will eat you."

He answered them: "I will consult an old man.If he says that my race is bad, you may devour me."

He went to a farrier, and said to him, "Shoe my hind feet, and make the nails stick out well."

He went back home.He called the Camel and showed him his feet, saying, "See what is written on this tablet."

"The writing is difficult to decipher," answered the Camel."I do not understand it, for I only know three words—outini, ouzatini, ouazakin."

He called the Lion, and said to him, "I do not understand these letters; I only know three words—outini, ouzatini, ouazakin."

"Show it to me," said the Lion.He approached.The Mule struck him between the eyes and stretched him out level.

He who goes with a knave is betrayed by him.

AFRICAN FABLES

  "The world is old, they say; I don't deny it;
    But, infant still
    In taste and will,
  Whoe'er would teach, must gratify it."

AFRICAN FABLES

The Hen and the Cat

A Cat arose in her house, went to a Hen and said to her: "Let us make friendship!"

The Hen replied to the Cat: "Dost thou like me for a friend?"

The Cat said, "Yes," and went away, and after having been at home for a while, she sent her child to the Hen, saying, "Go and tell the Hen to rise up early to-morrow morning, and to come and accompany me to a neighbouring town."

The child arose, went to the Hen's house and saluted her.

The Hen arose, and asked it: "Thou child of the Cat, dost thou come to me in peace?"

The Cat's child replied, "I come in peace; my mother has sent me to thee."

The Hen said to the Cat's child, "Say what thy mother has sent thee for; let me know."

After the Cat's child had told it to the Hen, it said: "I will go," and set out and went home.

When it was gone the Hen arose, called a child of hers, and said: "Go
and ask the Cat at what time we shall go to the neighbouring town?"
When the child had already started, she called it back again, saying,
"Come back, I will tell thee something."

The child returned, and when it had come to its mother, she said to it, "When thou goest to the Cat, open thy ears and hear well what she says, and come and tell me."

The child went to the Cat, and saluted her, and when the Cat arose and came out to it, the Hen's child was standing there.The Cat asked the Hen's child, "Why did thy mother send thee to me?"

The Hen's child said, "My mother said I must come and ask thee how early shall we go to the neighbouring town?"

The Cat said to the Hen's child, "Go and tell thy mother to arise and come at the cockcrowing; for what should eat her?"

The Hen's child returned to its mother, and said to her, "Behold I went to the Cat's place where thou sentest me, and am come back."

The Hen said to her child, "What did the Cat say?Let me hear what word she spoke?"

Her child answered and said to her, "My mother, the word which the Cat spoke is this: 'Go and tell thy mother to come to me when the cock crows, that we may go; for what should eat her?'"

Its mother, the Hen, said to her child, "My child, lie down in your house, for I have heard what the Cat said."

The child of the Hen obeyed her mother, went and lay down, and also her mother lay down.They slept their sleep until the cock crew, which when the Cat heard, she arose, got ready and waited for the Hen, thinking, "May she come that we may go!"The cock crew the second time, and the Cat looked out on the way whence the Hen was to come, thinking, "May she come that we may go!"

The Hen did not get up at home and day came on.When it became day, the Cat arose in her house, went to the Hen's home, and said to her, "Hen, thou sentest thy child to me, and asked at what time thou shouldst rise up, and I said to thy child, 'Go and tell thy mother to come when the cock crows, that we may go.'Did it not tell thee what it was told by me, that thou art still sitting at home although it has become day?"

The Hen said to the Cat, "Sister Cat, if thou wishest to have me for a friend, I must never get up in my house and come out at night."

The Cat said to the Hen, "What art thou afraid of that thou sayest, 'I will never come out at night'?What is there in the way?"

The Hen listened to what the Cat said, got herself ready and called her children, saying, "Come and let us accompany the Cat to a neighbouring town!"All the children arose and when they had set out on their way, the Cat went before, and having gone on a little, she seized two of the children of the Hen; and the Hen saw that the cat was seizing two of her children; so she said to the Cat, "Sister Cat, we have scarcely set out on our way and dost thou seize two of my children?"

The Cat replied, "Thy two children which I took have not strength enough to walk; therefore did I take them to my bosom that we may go on."

The Hen said to the Cat, "If thou actest thus, I and thou must dissolve our friendship."

The Cat replied, "If thou wilt not have a friend, I shall let thee go home."So, as the Hen began to go home, the Cat made a bound, and seized the Hen's head, whereupon the Hen cried for help.All the people of the town heard her, arose, ran, and when they were come, the Cat was holding the Hen's head tight.When the Cat saw the people of the town, she left the Hen, ran away, and entered the forest.

There the Hen was standing and the people of the town said to her: "Foolish one, didst thou, a Hen, arise and go to befriend a Cat?If we had not heard thy screams, and come to thee, she would have killed thee and carried away all thy children into her forest."

The Hen said to the people of the town: "God bless you: you have taken me out of the Cat's mouth."

The people of the town said to her: "To-day our Lord has delivered thee, but for the future do thou no more make friendship with the Cat.The Cat is too cunning for thee: beware of the Cat in future!"

I have heard old people say, that on that day the cats and the fowls dissolved their friendship.This is finished.

The Stork and the Toad

A Stork went and laid eggs in a tree, brooded and hatched young ones.Then she left and went to seek food for her little ones; but she did not get any food, and all her little ones were crying for hunger.The Stork did not know what to do.So she arose one day, went to her friend, and said, "My friend, I am come to thee."

Her friend said: "What dost thou want that thou art come to me?"

She replied to her friend: "My children are hungry, and I have no food; therefore, am I come to thee; teach me a device!"

Her friend said to her: "Arise in the morning, go to the brook, and see whether there are Toads in it; then come back, and on the following morning go again, and lie down by the side of the brook; stretch out thy legs and thy wings, shut thine eyes, keep quite silent, and lie in one place until the Toads come out in the morning, and, after seeing thee, go home and call all their people to come, to take thee by the wing and to drag thee away.But do not thou speak to them—be perfectly quiet."

She listened to what her friend said, and at night-quiet she arose, and went to the brook, when all the Toads were singing; but as soon as they saw her, they went and hid themselves at the bottom of the water.So the Stork went home and slept, and having slept she arose up early and went back again to the brook, without being observed by the Toads; she went softly, and lay down by the side of the water, pretending to be dead, stretched out her legs, her wings, and her mouth, and shut her eyes.Thus she lay, until at break of day when one Toad arose, and, finding that it was day, came forth and saw the Stork lying.He went back, and called all the Toads:

"Come, behold, I have seen something dead, lying at the door of our house, and when I had seen it I came back to call you."

So all the Toads arose and followed him, and having come out, they all saw a Stork lying at the door of their house; but they did not know that the Stork was more cunning than themselves.They returned home, called a council together and said: "What shall we do?Some one who came, we do not know whence, has died before the gate of our town."All their great men answered, and said, "Arise all of you, go out, drag this dead body far away, and leave it there."

So they all arose, went, and, taking the Stork by its wings and legs, dragged it away.

The Stork was cunning; she saw them without their knowing it.They sang, as they dragged her away:

"Drag her and leave her!Drag her and leave her!"

The Stork did not speak to them, as they all dragged her away, although she saw them.Now when they had carried her far away, the Stork opened her eyes, which when they saw they all began to run away.As soon as the Stork saw that the Toads had begun to run away, she arose, and pursued them; having overtaken one, she took and swallowed it, and went on taking and swallowing them.The Toads kept running, but by the time they would have got home the Stork had swallowed them all, one by one.She had filled her bag, and then started on her way home.As soon as her children saw her, they all ran to their mother, saying, "Our mother has brought us food."When they came their mother threw all the Toads in her bag down to her children, and her children ate them, so that their hunger was appeased.

The Stork arose, went to her friend, and said:

"My friend, what thou toldest me yesterday is excellent: I went and lay down by the side of the brook, and when the Toads saw me in the morning, they thought I was dead; they came, dragged me along, and when they had carried me far away, not knowing that I was wiser than they and thinking that I was dead, I opened mine eyes to look at them; but on seeing me open mine eyes, they all began to run away.Then I arose, pursued them, and when I had overtaken one, I took and swallowed it; and when I had overtaken a second I took and swallowed it; so by the time they would have reached home I had swallowed them all, and filled my bag with them.I brought them to my children, and when my children were around me, I threw the Toads before them out of the bag and they ate them, that their hunger was appeased."

She also thanked her friend, saying: "God bless thee; thou hast taught me an excellent device."

Thus the Stork and her friend devised a plan, and thus they were able to maintain their children while the Toads were sitting in their house.

So now, when the Toads are croaking in a brook, and they see any one come, they are all quite silent, supposing that a Stork is coming.

This fable of the Stork and Toads, which I heard, is now finished.

The Rat and the Toad

The Toad said to the Rat, "I can do more than thou."

The Rat replied to the Toad: "Thou dost not know how to run; having flung thyself anywhere thou stoppest there.This is all thy run; and wilt thou say that thou canst do more than I?"

When the Toad had heard the words of the Rat he said to him: "If, according to thy opinion, I cannot do more than thou, thou shalt see what I will begin to do to-morrow; and if thou beginnest and doest the same, without anything happening to thee, thou canst do more than I."

The Rat agreed to the Toad's proposal, and went to see the Toad.

The Toad prepared himself, and when the sun reached about the middle, between the horizon and the zenith, the great men felt its heat, and went to sit down in the shade of a tree.The Toad on seeing this, arose, went to where the men were sitting, and passed through the midst of them.When the men observed him they said: "If you touch him, your hand will become bitter."So no one touched him, and the Toad passed through and went home.

Then the Toad said to the Rat, "Didst thou see me?Now if thou canst do what I do, arise, and begin to do it.I will see!"

The Rat, attending to what the toad said, got ready and the following morning, when the sun had gained strength and the great men had stood up and got under the shade of a tree, the Rat saw them sitting there, and went to do what the Toad had done; but when he came to where the men were sitting, and just went to pass through the midst of them, they saw him, and they all took sticks, and sought to kill him: one man attempting to kill him with a stick, struck at him, but did not hit him well, the stick touching him only a little on the back; so he ran away to the Toad.

On his arrival the Rat said to the Toad:

"Brother Toad, as thou wentest to where the people were sitting no one said a word to thee, and thou camest home again with a sound skin; but when I went, and they saw me, just as I went to pass through them they all took sticks, and sought to kill me; and one man taking a stick and striking at me to kill me, our Lord helped me, that the stick hit me only a little on the back; so I ran away, and came to thee.I disputed with thee, thinking that I could do what thou doest: now to-day I have experienced something; to-morrow let us begin again and when I have the experience of to-morrow, I shall be able to give thee an answer."

The Toad said to the Rat: "The things of today are passed; to-morrow, when the great men have gone and sat down under the tree, I will get ready and when thou hast seen that, on observing me come to them and pass through the midst of them, they will not say a word to me, thou also shalt do what I did."So the Rat then went to see the Toad.

As soon as the Toad saw the great men sitting under the tree, he again began, saying to the Rat, "Look at me, as I go to the place where the great men are sitting, with a sound skin: but if, on my return from them, if thou seest the wale of a stick on any part of my body, thou hast spoken the truth, and canst do more than I."

The Toad got ready, and on coming to where the men were sitting no one said anything to him; so he passed through the midst of them, and went again to the Rat, saying: "Look at me!Look at my whole body!Canst thou see the wale of a stick?If thou seest one, then tell me of it!"

When the Rat had looked at the Toad's whole body and not seen any wale of a stick he said to the Toad:

"Brother Toad, I have looked at thy whole body, and not seen any wale of a stick: thou art right."

The Toad said to the Rat."As thou disputest with me, and maintainest that thou canst do what I do, get up again, and go to where the great men are sitting; and if on seeing thee, these men do not say anything to thee, so that I see thee come back to me again with a sound skin, then I know that thou canst do more than I."

The Rat, attending to what the Toad said, arose, got himself ready, and when he saw the great men sitting under the tree, he went toward them; but on observing him, they said: "Here comes a Rat," and they every one took a stick, and pursued him in order to kill him; so he ran away, and as he ran, a man with a stick pursued him; saying, "I will not let this Rat escape."

The Rat ran until his strength failed him.The man pursued him with his stick, to kill him; and having come near to him, he took his stick, and struck at him, with the purpose of killing him; but the stick did not hit him, and God saved him, his time being not yet arrived, by showing him a hole into which he crept.When the man saw that he had gotten into the hole, he went back and returned home.The Rat, on seeing that the man had gone home, came again out of the hole, and went to the Toad, saying to him:

"Brother Toad, I indeed at first disputed with thee, saying that I could do more than thou; but, as for my disputing with thee, thou in truth canst do more than I: when the people saw thee, they did not say a word to thee, but when they saw me, they wished to kill me; if our Lord had not helped me and showed me a hole, they, on seeing me, would not have left, but killed me; thou surpassest me in greatness."

At that time the Rat entreated our Lord and he placed it in a hole, but the Toad he placed in the open air.The Rat does not come out by day, before any one; as to the time when it comes out at night, it stretches its head out of the hole, and when it does not see anybody it comes out to seek its food.

As for the Toad, it comes out by day and by night, at any time, whenever it likes; it comes out and goes about, not anything likes to molest it; it is bitter, no one eats it on account of its bitterness; the Toad is left alone; therefore it goes about wherever it likes.

The Rat does not come out of its hole and walk about except at night.

What the Toad and the Rat did, this I heard, and have told to thee.
This fable of the Toad and the Rat is now finished.

The Lion and the Wild Dog

The Lion said to the Wild Dog that he did not fear any one in the forest except these four, viz., tree-leaves, grass, flies, and earth, and when the Wild Dog said, "There is certainly one stronger than thou," the Lion replied to the Wild Dog, "I kill the young ones of the elephant, the wild cow, and the leopard, and bring them to my children to be eaten.If I give one roar, all the beasts of the forest tremble, every one of them, on hearing me roar; none is greater than I within this forest."

The Wild Dog said to the Lion, "As thou sayest that thou fearest not any one in this forest, so let us go and show me thy house; and I will come and call thee, in order to show thee a place where a black bird comes to eat, as soon as I shall see him again."

The Lion took the Wild Dog with him and showed him his house; and then the Wild Dog went home.

The next day, when a hunter was come to the forest the Wild Dog, on seeing him, went to the Lion's house, and said to the Lion:

"Brother Lion, come, and follow me, and I will show thee something which I have seen."

The Lion arose and followed the Wild Dog, and when they were come to where the hunter was, the hunter prepared himself: he had put on his forest garment, had sewn the bill of a long bird to his cap, and put it on his head, and he walked as a bird.The Wild Dog, seeing him, said to the Lion:

"Brother Lion, yonder is that black bird.Go and catch him, and when thou hast caught him, please give me one of his legs, for I want it for a charm."

The Lion attended to what the Wild Dog said, and went softly to where the bird was; but the Wild Dog ran back.

The Lion went, thinking, "I will kill the bird," but he did not know that on seeing him the hunter had prepared himself, and taken out his arrow; so, as he thought, "I will go and seize the bird," and was come close to the hunter, the hunter shot an arrow at the Lion and hit him.Then the Lion fell back, and having got up and fallen down three times, the arrow took effect and he felt giddy.In the same moment the hunter had disappeared[1] so that he saw him no more.Then the Lion recovered his courage and went very gently home.

On his arrival at home the Wild Dog said to him:

"Brother Lion, as thou saidst to me that thou art not afraid of any one in the world except our Lord, tree-leaves, grass, flies, and dirt, why didst thou not catch that black bird which I showed thee, and bring it to thy children?"

The Lion replied, "This man's strength is greater than mine."

Then the Wild Dog said again, "Thou saidst that thou fearest no one, except grass, flies, earth and tree-leaves; thou fearest, lest when thou enterest the forest, the leaves of trees should touch thee, or lest grass should touch thy body, or lest flies should sit on thy skin; thou also fearest to lie upon the bare earth, and thou fearest our Lord, who created thee: all these thou fearest, 'but not any other I fear within this forest,' thou saidst; and yet I showed thee a bird, the which thou couldst not kill, but thou leftest it, and rannest home; now tell me how this bird looks?"

The Lion answered and said to the Wild Dog: "Wild Dog, what thou saidst is true, and I believe it; a black man is something to be feared; if we do not fear a black man neither shall we fear our Lord who created us."

Now all the wild beasts which God has created hunt for their food in the forest, and eat it; but as soon as they see one black man standing, they do not stop and wait, but run away.Now the following beasts are dangerous in the forest: viz., the leopard, the lion, the wild cow, the wild dog and the hyena; but when they see a black man, they do not stop and wait.As for the dispute which the Lion and the Wild Dog had, the Wild Dog was right, and the Lion gave him his right; then they shook hands again, and each went and ran to his own home.This fable, which I heard, respecting the Wild Dog and the Lion, is now finished.

[1]This refers to the universal belief that hunters are able to render themselves invisible, in moments of danger, by the operation of charms and witchcraft.

How Sense Was Distributed

In the beginning not one of all the beasts of the forest was endowed with sense: when they saw a hunter come to them intending to kill them, they stood and looked at the hunter, and so the hunter killed them; day after day he killed them.Then our Lord sent one who put all the sense into a bag, tied it, carried it, and put it down under a large tree.

The Weasel saw the man put the bag down, and afterward went, called the
Hare, and said to him:

"Brother Hare, I saw a man put something down under a tree, but as I went to take it, I could not; so let us go and if thou wilt take it I will show it to thee that thou mayest do so."

