Aesop

“ A fox, who listen'd all the while,
Address'd the monarch with a smile:
[81] "My liege, most humbly I make bold,
Though truth may not be always told,
That this same phantom which you hear,
That so alarms your royal ear,
Is not a rival of your throne:
The voice and fears are all your own."
Imaginary terrors scare
A timorous soul with real fear;
Nay, even the wise and brave are cow'd
By apprehensions from the crowd:
A frog a lion may disharm,
And yet how causeless the alarm! ”

“ The wolf once met this prosp'rous cur,
And thus began: "Your servant, sir;
[6] I'm pleased to see you look so well,
Though how it is I cannot tell;
I have not broke my fast to-day;
Nor have I, I'm concern'd to say,
One bone in store or expectation,
And that I call a great vexation."
"Indeed it is," the dog replied:
"I know no ill so great beside;
But if you do not like to be
So poorly fed, come live with me."
"Agreed," rejoined the wolf, "I'll go:
But pray, what work am I to do?"
"Oh, guard the house, and do not fail
To bark at thieves, and wag your tail." ”

“ To stuff her own and kittens' maw.
To stir nor sow nor eagle dare.
What more? fell hunger ends their care;
And long the mischief-making beast
With her base brood on carrion feast.
Learn hence, ye simples, ere too late,
What ills the double-tongued create.
[129]
THE EAGLE, THE RAVEN AND THE TORTOISE.
Who in their foe united find
Force, art, and a remorseless mind,
Whate'er their strength and prowess be,
To perish stand in jeopardy.
An eagle once a tortoise held,
Safe in his horny house concealed,
Which he in vain essayed to break
With all the fury of his beak. ”

“ No meat excited them to taste,
Nor did the wolves again lay waste,
The innocent prey.
Even the doves fled from each other,
And cooed no more the live-long day.
The lion held war counsel—"My brother,"
Said he, addressing each in turn,
"I think that heaven hath allowed
This punishment on us to fall
For the sins we have disavowed.
Now I for one will confess all,
And let him who is most to blame,
Be slaughtered in the others' name.
Perhaps he may obtain a common cure,
For history tells us that in like cases,
The guilty die in others' places ”

“ It's nothing that you need to mind."
"I'll take your word," the wolf replied.
"It's truth by me shall ne'er be tried;
I'll have my liberty again,
And you your collar and your chain."
MORAL.
Our neighbors sometimes seem to be
A vast deal better off than we;
Yet seldom 'tis they really are,
Since they have troubles too to bear,
Which, if the truth were really known,
Are quite as grievous as our own. ”

“ THE WOLF AND THE SHEPHERD'S BOY.
In wantonness a shepherd's boy
Alarm'd the neighbor's with his cry;
"The wolf! the wolf!" And when they came,
Of their lost labor made his game.
At last the wolf when there indeed,
His real cries they did not heed;
[174] He and his flock a prey were made,
And for his lies he dearly paid.
Those who are known to have deceiv'd,
When they speak truth, are not believ'd.
[175]
THE FOX WITHOUT A TAIL.
Fashions and modes we often see,
Made to conceal deformity:
Those to whom nature has been kind,
Should leave such fopperies behind. ”

“ The crane at last managed to reach.
[47] "Thank my stars!" said the beast, from his terrors released,
"Thank you too, sir," said he to the bird;
"Alas!" said the crane, "is this all I'm to gain,
I was waiting the promised reward."
Said the wolf, "You forget, I've contracted no debt,
Since the service was rendered by me;
Your head I releas'd from the jaws of a beast,
And now you're demanding a fee!"
MORAL.
Give your help to a wolf, should he beg for your aid,
But you must not expect when you've done to be paid. ”

“ To die for any trivial thing;
Your simples are too nice.
Eat sheep, and why not?
Is it a sin? is it a vice?
No, sire, you did them honor;
And as for shepherds, I desire,
That over us their false empire
[272] Should cease, and we have all we want
Of sheep and fleece."
So said the fox, flatterers applaud,
The tiger, bear, and other powers they laud,
Even for their most violent offence.
All quarrelsome people,
Down to the mastiffs,
Were little saints.
But when the donkey's turn came on,
They heard him with many ifs. ”

“ He puts down his faggot, and thinks of his pains,
What is his work, and what are his gains,
How since he came into this weary world,
By the wheels of blind fortune around he's been twirled.
Was he not poor, a wood cutter, at best,
Oft without bread, always without rest.
He thinks of his wife, his children, his taxes,
At last quite warm with the subject he waxes.
He calls on death; who comes without delay,
The woodman, in terror, knows not what to say.
Death asks what to do the man wishes he should.
"Oh, help me," he said, "with this faggot of wood. ”

“ But from the same source good and evil doth flow—
And full sorely my skin though these briers may rend,
Yet they keep off the dogs, and my life will defend:
For the sake of the good, then, let evil be borne—
For each sweet has its bitter, each bramble its thorn. ”

“ A scheme or a conspiracy,
Be it all plotted well
As safe, 'twould seem as it could be,
And sure of all success,
May, none the less,
Entirely fail,
And grand conspirators,
And all bewail,
The day that set them scheming.
[251]
THE LION AND THE FLY.
A lion by a gad-fly worried,
Half maddened by his sting,
Exclaimed, "Be off, vile fly—
Mean, pitiful, base thing!"
After the fly had ended his repast,
Fully exhausted feels the beast at last,
And roared so that he shook the earth,
[252] While the victorious fly
Met in the spider's web his destiny. ”

