Aesop's Fables; a new translation
between them. The Ass divided it all into three equal parts, and
modestly begged the others to take their choice; at which the Lion,
bursting with fury, sprang upon the Ass and tore him to pieces.
Then, glaring at the Fox, he bade him make a fresh division. The Fox
gathered almost the whole in one great heap for the Lion's share,
leaving only the smallest possible morsel for himself. "My dear
friend," said the Lion, "how did you get the knack of it so well?" The
Fox replied, "Me? Oh, I took a lesson from the Ass."
Happy is he who learns from the misfortunes of others.
THE FOWLER, THE PARTRIDGE, AND THE COCK
One day, as a Fowler was sitting down to a scanty supper of herbs and
bread, a friend dropped in unexpectedly. The larder was empty; so he
went out and caught a tame Partridge, which he kept as a decoy, and
was about to wring her neck when she cried, "Surely you won't kill me?
Why, what will you do without me next time you go fowling? How will
you get the birds to come to your nets?" He let her go at this, and
went to his hen-house, where he had a plump young Cock. When the Cock
saw what he was after, he too pleaded for his life, and said, "If you
kill me, how will you know the time of night? and who will wake you up
in the morning when it is time to get to work?" The Fowler, however,
replied, "You are useful for telling the time, I know; but, for all
that, I can't send my friend supperless to bed." And therewith he
caught him and wrung his neck.
THE GNAT AND THE LION
A Gnat once went up to a Lion and said, "I am not in the least afraid
of you: I don't even allow that you are a match for me in strength.
What does your strength amount to after all? That you can scratch
with your claws and bite with your teeth--just like a woman in a
temper--and nothing more. But I'm stronger than you: if you don't
believe it, let us fight and see." So saying, the Gnat sounded his
horn, and darted in and bit the Lion on the nose. When the Lion felt
the sting, in his haste to crush him he scratched his nose badly, and
made it bleed, but failed altogether to hurt the Gnat, which buzzed
off in triumph, elated by its victory. Presently, however, it got
entangled in a spider's web, and was caught and eaten by the spider,
thus falling a prey to an insignificant insect after having triumphed
over the King of the Beasts.
THE FARMER AND HIS DOGS
A Farmer was snowed up in his farmstead by a severe storm, and was
unable to go out and procure provisions for himself and his family. So
he first killed his sheep and used them for food; then, as the storm
still continued, he killed his goats; and, last of all, as the weather
showed no signs of improving, he was compelled to kill his oxen and
eat them. When his Dogs saw the various animals being killed and eaten
in turn, they said to one another, "We had better get out of this or
we shall be the next to go!"
THE EAGLE AND THE FOX
An Eagle and a Fox became great friends and determined to live near
one another: they thought that the more they saw of each other the
better friends they would be. So the Eagle built a nest at the top of
a high tree, while the Fox settled in a thicket at the foot of it and
produced a litter of cubs. One day the Fox went out foraging for food,
and the Eagle, who also wanted food for her young, flew down into the
thicket, caught up the Fox's cubs, and carried them up into the tree
for a meal for herself and her family. When the Fox came back, and
found out what had happened, she was not so much sorry for the loss of
her cubs as furious because she couldn't get at the Eagle and pay her
out for her treachery. So she sat down not far off and cursed her. But
it wasn't long before she had her revenge. Some villagers happened to
be sacrificing a goat on a neighbouring altar, and the Eagle flew down
and carried off a piece of burning flesh to her nest. There was a
strong wind blowing, and the nest caught fire, with the result that
her fledglings fell half-roasted to the ground. Then the Fox ran to
the spot and devoured them in full sight of the Eagle.
False faith may escape human punishment, but cannot escape the
divine.
THE BUTCHER AND HIS CUSTOMERS
Two Men were buying meat at a Butcher's stall in the market-place,
and, while the Butcher's back was turned for a moment, one of them
snatched up a joint and hastily thrust it under the other's cloak,
where it could not be seen. When the Butcher turned round, he missed
the meat at once, and charged them with having stolen it: but the one
who had taken it said he hadn't got it, and the one who had got it
said he hadn't taken it. The Butcher felt sure they were deceiving
him, but he only said, "You may cheat me with your lying, but you
can't cheat the gods, and they won't let you off so lightly."
Prevarication often amounts to perjury.
HERCULES AND MINERVA
Hercules was once travelling along a narrow road when he saw lying on
the ground in front of him what appeared to be an apple, and as he
passed he stamped upon it with his heel. To his astonishment, instead
of being crushed it doubled in size; and, on his attacking it again
and smiting it with his club, it swelled up to an enormous size and
blocked up the whole road. Upon this he dropped his club, and stood
looking at it in amazement. Just then Minerva appeared, and said to
him, "Leave it alone, my friend; that which you see before you is the
apple of discord: if you do not meddle with it, it remains small as it
was at first, but if you resort to violence it swells into the thing
you see."