When the Weasel and the Hare had gone together to where the bag was, the Weasel said to the Hare, "Behold, here is the thing which I could not take and for which I called thee here."

But as the Hare went and attempted to take it, he could not, so he left it and went away.

When he was gone the Weasel went again to take hold of the bag, but as he attempted to take it, it was too heavy; so the Weasel did not know what to do.Then came a Pigeon, who sat upon a tree, and said something to the Weasel.The Weasel heard it say: "Lean it over and take it."And again, "Bend it and take it."

As soon as he had heard this, he dragged the bag along and thus brought it and leaned it against a tree, and caused it to stand in an inclined position; then having gone to the bottom of it, he bowed down, put his head to the bag, and as he drew the bag toward him it went upon his head; this being done, he pressed himself upon the ground, rose up and stood there.After this he went his way home, and on putting the bag down upon the ground and untying it, the Weasel saw that there was no other thing in the bag, but pure sense.

So he went and called the Hare again, and when the Hare was come, he said to him:

"Brother Hare, there was not a single other thing in that bag but pure sense: God has loved us so that to-day we have obtained sense; but do not tell it to anybody, then I will give thee a little, and what remains I will hide in my hole until some one comes and begs of me, and then I will give him also a little."

So he took one sense and gave to the Hare, saying, "If thou takest home this one sense, which I give thee, it will preserve thee.When thou sleepest by day open thy eyes; then if one comes to thee, thinking, 'I have got meat, I will take it,' and sees that thine eyes are open, he will think that thou art not asleep, will leave thee alone and go; but when thou goest and liest down without sleeping, then shut thine eyes, and if one sees thee, and sees that thine eyes are shut, when he comes close to thee, saying, 'I have got meat, I will take it,' then thou wilt see him, rise up and run away into thy forest.This one sense will be enough for thee; but what remains I will keep in mine own house."The Hare took his one sense and went home.

Now if one sees a Hare lying with his eyes open, it sleeps, but if its eyes are closed it is awake, and does not sleep.By this one sense which it has got the Hare is preserved.

The Weasel took all the sense that was left and hid it in his house.The Weasel surpasses all the beasts of the field in sense.When you see the Weasel, and say, "There the King of Sense has come out," and drive it before you, saying, "I will catch it," it runs into its hole; and if you begin to dig up the hole, it comes out behind you, and runs until you see it no more.This is why now if one sees a Weasel, one calls it "The King of Sense."

Amongst all the beasts of the field he distributed sense only little by little, and this is what they now have.

This word, showing how sense came abroad in the world, and the meaning of which I have heard, is now finished.

What Employment Our Lord Gave to Insects

All the Insects assembled and went to our Lord to seek employment.On their arrival they said to our Lord, "Thou hast given every one his work; now give us also a work to do, that we may have something to eat."

Our Lord attended to the request of the Insects, and said to them, "Who will give notice that to-morrow all the Insects are to come?"

The Merchant-insect arose and said to our Lord, "The Cricket can give notice well."

So our Lord called the Cricket and said to him when he was come, "Go and give notice this evening, when the sun has set, that to-morrow morning all the Insects are to come to me, for I wish to see them."

The Cricket, obeying our Lord's command, went back to his house, waited until evening, until the sun set, and as soon as he had seen the setting of the sun, he prepared and arose to give notice.So when the Cricket had given notice until midnight, our Lord sent a man to him saying: "Go and tell the Cricket, that there has been much notice, and that it is now enough; else he will have the headache."But the Cricket would not hear, he said: "If I am out they will see me."So he went into his hole, stretched only his head out, and began to give notice.The Cricket went on giving notice until the day dawned; but when it was day he became silent and stopped giving notice.Then all the Insects arose and went to the prayer-place of our Lord, the Merchant alone being left behind.To all the Insects who came first, our Lord gave their employment, which they all took and went home.

Afterward also the Merchant-insect went to our Lord, and our Lord said to him: "To all thy people who came before, I have given their work, and they are gone; now what kept thee back that thou camest to me last?"

The Merchant-insect replied to our Lord, "My bags are many and on the day when I took my bags and bound them up in my large travelling sacks to load them upon my asses, then my people left me behind and came to thee first."

Our Lord said to him: "All other employments are assigned; the people who came first took them and went away; but stop, I will also give one to thee.Go, and having arrived at the entrance of the black ants, where are a great many ant-heads, when thou seest these many heads of the black ants, take them, and fill thy bags with them; then load thy bags upon thy ass, carry them to market, spread mats there, and sell them."

So the Merchant-insect obtained his employment, drove his ass, and went from our Lord, picked up ant-heads at the entrance of the black ants, loaded his ass, and went his way to the market.As he went the ass threw off the large bag.Then, he alone not being able to lift the bag, he called people, saying: "Come, be so good as to help me; let us take the sacks and load mine ass;" but not any of the people would do so.Then the little red ants came after him, and when they were come to where he was, he said to them, "Please come and help me to load mine ass".The little red Ants said to the Merchant-insect, "We will not help thee for nothing."

The Merchant-insect said to the little red Ants, "If you will not help me for nothing, then come and help me, and when I have come back from the market, I will pay you."

The little red Ants helped him to load his ass, and the Merchant-insect drove his ass to the market, put down his sacks in the midst of the market-place, prepared the ground, spread his mat there, and having sold his ant-heads, he bought his things, and the market people began to disperse.

Then the Merchant-insect started on his way home, and as he went the little red Ants saw him, and said to him, "Father-merchant, give us what thou owest us."

The Merchant, however, refused them their due, and went on his way.Now as he went he got fever so that he sat down under a tree, tied his ass fast, and took off the sacks from his ass's back.As he sat there the fever overpowered him, and he lay down.On seeing him lying the little red Ants assembled and came to him.Now the fever was consuming the Merchant-insect's strength, and when the little red Ants saw this they assembled together and killed him.

There was one Insect who saw them kill him, and he ran to our Lord, and said to him, "All the little red Ants assembled together and killed a man in the midst of the town—that I saw it."

When our Lord heard what the Insect said he called a man and sent him, saying: "Go and call the little red Ants which kill people and bring them to me."

The messenger arose, went, called all the little red Ants and brought them before our Lord.On seeing the little red Ants, our Lord asked them, "Why did you kill the man?"The little red Ants answered, and said to our Lord, "The reason why we killed this man is this: When he went to market and his ass had thrown off the sacks, those sacks were too heavy for him to take alone, so he called us, and when we came to him, he said to us, 'Please help me to take my large bag and load it upon mine ass, that I may go to market.When I have sold my things and come back, I will pay you.'Accordingly we helped him to load his ass; but when he had gone to market and sold all his things there, we saw him on his return home, and went to him, to ask him for what he owed us; but he refused it, drove his ass, and went homeward.However, he was only gone a little while, when he got fever, sat down under a tree, tied his ass fast, took off his sacks and laid them down; and on the same spot where he sat down, the fever overpowered him that he lay down.Then on seeing him lying we went, assembled ourselves and killed him, because he had refused what he owed us."

Our Lord gave them right.

Our Lord said to the Merchant, "Thou goest to market until thy life stands still."Our Lord said to the Cricket, "Do thou give notice whenever it is time!This is thy work."

Our Lord said to the little red Ants, "Whenever ye see any Insect unwell and lying down in a place, then go, assemble yourselves and finish it."

Now the Cricket begins to give notice as soon as it is evening and does not keep silence in his hole until the morning comes; this is its employment.The Merchant has no farm and does not do any work, but constantly goes to market; this is its employment, given to it by the Lord.Now the little red Ants, whenever they see an Insect unwell and lying down they go and assemble themselves against that Insect, and, even if that Insect has not yet expired they finish it.This our Lord gave to the little red Ants for their employment.

I have now told thee the fable of the Insects, which I have heard of
Omar Pesami. This is finished.

Man and Turtle

Let me tell of Turtle of Koka.

Man of Lubi la Suku caught a Turtle in the bush; he came with it to the village.They said: "Let us kill it!"

Some people said: "How shall we kill it?"They said: "We shall cut it with hatchets."Turtle replied, saying:

  "Turtle of Koka,
  And hatchet of Koka;
  Hatchet not kill me a bit."

The people said: "What shall we kill him with?"Some said: "We shall kill him with stones."Turtle, fear grasped him, he said: "I am going to die."He says by mouth:

  "Turtle of Koka,
  And stone of Koka;
  Stone will not kill me a bit."

The people said: "Let us cast him into the fire!"Turtle said:

  "Turtle of Koka,
  And fire of Koka;
  Fire will not kill me a bit.
  On my back,
  It is like stone;
  Not there can
  Catch on fire."

The people said: "We will kill him with knives."Turtle said:

  "Turtle of Koka,
  And knife of Koka;
  Knife will not kill me a bit."

The people said: "This fellow, how shall we do?How shall we kill him?"These said: "Let us cast him into the depth of water."Turtle said: "Woe!I shall die there!How shall I do?"The people said: "We have it!We have found the way we can kill him!"

They carry him; they arrive with him at the river.They cast him into the depth.Turtle dives; after a while he emerges.There he is swimming and singing:

  "In water, in my home!
  In water, in my home!"

The people said: "Oh!Turtle has fooled us.We were going to kill him with hatchets; he says, 'Hatchet will not kill me a bit.'We spoke of casting him into the water; he says, 'I am going to die.'We came; we cast him into the water; but we saved him."

This is what caused the Turtle to live in the water: the people were going to kill him; but he was shrewd.

Nianga Dia Ngenga and Leopard

Nianga Dia Ngenga takes up his gun, saying: "I will go a-hunting."He has reached the bush; he has hunted; he saw not game; he says: "I will go."

When he returns home, he finds Mr. Leopard, whom they have stuck up in the fork of a tree.When he sees Nianga, he says: "Father Nianga, help me out!"Nianga says: "What has done this to thee?"He says: "Unfork me first; I shall tell thee."

Nianga took him out; he set him on the ground.He says: "Elephant has stuck me up in the fork of the tree.Sir, to whom one has given life, one gives more.I have been two days on the tree; give me a little food."Nianga says: "Where shall I find food?"He says: "Anywhere."

Nianga takes up his dog; he gives it to Mr. Leopard.Mr. Leopard ate it and said, "I am not satisfied."Nianga takes up also the other dog; he gives it to Mr. Leopard.He has eaten, says, "Still I have not enough."Nianga dia Ngenga took up his cartridge-box; he gives him it.Mr. Leopard, when he had eaten it, said, "Still I have not enough."

Hare comes; he finds them talking; says: "Why are you quarrelling?"Nianga says: "Mr. Leopard, I found him in the fork of a tree.Says he, 'Take me out!'I took him out.Says he, 'Give me to eat!'I gave him both my dogs and my cartridge-box.He says, 'Give me more to eat.'That is what we are quarrelling about."

Hare says: "Mr. Leopard, let him be again on the tree, where he was; that I may see."Mr. Leopard returns to the tree, where he was.Hare moves off to a distance; he calls Nianga.He says: "Thou, Nianga, art unwise.Mr. Leopard is a wild beast, he is wont to catch people.Thou, who didst get him out of there, he wanted to devour thee.Shoot him."

Nianga then shoots Mr. Leopard.

The end . . ."is with God."

Leopard and the Other Animals

Mr. Leopard lived.One day hunger grasps him.He says: "How shall I do?I will call all the animals in the world, saying, 'Come ye, let us have a medical consultation.'When the animals come then I may catch and eat."

He sends at once to call Deer, Antelope, Soko, Hare, and Philantomba.They gather, saying: "Why didst thou send for us?"He says: "Let us consult medicine, that we get health."

The sun is broken down.They begin the drums outside with the songs.
Mr. Leopard himself is beating the drum; he is saying, saying:

  "O Antelope!  O Deer!
  Your friend is sick;
  Do not shun him!
  O Antelope!   O Deer!
  Your friend is sick;
  Do not shun him!
  O Antelope!   O Deer!
  Your friend is sick;
  Do not shun him'"

Deer says: "Chief, the drum, how art thou playing it?Bring it here; that I play it."Mr. Leopard gives him it.Deer takes the drum, says:

  "Not sickness;
  Wiliness holds thee
  Not sickness;
  Wiliness holds thee!
  Not sickness;
  Wiliness holds thee!"

Mr. Leopard stood up from ground, said: "Thou, Deer, knowest not how to play the drum."

The animals all then ran away, saying, "Mr. Leopard has a scheme to catch us."

Elephant and Frog

I often tell of Mr. Elephant and Mr. Frog, who were courting at one house.

One day Mr. Frog spake to the sweetheart of Mr. Elephant, saying: "Mr. Elephant is my horse."Mr. Elephant, when he came at night, then the girls tell him, saying: "Thou art the horse of Mr. Frog!"

Mr. Elephant then goes to Mr. Frog's, saying: "Didst thou tell my sweetheart that I am thy horse?"Mr. Frog says, saying: "No; I did not say so."They go together to find the sweetheart of Mr. Elephant.

On the way, Mr. Frog told Mr. Elephant, saying: "Grandfather, I have not strength to walk.Let me get up on thy back!"Mr. Elephant said: "Get up, my grandson."Mr. Frog then goes up.

When a while passed, he told Mr. Elephant: "Grandfather, I am going to fall.Let me seek small cords to bind thee in mouth."Mr. Elephant consents.Mr. Frog then does what he has asked.

When passed a little while, he told again Mr. Elephant, saying: "Let me seek a green twig to fan the mosquitoes off thee."Mr. Elephant says: "Go."He then fetches the twig.

Then, when they were about to arrive, the girls saw them, and they went to meet them with shouting, saying: "Thou, Mr. Elephant, art the horse indeed of Mr. Frog!"

Dog and the Kingship

Mr. Dog, they wanted to invest him with the kingship.They sought all the things of royalty: the cap, the sceptre, the rings, the skin of mulkaka.The things are complete; they say: "The day has come to install."

The headmen all came in full; they sent for the players of drum and marimba; they have come.They spread coarse mats and fine mats.Where the lord is going to sit, they laid a coarse mat; they spread on it a fine mat; they set a chair on.They say: "Let the lord sit down."He sat down.The people begin to divide the victuals.

He, Mr. Dog, on seeing the breast of a fowl, greed grasped him.He stood up in haste; took the breast of the fowl; ran into the bush.The people said: "The lord, whom we are installing, has run away with the breast of the fowl into the bush!"The people separated.

Mr. Dog, who was going to be invested with the kingship, because of his thievery, the kingship he lost it.

I have told my little tale.Finished.

The Builder of Ability and the Builder of Haste

Two men called themselves one name.This one said: "I am Ndala, the builder of ability."The other one said: "I am Ndala, the builder of haste."

They say: "We will go to trade."They start; they arrive in middle of road.A storm comes.They stop, saying: "Let us build grass-huts!"Ndala, the builder of haste, built in haste; he entered into his hut.Ndala, the builder of ability is building carefully.The storm comes; it kills him outside.Ndala, the builder of haste escaped, because his hut was finished; it sheltered him when the storm came on.

FABLES FROM KRILOF

    "Shall not my fable censure vice,
  Because a Knave is over-nice?
    And, lest the guilty hear and dread,
  Shall not the decalogue be read?"

JOHN GAY

FABLES FROM KRILOF

The Education of the Lion

To the Lion, king of the forests, was given a son.

Among us, a child a year old, even if it belong to a royal family, is small and weak.But, by the time it has lived a twelve-month, a lion-cub has long ago left off its baby-clothes.

So, at the end of a year, the Lion began to consider that he must not allow his royal son to remain ignorant, that the dignity of the kingdom be not degraded, and that when the son's turn should come to govern the kingdom the nation should have no cause to reproach the father on his account.

But whom should he entreat, or compel, or induce by rewards, to instruct the czarevitch to become a czar?

The Fox is clever, but it is terribly addicted to lying, and a liar is perpetually getting into trouble."No," thought the Lion, "the science of falsehood is not one which princes ought to study."

Should he trust him to the Mole?All who speak of that animal say that it is an extreme admirer of order and regularity; that it never takes a step till it has examined the ground before it, and that it cleans and shells with its own paws every grain of corn that comes to its table.In fact, the Mole has the reputation of being very great in small affairs; but, unfortunately, it cannot see anything at a distance.The Mole's love of order is an excellent thing for animals of its own kind, but the Lion's kingdom is considerably more extensive than a mole-run.

Should he choose the Panther?The Panther is brave and strong, and is, besides, a great master of military tactics; but the Panther knows nothing of politics, is ignorant of everything that belongs to civil affairs.A king must be a judge and a minister as well as a warrior.The Panther is good for nothing but fighting; so it, too, is unfit to educate royal children.

To be brief, not a single beast, not even the Elephant himself, who was as much esteemed in the forest as Plato used to be in Greece, seemed wise enough to satisfy the Lion.

By good fortune, or the opposite—we shall find out which—another king, the king of birds, the Eagle, an old acquaintance and friend of the Lion, heard of that monarch's difficulty, and, wishing to do his friend a great kindness, offered to educate the young Lion himself.

The Lion felt a great weight removed from his shoulders.What could be better than a king as the tutor for a prince?So the Lion-cub was got ready, and sent off to the Eagle's court, there to learn how to govern.

And now two or three years go by.Ask whom you will, meanwhile, you hear nothing but praise of the young Lion; and all the birds scatter throughout the forests the wonderful stories of his merits.

