Aesop's Fables; a new translation
THE LION AND THE ASS
A Lion and an Ass set up as partners and went a-hunting together. In
course of time they came to a cave in which there were a number of
wild goats. The Lion took up his stand at the mouth of the cave, and
waited for them to come out; while the Ass went inside and brayed for
all he was worth in order to frighten them out into the open. The Lion
struck them down one by one as they appeared; and when the cave was
empty the Ass came out and said, "Well, I scared them pretty well,
didn't I?" "I should think you did," said the Lion: "why, if I hadn't
known you were an Ass, I should have turned and run myself."
THE PROPHET
A Prophet sat in the market-place and told the fortunes of all who
cared to engage his services. Suddenly there came running up one who
told him that his house had been broken into by thieves, and that they
had made off with everything they could lay hands on. He was up in a
moment, and rushed off, tearing his hair and calling down curses on
the miscreants. The bystanders were much amused, and one of them said,
"Our friend professes to know what is going to happen to others,
but it seems he's not clever enough to perceive what's in store for
himself."
THE HOUND AND THE HARE
A young Hound started a Hare, and, when he caught her up, would at one
moment snap at her with his teeth as though he were about to kill her,
while at another he would let go his hold and frisk about her, as if
he were playing with another dog. At last the Hare said, "I wish you
would show yourself in your true colours! If you are my friend, why do
you bite me? If you are my enemy, why do you play with me?"
He is no friend who plays double.
THE LION, THE MOUSE, AND THE FOX
A Lion was lying asleep at the mouth of his den when a Mouse ran over
his back and tickled him so that he woke up with a start and began
looking about everywhere to see what it was that had disturbed him. A
Fox, who was looking on, thought he would have a joke at the expense
of the Lion; so he said, "Well, this is the first time I've seen a
Lion afraid of a Mouse." "Afraid of a Mouse?" said the Lion testily:
"not I! It's his bad manners I can't stand."
THE TRUMPETER TAKEN PRISONER
A Trumpeter marched into battle in the van of the army and put courage
into his comrades by his warlike tunes. Being captured by the enemy,
he begged for his life, and said, "Do not put me to death; I have
killed no one: indeed, I have no weapons, but carry with me only my
trumpet here." But his captors replied, "That is only the more reason
why we should take your life; for, though you do not fight yourself,
you stir up others to do so."
THE WOLF AND THE CRANE
A Wolf once got a bone stuck in his throat. So he went to a Crane and
begged her to put her long bill down his throat and pull it out. "I'll
make it worth your while," he added. The Crane did as she was asked,
and got the bone out quite easily. The Wolf thanked her warmly, and
was just turning away, when she cried, "What about that fee of mine?"
"Well, what about it?" snapped the Wolf, baring his teeth as he spoke;
"you can go about boasting that you once put your head into a Wolf's
mouth and didn't get it bitten off. What more do you want?"
THE EAGLE, THE CAT, AND THE WILD SOW
An Eagle built her nest at the top of a high tree; a Cat with her
family occupied a hollow in the trunk half-way down; and a Wild Sow
and her young took up their quarters at the foot. They might have got
on very well as neighbours had it not been for the evil cunning of the
Cat. Climbing up to the Eagle's nest she said to the Eagle, "You and I
are in the greatest possible danger. That dreadful creature, the Sow,
who is always to be seen grubbing away at the foot of the tree, means
to uproot it, that she may devour your family and mine at her ease."
Having thus driven the Eagle almost out of her senses with terror, the
Cat climbed down the tree, and said to the Sow, "I must warn you
against that dreadful bird, the Eagle. She is only waiting her chance
to fly down and carry off one of your little pigs when you take them
out, to feed her brood with." She succeeded in frightening the Sow as
much as the Eagle. Then she returned to her hole in the trunk, from
which, feigning to be afraid, she never came forth by day. Only by
night did she creep out unseen to procure food for her kittens. The
Eagle, meanwhile was afraid to stir from her nest, and the Sow dared
not leave her home among the roots: so that in time both they and
their families perished of hunger, and their dead bodies supplied the
Cat with ample food for her growing family.
THE WOLF AND THE SHEEP
A Wolf was worried and badly bitten by dogs, and lay a long time for
dead. By and by he began to revive, and, feeling very hungry, called
out to a passing Sheep and said, "Would you kindly bring me some water
from the stream close by? I can manage about meat, if only I could
get something to drink." But this Sheep was no fool. "I can quite
understand", said he, "that if I brought you the water, you would have
no difficulty about the meat. Good-morning."
THE TUNNY-FISH AND THE DOLPHIN
A Tunny-fish was chased by a Dolphin and splashed through the water at
a great rate, but the Dolphin gradually gained upon him, and was just
about to seize him when the force of his flight carried the Tunny on
to a sandbank. In the heat of the chase the Dolphin followed him, and
there they both lay out of the water, gasping for dear life. When the
Tunny saw that his enemy was doomed like himself, he said, "I don't
mind having to die now: for I see that he who is the cause of my death
is about to share the same fate."
