Fables

The Ant and the Chrysalis

An Ant nimbly running about in the sunshine in search of food came across a Chrysalis that was very near its time of change. The Chrysalis moved its tail, and thus attracted the attention of the Ant, who then saw for the first time that it was alive. “Poor, pitiable animal!” cried the Ant disdainfully. “What a sad fate is yours!  While I can run hither and thither, at my pleasure, and, if I wish, ascend the tallest tree, you lie imprisoned here in your shell, with power only to move a joint or two of your scaly tail.” The Chrysalis heard all this, but did not try to make any reply. A few days after, when the Ant passed that way again, nothing but the shell remained. Wondering what had become of its contents, he felt himself suddenly shaded and fanned by the gorgeous wings of a beautiful Butterfly. “Behold in me,” said the Butterfly, “your much-pitied friend! Boast now of your powers to run and climb as long as you can get me to listen.” So saying, the Butterfly rose in the air, and, borne along and aloft on the summer breeze, was soon lost to the sight of the Ant forever.

“Appearances are deceptive.”

The Ant and the Dove

AN ANT went to the bank of a river to quench its thirst, and  being carried away by the rush of the stream, was on the point of  drowning.  A Dove sitting on a tree overhanging the water plucked  a leaf and let it fall into the stream close to her.  The Ant  climbed onto it and floated in safety to the bank.  Shortly  afterwards a birdcatcher came and stood under the tree, and laid  his lime-twigs for the Dove, which sat in the branches.  The Ant,  perceiving his design, stung him in the foot.  In pain the  birdcatcher threw down the twigs, and the noise made the Dove  take wing.

“One good turn deserves another”

The Ass in the Lion’s Skin

An Ass once found a Lion’s skin which the hunters had left out in the sun to dry.  He put it on and went towards his native village.  All fled at his approach, both men and animals, and he was a proud Ass that day.  In his delight he lifted up his voice and brayed, but then every one knew him, and his owner came up and gave him a sound cudgeling for the fright he had caused.  And shortly afterwards a Fox came up to him and said: “Ah, I knew you by your voice.”

“Fine clothes may disguise, but silly words will disclose a fool.”

The Bald Man and the Fly

A FLY bit the bare head of a Bald Man who, endeavoring to destroy  it, gave himself a heavy slap.  Escaping, the Fly said mockingly,  “You who have wished to revenge, even with death, the Prick of a  tiny insect, see what you have done to yourself to add insult to  injury?’  The Bald Man replied, “I can easily make peace with  myself, because I know there was no intention to hurt.  But you,  an ill-favored and contemptible insect who delights in sucking  human blood, I wish that I could have killed you even if I had  incurred a heavier penalty.”

“Revenge will hurt the avenger”

The Bear and the Two Travelers

TWO MEN were traveling together, when a Bear suddenly met them on  their path.  One of them climbed up quickly into a tree and  concealed himself in the branches.  The other, seeing that he  must be attacked, fell flat on the ground, and when the Bear came  up and felt him with his snout, and smelt him all over, he held  his breath, and feigned the appearance of death as much as he  could.  The Bear soon left him, for it is said he will not touch  a dead body.  When he was quite gone, the other Traveler  descended from the tree, and jocularly inquired of his friend  what it was the Bear had whispered in his ear.  “He gave me this  advice,” his companion replied.  “Never travel with a friend who  deserts you at the approach of danger.” 

“Misfortune tests the sincerity of friends.”

The Bee and Jupiter

A BEE from Mount Hymettus, the queen of the hive, ascended to  Olympus to present Jupiter some honey fresh from her combs.   Jupiter, delighted with the offering of honey, promised to give  whatever she should ask.  She therefore besought him, saying,  “Give me, I pray thee, a sting, that if any mortal shall approach  to take my honey, I may kill him.”  Jupiter was much displeased,  for he loved the race of man, but could not refuse the request  because of his promise.  He thus answered the Bee:  “You shall  have your request, but it will be at the peril of your own life.   For if you use your sting, it shall remain in the wound you make,  and then you will die from the loss of it.” 

“Evil wishes, like chickens, come home to roost.”

The Boys and the Frogs

SOME BOYS, playing near a pond, saw a number of Frogs in the  water and began to pelt them with stones.  They killed several of  them, when one of the Frogs, lifting his head out of the water,  cried out:  “Pray stop, my boys:  what is sport to you, is death to  us.”