At last the appointed time comes, and the Lion sends for his son.The prince arrives, and all the people are gathered together, great and small alike.

The king embraces his son before them all, and thus addresses him: "My beloved son, you are my only heir.I am looking forward to the grave, but you are just entering upon life.Before I make over my sceptre to you, tell me, in the presence of this assembly, what you have been taught, and in what manner you propose to make your people happy."

"Papa," exclaimed the prince, "I know what no one here knows.I can tell where each bird, from the Eagle to the Quail, can most readily find water, on what each of them lives, and how many eggs it lays; and I can count up the wants of every bird, without missing one.Here is the certificate my tutor gave me.It was not for nothing that the birds used to say that I could pick the stars out of the sky.When you have made up your mind to transfer the kingdom to me, I will immediately begin to teach the beasts how to make nests."

On this the king and all his beasts howled aloud; the members of the council hung their heads; and, too late, the Lion perceived that the young Lion had learned nothing of what was wanted, that he was acquainted with birds only, not knowing anything of the nature of beasts, although he was destined to rule over them, and that he was destitute of that which is most requisite in kings—the knowledge of the wants of their own people and the interests of their own country.

The Pebble and the Diamond

A Diamond, which some one had lost, lay for some time on the high road.At last it happened that a merchant picked it up.By him it was offered to the king, who bought it, had it set in gold, and made it one of the ornaments of the royal crown.Having heard of this, a Pebble began to make a fuss.The brilliant fate of the Diamond fascinated it; and, one day, seeing a Moujik passing, it besought him thus:

"Do me a kindness, fellow-countryman, and take me with you to the capital.Why should I go on suffering here in rain and mud, while our Diamond is, men say, in honour there?I don't understand why it has been treated with such respect.Side by side with me here it lay so many years; it is just such a stone as I am—my close companion.Do take me!How can one tell?If I am seen there, I too, perhaps, may be found worthy of being turned to account."

The Moujik took the stone into his lumbering cart, and conveyed it to the city.Our stone tumbled into the cart, thinking that it would soon be sitting by the side of the Diamond.But a quite different fate befell it.It really was turned to account, but only to mend a hole in the road.

The Pike and the Cat

A conceited Pike took it into its head to exercise the functions of a cat.I do not know whether the Evil One had plagued it with envy, or whether, perhaps, it had grown tired of fishy fare; but, at all events, it thought fit to ask the Cat to take it out to the chase, with the intention of catching a few mice in the warehouse."But, my dear friend," Vaska says to the Pike, "do you understand that kind of work?Take care, gossip, that you don't incur disgrace.It isn't without reason that they say: 'The work ought to be in the master's power.'"

"Why really, gossip, what a tremendous affair it is!Mice, indeed!
Why, I have been in the habit of catching perches!"

"Oh, very well.Come along!"

They went; they lay each in ambush.The Cat thoroughly enjoyed itself; made a hearty meal; then went to look after its comrade.Alas!the Pike, almost destitute of life, lay there gasping, its tail nibbled away by the mice.So the Cat, seeing that its comrade had undertaken a task quite beyond its strength, dragged it back, half dead, to its pond.

Trishka's Caftan

Trishka's caftan was out at the elbows.But why should he ponder long over it?He took to his needle, cut a quarter off each sleeve: so mended the elbows.

The caftan was all right again, only his arms were bare for a quarter of their length.That is no great matter, but every one is always laughing at Trishka.So Trishka says:

"I'm not a fool.I'll set this affair straight also.I'll make the sleeves longer than they were before.They shall see Trishka is no mere commonplace fellow."

So he cut off the skirts of his caftan, and used them to lengthen his sleeves.

Then Trishka was happy, though he had a caftan which was as short as a waistcoat.

In a similar way I have sometimes seen other embarrassed people set straight their affairs.Take a look at them as they dash away.They have all got on Trishka's caftan.

The Elephant as Governor

An Elephant was once appointed ruler of a forest.Now it is well known that the race of elephants is endowed with great intelligence; but every family has its unworthy scion.Our Governor was as stout as the rest of his race are, but as foolish as the rest of his race are not.As to his character, he would not intentionally hurt a fly.Well, the worthy Governor becomes aware of a petition laid before him by the Sheep, stating that their skins are entirely torn off their backs by the Wolves.

"Oh, rogues!"cries the Elephant, "what a crime!Who gave you leave to plunder?"

But the Wolves say:

"Allow us to explain, O father.Did not you give us leave to take from the Sheep a trifling contribution for our pelisses in winter?It is only because they are stupid sheep that they cry out.They have only a single fleece taken from each of them, but they grumble about giving even that!"

"Well, well," says the Elephant, "take care what you do.I will not permit any one to commit injustice.As it must be so, take a fleece from each of them.But do not take from them a single hair besides."

The Quartette

The tricksy Monkey, the Goat, the Ass, and bandy-legged Mishka the Bear, determine to play a quartette.They provide themselves with the necessary pieces of music—with two fiddles, and with an alto and a counter-bass.Then they sit down on a meadow under a lime-tree, prepared to enchant the world by their skill.They work away at their fiddlesticks with a will; and they make a noise, but there is no music in it.

"Stop, brothers, stop!"cries the Monkey, "wait a little!How can we get our music right?It's plain, you mustn't sit as you are.You, Mishka, with your counter-bass, face the alto.I will sit opposite the second fiddle.Then a different sort of music will begin: we shall set the very hills and forests dancing."

So they change places, and recommence; but the music is just as discordant as before.

"Stop a little," exclaims the Ass; "I have found out the secret.We shall be sure to play in tune if we sit in a row."

They follow its advice, and form in an orderly line.But the quartette is as unmusical as ever.Louder than before there arose among them squabbling and wrangling as to how they ought to be seated.It happened that a Nightingale came flying that way, attracted by their noise.At once they all entreated it to solve their difficulty.

"Be so kind," they say, "as to bear with us a little, in order that our quartette may come off properly.Music we have; instruments we have: tell us only how we ought to place ourselves."

But the Nightingale replies,

"To be a musician, one must have a quicker intelligence and a finer ear than you possess.You, my friends, may place yourselves just as you like, but you will never become musicians."

Demian's Fish Soup

"Neighbour, light of mine eyes!do eat a little more!"

"Dear neighbour, I am full to the throat."

"No matter; just a little plateful.Believe me, the soup is cooked gloriously."

"But I've had three platefuls already."

"Well, what does that matter?If you like it, and it does you good, why not eat it all up?What a soup it is!How rich!It looks as if it had been sprinkled with amber.Here is a bream; there a lump of sterlet.Take a little more, dear, kind friend.Just another spoonful.Wife, come and entreat him!"

Thus does Demian feast his neighbour Phocas, not giving him a moment's breathing time.

Phocas feels the moisture trickling down his forehead.Still he takes the soup, attacks it with all the strength he has left, and somehow manages to swallow the whole of it.

"That's the sort of friend I like!"cries Demian."I can't bear people who require pressing.But now, dear friend, take just this one little plateful more."

But, on hearing this, our poor Phocas, much as he liked fish soup, catching hold of his cap and sash, runs away home, not once looking behind him.

Nor from that day to this has he crossed Demian's threshold.

The Wolf and Its Cub

A Wolf, which had begun to accustom its Cub to support itself by its father's profession, sent it one day to prowl about the skirts of the wood.At the same time it ordered it to give all its attention to seeing whether it would not be possible, even at the cost of sinning a little, for them both to make their breakfast or dinner at the expense of some shepherd or other.The pupil returns home, and says:

"Come along, quick!Our dinner awaits us: nothing could possibly be safer.There are sheep feeding at the foot of yon hill, each one fatter than the other.We have only to choose which to carry off and eat; and the flock is so large that it would be difficult to count it over again——"

"Wait a minute," says the Wolf."First of all I must know what sort of a man the shepherd of this flock is.

"It is said that he is a good one—painstaking and intelligent.But I went round the flock on all sides, and examined the dogs: they are not at all fat, and seem to be spiritless and indolent."

"This description," says the old Wolf, "does not greatly attract me to the flock.For, decidedly, if the shepherd is good, he will not keep bad dogs about him.One might very soon get into trouble there.But come with me: I will take you to a flock where we shall be in less danger of losing our skins.Over that flock it is true that a great many dogs watch; but the shepherd is himself a fool.And where the shepherd is a fool there the dogs too are of little worth."

The Pike

An appeal to justice was made against the Pike, on the ground that it had rendered the pond uninhabitable.A whole cart-load of proofs was tendered as evidence; and the culprit, as was beseeming, was brought into court in a large tub.The judges were assembled not far off, having been set to graze in a neighbouring field.Their names are still preserved in the archives.There were two Donkeys, a couple of old Horses, and two or three Goats.The Fox also was added to their number, as assessor, in order that the business might be carried on under competent supervision.

Now, popular report said that the Pike used to supply the table of the Fox with fish.However this might be, there was no partiality among the judges; and it must also be stated that it was impossible to conceal the Pike's roguery in the affair in question.So there was no help for it.Sentence was passed, condemning the Pike to an ignominious punishment.In order to frighten others, it was to be hung from a tree.

"Respected judges," thus did the Fox begin to speak, "hanging is a trifle.I should have liked to have sentenced the culprit to such a punishment as has never been seen here among us.In order that rogues may in future live in fear, and run a terrible risk, I would drown it in the river."

"Excellent!"cry the judges, and unanimously accept the proposition.

So the Pike was flung—into the river.

The Cuckoo and the Eagle

The Eagle promoted a Cuckoo to the rank of a Nightingale.The Cuckoo, proud of its new position, seated itself proudly on an aspen, and began to exhibit its musical talents.After a time, it looks round.All the birds are flying away, some laughing at it, others abusing it.Our Cuckoo grows angry, and hastens to the Eagle with a complaint against the birds.

"Have pity on me!"it says."According to your command, I have been appointed Nightingale to these woods, and yet the birds dare to laugh at my singing."

"My friend," answers the Eagle, "I am a king, but I am not God.It is
impossible for me to remedy the cause of your complaint. I can order a
Cuckoo to be styled a Nightingale; but to make a Nightingale out of a
Cuckoo—that I cannot do."

The Peasant and the Sheep

A Peasant summoned a Sheep into courts charging the poor thing with a criminal offence.The judge was—the Fox.

The case was immediately in full swing.Plaintiff and defendant were equally adjured to state, point by point, and without both speaking at once, how the affair took place, and in what their proof consisted.

Says the Peasant: "On such and such a day, I missed two of my fowls early in the morning.Nothing was left of them but bones and leathers; and no one had been in the yard but the Sheep."

Then the Sheep depones that it was fast asleep all the night in question, and it calls all its neighbours to testify that they had never known it guilty either of theft or any roguery; and besides this, it states that it never touches flesh-meat.

Here is the Fox's decision, word for word:

"The explanation of the Sheep cannot, under any circumstances, be accepted, for all rogues are notoriously clever at concealing their real designs; and it appears manifest, on due inquiry, that, on the aforesaid night, the Sheep was not separated from the fowls.Fowls are exceedingly savoury, and opportunity favoured.Therefore I decide, according to my conscience, that it is impossible that the Sheep should have forborne to eat the fowls.The Sheep shall accordingly be put to death.Its carcass shall be given to the court, and its fleece be taken by the Plaintiff."

The Elephant in Favour

Once upon a time the Elephant stood high in the good graces of the Lion.The forest immediately began to talk of the matter, and, as usual, many guesses were made as to the means by which the Elephant had gained such favour.

"It is no beauty," say the beasts to each other, "and it is not amusing; and what habits it has!what manners!"

Says the Fox, whisking about his brush, "If it had possessed such a bushy tail as mine, I should not have wondered."

"Or, sister," says the Bear, "if it had gotten into favour on account of its claws, no one would have found the matter at all extraordinary; but it has no claws at all, as we all know well."

"Isn't it its tusks that have gotten it into favour?"thus the Ox broke in upon their conversation."Haven't they, perhaps, been mistaken for horns."

"Is it possible," said the Ass, shaking its ears, "that you don't know how it has succeeded in making itself liked, and in becoming distinguished?Why, I have guessed the reason!If it hadn't been remarkable for its long ears, it would never in the world have gotten into favour."

The Sword-blade

The keen blade of a Sword, made of Damascus steel, which had been thrown aside on a heap of old iron, was sent to market with the other pieces of metal, and sold for a trifle to a Moujik.Now, a Moujik's ideas move in a narrow circle.He immediately set to work to turn the blade to account.Our Moujik fitted a handle to the blade, and began to strip lime-trees in the forest with it, of the bark he wanted for shoes, while at home he unceremoniously splintered fir chips with it.Sometimes, also, he would lop off twigs with it, or small branches for mending his wattled fences, or would shape stakes with it for his garden paling.And the result was that, before the year was out, our blade was notched and rusted from one end to the other, and the children used to ride astride of it.So one day a Hedgehog, which was lying under a bench in the cottage, close by the spot where the blade had been flung, said to it:

"Tell me, what do you think of this life of yours?If there is any truth in all the fine things that are said about Damascus steel, you surely must be ashamed of having to splinter fir chips, and square stakes, and of being turned, at last, into a plaything for children."

But the Sword-blade replied:

"In the hands of a warrior, I should have been a terror to the foe; but here my special faculties are of no avail.So in this house I am turned to base uses only.But am I free to choose my employment?No, not I, but he, ought to be ashamed who could not see for what I was fit to be employed."

The Cuckoo and the Turtle-dove

A Cuckoo sat on a bough, bitterly complaining.

"Why art thou so sad, dear friend?"sympathizingly cooed the Turtle-dove to her, from a neighbouring twig."Is it because spring has passed away from us, and love with it; that the sun has sunk lower, and that we are nearer to the winter?"

"How can I help grieving, unhappy one that I am?"replied the Cuckoo: "thou shalt thyself be the judge.This spring my love was a happy one, and, after a while, I became a mother.But my offspring utterly refused even to recognize me.Was it such a return that I expected from them?And how can I help being envious when I see how ducklings crowd around their mother—how chickens hasten to the hen when she calls to them.Just like an orphan I sit here, utterly alone, and know not what filial affection means."

"Poor thing!"says the Dove, "I pity you from my heart.As for me, though I know such things often occur, I should die outright it my dovelets did not love me.But tell me, have you already brought up your little ones?When did you find time to build a nest?I never saw you doing anything of the kind: you were always flying and fluttering about."

"No, indeed!"says the Cuckoo."Pretty nonsense it would have been if I had spent such fine days in sitting on a nest!That would, indeed, have been the highest pitch of stupidity!I always laid my eggs in the nests of other birds."

"Then how can you expect your little ones to care for you?"says the
Turtle-dove.

The Peasant and the Horse

A Peasant was sowing oats one day.Seeing the work go on, a young
Horse began to reason about it, grumbling to himself:

"A pretty piece of work, this, for which he brings such a quantity of oats here!And yet they are all the time saying that men are wiser than we are.Can anything possibly be more foolish or ridiculous than to plough up a whole field like this in order to scatter one's oats over it afterward to no purpose.Had he given them to me, or to the bay there, or had he even thought fit to fling them to the fowls, it would have been more like business.Or even if he had hoarded them up, I should have recognized avarice in that.But to fling them uselessly away—why, that is sheer stupidity!"

Meanwhile time passed; and in the autumn the oats were garnered, and the Peasant fed this very Horse upon them all the winter.

There can be no doubt, Reader, that you do not approve of the opinions of the Horse.But from the oldest times to our own days has not man been equally audacious in criticising the designs of a Providence of whose means or ends he sees and knows nothing?

The Wolf and the Cat

A Wolf ran out of the forest into a village—not to pay a visit, but to save its life; for it trembled for its skin.

The huntsmen and a pack of hounds were after it.It would fain have rushed in through the first gateway; but there was this unfortunate circumstance against the scheme that all the gateways were closed.

The Wolf sees a Cat on a partition fence, and says pleadingly, "Vaska, my friend, tell me quickly, which of the moujiks here is the kindest, so that I may hide myself from my evil foes?Listen to the cry of the dogs and the terrible sound of the horns?All that noise is actually made in chase of me!"

"Go quickly, and ask Stefan," says Vaska, the Cat; "he is a very kind man."

"Quite true; only I have torn the skin off one of his sheep."

"Well, then, you can try Demian."

"I'm afraid he's angry with me, too; I carried off one of his kids."

"Run over there, then; Trofim lives there."

"Trofim!I should be afraid of even meeting him.Ever since the spring he has been threatening me about a lamb."

"Dear me, that's bad!But perhaps Klim will protect you."

"Oh, Vaska, I have killed one of his calves."

"What do I hear, friend?You've quarrelled with all the village," cried Vaska to the Wolf."What sort of protection can you hope for here?No, no; our moujiks are not so destitute of sense as to be willing to save you to their own hurt.And, really, you have only yourself to blame.What you have sown, that you must now reap."

The Eagle and the Mole

An Eagle and his mate flew into a deep forest and determined to make it their permanent abode.So they chose an oak, lofty and wide-spreading, and began to build themselves a nest on the top of it, hoping there to rear their young in the summer.

A Mole, who heard about all this, plucked up courage enough to inform the Eagles that the oak was not a proper dwelling-place for them; that it was almost entirely rotten at the root, and was likely soon to fall, and that therefore the Eagles ought not to make their nest upon it.