THE THREE TRADESMEN
The citizens of a certain city were debating about the best material
to use in the fortifications which were about to be erected for the
greater security of the town. A Carpenter got up and advised the use
of wood, which he said was readily procurable and easily worked. A
Stone-mason objected to wood on the ground that it was so inflammable,
and recommended stones instead. Then a Tanner got on his legs and
said, "In my opinion there's nothing like leather."
Every man for himself.
THE MOUSE AND THE BULL
A Bull gave chase to a Mouse which had bitten him in the nose: but the
Mouse was too quick for him and slipped into a hole in a wall. The
Bull charged furiously into the wall again and again until he was
tired out, and sank down on the ground exhausted with his efforts.
When all was quiet, the Mouse darted out and bit him again. Beside
himself with rage he started to his feet, but by that time the Mouse
was back in his hole again, and he could do nothing but bellow and
fume in helpless anger. Presently he heard a shrill little voice say
from inside the wall, "You big fellows don't always have it your own
way, you see: sometimes we little ones come off best."
The battle is not always to the strong.
THE HARE AND THE HOUND
A Hound started a Hare from her form, and pursued her for some
distance; but as she gradually gained upon him, he gave up the chase.
A rustic who had seen the race met the Hound as he was returning, and
taunted him with his defeat. "The little one was too much for you,"
said he. "Ah, well," said the Hound, "don't forget it's one thing to
be running for your dinner, but quite another to be running for your
life."
THE TOWN MOUSE AND THE COUNTRY MOUSE
A Town Mouse and a Country Mouse were acquaintances, and the Country
Mouse one day invited his friend to come and see him at his home in
the fields. The Town Mouse came, and they sat down to a dinner of
barleycorns and roots, the latter of which had a distinctly earthy
flavour. The fare was not much to the taste of the guest, and
presently he broke out with "My poor dear friend, you live here no
better than the ants. Now, you should just see how I fare! My larder
is a regular horn of plenty. You must come and stay with me, and
I promise you you shall live on the fat of the land." So when he
returned to town he took the Country Mouse with him, and showed him
into a larder containing flour and oatmeal and figs and honey and
dates. The Country Mouse had never seen anything like it, and sat down
to enjoy the luxuries his friend provided: but before they had well
begun, the door of the larder opened and some one came in. The two
Mice scampered off and hid themselves in a narrow and exceedingly
uncomfortable hole. Presently, when all was quiet, they ventured out
again; but some one else came in, and off they scuttled again. This
was too much for the visitor. "Good-bye," said he, "I'm off. You live
in the lap of luxury, I can see, but you are surrounded by dangers;
whereas at home I can enjoy my simple dinner of roots and corn in
peace."
THE LION AND THE BULL
A Lion saw a fine fat Bull pasturing among a herd of cattle and cast
about for some means of getting him into his clutches; so he sent him
word that he was sacrificing a sheep, and asked if he would do him the
honour of dining with him. The Bull accepted the invitation, but, on
arriving at the Lion's den, he saw a great array of saucepans and
spits, but no sign of a sheep; so he turned on his heel and walked
quietly away. The Lion called after him in an injured tone to ask the
reason, and the Bull turned round and said, "I have reason enough.
When I saw all your preparations it struck me at once that the victim
was to be a Bull and not a sheep."
The net is spread in vain in sight of the bird.
THE WOLF, THE FOX, AND THE APE
A Wolf charged a Fox with theft, which he denied, and the case was
brought before an Ape to be tried. When he had heard the evidence on
both sides, the Ape gave judgment as follows: "I do not think," he
said, "that you, O Wolf, ever lost what you claim; but all the same I
believe that you, Fox, are guilty of the theft, in spite of all your
denials."
The dishonest get no credit, even if they act honestly.
THE EAGLE AND THE COCKS
There were two Cocks in the same farmyard, and they fought to decide
who should be master. When the fight was over, the beaten one went and
hid himself in a dark corner; while the victor flew up on to the roof
of the stables and crowed lustily. But an Eagle espied him from high
up in the sky, and swooped down and carried him off. Forthwith the
other Cock came out of his corner and ruled the roost without a rival.
Pride comes before a fall.
THE ESCAPED JACKDAW
A Man caught a Jackdaw and tied a piece of string to one of its legs,
and then gave it to his children for a pet. But the Jackdaw didn't at
all like having to live with people; so, after a while, when he seemed
to have become fairly tame and they didn't watch him so closely, he
slipped away and flew back to his old haunts. Unfortunately, the
string was still on his leg, and before long it got entangled in the
branches of a tree and the Jackdaw couldn't get free, try as he would.
He saw it was all up with him, and cried in despair, "Alas, in gaining
my freedom I have lost my life."
THE FARMER AND THE FOX
A Farmer was greatly annoyed by a Fox, which came prowling about his
yard at night and carried off his fowls. So he set a trap for him and
caught him; and in order to be revenged upon him, he tied a bunch of
tow to his tail and set fire to it and let him go. As ill-luck would
have it, however, the Fox made straight for the fields where the corn
was standing ripe and ready for cutting. It quickly caught fire and
was all burnt up, and the Farmer lost all his harvest.
Revenge is a two-edged sword.
VENUS AND THE CAT
A Cat fell in love with a handsome young man, and begged the goddess