The Fables of La Fontaine

THE FABLES OF LA FONTAINE. TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH VERSE BY WALTER THORNBURY, WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY GUSTAVE DORÉ. CASSELL, PETTER, AND GALPIN, LONDON AND NEW YORK. 1886

Illustration note

[Illustration: Jean de la Fontaine]

CONTENTS As Essay on the Life and Works of Jean de la Fontaine The Life of Æsop, the Phrygian Dedication to Monseigneur the Dauphin Preface To Monseigneur the Dauphin The Grasshopper and the Ant The Raven and the Fox The Frog that Wished to make Herself as Big as the Ox The Two Mules The Wolf and the Dog The Heifer, the She-goat, and the Lamb, in Partnership with the Lion The Wallet The Swallow and the Little Birds The Town Rat and the Country Rat The Man and his Image The Dragon with many Heads, and the Dragon with many Tails The Wolf and the Lamb The Robbers and the Ass Death and the Woodcutter Simonides rescued by the Gods Death and the Unhappy Man The Wolf turned Shepherd The Child and the Schoolmaster The Pullet and the Pearl The Drones and the Bees The Oak and the Reed Against Those Who are Hard to Please The Council held by the Rats The Wolf Pleading against the Fox before the Ape The Middle-Aged Man and the Two Widows The Fox and the Stork The Lion and the Gnat The Ass Laden with Sponges, and the Ass Laden with Salt The Lion and the Rat The Dove and the Ant The Astrologer Who let Himself Fall into the Well The Hare and the Frogs The Two Bulls and the Frog The Peacock Complaining to Juno The Bat and the Two Weasels The Bird Wounded by an Arrow The Miller, his Son, and the Ass The Cock and the Fox The Frogs Who Asked for a King The Dog and Her Companion The Fox and the Grapes The Eagle and the Beetle The Raven Who Wished to Imitate the Eagle The Wolves and the Sheep The Cat Changed into a Woman Philomel and Progne The Lion and the Ass The Cat and the Old Rat A Will Interpreted by Æsop The Lion in Love The Fox and the Goat The Shepherd and the Sea The Drunkard and His Wife King Caster and the Members The Monkey and the Dolphin The Eagle, the Wild Sow, and the Cat The Miser Who Lost His Treasure The Gout and the Spider The Eye of the Master The Wolf and the Stork The Lion Defeated by Man The Swan and the Cook The Wolf, the Goat, and the Kid The Wolf, the Mother, and the Child The Lion Grown Old The Drowned Woman The Weasel in the Granary The Lark and Her Little Ones With the Owner of a Field The Fly and the Ant The Gardener and his Master The Woodman and Mercury The Ass and the Little Dog Man and the Wooden Idol The Jay Dressed in Peacock's Plumes The Little Fish and the Fisherman Battle Between the Rats and Weasles The Camel and the Drift-Wood The Frog and the Rat The Old Woman and Her Servants The Animals Sending a Tribute to Alexander The Horse Wishing to be Revenged on the Stag The Fox and the Bust The Horse and the Wolf The Saying of Socrates The Old Man and His Children The Oracle and the Impious Man The Mountain in Labour Fortune and the Little Child The Earthen Pot and the Iron Pot The Hare's Ears The Fox with His Tail Cut Off The Satyr and the Passer-By The Doctors The Labouring Man and His Children The Hen with the Golden Eggs The Ass that Carried the Relics The Serpent and the File The Hare and the Partridge The Stag and the Vine The Lion Going to War The Ass in the Lion's Skin The Eagle and the Owl The Shepherd and the Lion The Lion and the Hunter Phœbus and Boreas The Bear and the Two Friends Jupiter and the Farmer The Stag Viewing Himself in the Stream The Cockerel, the Cat, and the Little Rat The Fox, the Monkey, and the Other Animals The Mule That Boasted of His Family The Old Man and the Ass The Countryman and the Serpent The Hare and the Tortoise The Sick Lion and the Fox The Ass and His Masters The Sun and the Frogs The Carter Stuck in the Mud The Doc and the Shadow The Bird-Catcher, the Hawk, and the Skylark The Horse and the Ass The Charlatan The Young Widow Discord The Animals Sick of the Plague The Rat Who Retired From the World The Heron The Man Badly Married The Maiden The Wishes The Vultures and the Pigeons The Court of the Lion The Milk-Maid and the Milk-Pail The Curate and the Corpse The Man Who Runs After Fortune, and the Man Who Waits for Her The Two Fowls The Coach and the Fly The Ingratitude and Injustice of Men Towards Fortune An Animal in the Moon The Fortune-Teller The Cobbler and the Banker The Cat, the Weasel, and the Little Rabbit The Lion, the Wolf, and the Fox The Head and the Tail of the Serpent The Dog Which Carried Round His Neck His Master's Dinner Death and the Dying Man The Power of Fables The Bear and the Amateur of Gardening The Man and the Flea The Woman and the Secret Tircis and Amaranth The Joker and the Fishes The Rat and the Oyster The Two Friends The Pig, the Goat, and the Sheep The Rat and the Elephant The Funeral or the Lioness The Bashaw and the Merchant The Horoscope The Torrent and the River The Ass and the Dog The Two Dogs and the Dead Ass The Advantage of Being Clever The Wolf and the Hunter Jupiter and the Thunderbolts The Falcon and the Capon The Two Pigeons Education The Madman Who Sold Wisdom The