But is it becoming that an Eagle should accept advice coming from a Mole in a hole?Where then would be the glory of an Eagle having such keen eyes?And how comes it that Moles dare to meddle in the affairs of the king of Birds?

So, saying very little to the Mole, whose counsel he despised, the Eagle set to work quickly—and the King soon got ready the new dwelling for the Queen.

All goes well, and now the Eagles have little ones.But what happens?One day, when at early dawn the Eagle is hastening back from the chase, bringing a rich breakfast to his family, as he drops down from the sky he sees—his oak has fallen, and has crushed beneath it his mate and his little ones!

"Wretched creature that I am!"he cries, anguish blotting out from him the light; "for my pride has fate so terribly punished me, and because I gave no heed to wise counsel.But could one expect that wise counsel could possibly come from a miserable Mole?"

Then from its hole the Mole replies: "Had not you despised me, you would have remembered that I burrow within the earth, and that, as I live among the roots, I can tell with certainty whether a tree be sound or not."

The Spider and the Bee

A Merchant brought some linen to a fair.That's a thing everybody wants to buy, so it would have been a sin in the Merchant if he had complained of his sale.There was no keeping the buyers back: the shop was at times crammed full.

Seeing how rapidly the goods went off, an envious Spider was tempted by the Merchant's gains.She took it into her head to weave goods for sale herself, and determined to open a little shop for them in a window corner, seeking thereby to undermine the Merchant's success.

She commenced her web, spun the whole night long, and then set out her wares on view.From her shop she did not stir, but remained sitting there, puffed up with pride, and thinking, "So soon as the day shall dawn will all buyers be enticed to me."

Well, the day did dawn.But what then?There came a broom, and the ingenious creatures and her little shop were swept clean away.

Our Spider went wild with vexation.

"There!"she cried, "what's the good of expecting a just reward?And yet I ask the whole world—Whose work is the finer, mine or that Merchant's?"

"Yours, to be sure," answered the Bee."Who would venture to deny the fact?Every one knew that long ago.But what is the good of it if there's neither warmth nor wear in it?"

The Cuckoo and the Cock

"How proudly and sonorously you sing, my dear Cock!"

"But you, dear Cuckoo, my light, how smoothly flows your long drawn-out note!There is no such singer in all the rest of our forest."

"To you, dear friend, I could listen forever."

"And as for you, my beauty, I protest that when you are silent I scarcely know how to wait till you begin again.Where do you get such a voice?—so clear, so soft, so high!But no doubt you were always like that: not very large in stature, but in song—a nightingale."

"Thanks, friend.As for you, I declare on my conscience you sing better than the birds in the Garden of Eden.I appeal to public opinion for a proof of this."

At this moment a Sparrow, who had overheard their conversation, said to them:

"You may go on praising each other till you are hoarse, my friends; but your music is utterly worthless."

Why was it, that, not fearing to sin, the Cuckoo praised the Cock?
Simply because the Cock praised the Cuckoo.

The Peasant and the Robber

A Peasant who was beginning to stock his little farm had bought a cow and a milk-pail at the fair, and was going quietly home by a lonely path through the forest, when he suddenly fell into the hands of a Robber.The Robber stripped him as bare as a lime-tree.

"Have mercy!"cried the Peasant."I am utterly ruined.You have reduced me to beggary.For a whole year I have worked to buy this dear little cow.I could hardly bear to wait for this day to arrive."

"Very good," replied the Robber, touched with compassion; "Don't cry out so against me.After all, I shall not want to milk your cow; so I'll give you back your milk-pail."

FABLES FROM THE CHINESE

"Why have some more power than others?Only one knows.Why have some longer life than others?Only one knows.Why do some try and not succeed; while others do not try and yet they do succeed?Only one knows."

FABLES PROM THE CHINESE

The Animals' Peace Party

The ancient books say that the pig is a very unclean animal and of no great use to the world or man, and one of them contains this story:

Once upon a time the Horses and Cattle gave a party.Although the Pigs were very greedy, the Horses said: "Let us invite them, and it may be we can settle our quarrels in this way and become better friends.We will call this a Peace Party.

"Generations and generations of pigs have broken through our fences, taken our food, drunk our water, and rooted up our clean green grass; but it is also true that the cattle children have hurt many young pigs.

"All this trouble and fighting is not right, and we know the Master wishes we should live at peace with one another.Do you not think it a good plan to give a Peace Party and settle this trouble?"

The Cattle said: "Who will be the leader of our party and do the inviting?We should have a leader, both gentle and kind, to go to the Pig's home and invite them."

The next day a small and very gentle Cow was sent to invite the Pigs.As she went across to the pigs' yard, all the young ones jumped up and grunted, "What are you coming here for?Do you want to fight?"

"No, I do not want to fight," said the Cow."I was sent here to invite you to our party.I should like to know if you will come, so that I may tell our leader."

The young Pigs and the old ones talked together and the old ones said: "The New Year feast will soon be here.Maybe they will have some good things for us to eat at the party.I think we should go."

Then the old Pigs found the best talker in all the family, and sent word by him that they would attend the party.

The day came, and the Pigs all went to the party.There were about three hundred all together.

When they arrived they saw that the leader of the cows was the most beautiful of all the herd and very kind and gentle to her guests.

After a while the leader spoke to them in a gentle voice and said to the oldest Pigs: "We think it would be a good and pleasant thing if there were no more quarrels in this pasture.

"Will you tell your people not to break down the fences and spoil the place and eat our food?We will then agree that the oxen and horses shall not hurt your children and all the old troubles shall be forgotten from this day."

Then one young Pig stood up to talk."All this big pasture belongs to the Master, and not to you," he said."We cannot go to other places for food.

"The Master sends a servant to feed us, and sometimes he sends us to your yard to eat the corn and potatoes.

"The servants clean our pen every day.When summer comes, they fill the ponds with fresh water for us to bathe in.

"Now, friends, can you not see that this place and this food all belong to the Master?We eat the food and go wherever we like.We take your food only after you have finished.It would spoil on the ground if we did not do this.

"Answer this question—Do our people ever hurt your people?No; even though every year some of our children are killed by bad oxen and cows.

"What is our food?It is nothing; but our lives are worth much to us.

"Our Master never sends our people to work as he does the horses and oxen.He sends us food and allows us to play a year and a year the same, because he likes us best.

"You see the Horses and Oxen are always at work.Some pull wagons, others plough land for rice; and they must work—sick or well.

"Our people never work.Every day at happy time we play; and do you see how fat we are?

"You never see our bones.Look at the old Horses and the old Oxen.
Twenty years' work and no rest!

"I tell you the Master does not honour the Horses and Oxen as he does the Pigs.

"Friends, that is all I have to say.Have you any questions to ask?
Is what I have said not the truth?"

The old Cow said, "Moo, Moo," and shook her head sadly.The tired old
Horses groaned, "Huh, Huh," and never spoke a word.

The leader said, "My friends, it is best not to worry about things we cannot know.We do not seem to understand our Master.

"It will soon be time for the New Year feast day; so, good night.And may the Pig people live in the world as long and happily as the Horses and the Oxen, although our Peace Party did not succeed."

On their way home the little Pigs made a big noise, and every one said,
"We, we! We win, we win!"

Then the old Horses and Oxen talked among themselves."We are stronger, wiser, and more useful than the Pigs," they said."Why does the Master treat us so?"

EE-SZE (Meaning): Why have some more power than others?Only one knows.Why have some longer life than others?Only one knows.Why do some try and not succeed; while others do not try and yet they do succeed?Only one knows.

The Proud Chicken

A Widow named Hong-Mo lived in a little house near the market place.Every year she raised many hundreds of chickens, which she sold to support herself and her two children.

Each day the Chickens went to the fields near by and hunted bugs, rice, and green things to eat.

The largest one was called the King of the Chickens, because of all the hundreds in the flock he was the strongest.And for this reason he was the leader of them all.

He led the flock to new places for food.He could crow the loudest, and as he was the strongest, none dared oppose him in any way.

One day he said to the flock, "Let us go to the other side of the mountain near the wilderness to-day, and hunt rice, wheat, corn, and wild silkworms. There is not enough food here."

But the other Chickens said, "We are afraid to go so far.There are foxes and eagles in the wilderness, and they will catch us."

The King of the Chickens said, "It is better that all the old hens and cowards stay at home."

The King's secretary said, "I do not know fear.I will go with you."
Then they started away together.

When they had gone a little distance, the Secretary found a beetle, and just as he was going to swallow it, the King flew at him in great anger, saying, "Beetles are for kings, not for common chickens.Why did you not give it to me?"So they fought together, and while they were fighting, the beetle ran away and hid under the grass where he could not be found.

And the Secretary said, "I will not fight for you, neither will I go to the wilderness with you."And he went home again.

At sunset the King came home.The other Chickens had saved the best roosting place for him; but he was angry because none of them had been willing to go to the wilderness with him, and he fought first with one and then with another.

He was a mighty warrior, and therefore none of them could stand up against him.And he pulled the feathers out of many of the flock.

At last the Chickens said, "We will not serve this king any longer.We will leave this place.If Hong-Mo will not give us another home, we will stay in the vegetable garden.We will do that two or three nights, and see if she will give us another place to live."

So the next day, when Hong-Mo waited at sunset for the Chickens to come home, the King was the only one who came.

And she asked the King, "Where are all my Chickens?"

But he was proud and angry, and said, "They are of no use in the world.
I would not care if they always stayed away."

Hong-Mo answered, "You are not the only Chicken in the world.I want the others to come back.If you drive them all away, you will surely see trouble."

But the King laughed and jumped up on the fence and crowed."Nga-Un-Gan-Yu-Na" (cock-a-doodle-doo-oo) in a loud voice."I don't care for you!I don't care for you!"

Hong-Mo went out and called the Chickens, and she hunted long through the twilight until the dark night came, but she could not find them.The next morning early she went to the vegetable garden, and there she found her Chickens.They were glad to see her, and bowed their heads and flew to her.

Hong-Mo said, "What are you doing?Why do you children stay out here, when I have given you a good house to live in?"

The Secretary told her all about the trouble with the King.

Hong-Mo said, "Now you must be friendly to each other.Come with me, and I will bring you and your King together.We must have peace here."

When the Chickens came to where the King was he walked about, and scraped his wings on the ground, and sharpened his spurs.His people had come to make peace, and they bowed their heads and looked happy when they saw their King.But he still walked about alone and would not bow.

He said, "I am a King—always a King.Do you know that?You bow your heads and think that pleases me.But what do I care?I should not care if there was never another Chicken in the world but myself.I am King."

And he hopped up on a tree and sang some war songs.But suddenly an eagle who heard him, flew down and caught him in his talons and carried him away.And the Chickens never saw their proud, quarrelsome King again.

EE-SZE (Meaning): No position in life is so high that it gives the right to be proud and quarrelsome.

The Hen and the Chinese Mountain Turtle

Four hundred and fifty years ago in Lze-Cheung Province, Western China, there lived an old farmer named Ah-Po.

The young farmers all said Ah-Po knew everything.If they wanted to know when it would rain, they asked Ah-Po, and when he said: "It will not rain to-morrow," or, "You will need your bamboo-hat this time to-morrow," it was as he said.He knew all about the things of nature and how to make the earth yield best her fruits and seeds, and some said he was a prophet.

One day Ah-Po caught a fine Mountain Turtle.It was so large that it took both of Ah-Po's sons to carry it home.They tied its legs together and hung it on a strong stick, and each son put an end of the stick on his shoulder.

Ah-Po said, "We will not kill the Turtle.He is too old to eat, and I think we will keep him and watch the rings grow around his legs each year."So they gave him a corner in the barnyard and fed him rice and water.

Ah-Po had many Chickens, and for three months the Turtle and Chickens lived in peace with each other.But one day all the young Chickens came together and laughed at the Turtle.Then they said to him, "Why do you live here so long?Why do you not go back to your own place?This small barnyard corner is not so good as your cave in the wilderness.You have only a little sand and grass to live on here.The servant feeds you, but she never gives you any wilderness fruits.You are very large, and you take up too much room.We need all the room there is here.You foolish old thing, do you think our fathers and mothers want you?No.There is not one of our people who likes you.Besides, you are not clean.You make too much dirt.The servant girl gave you this water to drink, and your water bowl is even now upside down.You scatter rice on our floor.Too many flies come here to see you, and we do not like flies."

The Turtle waited until they had all finished scolding.Then he said, "Do you think I came here myself?Who put me here, do you know?Do you suppose I like to be in jail?You need not be jealous.I never ate any rice that belonged to you or your family.I am not living in your house.What are you complaining about?If our master should take your whole family and sell it, he would only get one piece of silver.Who and what are you to talk so much?Wait and see; some day I may have the honoured place."

Some of the Chickens went home and told their mother, "We had an argument with the Turtle to-day and he had the last word.To-morrow we want you to go with us and show him that a Chicken can argue as well as a Turtle."

The next day all the Chickens of the barnyard went to see the Turtle.And the old Hen said, "My children came here to play yesterday, and you scolded them and drove them away.You said all my family was not worth one piece of silver.You think you are worth many pieces of gold, I suppose.No one likes you.Your own master would not eat you.And the market people would never buy a thing so old and tough as you are.But I suppose you will have to stay here in our yard a thousand years or so, until you die.Then they will carry you to the wilderness and throw you into the Nobody-Knows Lake."

Then the Turtle answered and said, "I am a Mountain Turtle.I come from a wise family, and it is not easy for even man to catch me.Educated men, doctors, know that I am useful for sickness, but if all the people knew the many ways they could use me, I think there would soon be no more turtles in the world.Many Chinese know that my skin is good for skin disease, and my forefeet are good for the devil-sickness in children, as they drive the devil away; and then my shells are good for sore throat, and my stomach is good for stomach-ache, and my bones are good for tooth-ache.Do you remember that not long ago our master brought three turtle eggs to feed your children?I heard him say: 'Those little Chickens caught cold in that damp place, and so I must give them some turtle eggs.'I saw your children eat those three eggs, and in two or three days they were well.

"So you see the Turtle is a useful creature in the world, even to Chickens.Why do you not leave me in peace?As I must stay here against my will, it is not right that your children should trouble me.Sometimes they take all my rice and I go hungry, for our master will not allow me to go outside of this fence to hunt food for myself.I never come to your house and bother you, but your children will not even let me live in peace in the little corner our master gave me.If I had a few of my own people here with me, as you have, I think you would not trouble me.But I have only myself, while you are many.

"Yesterday your children scolded me and disturbed my peace.To-day you come again; and to-morrow and many to-morrows will see generations and still more unhatched generations of Chickens coming here to scold me, I fear; for the length of life of a cackling hen is as a day to me—a Mountain Turtle.I know the heaven is large, I know the earth is large and made for all creatures alike.But you think the heavens and the earth were both made for you and your Chickens only.If you could drive me away to-day you would try to-morrow to drive the dog away, and in time you would think the master himself ought not to have enough of your earth and air to live in.This barnyard is large enough for birds, chickens, ducks, geese, and pigs.It makes our master happy to have us all here."

The Chickens went away ashamed.Talking to each other about it, they said: "The Turtle is right.It is foolish to want everything.We barnyard creatures must live at peace with each other until we die.The barnyard is not ours; we use it only a little while."

EE-SZE (Meaning): The Creator made the world for all to use, and, while using it, the strong should not try to drive out the weak.

The Proud Fox and the Crab

One day a Fox said to a Crab: "Crawling thing, did you ever run in all your life?"

"Yes," said the Crab, "I run very often from the mud to the grass and back to the river."

"Oh, shame!"said the Fox, "that is no distance to run.How many feet and legs have you?I have only four.Why, if I had as many feet as you have, I would run at least six times as fast as you do.Did you know that you are really a very slow, stupid creature?Though I have only four feet I run ten times as far as you do.I never heard of any one with so many feet as you have, running so slowly."

The Crab said: "Would you like to run a race with a stupid creature like me?I will try to run as fast as you.I know I am small, so suppose we go to the scales and see how much heavier you are.As you are ten times larger than I, of course you will have to run ten times faster.

"Another reason why you can run so fast is because you have such a fine tail and hold it so high.If you would allow me to put it down, I do not think you would run any faster than I."

"Oh, very well," said the Fox, contemptuously, "do as you like, and still the race will be so easy for me that I will not even need to try.Your many legs and your stupid head do not go very well together.Now, if I had my sense and all of your legs, no creature in the forest could outrun me.As it is, there are none that can outwit me.I am known as the sharp-witted.Even man says, 'Qui-kwat-wui-lai' (sly as a fox).So do what you will, stupid one."

"If you will let me tie your beautiful tail down so it will stay," said the Crab, "I am sure I can win the race."

"Oh, no, you cannot," said the Fox."But I will prove to even your stupid, slow brain that it will make no difference.Now, how do you wish that I should hold my tail?"

Said the Crab: "If you will allow me to hang something on your tail to hold it down, I am sure you cannot run faster than I."

"Do as you like," said the Fox.

"Allow me to come nearer," said the Crab, "and when I have it fastened to your tail, I will say 'Ready!'Then you are to start."

So the Crab crawled behind and caught the Fox's tail with his pincers and said, "Ready!"The Fox ran and ran until he was tired.And when he stopped, there was the Crab beside him.

"Where are you now?"said the Crab."I thought you were to run ten times faster than I.You are not even ahead of me with all your boasting."

