Aesop's Fables; a new translation
fellow he was, and began to boast to his Sister about his good looks:
she, on her part, was ready to cry with vexation when she was aware of
her plainness, and took his remarks as an insult to herself. Running
to her father, she told him of her Brother's conceit, and accused him
of meddling with his mother's things. He laughed and kissed them both,
and said, "My children, learn from now onwards to make a good use of
the glass. You, my boy, strive to be as good as it shows you to be
handsome; and you, my girl, resolve to make up for the plainness of
your features by the sweetness of your disposition."
THE HEIFER AND THE OX
A Heifer went up to an Ox, who was straining hard at the plough,
and sympathised with him in a rather patronising sort of way on the
necessity of his having to work so hard. Not long afterwards there was
a festival in the village and every one kept holiday: but, whereas the
Ox was turned loose into the pasture, the Heifer was seized and led
off to sacrifice. "Ah," said the Ox, with a grim smile, "I see now why
you were allowed to have such an idle time: it was because you were
always intended for the altar."
THE KINGDOM OF THE LION
When the Lion reigned over the beasts of the earth he was never cruel
or tyrannical, but as gentle and just as a King ought to be. During
his reign he called a general assembly of the beasts, and drew up a
code of laws under which all were to live in perfect equality and
harmony: the wolf and the lamb, the tiger and the stag, the leopard
and the kid, the dog and the hare, all should dwell side by side in
unbroken peace and friendship. The hare said, "Oh! how I have longed
for this day when the weak take their place without fear by the side
of the strong!"
THE ASS AND HIS DRIVER
An Ass was being driven down a mountain road, and after jogging along
for a while sensibly enough he suddenly quitted the track and rushed
to the edge of a precipice. He was just about to leap over the edge
when his Driver caught hold of his tail and did his best to pull him
back: but pull as he might he couldn't get the Ass to budge from the
brink. At last he gave up, crying, "All right, then, get to the bottom
your own way; but it's the way to sudden death, as you'll find out
quick enough."
THE LION AND THE HARE
A Lion found a Hare sleeping in her form, and was just going to devour
her when he caught sight of a passing stag. Dropping the Hare, he at
once made for the bigger game; but finding, after a long chase, that
he could not overtake the stag, he abandoned the attempt and came back
for the Hare. When he reached the spot, however, he found she was
nowhere to be seen, and he had to go without his dinner. "It serves
me right," he said; "I should have been content with what I had got,
instead of hankering after a better prize."
THE WOLVES AND THE DOGS
Once upon a time the Wolves said to the Dogs, "Why should we continue
to be enemies any longer? You are very like us in most ways: the main
difference between us is one of training only. We live a life of
freedom; but you are enslaved to mankind, who beat you, and put heavy
collars round your necks, and compel you to keep watch over their
flocks and herds for them, and, to crown all, they give you nothing
but bones to eat. Don't put up with it any longer, but hand over the
flocks to us, and we will all live on the fat of the land and feast
together." The Dogs allowed themselves to be persuaded by these words,
and accompanied the Wolves into their den. But no sooner were they
well inside than the Wolves set upon them and tore them to pieces.
Traitors richly deserve their fate.
THE BULL AND THE CALF
A full-grown Bull was struggling to force his huge bulk through the
narrow entrance to a cow-house where his stall was, when a young Calf
came up and said to him, "If you'll step aside a moment, I'll show you
the way to get through." The Bull turned upon him an amused look. "I
knew that way," said he, "before you were born."
THE TREES AND THE AXE
A Woodman went into the forest and begged of the Trees the favour of a
handle for his Axe. The principal Trees at once agreed to so modest a
request, and unhesitatingly gave him a young ash sapling, out of which
he fashioned the handle he desired. No sooner had he done so than he
set to work to fell the noblest Trees in the wood. When they saw the
use to which he was putting their gift, they cried, "Alas! alas! We
are undone, but we are ourselves to blame. The little we gave has
cost us all: had we not sacrificed the rights of the ash, we might
ourselves have stood for ages."
THE ASTRONOMER
There was once an Astronomer whose habit it was to go out at night and
observe the stars. One night, as he was walking about outside the town
gates, gazing up absorbed into the sky and not looking where he was
going, he fell into a dry well. As he lay there groaning, some one
passing by heard him, and, coming to the edge of the well, looked down
and, on learning what had happened, said, "If you really mean to say
that you were looking so hard at the sky that you didn't even see
where your feet were carrying you along the ground, it appears to me
that you deserve all you've got."
THE LABOURER AND THE SNAKE
A Labourer's little son was bitten by a Snake and died of the wound.
The father was beside himself with grief, and in his anger against
the Snake he caught up an axe and went and stood close to the Snake's
hole, and watched for a chance of killing it. Presently the Snake came
out, and the man aimed a blow at it, but only succeeded in cutting off
the tip of its tail before it wriggled in again. He then tried to get
it to come out a second time, pretending that he wished to make up the
quarrel. But the Snake said, "I can never be your friend because of my
lost tail, nor you mine because of your lost child."