Cat and the Rat Democritus and the Anderanians The Oyster and Its Claimants The Fraudulent Trustee Jupiter and the Traveller The Ape and the Leopard The Acorn and the Gourd The School-Boy, the Pedant, and the Nursery Gardener The Cat and the Fox The Sculptor and the Statue of Jupiter The Mouse Metamorphosed Into a Girl The Monkey and the Cat The Wolf and the Starved Dog The Wax Candle "Not Too Much" The Two Rats, the Fox, and the Egg The Cormorant and the Fishes The Husband, the Wife, and the Robber The Shepherd and the King The Two Men and the Treasure The Shepherd and His Flock The Kite and the Nightingale The Fish and the Shepherd Who Played on the Clarionet The Man and the Snake The Tortoise and the Two Ducks The Two Adventurers and the Talisman The Miser and his Friend The Wolf and the Peasants The Rabbits The Swallow and the Spider The Partridge and the Fowls The Lion The Dog Whose Ears Were Cut The Two Parrots, the Monarch, and His Son The Peasant of the Danube The Lioness and She-Bear The Merchant, the Nobleman, the Shepherd, and the King's Son The Old Man and the Three Young Men The Gods as Instructors of Jupiter's Son The Owl and the Mice The Companions of Ulysses The Farmer, the Dog, and the Fox The Dream of an Inhabitant of Mogul The Two Goats The Lion, the Ape, and the Two Asses The Wolf and the Fox The Sick Stag The Cat and the Two Sparrows The Miser and the Ape To the Duke of Burgundy The Old Cat and the Young Mouse The Bat, the Bush, and the Duck The Eagle and the Magpie The Quarrel of the Dogs and the Cats; and, Also, That of the Cats and the Mice Love and Folly The Wolf and the Fox The Crab and Its Daughter The Forest and the Woodman The Fox, the Flies, and the Hedge-Hog The Hawk, the King, and the Falcon The Fox and the Turkeys The Crow, the Gazelle, the Tortoise, and the Rat The English Fox The Ape The Fox, the Wolf, and the Horse The League of the Rats A Scythian Philosopher Daphnis and Alcimadura The Elephant and Jupiter's Monkey The Madman and the Philosopher The Frogs and the Sun The Arbitrator, Almoner, and Hermit LIST OF FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS. The Grasshopper and the Ant The Two Mules The Swallow and the Little Birds The Town Rat and the Country Rat The Wolf and the Lamb The Robbers and the Ass Death and the Woodcutter The Wolf Turned Shepherd The Oak and the Reed The Council Held by the Rats The Lion and the Gnat The Lion and the Rat The Hare and the Frogs The Peacock Complaining to Juno The Miller, His Son, and the Ass The Frogs Who Asked For a King The Fox and the Grapes The Wolves and the Sheep Philomel and Progne The Cat and the Old Rat The Lion in Love The Shepherd and the Sea The Monkey and the Dolphin The Miser Who Lost His Treasure The Eye of the Master The Wolf, the Mother, and the Child The Lark and Her Little Ones The Woodman and Mercury The Little Fish and the Fisherman The Old Woman and Her Servants The Horse and the Wolf Fortune and the Little Child The Doctors The Hen With the Golden Eggs The Stag and the Vine The Eagle and the Owl The Bear and the Two Friends The Stag Viewing Himself in the Stream The Countryman and the Serpent The Sick Lion and the Fox The Carter Stuck in the Mud The Young Widow The Animals Sick of the Plague The Maiden The Vultures and the Pigeons The Milkmaid and the Milk-Pail The Two Fowls An Animal in the Moon The Fortune-Teller (To face page) The Cobbler and the Banker The Lion, the Wolf, and the Fox The Dog and His Master's Dinner The Bear and the Amateur of Gardening Tircis and Amaranth The Rat and the Elephant The Bashaw and the Merchant The Torrent and the River The Two Dogs and the Dead Ass The Wolf and the Hunter The Two Pigeons The Madman Who Sold Wisdom The Oyster and Its Claimants Jupiter and the Traveller The Cat and the Fox The Monkey and the Cat The Two Rats, the Fox, and the Egg The Cormorant and the Fishes The Shepherd and the King The Fish and the Shepherd Who Played on the Clarionet The Two Adventurers and the Talisman The Rabbits The Lion The Peasant of the Danube The Old Man and the Three Young Men The Owl and the Mice The Companions of Ulysses The Two Goats The Sick Stag The Eagle and the Magpie Love and Folly The Forest and the Woodman The Fox and the Turkeys The English Fox The League of the Rats Daphnis and Alcimadura The Arbitrator, Almoner, and Hermit AN ESSAY ON THE LIFE AND WORKS OF JEAN DE LA FONTAINE. There are some writers the facts about whom can never be entirely told, because they are inexhaustible, and speaking of whom we do not fear to be blamed for repetition, because, though well known, they furnish topics which never weary. La Fontaine is one of this class. No poet has been praised oftener, or by more able critics, and of no poet has the biography been so frequently written, and with such affectionate minuteness. Nevertheless, it is certain that there will yet arise fresh critics and new biographers, who will be as regardless as ourselves of the fact that the subject has been so frequently enlarged upon. And why, indeed, should we refuse to ourselves, or forbid to others, the pleasure of speaking of an old friend of our childhood, whose memory is