The Fox, panting for breath, hung his head in shame and went away where he might never see the crab again.

EE-SZE (Meaning): A big, proud, boastful mouth, is a worse thing for a man than it is for a fox.

The Mule and the Lion

One night the Lion was very hungry, but as the creatures of the wilderness knew and feared him even from afar, he could not find food.So he went to visit the young Mule that lived near the farmer's house, and when he saw him he smiled blandly and asked, "What do you eat, fair Lii, to make you so sleek and fat?What makes your hair so smooth and beautiful?I think your master gives you tender fresh grass and fat young pig to eat."

The Mule answered, "No, I am fat because I am gentle.My hair is beautiful because I do not fight with other creatures.But why do you come here, Sii?Are you hungry?I believe you are seeking for food."

The Lion said, "Oh, no, I am not hungry.I only walk around to get the cool, fresh air.And then the night is very beautiful.The moon hangs up in the clear sky with the stars and makes a soft light, and so I came to visit you.Would you not like to take a walk with me?I will take you to visit my friend, the Pig.I never go to his house alone; I always take a friend with me."

The Mule asked, "Shall we go to any other place?"

"Yes," answered the Lion, "I think we will go to visit another friend of mine who lives not far away."

Then the Mule asked his mother, "Will you allow me to go with Sii to see his friend?"

"Who is his friend?"asked the mother.

"The farmer's Pig."said the Mule.

"I think it is no harm if you go only there," said the mother Mule."But you must not go anywhere else with Sii.The hunter is looking for him, I hear, and you must be careful.Do not trust him fully, for I fear he will tempt you to go to some other place or into some wrong thing.If I allow you to go, you must come home before midnight.The moon will not be gone then and you can see to find your way."

So the Lion and the Mule went to visit the Pig, who lived in a house in the farmer's yard.But as soon as the Pig saw the Lion, he called out in a loud voice to his mother.

The Lion said, "He is afraid of me.I will hide and you may go in first."

When the Pig saw that the Mule was alone, he thought the Lion had gone.
He opened his door wide and was very friendly to the Mule, saying,
"Come in."

But the Lion jumped from his hiding place and caught the Pig as he came to the door.The Pig called to his mother in great fear, and the Mule begged the Lion, saying, "Let the poor little creature go free."

But the Lion said, "No, indeed; I have many Pigs at my house.It is better for him to go with me."

Then the Lion carried the Pig, while the Mule followed.Soon they came to where a fine looking dog lay on some hay behind a net.The Lion did not seem to see the net, for he dropped the Pig and tried to catch the Dog, who cried loudly for mercy.

But the Lion said to the foolish Mule, "See how rude the Dog is to us.
We came to visit him and he makes a loud noise and tries to call the
hunter so that he will drive us away. I have never been so insulted.
Come here, Lii-Tsze, at once and help me!"

The Mule went to the Lion and the net fell and caught them both.At sunrise the Hunter came and found the Mule and the Lion in his net.The Mule begged earnestly and said, "Hunter, you know me and you know my mother.We are your friends and we do no wrong.Set me free, oh, hunter, set me free!"

The Hunter said, "No, I will not set you free.You may be good, but you are in bad company and must take what it brings.I will take you and the Lion both to the market place and sell you for silver.That is my right.I am a hunter.If you get in my net, that is your business.If I catch you, that is my business."

EE-SZE (Meaning): Bad company is a dangerous thing for man or beast.

The Lion and the Mosquitoes

One day Ah-Fou's father said to him, "Come here, my boy, and I will tell you a story.Do you remember the great lion we saw one day, which Ah-Kay caught?You know a strong rope held him, and he roared and tried to free himself until he died.Then when Ah-Kay took him from the net, he looked at the rope and the bamboo carefully, and found five of the great ropes broken.

"How strong is the lion?Twenty children like you could not break one strand of that great rope.But the lion broke five complete ropes.He is the strongest of all animals.He catches many creatures for his food, but once he lost a battle with one of the least of the wilderness creatures.Do you know what it was?"

"A bird could fight and then fly away.Was it a bird?"

"No, my son."

"A man is stronger than a lion."

"No; do you not remember the woodcutter who could put down five strong men?One night a wilderness lion caught and killed him."

"Then what was the smallest of all creatures of the wilderness that battled with a lion?"

The father said, "I will tell you the story: Once in the summer time the Lion was very thirsty.But the sun had taken all the water near the Lion's home and he went to many places seeking for it.In time he found an old well, but the water was not fresh.As the Lion was very thirsty, he said, 'I must drink, even though the water is stale.'

"But when he reached down into the old well, he found that it was the home of all the Mosquitoes of the wilderness.

"The Mosquitoes said to the Lion, 'Go away, we do not want you.This is our home and we are happy.We do not wish the lion, the fox, or the bear to come here.You are not our friend.Why do you come?"

"The Lion roared and said, 'Weak and foolish things!I am the Lion.It is you that should go away, for I have come to drink.This is my wilderness, and I am king.Do you know, weak things, that when I come out from my place and send forth my voice, all the creatures of the wilderness shake like leaves and bow their heads to me?What are you that you should have a place you call your home and tell me that I may or I may not?'

"Then the Mosquitoes answered, 'You are only one.You speak as if you were many.Our people had this old well for a home before your roar was heard in the wilderness.And many generations of us have been born here.This home is ours, and we are they that say who shall come or go.And yet you come and tell us to go out of our own door.If you do not leave us, we will call our people, and you shall know trouble.'

"But the Lion held his head high with pride and anger and said, 'What are you, oh, small of the small?I will kill every one of your useless people.When I drink, I will open my mouth only a little wider, and you shall be swallowed like the water.And to-morrow I shall forget that I drank to-day.'

"'Boastful one,' said the Mosquitoes, 'we do not believe that you have the power to destroy all our people.If you wish battle, we shall see.We know your name is great and that all animals bow their heads before you; but our people can kill you.'

"The Lion jumped high in his rage and said, 'No other creature in the wilderness has dared to say these things to me—the king.Have I come to the vile well of the silly Mosquitoes for wisdom?'And he held his head high, and gave the mighty roar of battle, and made ready to kill all the Mosquitoes.

"Then the Mosquitoes, big and little, flew around him.Many went into his ears, and the smallest ones went into his nose, and the big old ones went into his mouth to sting.A thousand and a thousand hung in the air just over his head and made a great noise, and the Lion soon knew that he could not conquer.

"He roared and jumped, and two of his front feet went down into the well.The well was narrow and deep and he could not get out, for his two hind feet were in the air and his head hung downward.And as he died, he said to himself:

"'My pride and anger have brought me this fate.Had I used gentle words, the Mosquitoes might have given me water for my thirst.I was wise and strong in the wilderness, and even the greatest of the animals feared my power.But I fought with the Mosquitoes and I die—not because I have not strength to overcome, but because of the foolishness of anger."

EE-SZE (Meaning): The wise can conquer the foolish.Power is nothing, strength is nothing.The wise, gentle and careful can always win.

FABLES OF LA FONTAINE*

  "Of Fables judge not by their face;
  They give the simplest brute a teacher's place.
  Bare precepts were inert and tedious things;
  The story gives them life and wings."

JEAN DE LA FONTAINE

*Translated by Elizur Wright, Jr.

FABLES OF LA FONTAINE

The Grasshopper and the Ant

  A Grasshopper gay
    Sang the summer away,
    And found herself poor
  By the winter's first roar.
  Of meat or of bread,
  Not a morsel she had!
  So a-begging she went,
  To her neighbour the Ant,
    For the loan of some wheat,
    Which would serve her to eat,
  Till the season came round.
    "I will pay you," she saith,
    "On an animal's faith,
  Double weight in the pound
  Ere the harvest be bound."
    The Ant is a friend—
    (And here she might mend)
    Little given to lend.
  "How spent you the summer?"
    Quoth she, looking shame
    At the borrowing dame.
  "Night and day to each comer
    I sang, if you please."
    "You sang!     I'm at ease,
  For 'tis plain at a glance,
  Now, ma'am, you must dance."

The Swan and the Cook

  The pleasures of a poultry yard
  Were by a Swan and Gosling shared.
  The Swan was kept there for his looks,
  The thrifty Gosling for the Cooks;
  The first the garden's pride, the latter
  A greater favourite on the platter.
  They swam the ditches, side by side,
  And oft in sports aquatic vied,
  Plunging, splashing far and wide,
  With rivalry ne'er satisfied.
    One day the Cook, named Thirsty John,
    Sent for the Gosling, took the Swan,
      In haste his throat to cut,
      And put him in the pot.
    The bird's complaint resounded
      In glorious melody;
    Whereat the Cook, astounded
      His sad mistake to see,
  Cried, "What!   make soup of a musician!
  Please God, I'll never set such dish on.
  No, no; I'll never cut a throat
  That sings so passing sweet a note."

  'Tis thus, whatever peril may alarm us,
  Sweet words will surely never harm us

The Hornets and the Bees

  "The artist by his work is known."
    A piece of honey-comb, one day,
    Discovered as a waif and stray,
  The Hornets treated as their own.
  Their title did the Bees dispute,
  And brought before a Wasp the suit.
  The judge was puzzled to decide,
  For nothing could be testified
  Save that around this honey-comb
  There had been seen, as if at home,
  Some longish, brownish, buzzing creatures,
  Much like the Bees in wings and features.
  But what of that?   for marks the same,
  The Hornets, too, could truly claim.
  Between assertion and denial,
  The Wasp, in doubt, proclaimed new trial;
  And, hearing what an ant-hill swore,
  Could see no clearer than before.
  "What use, I pray, of this expense?"
  At last exclaim'd a Bee of sense.
    "We've laboured months in this affair,
    And now are only where we were.
  Meanwhile the honey runs to waste:
  'Tis time the judge should show some haste.
  Both sides have had sufficient bleeding,
  Without more fuss of scrawls and pleading.
  Let's set to work, these drones and we,
  And then all eyes the truth may see,
    Whose art it is that can produce
    The magic cells, the nectar juice."
      The Hornets, flinching on their part,
      Show that the work transcends their art.
      The Wasp at length their title sees,
      And gives the honey to the Bees.

      Oh, would that suits at law with us
      Might every one be managed thus!

The Two Rats, the Fox, and the Egg

  Two Rats in foraging fell on an Egg—
    For gentry such as they
    A genteel dinner every way;
  They needed not to find an ox's leg.
    Brimful of joy and appetite,
      They were about to sack the box,
      So tight without the aid of locks,
    When suddenly there came in sight
  A personage—Sir Slyboots Fox.
    Sure, luck was never more untoward
    Since Fortune was a vixen froward!
  How should they save their Egg—and bacon?
    Their plunder couldn't then be bagg'd.
  Should it in forward paws be taken,
    Or roll'd along, or dragg'd?
    Each method seem'd impossible,
    And each was then of danger full.
  Necessity, ingenious mother,
  Brought forth what help'd them from their pother.
  As still there was a chance to save their prey,
  The sponger yet some hundred yards away—
  One seized the Egg, and turned upon his back,
  And then, in spite of many a thump and thwack,
  That would have torn, perhaps, a coat of mail,
  The other dragg'd him by the tail.
    Who dares the inference to blink,
    That beasts possess wherewith to think?

    Were I commission'd to bestow
    This power on creatures here below,
    The beasts should have as much of mind
    As infants of the human kind.

The Lion's Share

  The Heifer, the Goat, and their sister the Sheep,
  Compacted their earnings in common to keep,
  'Tis said, in time past, with a Lion, who swayed
  Full lordship o'er neighbours, of whatever grade.
  The Goat, as it happened, a Stag having snared,
  Sent off to the rest, that the beast might be shared.
  All gathered; the Lion first counts on his claws,
  And says, "We'll proceed to divide with our paws
  The stag into pieces, as fix'd by our laws."
    This done, he announces part first as his own;
    "'Tis mine," he says, "truly, as Lion alone."
    To such a decision there's nought to be said,
    As he who has made it is doubtless the head.
  "Well, also, the second to me should belong;
  'Tis mine, be it known, by the right of the strong.
  Again, as the bravest, the third must be mine.
  To touch but the fourth whoso maketh a sign,
        I'll choke him to death
        In the space of a breath!"

The Shepherd and His Dog

  A Shepherd, with a single Dog,
  Was ask'd the reason why
  He kept a Dog, whose least supply
  Amounted to a loaf of bread
  For every day.   The people said
  He'd better give the animal
  To guard the village seignior's hall;
  For him, a Shepherd, it would be
  A thriftier economy
  To keep small curs, say two or three,
  That would not cost him half the food,
  And yet for watching be as good.
  The fools, perhaps, forgot to tell
  If they would fight the wolf as well.
  The silly Shepherd, giving heed,
  Cast off his Dog of mastiff breed,
  And took three dogs to watch his cattle,
  Which ate far less, but fled in battle.

  Not vain our tale, if it convinces
    Small states that 'tis a wiser thing
    To trust a single powerful king,
  Than half a dozen petty princes.

The Old Man and the Ass

  An Old Man, riding on his Ass,
  Had found a spot of thrifty grass,
  And there turn'd loose his weary beast.
  Old Grizzle, pleased with such a feast,
  Flung up his heels, and caper'd round,
  Then roll'd and rubb'd upon the ground,
  And frisk'd and browsed and bray'd,
  And many a clean spot made.
  Arm'd men came on them as he fed:
  "Let's fly!"   in haste the Old Man said.
  "And wherefore so?"   the Ass replied;
  "With heavier burdens will they ride?"
    "No," said the man, already started,
    "Then," cried the Ass, as he departed.
    "I'll stay, and be—no matter whose;
    Save you yourself, and leave me loose,
    But let me tell you, ere you go
    (I speak plain English, as you know),
    My master is my only foe."

The Lion Going to War

  The Lion had an enterprise in hand;
    Held a war-council, sent his provost-marshal,
    And gave the animals a call impartial—
  Each, in his way, to serve his high command.
  The Elephant should carry on his back
  The tools of war, the mighty public pack,
  And fight in elephantine way and form;
  The Bear should hold himself prepared to storm;
  The Fox all secret stratagems should fix;
  The Monkey should amuse the foe by tricks.
  "Dismiss," said one, "the blockhead Asses,
    And Hares, too cowardly and fleet."
  "No," said the King; "I use all classes;
    Without their aid my force were incomplete.
  The Ass shall be our trumpeter, to scare
  Our enemy.   And then the nimble Hare
  Our royal bulletins shall homeward bear."

    A monarch provident and wise
  Will hold his subjects all of consequence,
    And know in each what talent lies.
  There's nothing useless to a man of sense.

The Ass and the Lap-dog

  One's native talent from its course
  Cannot be turned aside by force;
  But poorly apes the country clown
  The polish'd manners of the town.
    Their Maker chooses but a few
    With power of pleasing to imbue;
    Where wisely leave it we, the mass,
    Unlike a certain fabled Ass,
  That thought to gain his master's blessing
  By jumping on him and caressing.
    "What!"     said the Donkey in his heart;
    "Ought it to be that Puppy's part
      To lead his useless life
        In full companionship
      With master and his wife,
        While I must bear the whip?
  What doth the Cur a kiss to draw
  Forsooth, he only gives his paw!
  If that is all there needs to please,
  I'll do the thing myself, with ease."
    Possess'd with this bright notion—
  His master sitting on his chair,
  At leisure in the open air—
    He ambled up, with awkward motion,
  And put his talents to the proof;
  Upraised his bruised and batter'd hoof,
  And, with an amiable mien,
  His master patted on the chin,
  The action gracing with a word—
  The fondest bray that e'er was heard!
  Oh, such caressing was there ever?
  Or melody with such a quaver?
  "Ho!   Martin!   here!   a club, a club bring!"
    Out cried the master, sore offended.
  So Martin gave the Ass a drubbing—
    And so the comedy was ended.

The Hare and the Partridge

  A field in common share
  A Partridge and a Hare,
  And live in peaceful state,
  Till, woeful to relate!
  The hunters mingled cry
  Compels the Hare to fly.
  He hurries to his fort,
  And spoils almost the sport
  By faulting every hound
  That yelps upon the ground.
  At last his reeking heat
  Betrays his snug retreat.
  Old Tray, with philosophic nose,
  Snuffs carefully, and grows
  So certain, that he cries,
  "The Hare is here; bow wow!"
  And veteran Ranger now—
  The dog that never lies—
  "The Hare is gone," replies.
  Alas!   poor, wretched Hare,
  Back comes he to his lair,
  To meet destruction there!
  The Partridge, void of fear,
  Begins her friend to jeer:—
  "You bragg'd of being fleet;
  How serve you, now, your feet?"
  Scarce has she ceased to speak—
  The laugh yet in her beak—
  When comes her turn to die,
  From which she could not fly.
  She thought her wings, indeed,
  Enough for every need;
  But in her laugh and talk,
  Forgot the cruel hawk!

The Weasel in the Granary

  A Weasel through a hole contrived to squeeze,
      (She was recovering from disease),
      Which led her to a farmer's hoard.
  There lodged, her wasted form she cherish'd;
    Heaven knows the lard and victuals stored
      That by her gnawing perish'd!
      Of which the consequence
      Was sudden corpulence.
      A week or so was past,
    When having fully broken fast,
      A noise she heard, and hurried
    To find the hole by which she came,
    And seem'd to find it not the same;
      So round she ran, most sadly flurried;
    And, coming back, thrust out her head,
    Which, sticking there, she said,
    "This is the hole, there can't be blunder:
    What makes it now so small, I wonder,
  Where, but the other day, I pass'd with ease?"
      A Rat her trouble sees,
    And cries, "But with an emptier belly;
    You entered lean, and lean must sally."

