Aesop's Fables; a new translation
with herself and her husband. She replied that on the whole they were
doing very well: "But," she continued, "I do wish we could have some
good heavy rain: the garden wants it badly." Then he went on to the
potter's wife and made the same inquiries of her. She replied that she
and her husband had nothing to complain of: "But," she went on, "I do
wish we could have some nice dry weather, to dry the pottery." Her
Father looked at her with a humorous expression on his face. "You want
dry weather," he said, "and your sister wants rain. I was going to ask
in my prayers that your wishes should be granted; but now it strikes
me I had better not refer to the subject."
THE THIEF AND THE INNKEEPER
A Thief hired a room at an inn, and stayed there some days on the
look-out for something to steal. No opportunity, however, presented
itself, till one day, when there was a festival to be celebrated, the
Innkeeper appeared in a fine new coat and sat down before the door of
the inn for an airing. The Thief no sooner set eyes upon the coat than
he longed to get possession of it. There was no business doing, so he
went and took a seat by the side of the Innkeeper, and began talking
to him. They conversed together for some time, and then the Thief
suddenly yawned and howled like a wolf. The Innkeeper asked him in
some concern what ailed him. The Thief replied, "I will tell you about
myself, sir, but first I must beg you to take charge of my clothes
for me, for I intend to leave them with you. Why I have these fits
of yawning I cannot tell: maybe they are sent as a punishment for my
misdeeds; but, whatever the reason, the facts are that when I have
yawned three times I become a ravening wolf and fly at men's throats."
As he finished speaking he yawned a second time and howled again as
before. The Innkeeper, believing every word he said, and terrified
at the prospect of being confronted with a wolf, got up hastily and
started to run indoors; but the Thief caught him by the coat and tried
to stop him, crying, "Stay, sir, stay, and take charge of my clothes,
or else I shall never see them again." As he spoke he opened his mouth
and began to yawn for the third time. The Innkeeper, mad with the fear
of being eaten by a wolf, slipped out of his coat, which remained in
the other's hands, and bolted into the inn and locked the door behind
him; and the Thief then quietly stole off with his spoil.
THE PACK-ASS AND THE WILD ASS
A Wild Ass, who was wandering idly about, one day came upon a Pack-Ass
lying at full length in a sunny spot and thoroughly enjoying himself.
Going up to him, he said, "What a lucky beast you are! Your sleek coat
shows how well you live: how I envy you!" Not long after the Wild Ass
saw his acquaintance again, but this time he was carrying a heavy
load, and his driver was following behind and beating him with a thick
stick. "Ah, my friend," said the Wild Ass, "I don't envy you any more:
for I see you pay dear for your comforts."
Advantages that are dearly bought are doubtful blessings.
THE ASS AND HIS MASTERS
A Gardener had an Ass which had a very hard time of it, what with
scanty food, heavy loads, and constant beating. The Ass therefore
begged Jupiter to take him away from the Gardener and hand him over
to another master. So Jupiter sent Mercury to the Gardener to bid
him sell the Ass to a Potter, which he did. But the Ass was as
discontented as ever, for he had to work harder than before: so he
begged Jupiter for relief a second time, and Jupiter very obligingly
arranged that he should be sold to a Tanner. But when the Ass saw what
his new master's trade was, he cried in despair, "Why wasn't I content
to serve either of my former masters, hard as I had to work and badly
as I was treated? for they would have buried me decently, but now I
shall come in the end to the tanning-vat."
Servants don't know a good master till they have served a worse.
THE PACK-ASS, THE WILD ASS, AND THE LION
A Wild Ass saw a Pack-Ass jogging along under a heavy load, and
taunted him with the condition of slavery in which he lived, in these
words: "What a vile lot is yours compared with mine! I am free as the
air, and never do a stroke of work; and, as for fodder, I have only to
go to the hills and there I find far more than enough for my needs.
But you! you depend on your master for food, and he makes you carry
heavy loads every day and beats you unmercifully." At that moment a
Lion appeared on the scene, and made no attempt to molest the Pack-Ass
owing to the presence of the driver; but he fell upon the Wild Ass,
who had no one to protect him, and without more ado made a meal of
him.
It is no use being your own master unless you can stand up for
yourself.
THE ANT
Ants were once men and made their living by tilling the soil. But, not
content with the results of their own work, they were always casting
longing eyes upon the crops and fruits of their neighbours, which they
stole, whenever they got the chance, and added to their own store. At
last their covetousness made Jupiter so angry that he changed them
into Ants. But, though their forms were changed, their nature remained
the same: and so, to this day, they go about among the cornfields and
gather the fruits of others' labour, and store them up for their own
use.
You may punish a thief, but his bent remains.
THE FROGS AND THE WELL
Two Frogs lived together in a marsh. But one hot summer the marsh
dried up, and they left it to look for another place to live in: for
frogs like damp places if they can get them. By and by they came to a
deep well, and one of them looked down into it, and said to the other,
"This looks a nice cool place: let us jump in and settle here." But
the other, who had a wiser head on his shoulders, replied, "Not so
fast, my friend: supposing this well dried up like the marsh, how
should we get out again?"