Injuries are never forgotten in the presence of those who caused
them.
THE CAGE-BIRD AND THE BAT
A Singing-bird was confined in a cage which hung outside a window, and
had a way of singing at night when all other birds were asleep. One
night a Bat came and clung to the bars of the cage, and asked the Bird
why she was silent by day and sang only at night. "I have a very good
reason for doing so," said the Bird: "it was once when I was singing
in the daytime that a fowler was attracted by my voice, and set his
nets for me and caught me. Since then I have never sung except by
night." But the Bat replied, "It is no use your doing that now when
you are a prisoner: if only you had done so before you were caught,
you might still have been free."
Precautions are useless after the event.
THE ASS AND HIS PURCHASER
A Man who wanted to buy an Ass went to market, and, coming across
a likely-looking beast, arranged with the owner that he should be
allowed to take him home on trial to see what he was like. When he
reached home, he put him into his stable along with the other asses.
The newcomer took a look round, and immediately went and chose a place
next to the laziest and greediest beast in the stable. When the master
saw this he put a halter on him at once, and led him off and handed
him over to his owner again. The latter was a good deal surprised to
see him back so soon, and said, "Why, do you mean to say you have
tested him already?" "I don't want to put him through any more tests,"
replied the other: "I could see what sort of beast he is from the
companion he chose for himself."
A man is known by the company he keeps.
THE KID AND THE WOLF
A Kid strayed from the flock and was chased by a Wolf. When he saw he
must be caught he turned round and said to the Wolf, "I know, sir,
that I can't escape being eaten by you: and so, as my life is bound to
be short, I pray you let it be as merry as may be. Will you not play
me a tune to dance to before I die?" The Wolf saw no objection to
having some music before his dinner: so he took out his pipe and began
to play, while the Kid danced before him. Before many minutes were
passed the gods who guarded the flock heard the sound and came up to
see what was going on. They no sooner clapped eyes on the Wolf than
they gave chase and drove him away. As he ran off, he turned and
said to the Kid, "It's what I thoroughly deserve: my trade is the
butcher's, and I had no business to turn piper to please you."
THE DEBTOR AND HIS SOW
A Man of Athens fell into debt and was pressed for the money by his
creditor; but he had no means of paying at the time, so he begged for
delay. But the creditor refused and said he must pay at once. Then the
Debtor fetched a Sow--the only one he had--and took her to market
to offer her for sale. It happened that his creditor was there too.
Presently a buyer came along and asked if the Sow produced good
litters. "Yes," said the Debtor, "very fine ones; and the remarkable
thing is that she produces females at the Mysteries and males at the
Panathenea." (Festivals these were: and the Athenians always sacrifice
a sow at one, and a boar at the other; while at the Dionysia they
sacrifice a kid.) At that the creditor, who was standing by, put in,
"Don't be surprised, sir; why, still better, at the Dionysia this Sow
has kids!"
THE BALD HUNTSMAN
A Man who had lost all his hair took to wearing a wig, and one day
he went out hunting. It was blowing rather hard at the time, and he
hadn't gone far before a gust of wind caught his hat and carried it
off, and his wig too, much to the amusement of the hunt. But he quite
entered into the joke, and said, "Ah, well! the hair that wig is made
of didn't stick to the head on which it grew; so it's no wonder it
won't stick to mine."
THE HERDSMAN AND THE LOST BULL
A Herdsman was tending his cattle when he missed a young Bull, one of
the finest of the herd. He went at once to look for him, but, meeting
with no success in his search, he made a vow that, if he should
discover the thief, he would sacrifice a calf to Jupiter. Continuing
his search, he entered a thicket, where he presently espied a lion
devouring the lost Bull. Terrified with fear, he raised his hands to
heaven and cried, "Great Jupiter, I vowed I would sacrifice a calf
to thee if I should discover the thief: but now a full-grown Bull
I promise thee if only I myself escape unhurt from his clutches."
THE MULE
One morning a Mule, who had too much to eat and too little to do,
began to think himself a very fine fellow indeed, and frisked about
saying, "My father was undoubtedly a high-spirited horse and I take
after him entirely." But very soon afterwards he was put into the
harness and compelled to go a very long way with a heavy load behind
him. At the end of the day, exhausted by his unusual exertions, he
said dejectedly to himself, "I must have been mistaken about my
father; he can only have been an ass after all."
THE HOUND AND THE FOX
A Hound, roaming in the forest, spied a lion, and being well used
to lesser game, gave chase, thinking he would make a fine quarry.
Presently the lion perceived that he was being pursued; so, stopping
short, he rounded on his pursuer and gave a loud roar. The Hound
immediately turned tail and fled. A Fox, seeing him running away,
jeered at him and said, "Ho! ho! There goes the coward who chased a
lion and ran away the moment he roared!"
THE FATHER AND HIS DAUGHTERS
A Man had two Daughters, one of whom he gave in marriage to a
gardener, and the other to a potter. After a time he thought he
would go and see how they were getting on; and first he went to the
gardener's wife. He asked her how she was, and how things were going