The Wolf Turned Shepherd

    A Wolf, whose gettings from the flocks
      Began to be but few,
    Bethought himself to play the fox
      In character quite new.
  A Shepherd's hat and coat he took,
      A cudgel for a crook,
      Nor e'en the pipe forgot:
    And more to seem what he was not,
    Himself upon his hat he wrote,
    "I'm Willie, shepherd of these sheep."
      His person thus complete,
      His crook in upraised feet,
    The impostor Willie stole upon the keep.
    The proper Willie, on the grass asleep,
      Slept there, indeed, profoundly,
    His dog and pipe slept, also soundly;
      His drowsy sheep around lay.
      As for the greatest number,
    Much bless'd the hypocrite their slumber
    And hoped to drive away the flock,
    Could he the Shepherd's voice but mock.
      He thought undoubtedly he could.
    He tried: the tone in which he spoke,
      Loud echoing from the wood,
      The plot and slumber broke;
      Sheep, dog, and man awoke.
      The Wolf, in sorry plight,
      In hampering coat bedight,
      Could neither run nor fight.

    There's always leakage of deceit
    Which makes it never safe to cheat,
    Whoever is a Wolf had better
    Keep clear of hypocritic fetter.

The Lion and the Ass Hunting

  The King of animals, with royal grace,
  Would celebrate his birthday in the chase.
    Twas not with bow and arrows,
    To slay some wretched sparrows;
  The Lion hunts the wild boar of the wood,
  The antlered deer and stags, the fat and good.
    This time, the King, t' insure success,
    Took for his aide-de-camp an Ass,
    A creature of stentorian voice,
    That felt much honoured by the choice.
  The Lion hid him in a proper station,
  And ordered him to bray, for his vocation,
    Assured that his tempestuous cry
    The boldest beasts would terrify,
    And cause them from their lairs to fly.
  And, sooth, the horrid noise the creature made
  Did strike the tenants of the wood with dread;
    And, as they headlong fled,
  All fell within the Lion's ambuscade.
    "Has not my service glorious
    Made both of us victorious?"
    Cried out the much-elated Ass.
  "Yes," said the Lion; "bravely bray'd!
    Had I not known yourself and race,
  I should have been myself afraid!"
    The Donkey, had he dared,
    With anger would have flared
  At this retort, though justly made;
    For who could suffer boasts to pass
    So ill-befitting to an Ass?

The Oak and the Reed

  The Oak one day address'd the Reed:
  "To you ungenerous indeed
  Has nature been, my humble friend,
  With weakness aye obliged to bend.
  The smallest bird that flits in air
  Is quite too much for you to bear;
  The slightest wind that wreathes the lake
  Your ever-trembling head doth shake.
  The while, my towering form
    Dares with the mountain top
    The solar blaze to stop,
  And wrestle with the storm.
  What seems to you the blast of death,
  To me is but a zephyr's breath.
  Beneath my branches had you grown,
  Less suffering would your life have known,
    Unhappily you oftenest show
      In open air your slender form,
    Along the marshes wet and low,
      That fringe the kingdom of the storm.
    To you, declare I must,
    Dame Nature seems unjust."
  Then modestly replied the Reed:
  "Your pity, sir, is kind indeed,
  But wholly needless for my sake.
  The wildest wind that ever blew
  Is safe to me compared with you.
  I bend, indeed, but never break.
  Thus far, I own, the hurricane
  Has beat your sturdy back in vain;
  But wait the end."   Just at the word,
  The tempest's hollow voice was heard.
  The North sent forth her fiercest child,
  Dark, jagged, pitiless, and wild.
  The Oak, erect, endured the blow;
  The Reed bow'd gracefully and low.
  But, gathering up its strength once more,
  In greater fury than before,
  The savage blast o'erthrew, at last,
  That proud, old, sky-encircled head,
  Whose feet entwined the empire of the dead!

The Bat and the Two Weasels

  A blundering Bat once stuck her head
  Into a wakeful Weasel's bed;
  Whereat the mistress of the house,
    A deadly foe of rats and mice,
    Was making ready in a trice
  To eat the stranger as a mouse.
  "What!   do you dare," she said, "to creep in
  The very bed I sometimes sleep in,
  Now, after all the provocation
  I've suffered from your thievish nation?
  It's plain to see you are a mouse,
  That gnawing pest of every house,
  Your special aim to do the cheese ill.
  Ay, that you are, or I'm no Weasel."
    "I beg your pardon," said the Bat;
    "My kind is very far from that.
  What!   I a mouse!   Who told you such a lie?
    Why, ma'am, I am a bird;
    And, if you doubt my word,
  Just see the wings with which I fly.
  Long live the mice that cleave the sky!"
    These reasons had so fair a show,
    The Weasel let the creature go.

  By some strange fancy led,
  The same wise blunderhead,
  But two or three days later,
    Had chosen for her rest
    Another Weasel's nest,
  This last, of birds a special hater.
  New peril brought this step absurd:
    Without a moment's thought or puzzle,
    Dame Weasel, oped her peaked muzzle
  To eat th' intruder as a bird.
    "Hold!     do not wrong me," cried the Bat;
    "I'm truly no such thing as that.
  Your eyesight strange conclusions gathers.
  What makes a bird, I pray?   Its feathers.
    I'm cousin of the mice and rats.
    Great Jupiter confound the cats!"
  The Bat, by such adroit replying,
  Twice saved herself from dying.

  And many a human stranger
  Thus turns his coat in danger;
  And sings, as suits, where'er he goes,
  "God save the king!"   —or "save his foes!"

The Dove and the Ant

  A Dove came to a brook to drink,
  When, leaning o'er its crumbling brink,
  An Ant fell in, and vainly tried,
  In this, to her, an ocean tide,
  To reach the land; whereat the Dove,
  With every living thing in love,
  Was prompt a spire of grass to throw her,
  By which the Ant regained the shore.

  A barefoot scamp, both mean and sly,
  Soon after chanced this Dove to spy;
  And, being arm'd with bow and arrow,
    The hungry codger doubted not
    The bird of Venus, in his pot,
  Would make a soup before the morrow.
  Just as his deadly bow he drew,
    Our Ant just bit his heel.
    Roused by the villain's squeal,
  The Dove took timely hint, and flew
    Far from the rascal's coop—
    And with her flew his soup.

The Cock and the Fox

  Upon a tree there mounted guard
      A veteran Cock, adroit and cunning;
    When to the roots a Fox up running,
  Spoke thus, in tones of kind regard:
    "Our quarrel, brother, 's at an end;
    Henceforth I hope to live your friend;
        For peace now reigns
      Throughout the animal domains.
    I bear the news—come down, I pray,
      And give me the embrace fraternal;
    And please, my brother, don't delay.
      So much the tidings do concern all,
    That I must spread them far to-day.
    Now you and yours can take your walks
    Without a fear or thought of hawks.
  And should you clash with them or others,
  In us you'll find the best of brothers;
    For which you may, this joyful night,
    Your merry bonfires light.
      But, first, let's seal the bliss
      With one fraternal kiss."
    The Cock replied, "Upon my word,
    A better thing I never heard;
      And doubly I rejoice
      To hear it from your voice;
    There really must be something in it,
  For yonder come two greyhounds, which I flatter
  Myself are couriers on this very matter.
    They come so fast, they'll be here in a minute.
  I'll down, and all of us will seal the blessing
    With general kissing and caressing."
    "Adieu," said Fox; "my errand's pressing;
      I'll hurry on my way,
      And we'll rejoice some other day."
  So off the fellow scampered, quick and light,
  To gain the fox-holes of a neighbouring height,
  Less happy in his stratagem than flight.
    The Cock laugh'd sweetly in his sleeve—
    'Tis doubly sweet deceiver to deceive.

The Wolf, the Goat, and the Kid

  As went a Goat of grass to take her fill,
  And browse the herbage of a distant hill,
      She latch'd her door, and bid,
      With matron care, her Kid;
      "My daughter, as you live,
        This portal don't undo
        To any creature who
      This watchword does not give:
    'Deuce take the Wolf and all his race'!"
    The Wolf was passing near the place
  By chance, and heard the words with pleasure,
      And laid them up as useful treasure;
    And hardly need we mention,
    Escaped the Goat's attention.
        No sooner did he see
        The matron off, than he,
    With hypocritic tone and face,
    Cried out before the place,
    "Deuce take the Wolf and all his race!"
      Not doubting thus to gain admission.
      The Kid, not void of all suspicion,
      Peer'd through a crack, and cried,
    "Show me white paw before
    You ask me to undo the door."
  The Wolf could not, if he had died,
    For wolves have no connection
    With paws of that complexion.
  So, much surprised, our gourmandiser
  Retired to fast till he was wiser.

  How would the Kid have been undone
    Had she but trusted to the word
    The Wolf by chance had overheard!
  Two sureties better are than one;
    And cautions worth its cost,
    Though sometimes seeming lost.

The Fox, the Monkey, and the Animals

    Left kingless by the lion's death,
    The beasts once met, our story saith,
    Some fit successor to install.
  Forth from a dragon-guarded, moated place,
  The crown was brought and, taken from its case,
    And being tried by turns on all,
    The heads of most were found too small;
    Some horned were, and some too big;
      Not one would fit the regal gear.
    Forever ripe for such a rig,
    The Monkey, looking very queer,
    Approached with antics and grimaces,
    And, after scores of monkey faces,
  With what would seem a gracious stoop,
  Pass'd through the crown as through a hoop.
    The beasts, diverted with the thing,
    Did homage to him as their king.
    The Fox alone the vote regretted,
    But yet in public never fretted.
    When he his compliments had paid
    To royalty, thus newly made,
    "Great sire, I know a place," said he,
      "Where lies conceal'd a treasure,
    Which, by the right of royalty,
      Should bide your royal pleasure."
    The King lack'd not an appetite
      For such financial pelf,
    And, not to lose his royal right,
      Ran straight to see it for himself.
    It was a trap, and he was caught.
    Said Reynard, "Would you have it thought,
    You Ape, that you can fill a throne,
    And guard the rights of all, alone.
    Not knowing how to guard your own?"

    The beasts all gathered from the farce,
    That stuff for kings is very scarce.

The Rat and the Oyster

  A country Rat of little brains,
    Grown weary of inglorious rest,
  Left home with all its straws and grains,
    Resolved to know beyond his nest.
  When peeping through the nearest fence,
  "How big the world is, how immense!"
  He cried; "there rise the Alps, and that
  Is doubtless famous Ararat."
  His mountains were the works of moles,
  Or dirt thrown up in digging holes!
  Some days of travel brought him where
  The tide had left the Oysters bare.
  Since here our traveller saw the sea,
  He thought these shells the ships must be.
  "My father was, in truth," said he,
    "A coward, and an ignoramus;
  He dared not travel: as for me,
    I've seen the ships and ocean famous;
  Have cross'd the deserts without drinking,
  And many dangerous streams, unshrinking."
  Among the shut-up shell-fish, one
  Was gaping widely at the sun;
  It breathed, and drank the air's perfume,
  Expanding, like a flower in bloom.
    Both white and fat, its meat
    Appear'd a dainty treat.
  Our Rat, when he this shell espied,
  Thought for his stomach to provide.
  "If not mistaken in the matter,"
  Said he, "no meat was ever fatter,
  Or in its flavour half so fine,
  As that on which to-day I dine."
  Thus full of hope, the foolish chap
    Thrust in his head to taste,
  And felt the pinching of a trap—
    The Oyster closed in haste.

  Now those to whom the world is new
  Are wonder-struck at every view;
  And the marauder finds his match
  When he is caught who thinks to catch.

The Ass and the Dog

  Along the road an Ass and Dog
  One master following, did jog.
  Their master slept: meanwhile, the Ass
  Applied his nippers to the grass,
  Much pleased in such a place to stop,
  Though there no thistle he could crop.
  He would not be too delicate,
  Nor spoil a dinner for a plate,
  Which, but for that, his favourite dish,
  Were all that any Ass could wish.
    "My dear companion," Towser said—
  "'Tis as a starving Dog I ask it—
  Pray lower down your loaded basket,
    And let me get a piece of bread."
  No answer—not a word!   —indeed,
  The truth was, our Arcadian steed
  Fear'd lest, for every moment's flight,
  His nimble teeth should lose a bite.
  At last, "I counsel you," said he, "to wait
    Till master is himself awake,
    Who then, unless I much mistake,
  Will give his Dog the usual bait."
  Meanwhile, there issued from the wood
  A creature of the wolfish brood,
  Himself by famine sorely pinch'd.
  At sight of him the Donkey flinch'd,
  And begg'd the Dog to give him aid.
  The Dog budged not, but answer made,
  "I counsel thee, my friend, to run,
  Till master's nap is fairly done;
  There can, indeed, be no mistake
  That he will very soon awake;
  Till then, scud off with all your might;
  And should he snap you in your flight,
  This ugly Wolf—why, let him feel
  The greeting of your well-shod heel.
  I do not doubt, at all, but that
  Will be enough to lay him flat."
    But ere he ceased it was too late;
    The Ass had met his cruel fate.

The Monkey and the Leopard

  A Monkey and a Leopard were
    The rivals at a country fair.
  Each advertised his own attractions.
    Said one, "Good sirs, the highest place
    My merit knows; for, of his grace,
    The King hath seen me face to face;
  And, judging by his looks and actions,
  I gave the best of satisfactions.
  When I am dead, 'tis plain enough,
  My skin will make his royal muff.
  So richly is it streak'd and spotted,
  So delicately waved and dotted,
  Its various beauty cannot fail to please."
  And, thus invited, everybody sees;
  But soon they see, and soon depart.
  The Monkey's show-bill to the mart
  His merits thus sets forth the while,
  All in his own peculiar style:
  "Come, gentlemen, I pray you, come;
  In magic arts I am at home.
  The whole variety in which
  My neighbour boasts himself so rich
  Is to his simple skin confined,
  While mine is living in the mind.
  For I can speak, you understand;
  Can dance, and practise sleight-of-hand;
  Can jump through hoops, and balance sticks;
  In short, can do a thousand tricks;
  One penny is my charge to you,
  And, if you think the price won't do,
  When you have seen, then I'll restore,
  Each man his money at the door."

    The Ape was not to reason blind;
    For who in wealth of dress can find
    Such charms as dwell in wealth of mind?
    One meets our ever-new desires,
    The other in a moment tires.
    Alas!     how many lords there are,
      Of mighty sway and lofty mien,
    Who, like this Leopard at the fair,
      Show all their talents on the skin!

The Rat and the Elephant

  A Rat, of quite the smallest size,
  Fix'd on an Elephant his eyes,
  And jeer'd the beast of high descent
  Because his feet so slowly went.
  Upon his back, three stories high,
  There sat, beneath a canopy,
  A certain sultan of renown,
    His Dog, and Cat, and wife sublime,
    His parrot, servant, and his wine,
  All pilgrims to a distant town.
  The Rat profess'd to be amazed
  That all the people stood and gazed
  With wonder, as he pass'd the road,
  Both at the creature and his load.
      "As if," said he, "to occupy
      A little more of land or sky
  Made one, in view of common sense,
  Of greater worth and consequence!
  What see ye, men, in this parade,
  That food for wonder need be made?
  The bulk which makes a child afraid?
  In truth, I take myself to be,
  In all aspects, as good as he."
  And further might have gone his vaunt;
      But, darting down, the Cat
      Convinced him that a Rat
  Is smaller than an elephant.

The Acorn and the Pumpkin

  God's works are good.  This truth to prove
  Around the world I need not move;
    I do it by the nearest Pumpkin.
  "This fruit so large, on vine so small,"
    Surveying once, exclaim'd a bumpkin—
  "What could He mean who made us all?
  He's left this Pumpkin out of place.
  If I had order'd in the case,
  Upon that oak it should have hung——
  A noble fruit as ever swung
  To grace a tree so firm and strong.
  Indeed, it was a great mistake,
      As this discovery teaches,
  That I myself did not partake
  His counsels whom my curate preaches.
  All things had then in order come;
    This Acorn, for example,
      Not bigger than my thumb,
  Had not disgraced a tree so ample.
  The more I think, the more I wonder
  To see outraged proportion's laws,
  And that without the slightest cause;
  God surely made an awkward blunder."
  With such reflections proudly fraught,
  Our sage grew tired of mighty thought,
  And threw himself on Nature's lap,
  Beneath an oak, to take his nap.
  Plump on his nose, by lucky hap,
  An Acorn fell: he waked, and in
  The scarf he wore beneath his chin,
  He found the cause of such a bruise
  As made him different language use.
  "Oh!   Oh!"   he cried; "I bleed!   I bleed!
  And this is what has done the deed!
  But, truly, what had been my fate,
  Had this had half a Pumpkin's weight!
  I see that God had reasons good,
  And all His works were understood."
  Thus home he went in humbler mood.