Think twice before you act.
THE CRAB AND THE FOX
A Crab once left the sea-shore and went and settled in a meadow some
way inland, which looked very nice and green and seemed likely to be a
good place to feed in. But a hungry Fox came along and spied the Crab
and caught him. Just as he was going to be eaten up, the Crab said,
"This is just what I deserve; for I had no business to leave my
natural home by the sea and settle here as though I belonged to the
land."
Be content with your lot.
THE FOX AND THE GRASSHOPPER
A Grasshopper sat chirping in the branches of a tree. A Fox heard her,
and, thinking what a dainty morsel she would make, he tried to get her
down by a trick. Standing below in full view of her, he praised her
song in the most flattering terms, and begged her to descend, saying
he would like to make the acquaintance of the owner of so beautiful a
voice. But she was not to be taken in, and replied, "You are very much
mistaken, my dear sir, if you imagine I am going to come down: I keep
well out of the way of you and your kind ever since the day when I saw
numbers of grasshoppers' wings strewn about the entrance to a fox's
earth."
THE FARMER, HIS BOY, AND THE ROOKS
A Farmer had just sown a field of wheat, and was keeping a careful
watch over it, for numbers of Rooks and starlings kept continually
settling on it and eating up the grain. Along with him went his Boy,
carrying a sling: and whenever the Farmer asked for the sling the
starlings understood what he said and warned the Rooks and they were
off in a moment. So the Farmer hit on a trick. "My lad," said he, "we
must get the better of these birds somehow. After this, when I want
the sling, I won't say 'sling,' but just 'humph!' and you must then
hand me the sling quickly." Presently back came the whole flock.
"Humph!" said the Farmer; but the starlings took no notice, and he
had time to sling several stones among them, hitting one on the head,
another in the legs, and another in the wing, before they got out of
range. As they made all haste away they met some cranes, who asked
them what the matter was. "Matter?" said one of the Rooks; "it's those
rascals, men, that are the matter. Don't you go near them. They have
a way of saying one thing and meaning another which has just been the
death of several of our poor friends."
THE ASS AND THE DOG
An Ass and a Dog were on their travels together, and, as they went
along, they found a sealed packet lying on the ground. The Ass picked
it up, broke the seal, and found it contained some writing, which he
proceeded to read out aloud to the Dog. As he read on it turned out
to be all about grass and barley and hay--in short, all the kinds of
fodder that Asses are fond of. The Dog was a good deal bored with
listening to all this, till at last his impatience got the better of
him, and he cried, "Just skip a few pages, friend, and see if there
isn't something about meat and bones." The Ass glanced all through the
packet, but found nothing of the sort, and said so. Then the Dog said
in disgust, "Oh, throw it away, do: what's the good of a thing like
that?"
THE ASS CARRYING THE IMAGE
A certain man put an Image on the back of his Ass to take it to one of
the temples of the town. As they went along the road all the people
they met uncovered and bowed their heads out of reverence for the
Image; but the Ass thought they were doing it out of respect for
himself, and began to give himself airs accordingly. At last he became
so conceited that he imagined he could do as he liked, and, by way of
protest against the load he was carrying, he came to a full stop and
flatly declined to proceed any further. His driver, finding him so
obstinate, hit him hard and long with his stick, saying the while,
"Oh, you dunder-headed idiot, do you suppose it's come to this, that
men pay worship to an Ass?"
Rude shocks await those who take to themselves the credit that is
due to others.
THE ATHENIAN AND THE THEBAN
An Athenian and a Theban were on the road together, and passed the
time in conversation, as is the way of travellers. After discussing
a variety of subjects they began to talk about heroes, a topic that
tends to be more fertile than edifying. Each of them was lavish in his
praises of the heroes of his own city, until eventually the Theban
asserted that Hercules was the greatest hero who had ever lived on
earth, and now occupied a foremost place among the gods; while the
Athenian insisted that Theseus was far superior, for his fortune had
been in every way supremely blessed, whereas Hercules had at one time
been forced to act as a servant. And he gained his point, for he was a
very glib fellow, like all Athenians; so that the Theban, who was no
match for him in talking, cried at last in some disgust, "All right,
have your way; I only hope that, when our heroes are angry with us,
Athens may suffer from the anger of Hercules, and Thebes only from
that of Theseus."
THE GOATHERD AND THE GOAT
A Goatherd was one day gathering his flock to return to the fold, when
one of his goats strayed and refused to join the rest. He tried for a
long time to get her to return by calling and whistling to her, but
the Goat took no notice of him at all; so at last he threw a stone at
her and broke one of her horns. In dismay, he begged her not to tell
his master: but she replied, "You silly fellow, my horn would cry
aloud even if I held my tongue."
It's no use trying to hide what can't be hidden.
THE SHEEP AND THE DOG
Once upon a time the Sheep complained to the shepherd about the
difference in his treatment of themselves and his Dog. "Your conduct,"
said they, "is very strange and, we think, very unfair. We provide you