“One man’s pleasure may be another’s pain.”-

The Cat and Venus

A CAT fell in love with a handsome young man, and entreated Venus  to change her into the form of a woman.  Venus consented to her  request and transformed her into a beautiful damsel, so that the  youth saw her and loved her, and took her home as his bride.   While the two were reclining in their chamber, Venus wishing to  discover if the Cat in her change of shape had also altered her  habits of life, let down a mouse in the middle of the room.  The  Cat, quite forgetting her present condition, started up from the  couch and pursued the mouse, wishing to eat it.  Venus was much  disappointed and again caused her to return to her former shape.

“Nature exceeds nurture.”

The Dog and the Hare

A HOUND having started a Hare on the hillside pursued her for  some distance, at one time biting her with his teeth as if he  would take her life, and at another fawning upon her, as if in  play with another dog.  The Hare said to him, “I wish you would  act sincerely by me, and show yourself in your true colors.  If  you are a friend, why do you bite me so hard? If an enemy, why do  you fawn on me?’ 

“No one can be a friend if you know not whether to trust or distrust him.”

The Dog and the Wolf

A gaunt Wolf was almost dead with hunger when he happened to  meet a House-dog who was passing by.  “Ah, Cousin,” said the Dog.   “I knew how it would be; your irregular life will soon be the ruin  of you.  Why do you not work steadily as I do, and get your food  regularly given to you?” “I would have no objection,” said the Wolf, “if I could only  get a place.” “I will easily arrange that for you,” said the Dog; “come with  me to my master and you shall share my work.” So the Wolf and the Dog went towards the town together.  On  the way there the Wolf noticed that the hair on a certain part of  the Dog’s neck was very much worn away, so he asked him how that  had come about. “Oh, it is nothing,” said the Dog.  “That is only the place  where the collar is put on at night to keep me chained up; it  chafes a bit, but one soon gets used to it.” “Is that all?” said the Wolf.  “Then good-bye to you, Master  Dog.”

“Better starve free than be a fat slave.”

The Dogs and the Fox

SOME DOGS, finding the skin of a lion, began to tear it in pieces  with their teeth.  A Fox, seeing them, said, “If this lion were  alive, you would soon find out that his claws were stronger than  your teeth.”   “It is easy to kick a man that is down.” The Eagle and the Fox  AN EAGLE and a Fox formed an intimate friendship and decided to  live near each other.  The Eagle built her nest in the branches  of a tall tree, while the Fox crept into the underwood and there  produced her young.  Not long after they had agreed upon this  plan, the Eagle, being in want of provision for her young ones,  swooped down while the Fox was out, seized upon one of the little  cubs, and feasted herself and her brood.  The Fox on her return,  discovered what had happened, but was less grieved for the death  of her young than for her inability to avenge them.  A just  retribution, however, quickly fell upon the Eagle.  While  hovering near an altar, on which some villagers were sacrificing  a goat, she suddenly seized a piece of the flesh, and carried it,  along with a burning cinder, to her nest.  A strong breeze soon  fanned the spark into a flame, and the eaglets, as yet unfledged  and helpless, were roasted in their nest and dropped down dead at  the bottom of the tree.  There, in the sight of the Eagle, the  Fox gobbled them up.

The Fox and the Grapes

One hot summer’s day a Fox was strolling through an orchard  till he came to a bunch of Grapes just ripening on a vine which  had been trained over a lofty branch.  “Just the thing to quench  my thirst,” quote he.  Drawing back a few paces, he took a run and  a jump, and just missed the bunch.  Turning round again with a  One, Two, Three, he jumped up, but with no greater success.  Again  and again he tried after the tempting morsel, but at last had to  give it up, and walked away with his nose in the air, saying: “I  am sure they are sour.”

“It is easy to despise what you cannot get.”

The Fox Who Had Lost His Tail

A FOX caught in a trap escaped, but in so doing lost his tail.   Thereafter, feeling his life a burden from the shame and ridicule  to which he was exposed, he schemed to convince all the other  Foxes that being tailless was much more attractive, thus making  up for his own deprivation.  He assembled a good many Foxes and  publicly advised them to cut off their tails, saying that they  would not only look much better without them, but that they would  get rid of the weight of the brush, which was a very great  inconvenience.  One of them interrupting him said, “If you had  not yourself lost your tail, my friend, you would not thus  counsel us.”

The Hares and the Frogs

The Hares were so persecuted by the other beasts, they did not  know where to go.  As soon as they saw a single animal approach  them, off they used to run.  One day they saw a troop of wild  Horses stampeding about, and in quite a panic all the Hares  scuttled off to a lake hard by, determined to drown themselves  rather than live in such a continual state of fear.  But just as  they got near the bank of the lake, a troop of Frogs, frightened  in their turn by the approach of the Hares scuttled off, and  jumped into the water.  “Truly,” said one of the Hares, “things  are not so bad as they seem: “There is always someone worse off than yourself.”

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