The Cat and the Fox

  The Cat and Fox, when saints were all the rage
  Together went upon pilgrimage.
  Our Pilgrims, as a thing of course,
  Disputed till their throats were hoarse.
    Then, dropping to a lower tone,
  They talk'd of this, and talk'd of that,
  Till Reynard whisper'd to the Cat,
    "You think yourself a knowing one:
  How many cunning tricks have you?
  For I've a hundred, old and new,
  All ready in my haversack."
  The Cat replied, "I do not lack,
    Though with but one provided;
  And, truth to honour, for that matter,
  I hold it than a thousand better."
    In fresh dispute they sided;
  And loudly were they at it, when
  Approach'd a mob of dogs and men.
  "Now," said the Cat, "your tricks ransack,
  And put your cunning brains to rack,
  One life to save; I'll show you mine—
  A trick, you see, for saving nine."
  With that, she climb'd a lofty pine.
  The Fox his hundred ruses tried,
    And yet no safety found.
  A hundred times he falsified.
    The nose of every hound
  Was here, and there, and everywhere,
    Above, and under ground;
  But yet to stop he did not dare,
  Pent in a hole, it was no joke,
  To meet the terriers or the smoke.
  So, leaping into upper air,
  He met two dogs, that choked him there.

  Expedients may be too many,
    Consuming time to choose and try.
  On one, but that as good as any,
    'Tis best in danger to rely.

The City Rat and the Country Rat

  A city Rat, one night
    Did with a civil stoop
  A Country Rat invite
    To end a turtle soup.

  Upon a Turkey carpet
    They found the table spread,
  And sure I need not harp it
    How well the fellows fed.

  The entertainment was
    A truly noble one;
  But some unlucky cause
    Disturbed it when begun

  It was a slight rat-tat,
    That put their Joys to rout;
  Out ran the City Rat;
    His guest, too, scampered out.

  Our rats but fairly quit,
    The fearful knocking ceased,
  "Return we," said the cit,
    "To finish there our feast."

  "No," said the Rustic Rat;
    "To-morrow dine with me.
  I'm not offended at
    Your feast so grand and free,

  "For I've no fare resembling;
    But then I eat at leisure,
  And would not swap for pleasure
    So mixed with fear and trembling."

The Ploughman and His Sons

  A wealthy Ploughman drawing near his end
  Call'd in his Sons apart from every friend,
  And said, "When of your sire bereft,
  The heritage our fathers left
  Guard well, nor sell a single field.
  A treasure in it is conceal'd:
  The place, precisely, I don't know,
  But industry will serve to show.
  The harvest past.   Time's forelock take,
  And search with plough, and spade, and rake;
  Turn over every inch of sod,
  Nor leave unsearch'd a single clod."
  The father died.   The Sons in vain—
  Turn'd o'er the soil, and o'er again;
  That year their acres bore
  More grain than e'er before.
  Though hidden money found they none,
  Yet had their Father wisely done,
    To show by such a measure
    That toil itself is treasure.

  The farmer's patient care and toil
  Are oftener wanting than the soil.

The Fox, the Wolf, and the Horse

  A Fox, though young, by no means raw,
    Had seen a Horse, the first he ever saw:
  "Ho!   neighbour Wolf," said he to one quite green,
  "A creature in our meadow I have seen—
      Sleek, grand!       I seem to see him yet—
      The finest beast I ever met."
      "Is he a stouter one than we?"
      The Wolf demanded, eagerly;
      "Some picture of him let me see."
  "If I could paint," said Fox, "I should delight
  T' anticipate your pleasure at the sight;
  But come; who knows?   perhaps it is a prey
      By fortune offer'd in our way."
    They went.     The Horse, turn'd loose to graze,
    Not liking much their looks and ways,
        Was just about to gallop off.
  "Sir," said the Fox, "your humble servants, we
  Make bold to ask you what your name may be."
    The Horse, an animal with brains enough,
  Replied, "Sirs, you yourselves may read my name;
  My shoer round my heel hath writ the same."
  The Fox excus'd himself for want of knowledge:
    "Me, sir, my parents did not educate,
    So poor, a hole was their entire estate.
  My friend, the Wolf, however, taught at college,
      Could read it, were it even Greek."
        The Wolf, to flattery weak,
      Approached to verify the boast;
      For which four teeth he lost.
  The high raised hoof came down with such a blow
  As laid him bleeding on the ground full low.
  "My brother," said the Fox, "this shows how just
    What once was taught me by a fox of wit—
    Which on thy jaws this animal hath writ—
  'All unknown things the wise mistrust.'   "

The Woodman and Mercury

  A Man that laboured in the wood
    Had lost his honest livelihood;
      That is to say,
  His axe was gone astray.
  He had no tools to spare;
  This wholly earn'd his fare.
  Without a hope beside,
  He sat him down and cried,
  "Alas, my axe!   where can it be?
  O Jove!   but send it back to me,
  And it shall strike good blows for thee."
  His prayer in high Olympus heard,
  Swift Mercury started at the word.
  "Your axe must not be lost," said he:
  "Now, will you know it when you see?
  An axe I found upon the road."
  With that an axe of gold he show'd.
  "Is't this?"   The Woodman answer'd, "Nay."
  An axe of silver, bright and gay,
  Refused the honest Woodman too.
  At last the finder brought to view
  An axe of iron, steel, and wood.
  "That's mine," he said, in joyful mood;
  "With that I'll quite contented be."
  The god replied, "I give the three,
  As due reward of honesty."
  This luck when neighbouring choppers knew,
  They lost their axes, not a few,
  And sent their prayers to Jupiter
  So fast, he knew not which to hear.
  His winged son, however, sent
  With gold and silver axes, went.
  Each would have thought himself a fool
  Not to have own'd the richest tool.
  But Mercury promptly gave, instead
  Of it, a blow upon the head.

    With simple truth to be contented,
    Is surest not to be repented:
    But still there are who would
    With evil trap the good,
    Whose cunning is but stupid,
    For Jove is never duped.

The Eagle and the Owl

    The Eagle and the Owl, resolved to cease
    Their war, embraced in pledge of peace.
  On faith of King, on faith of Owl, they swore
  That they would eat each other's chicks no more.
    "But know you mine?"     said Wisdom's bird.
      "Not I, indeed," the Eagle cried.
      "The worse for that," the Owl replied:
    "I fear your oath's a useless word;
      I fear that you, as king, will not
      Consider duly who or what:
    Adieu, my young, if you should meet them!"
  "Describe them, then, and I'll not eat them,"
  The Eagle said.   The Owl replied:
  "My little ones, I say with pride,
  For grace of form cannot be match'd—
  The prettiest birds that e'er were hatch'd;
  By this you cannot fail to know them;
  'Tis needless, therefore, that I show them."
  At length God gives the Owl some heirs,
  And while at early eve abroad he fares,
    In quest of birds and mice for food,
    Our Eagle haply spies the brood,
    As on some craggy rock they sprawl,
    Or nestle in some ruined wall,
    (But which it matters not at all,)
    And thinks them ugly little frights,
    Grim, sad, with voice like shrieking sprites.
  "These chicks," says he, "with looks almost infernal,
  Can't be the darlings of our friend nocturnal.
  I'll sup of them."   And so he did, not slightly:
  He never sups, if he can help it, lightly.
    The Owl return'd; and, sad, he found
    Nought left but claws upon the ground.
  He pray'd the gods above and gods below
  To smite the brigand who had caused his woe.
  Quoth one, "On you alone the blame must fall;
  Thinking your like the loveliest of all,
  You told the Eagle of your young ones' graces;
    You gave the picture of their faces:
    Had it of likeness any traces?"

The Earthen Pot and the Iron Pot

  An Iron Pot proposed
    To an Earthen Pot a journey.
  The latter was opposed,
    Expressing the concern he
  Had felt about the danger
  Of going out a ranger.
  He thought the kitchen hearth
  The safest place on earth
  For one so very brittle.
  "For thee, who art a kettle,
  And hast a tougher skin,
  There's nought to keep thee in."
  "I'll be thy bodyguard,"
    Replied the Iron Pot;
  "If anything that's hard
    Should threaten thee a jot,
  Between you I will go,
  And save thee from the blow."
    This offer him persuaded.
    The Iron Pot paraded
    Himself as guard and guide
    Close at his cousin's side.
    Now, in their tripod way,
    They hobble as they may;
    And eke together bolt
    At every little jolt—
    Which gives the crockery pain;
      But presently his comrade hits
      So hard, he dashes him to bits,
    Before he can complain.

  Take care that you associate
  With equals only, lest your fate
  Between these pots should find its mate.

The Wolf and the Lean Dog

  A Troutling, some time since,
      Endeavoured vainly to convince
    A hungry fisherman
  Of his unfitness for the frying-pan.
    The fisherman had reason good—
    The troutling did the best he could—
      Both argued for their lives.
    Now, if my present purpose thrives,
  I'll prop my former proposition
  By building on a small addition.
    A certain Wolf, in point of wit
    The prudent fisher's opposite,
    A Dog once finding far astray,
    Prepared to take him as his prey.
      The Dog his leanness plead;
      "Your lordship, sure," he said,
      "Cannot be very eager
      To eat a dog so meagre.
    To wait a little do not grudge:
  The wedding of my master's only daughter
  Will cause of fatted calves and fowls a slaughter;
      And then, as you yourself can judge,
      I cannot help becoming fatter."
      The Wolf, believing, waived the matter,
      And so, some days therefrom,
        Return'd with sole design to see
        If fat enough his Dog might be.
      The rogue was now at home:
      He saw the hunter through the fence.
          "My friend," said he, "please wait;
      I'll be with you a moment hence,
        And fetch our porter of the gate."
      This porter was a dog immense,
      That left to wolves no future tense.
        Suspicion gave our Wolf a jog—
        It might not be so safely tamper'd.
      "My service to your porter dog,"
    Was his reply, as off he scampered.
    His legs proved better than his head,
    And saved him life to learn his trade.

The Ears of the Hare

  Some beast with horns did gore
      The Lion; and that sovereign dread,
  Resolved to suffer so no more,
    Straight banish'd from his realm, 'tis said,
  All sorts of beasts with horns—
  Rams, bulls, goats, stags, and unicorns.
    Such brutes all promptly fled.
  A Hare, the shadow of his ears perceiving,
    Could hardly help believing
  That some vile spy for horns would take them,
  And food for accusation make them.
    "Adieu," said he, "my neighbour cricket;
    I take my foreign ticket.
      My ears, should I stay here,
      Will turn to horns, I fear;
    And were they shorter than a bird's,
    I fear the effect of words."
  "These horns!"   the cricket answered; "why,
  God made them ears who can deny?"
  "Yes," said the coward, "still they'll make them horns,
  And horns, perhaps, of unicorns!
    In vain shall I protest,
  With all the learning of the schools:
    My reasons they will send to rest
      In th' Hospital of Fools."

The Ass Carrying Relics

  An Ass, with relics for his load,
  Supposed the worship on the road
  Meant for himself alone,
    And took on lofty airs,
  Receiving as his own
    The incense and the prayers.
  Some one, who saw his great mistake,
  Cried, "Master Donkey, do not make
    Yourself so big a fool.
  Not you they worship, but your pack;
  They praise the idols on your back,
    And count yourself a paltry tool."

    'Tis thus a brainless magistrate
    Is honoured for his robe of state.

The Two Mules

  Two Mules were bearing on their backs,
  One, oats; the other, silver of the tax.
    The latter glorying in his load,
    March'd proudly forward on the road;
  And, from the jingle of his bell,
  'Twas plain he liked his burden well.
    But in a wild-wood glen
    A band of robber men
  Rush'd forth upon the twain.
    Well with the silver pleased,
    They by the bridle seized
  The treasure Mule so vain.
  Poor Mule!   in struggling to repel
  His ruthless foes, he fell
  Stabb'd through; and with a bitter sighing,
    He cried: "Is this the lot they promised me?
    My humble friend from danger free,
  While, weltering in my gore, I'm dying?"
    "My friend," his fellow-mule replied,
  "It is not well to have one's work too high.
  If thou hadst been a miller's drudge, as I,
    Thou wouldst not thus have died."

The Lion and the Gnat

  "Go, paltry insect, nature's meanest brat!"
  Thus said the royal Lion to the Gnat.
      The Gnat declared immediate war.
  "Think you," said he, "your royal name
        To me worth caring for?
  Think you I tremble at your power or fame?
    The ox is bigger far than you;
    Yet him I drive, and all his crew."
    This said, as one that did no fear owe,
      Himself he blew the battle charge,
    Himself both trumpeter and hero.
      At first he play'd about at large,
  Then on the Lion's neck, at leisure, settled,
  And there the royal beast full sorely nettled.
    With foaming mouth, and flashing eye,
    He roars.     All creatures hide or fly—
      Such mortal terror at
      The work of one poor Gnat!
  With constant change of his attack,
  The snout now stinging, now the back,
  And now the chambers of the nose;
  The pigmy fly no mercy shows.
    The Lion's rage was at its height;
    His viewless foe now laugh'd outright,
    When on his battle-ground he saw,
    That every savage tooth and claw
      Had got its proper beauty
      By doing bloody duty;
  Himself, the hapless Lion tore his hide,
  And lash'd with sounding tail from side to side.
    Ah!     bootless blow, and bite, and curse!
    He beat the harmless air, and worse;
      For, though so fierce and stout,
      By effort wearied out,
    He fainted, fell, gave up the quarrel;
    The Gnat retires with verdant laurel.

        We often have the most to fear
          From those we most despise;
        Again, great risks a man may clear
          Who by the smallest dies.

The Countryman and the Serpent

  A Countryman, as Aesop certifies,
  A charitable man, but not so wise,
    One day in winter found,
    Stretched on the snowy ground,
    A chill'd or frozen Snake,
    As torpid as a stake,
    And, if alive, devoid of sense.
  He took him up, and bore him home,
    And, thinking not what recompense
  For such a charity would come,
        Before the fire stretch'd him,
        And back to being fetch'd him.
    The Snake scarce felt the genial heat
    Before his heart with native malice beat.
  He raised his head, thrust out his forked tongue,
  Coil'd up, and at his benefactor sprung.
  "Ungrateful wretch!"   said he, "is this the way
      My care and kindness you repay?
  Now you shall die."   With that his axe he takes,
  And with two blows three serpents makes.
  Trunk, head, and tail were separate snakes;
    And, leaping up with all their might,
    They vainly sought to reunite.

    'Tis good and lovely to be kind;
    But charity should not be blind;
    For as to wretchedness ingrate,
    You cannot raise it from its wretched state.

The Dairywoman and the Pot of Milk

  A Pot of Milk upon her cushioned crown,
  Good Peggy hastened to the market town;
  Short-clad and light, with step she went,
  Not fearing any accident;
    Indeed to be the nimbler tripper,
      Her dress that day,
      The truth to say,
    Was simply petticoat and slipper.
      And, thus bedight,
      Good Peggy, light,
    Her gains already counted,
      Laid out the cash
      At single dash,
  Which to a hundred eggs amounted.
        Three nests she made,
        Which, by the aid
  Of diligence and care, were hatched.
        "To raise the chicks,
        We'll easily fix,"
  Said she, "beside our cottage thatched.
        The fox must get
        More cunning yet,
  Or leave enough to buy a pig.
        With little care,
        And any fare,
  He'll grow quite fat and big;
        And then the price
        Will be so nice
  For which the pork will sell!
        'Twill go quite hard
        But in our yard
  I'll bring a cow and calf to dwell—
    A calf to frisk among the flock!"
  The thought made Peggy do the same;
  And down at once the milk pot came,
    And perished with the shock.
  Calf, cow, and pig, and chicks, adieu!
  Your mistress' face is sad to view—
  She gives a tear to fortune spilt;
  Then, with the down-cast look of guilt,
  Home to her husband empty goes,
  Somewhat in danger of his blows.

  Who buildeth not, sometimes, in air,
  His cots, or seats, or castles fair?
  From kings to dairywomen—all—
  The wise, the foolish, great and small—
  Each thinks his waking dream the best.
  Some flattering error fills the breast:
  The world, with all its wealth, is ours,
  Its honours, dames, and loveliest bowers.
  Instinct with valour, where alone,
  I hurl the monarch from his throne;
  The people glad to see him dead,
  Elect me monarch in his stead,
  And diadems rain on my head.
  Some accident then calls me back,
  And I'm no more than simple Jack!

The Monkey and the Cat

  Sly Bertrand and Ratto in company sat,
  (The one was a Monkey, the other a Cat,)
    Co-servants and lodgers:
    More mischievous codgers
  Ne'er mess'd from a platter, since platters were flat.
  Was anything wrong in the house or about it,
  The neighbours were blameless—no mortal could doubt it;
  For Bertrand was thievish, and Ratto so nice,
  More attentive to cheese than he was to the mice.
  One day the two plunderers sat by the fire,
  Where chestnuts were roasting, with looks of desire.
  To steal them would be a right noble affair.
  A double inducement our heroes drew there—
  'Twould benefit them, could they swallow their fill,
  And then 'twould occasion to somebody ill.
  Said Bertrand to Ratto, "My brother, to-day
  Exhibit your powers in a masterly way,
    And take me these chestnuts, I pray.
    Which were I but otherwise fitted
    (As I am ingeniously wilted)
    For pulling things out of the flame,
    Would stand but a pitiful game."
  "'Tis done," replied Ratto, all prompt to obey;
  And thrust out his paw in a delicate way.
    First giving the ashes a scratch,
    He open'd the coveted batch;
    Then lightly and quickly impinging,
    He drew out, in spite of the singeing,
  One after another, the chestnuts at last—
  While Bertrand contrived to devour them as fast.
    A servant girl enters.     Adieu to the fun.
    Our Ratto was hardly contented, says one.