THE FOX WHO SERVED A LION
A Lion had a Fox to attend on him, and whenever they went hunting the
Fox found the prey and the Lion fell upon it and killed it, and then
they divided it between them in certain proportions. But the Lion
always got a very large share, and the Fox a very small one, which
didn't please the latter at all; so he determined to set up on his own
account. He began by trying to steal a lamb from a flock of sheep: but
the shepherd saw him and set his dogs on him. The hunter was now the
hunted, and was very soon caught and despatched by the dogs.
Better servitude with safety than freedom with danger.
THE QUACK DOCTOR
A certain man fell sick and took to his bed. He consulted a number of
doctors from time to time, and they all, with one exception, told him
that his life was in no immediate danger, but that his illness would
probably last a considerable time. The one who took a different view
of his case, who was also the last to be consulted, bade him prepare
for the worst: "You have not twenty-four hours to live," said he, "and
I fear I can do nothing." As it turned out, however, he was quite
wrong; for at the end of a few days the sick man quitted his bed and
took a walk abroad, looking, it is true, as pale as a ghost. In the
course of his walk he met the Doctor who had prophesied his death.
"Dear me," said the latter, "how do you do? You are fresh from the
other world, no doubt. Pray, how are our departed friends getting on
there?" "Most comfortably," replied the other, "for they have drunk
the water of oblivion, and have forgotten all the troubles of life. By
the way, just before I left, the authorities were making arrangements
to prosecute all the doctors, because they won't let sick men die in
the course of nature, but use their arts to keep them alive. They were
going to charge you along with the rest, till I assured them that you
were no doctor, but a mere impostor."
THE LION, THE WOLF, AND THE FOX
A Lion, infirm with age, lay sick in his den, and all the beasts of
the forest came to inquire after his health with the exception of the
Fox. The Wolf thought this was a good opportunity for paying off old
scores against the Fox, so he called the attention of the Lion to his
absence, and said, "You see, sire, that we have all come to see how
you are except the Fox, who hasn't come near you, and doesn't care
whether you are well or ill." Just then the Fox came in and heard the
last words of the Wolf. The Lion roared at him in deep displeasure,
but he begged to be allowed to explain his absence, and said, "Not one
of them cares for you so much as I, sire, for all the time I have
been going round to the doctors and trying to find a cure for your
illness." "And may I ask if you have found one?" said the Lion. "I
have, sire," said the Fox, "and it is this: you must flay a Wolf
and wrap yourself in his skin while it is still warm." The Lion
accordingly turned to the Wolf and struck him dead with one blow of
his paw, in order to try the Fox's prescription; but the Fox laughed
and said to himself, "That's what comes of stirring up ill-will."
HERCULES AND PLUTUS
When Hercules was received among the gods and was entertained at a
banquet by Jupiter, he responded courteously to the greetings of
all with the exception of Plutus, the god of wealth. When Plutus
approached him, he cast his eyes upon the ground, and turned away and
pretended not to see him. Jupiter was surprised at this conduct on his
part, and asked why, after having been so cordial with all the other
gods, he had behaved like that to Plutus. "Sire," said Hercules, "I
do not like Plutus, and I will tell you why. When we were on earth
together I always noticed that he was to be found in the company of
scoundrels."
THE FOX AND THE LEOPARD
A Fox and a Leopard were disputing about their looks, and each claimed
to be the more handsome of the two. The Leopard said, "Look at my
smart coat; you have nothing to match that." But the Fox replied,
"Your coat may be smart, but my wits are smarter still."
THE FOX AND THE HEDGEHOG
A Fox, in swimming across a rapid river, was swept away by the current
and carried a long way downstream in spite of his struggles, until at
last, bruised and exhausted, he managed to scramble on to dry
ground from a backwater. As he lay there unable to move, a swarm of
horseflies settled on him and sucked his blood undisturbed, for he was
too weak even to shake them off. A Hedgehog saw him, and asked if he
should brush away the flies that were tormenting him; but the Fox
replied, "Oh, please, no, not on any account, for these flies have
sucked their fill and are taking very little from me now; but, if you
drive them off, another swarm of hungry ones will come and suck all
the blood I have left, and leave me without a drop in my veins."
THE CROW AND THE RAVEN
A Crow became very jealous of a Raven, because the latter was
regarded by men as a bird of omen which foretold the future, and was
accordingly held in great respect by them. She was very anxious to
get the same sort of reputation herself; and, one day, seeing some
travellers approaching, she flew on to a branch of a tree at the
roadside and cawed as loud as she could. The travellers were in some
dismay at the sound, for they feared it might be a bad omen; till one
of them, spying the Crow, said to his companions, "It's all right,
my friends, we can go on without fear, for it's only a crow and that
means nothing."
Those who pretend to be something they are not only make
themselves ridiculous.
THE WITCH
A Witch professed to be able to avert the anger of the gods by means
of charms, of which she alone possessed the secret; and she drove a
brisk trade, and made a fat livelihood out of it. But certain persons
accused her of black magic and carried her before the judges, and
demanded that she should be put to death for dealings with the Devil.
She was found guilty and condemned to death: and one of the judges
said to her as she was leaving the dock, "You say you can avert the