    No more are the princes, by flattery paid
    For furnishing help in a different trade,
      And burning their fingers to bring
      More power to some mightier king.

The Lioness and the Bear

  The Lioness had lost her young;
    A hunter stole it from the vale;
  The forests and the mountains rung
    Responsive to her hideous wail.
  Nor night, nor charms of sweet repose,
  Could still the loud lament that rose
      From that grim forest queen.
    No animal, as you might think,
    With such a noise could sleep a wink.
      A Bear presumed to intervene.
        "One word, sweet friend," quoth she,
        "And that is all, from me.
  The young that through your teeth have passed,
  In file unbroken by a fast,
        Had they nor dam nor sire?"
        "They had them both."         "Then I desire,
  Since all their deaths caused no such grievous riot,
  While mothers died of grief beneath your fiat,
  To know why you yourself cannot be quiet?"
        "I quiet!         —I!         —a wretch bereaved!
        My only son!         —such anguish be relieved!
        No, never!         All for me below
        Is but a life of tears and woe!"         —
  "But say, why doom yourself to sorrow so?"
  "Alas!   'tis Destiny that is my foe."

    Such language, since the mortal fall,
    Has fallen from the lips of all.
    Ye human wretches, give your heed;
    For your complaints there's little need.
  Let him who thinks his own the hardest case,
    Some widowed, childless Hecuba behold,
    Herself to toil and shame of slavery sold,
  And he will own the wealth of heavenly grace.

The Cat and the Two Sparrows

  Contemporary with a Sparrow tame
    There lived a Cat; from tenderest age,
    Of both, the basket and the cage
  Had household gods the same.
  The Bird's sharp beak full oft provoked the Cat,
  Who play'd in turn, but with a gentle pat,
  His wee friend sparing with a merry laugh,
  Not punishing his faults by half.
    In short, he scrupled much the harm,
    Should he with points his ferule arm.
    The Sparrow, less discreet than he,
    With dagger beak made very free.
    Sir Cat, a person wise and staid,
    Excused the warmth with which he play'd:
      For 'tis full half of friendship's art
      To take no joke in serious part.
      Familiar since they saw the light,
    Mere habit kept their friendship good;
  Fair play had never turn'd to fight,
    Till, of their neighbourhood,
  Another sparrow came to greet
  Old Ratto grave and Saucy Pete.
  Between the birds a quarrel rose,
    And Ratto took his side.
  "A pretty stranger, with such blows
    To beat our friend!"     he cried.
  "A neighbour's sparrow eating ours!
  Not so, by all the feline powers."
  And quick the stranger he devours.
    "Now, truly," saith Sir Cat,
    "I know how sparrows taste by that.
  Exquisite, tender, delicate!"
  This thought soon seal'd the other's fate.
  But hence what moral can I bring?
  For, lacking that important thing,
  A fable lacks its finishing:
  I seem to see of one some trace,
  But still its shadow mocks my chase.

The Sick Stag

  A Stag, where stags abounded,
  Fell sick and was surrounded
  Forthwith by comrades kind,
    All—pressing to assist,
    Or see, their friend, at least,
  And ease his anxious mind—
    An irksome multitude.
  "Ah, sirs!"   the sick was fain to cry,
  "Pray leave me here to die,
    As others do, in solitude.
  Pray, let your kind attentions cease,
  Till death my spirit shall release."
  But comforters are not so sent:
  On duty sad full long intent,
  When Heaven pleased, they went:
  But not without a friendly glass;
  That is to say, they cropp'd the grass
  And leaves which in that quarter grew,
  From which the sick his pittance drew.
  By kindness thus compell'd to fast,
  He died for want of food at last.

    The men take off no trifling dole
    Who heal the body, or the soul.
    Alas the times!     do what we will,
    They have their payment, cure or kill.

The Wolf and the Fox

  "Dear Wolf," complain'd a hungry Fox,
  "A lean chick's meat, or veteran cock's,
    Is all I get by toil or trick:
    Of such a living I am sick.
    With far less risk, you've better cheer;
    A house you need not venture near,
    But I must do it, spite of fear.
    Pray, make me master of your trade.
    And let me by that means be made
    The first of all my race that took
    Fat mutton to his larder's hook:
    Your kindness shall not be repented."
    The Wolf quite readily consented.
    "I have a brother, lately dead:
    Go fit his skin to yours," he said.
  'Twas done; and then the wolf proceeded:
    "Now mark you well what must be done
    The dogs that guard the flock to shun."
  The Fox the lessons strictly heeded.
    At first he boggled in his dress;
    But awkwardness grew less and less,
    Till perseverance gave success.
    His education scarce complete,
    A flock, his scholarship to greet,
      Came rambling out that way.
    The new-made Wolf his work began,
    Amidst the heedless nibblers ran,
      And spread a sore dismay.
    The bleating host now surely thought
    That fifty wolves were on the spot:
      Dog, shepherd, sheep, all homeward fled,
    And left a single sheep in pawn,
    Which Reynard seized when they were gone.
      But, ere upon his prize he fed,
    There crow'd a cock near by, and down
    The scholar threw his prey and gown,
  That he might run that way the faster—
  Forgetting lessons, prize and master.

      Reality, in every station,
      Will burst out on the first occasion.

The Woods and the Woodman

  A certain Wood-chopper lost or broke
  From his axe's eye a bit of oak.
  The forest must needs be somewhat spared
  While such a loss was being repair'd.
  Came the man at last, and humbly pray'd
    That the Woods would kindly lend to him—
    A moderate loan—a single limb,
  Whereof might another helve be made,
  And his axe should elsewhere drive its trade.
  Oh, the oaks and firs that then might stand,
  A pride and a joy throughout the land,
  For their ancientness and glorious charms!
  The innocent Forest lent him arms;
  But bitter indeed was her regret;
  For the wretch, his axe new-helved and whet,
  Did nought but his benefactress spoil
  Of the finest trees that graced her soil;
  And ceaselessly was she made to groan,
  Doing penance for that fatal loan.

  Behold the world-stage and its actors,
  Where benefits hurt benefactors!
    A weary theme, and full of pain;
  For where's the shade so cool and sweet,
  Protecting strangers from the heat,
    But might of such a wrong complain?
      Alas!       I vex myself in vain;
      Ingratitude, do what I will,
      Is sure to be the fashion still.

The Shepherd and the Lion

  The Fable Aesop tells is nearly this:
  A Shepherd from his flock began to miss,
  And long'd to catch the stealer of his sheep.
      Before a cavern, dark and deep,
      Where wolves retired by day to sleep,
      Which he suspected as the thieves,
      He set his trap among the leaves;
      And, ere he left the place,
      He thus invoked celestial grace:
      "O king of all the powers divine,
  Against the rogue but grant me this delight,
  That this my trap may catch him in my sight,
      And I, from twenty calves of mine,
      Will make the fattest thine."
    But while the words were on his tongue,
    Forth came a Lion great and strong.
    Down crouch'd the man of sheep, and said.
    With shivering fright half dead,
  "Alas!   that man should never be aware
  Of what may be the meaning of his prayer!
      To catch the robber of my flocks,
    O king of gods, I pledged a calf to thee:
    If from his clutches thou wilt rescue me,
      I'll raise my offering to an ox."

The Animals Sick of the Plague

  The sorest ill that Heaven hath
  Sent on this lower world in wrath—
  The Plague (to call it by its name)
      One single day of which
      Would Pluto's ferryman enrich—
  Waged war on beasts, both wild and tame.
  They died not all, but all were sick:
  No hunting now, by force or trick,
  To save what might so soon expire,
  No food excited their desire;
  Nor wolf nor fox now watch'd to slay
  The innocent and tender prey.
          The turtles fled;
  So love and therefore joy were dead.
  The Lion council held, and said:
  "My friends, I do believe
  This awful scourge, for which we grieve,
  Is for our sins a punishment
  Most righteously by Heaven sent.
  Let us our guiltiest beast resign,
  A sacrifice to wrath divine.
  Perhaps this offering, truly small,
  May gain me life and health of all.
  By history we find it noted
  That lives have been just so devoted.
  Then let us all turn eyes within,
  And ferret out the hidden sin.
  Himself let no one spare nor flatter,
  But make clean conscience in the matter.
  For me, my appetite has play'd the glutton
  Too much and often upon mutton.
  What harm had e'er my victims done?
      I answer, truly, None.
  Perhaps, sometimes, by hunger pressed,
  I've eat the shepherd with the rest.
  I yield myself, if need there be;
  And yet I think, in equity,
  Each should confess his sins with me;
  For laws of right and justice cry,
  The guiltiest alone should die."
  "Sire," said the Fox, "your majesty
  Is humbler than a king should be,
  And over-squeamish in the case.
    What!     eating stupid sheep a crime?
    No, never, sire, at any time.
  It rather was an act of grace,
  A mark of honour to their race.
  And as to shepherds, one may swear,
    The fate your majesty describes
  Is recompense less full than fair
    For such usurpers o'er our tribes."

    Thus Reynard glibly spoke,
  And loud applause from flatterers broke,
  Of neither tiger, boar, nor bear,
  Did any keen inquirer dare
  To ask for crimes of high degree;
    The fighters, biters, scratchers, all
  From every mortal sin were free;
    The very dogs, both great and small,
  Were saints, as far as dogs could be.

    The Ass, confessing in his turn,
  Thus spoke in tones of deep concern:
  "I happen'd through a mead to pass;
  The monks, its owners, were at mass;
  Keen hunger, leisure, tender grass,
    And add to these the devil too,
    All tempted me the deed to do.
  I browsed the bigness of my tongue;
  Since truth must out, I own it wrong."

  On this, a hue and cry arose,
  As if the beasts were all his foes:
  A Wolf, haranguing lawyer-wise,
  Denounced the Ass for sacrifice—
  The bald-pate, scabby, ragged lout,
  By whom the plague had come, no doubt.
  His fault was judged a hanging crime.
    "What?     eat another's grass?     O shame!
  The noose of rope and death sublime,
    For that offence, were all too tame!"
    And soon poor Grizzle felt the same.

    Thus human courts acquit the strong,
    And doom the weak, as therefore wrong.

The Fowler, the Hawk, and the Lark

  From wrongs of wicked men we draw
    Excuses for our own;
  Such is the universal law.
    Would you have mercy shown,
    Let yours be clearly known.

  A Fowler's mirror served to snare
  The little tenants of the air.
  A Lark there saw her pretty face,
  And was approaching to the place.
    A Hawk, that sailed on high,
    Like vapour in the sky,
  Came down, as still as infant's breath,
  On her who sang so near her death.
  She thus escaped the Fowler's steel,
  The Hawk's malignant claws to feel.
    While in his cruel way,
    The pirate plucked his prey,
  Upon himself the net was sprung.
    "O Fowler," prayed he in the hawkish tongue,
    "Release me in thy clemency!
  I never did a wrong to thee."
  The man replied, "'Tis true;
  And did the Lark to you?"

Phoebus and Boreas

  Old Boreas and the Sun, one day,
  Espied a traveller on his way,
  Whose dress did happily provide
  Against whatever might betide.
  The time was autumn, when, indeed,
  All prudent travellers take heed.
  The rains that then the sunshine dash,
  And Iris with her splendid sash,
  Warn one who does not like to soak
  To wear abroad a good thick coat.
  Our man was therefore well bedight
  With double mantle, strong and tight.
  "This fellow," said the Wind, "has meant
  To guard from every ill event;
  But little does he wot that I
    Can blow him such a blast
    That, not a button fast,
  His cloak shall cleave the sky.
  Come, here's a pleasant game.   Sir Sun!
    Wilt play?"     Said Phoebus, "Done!
    We'll bet between us here
    Which first will take the gear
    From off this cavalier.
    Begin, and shut away
    The brightness of my ray."
  "Enough."   Our blower, on the bet,
    Swelled out his pursy form
    With all the stuff for storm—
  The thunder, hail, and drenching wet,
  And all the fury he could muster;
  Then, with a very demon's bluster,
  He whistled, whirled, and splashed,
  And down the torrents dashed,
    Full many a roof uptearing
      He never did before,
    Full many a vessel bearing
      To wreck upon the shore—
    And all to doff a single cloak.
    But vain the furious stroke;
      The traveller was stout,
      And kept the tempest out,
      Defied the hurricane,
      Defied the pelting rain;
  And as the fiercer roared the blast,
  His cloak the tighter held he fast.
  The Sun broke out, to win the bet;
    He caused the clouds to disappear,
    Refreshed and warmed the cavalier,
  And through his mantle made him sweat,
    Till off it came, of course,
  In less than half an hour;
  And yet the Sun saved half his power—
    So much does mildness more than force.

The Stag and the Vine

  A Stag, by favour of a Vine,
  Which grew where suns most genial shine,
  And formed a thick and matted bower
  Which might have turned a summer shower,
  Was saved by ruinous assault.
  The hunters thought their dogs at fault,
  And called them off.   In danger now no more
    The Stag, a thankless wretch and vile,
  Began to browse his benefactress o'er.
    The hunters listening the while,
  The rustling heard, came back,
  With all their yelping pack,
    And seized him in that very place.
  "This is," said he, "but justice, in my case.
    Let every black ingrate
    Henceforward profit by my fate."
  The dogs fell to—'twere wasting breath
  To pray those hunters at the death.
  They left, and we will not revile 'em,
  A warning for profaners of asylum.

The Peacock Complaining to Juno

  The Peacock to the Queen of heaven
    Complained in some such words:
  "Great goddess, you have given
    To me, the laughing stock of birds,
  A voice which fills, by taste quite just,
      All nature with disgust;
  Whereas that little paltry thing,
    The nightingale, pours from her throat
    So sweet and ravishing a note;
  She bears alone the honours of the spring."
    In anger Juno heard,
  And cried, "Shame on you, jealous bird!
  Grudge you the nightingale her voice,
  Who in the rainbow neck rejoice,
  Than costliest silks more richly tinted,
  In charms of grace and form unstinted—
    Who strut in kingly pride,
    Your glorious tail spread wide
  With brilliants which in sheen do
  Outshine the jeweller's bow window?
  Is there a bird beneath the blue
  That has more charms than you?
  No animal in everything can shine.
  By just partition of our gifts divine,
  Each has its full and proper share.
  Among the birds that cleave the air
  The hawk's a swift, the eagle is a brave one,
  For omens serves the hoarse old raven,
  The rook's of coming ills the prophet;
    And if there's any discontent,
      I've heard not of it.
  Cease, then, your envious complaint;
  Or I, instead of making up your lack,
  Will take your boasted plumage from your back."

The Eagle and the Beetle

  John Rabbit, by Dame Eagle chased,
  Was making for his hole in haste,
  When, on his way, he met a Beetle's burrow.
    I leave you all to think
    If such a little chink
  Could to a rabbit give protection thorough;
    But, since no better could be got,
    John Rabbit, there was fain to squat.
    Of course, in an asylum so absurd,
    John felt ere long the talons of the bird.
    But first the Beetle, interceding, cried,
    "Great queen of birds, it cannot be denied
  That, maugre my protection, you can bear
  My trembling guest, John Rabbit, through the air,
    But do not give me such affront, I pray;
      And since he craves your grace,
      In pity of his case,
  Grant him his life, or take us both away;
  For he's my gossip, friend and neighbour."
  In vain the Beetle's friendly labour;
  The Eagle clutched her prey without reply,
  And as she flapped her vasty wings to fly,
    Struck down our orator and stilled him—
    The wonder is she hadn't killed him.
  The Beetle soon, of sweet revenge in quest
    Flew to the old, gnarled mountain oak,
  Which proudly bore that haughty Eagle's nest.
      And while the bird was gone,
    Her eggs, her cherished eggs, he broke,
          Not sparing one.
  Returning from her flight, the Eagle's cry
  Of rage and bitter anguish filled the sky,
    But, by excess of passion blind,
    Her enemy she failed to find.
  Her wrath in vain, that year it was her fate
  To live a mourning mother, desolate.
  The next, she built a loftier nest; 'twas vain;
  The Beetle found and dashed her eggs again.

    John Rabbit's death was thus avenged anew.
  The second mourning for her murdered brood
  Was such that through the giant mountain wood,
    For six long months, the sleepless echo flew.
      The bird, once Ganymede, now made
      Her prayer to Jupiter for aid;
  And, laying them within his godship's lap,
  She thought her eggs now safe from all mishap;
  The god his own could not but make them—
  No wretch would venture there to break them.
      And no one did.       Their enemy, this time,
      Upsoaring to a place sublime,
    Let fall upon his royal robes some dirt,
    Which Jove just shaking, with a sudden flirt,
    Threw out the eggs, no one knows whither.
      When Jupiter informed her how th' event
      Occurred by purest accident,
  The Eagle raved; there was no reasoning with her;
    She gave out threats of leaving court,
    To make the desert her resort,
    And other brav'ries of this sort.
      Poor Jupiter in silence heard
      The uproar of his favourite bird.
    Before his throne the Beetle now appeared,
    And by a clear complaint the mystery cleared.
    The god pronounced the Eagle in the wrong.
    But still, their hatred was so old and strong,
  These enemies could not be reconciled;
  And, that the general peace might not be spoiled—
  The best that he could do—the god arranged
  That thence the Eagle's pairing should be changed,
  To come when Beetle folks are only found
  Concealed and dormant under ground.