“ Pay more than it demands.
[31]
THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE.
Said a hare to a tortoise, "Good sir, what a while
You have been only crossing the way;
Why I really believe that to go half a mile,
You must travel two nights and a day."
"I am very contented," the creature replied,
"Though I walk but a tortoise's pace,
[32] But if you think proper the point to decide,
We will run half a mile in a race."
"Very good," said the hare; said the tortoise, "Proceed,
And the fox shall decide who has won,"
Then the hare started off with incredible speed;
But the tortoise walk'd leisurely on. ”

“ I'll serve your children yet, you'll see."
Thus to the cat spoke the poor mouse.
The other answered, "You mistake,
When unto me this tone you take;
You might as well talk to the deaf,
As to so old a cat as I,
And through your tricks I spy,
Die! you can go and chatter to the fates,
My children will be fed on better cates."
MORAL.
Youth is sanguine, and hopes for all:
Old age is pitiless; so says our moral. ”

“ Work, work, my boys, with hand and mind!
Your labors you will fruitful find.
A husbandman, about to die,
Call'd on his children to come nigh:
"I leave," he says, "a small estate,
But wherewithal to make it great:
For know, a treasure it contains,
If you to search will take the pains."
[159] He died. The sons dug all the ground,
And there no hidden treasure found;
But so productive was the soil,
The crop by far o'erpaid the toil. ”

“ And with his beams so warm'd the air,
The man his mantle could not bear,
But open'd first, then threw aside.
Learn hence, unbending sons of pride
Persuasive manners will prevail,
When menaces and bluster fail. ”

“ A lion, by a mouse set free.
MORAL.
Few are so small or weak, I guess,
But may assist us in distress;
Nor shall we ever, if we're wise,
The meanest, or the least, despise.
[67]
THE JEALOUS ASS.
"There lived," says friend Esop, "some ages ago,
An ass who had feelings acute, you must know;
This ass to be jealous, felt strongly inclined,
And for reasons which follow, felt hurt in his mind."
[68] It seems that his master, as I understand,
Had a favorite dog which he fed from his hand.
Nay, the dog was permitted to jump on his knee:
An honor that vex'd our poor donkey to see. ”

“ You claimed the sole right to the prize!
And since all the money was taken by you,
With you the dishonesty lies."
MORAL.
When people are selfish, dishonest, and mean,
Their nature, in dealing, will quickly be seen. ”

“ For their credulity may grieve.
[171]
THE EAGLE AND THE CROW.
The wise well know their force to weigh,
Nor what they cannot do, essay.
A carrion crow an eagle saw
Seize on a lamb with beak and claw. ”

“ As though the butcher's knife she 'gan to feel.
Her grunts, and squeals, and cries
Were loud enough to deafen one,
The other animals more wise,
And better tempered, with surprise
Exclaimed, "have done!"
The carter to the porker turned,
"Where have you manners learned,
Why stun us all? Do you not see
That you're the noisiest of the three? ”

“ When Reynard removed from the victuals its cover
[20] 'Twas neither game, butcher's meat, chicken, not fish;
But plain gravy-soup, in a broad shallow dish.
Now this the fox lapp'd with his tongue very quick,
While the crane could scarce dip in the point of her beak;
"You make a poor dinner," said he to his guest;
"Oh, dear! by no means," said the bird, "I protest."
But the crane ask'd the fox on a subsequent day,
When nothing, it seems, for their dinner had they
But some minced meat served up in a narrow-neck'd jar ”

“ MORAL.
Hence, when we are needy, don't let us be greedy,
(Excuse me this line of digression,)
Lest in snatching at all, like the dog, we let fall
The good that we have in possession.
[50]
THE TRAVELLERS AND THE BEAR.
Two trav'llers one morning set out from their home,
It might be from Sparta, from Athens, or Rome;
It matters not which, but agreed, it is said,
Should danger arise, to lend each other aid.
But scarce was this done, when forth rushing amain,
Sprung a bear from a wood tow'rds these travellers twain ”

“ Leave the manners and customs of oak trees alone,
Of acorns, and pumpkins—and look to our own.
[45]
THE WOLF AND THE CRANE.
A wolf, once forgetting the size of his swallow,
Tried to pass a large marrow-bone through it.
"Oh dear," said the beast, thinking death was to follow,
"How careless and stupid to do it!"
His mouth was propp'd open by means of the bone,
And his breathing was greatly impeded,
[46] But a crane coming up, he contrived to make known
What kind of assistance he needed.
"How d'ye do?" said the bird; said the beast, "Very ill,
For a bone has gone down the wrong way ”

“ THE FOX AND THE CROW.
Crows feed upon worms: yet an author affirms
Cheshire cheese they will get if they're able;
"For," said he, "I well know, one unprincipled crow
Once purloined a large piece from my table." ”

“ Esop this fable did relate.
A ship by raging tempests toss'd,
The seamen, giving all for lost,
'Twas who should weep and pray the most.
Grown calm at once the sky and sea,
They shout in joyful extacy.
The pilot, from experience wise,
The giddy crew did thus advise:
"Nor much rejoice, nor over grieve,
But decently what comes receive;
Since good and ill succeed so near,
Meet ill with hope and good with fear."
[135]
THE CRAB AND HER DAUGHTER.
Not what they hear, but what they see,
Will children and domestics be. ”

“ The spot, when he found that the thief was a lion!
"Ill luck to my hurry, what now shall I do?
I promised a lamb to detect you 'tis true;
But now I'd consent all my substance to pay,
If I could but with safety get out of your way."
MORAL.
Silly people ask things that would ruin, if sent;
They demand them in haste, and at leisure repent. ”

“ THE FROG AND THE FOX.
Let us our own defects amend,
Ere to guide others we pretend.
A sallow, wrinkl'd, spotted frog,
To turn physician left the bog.
"He every malady could cure,"
He said, "that animals endure."
"First on yourself your science show,"
Says Reynard: "that the world may know
Your skill and knowledge, pray begin
Of those foul spots to clear your skin:
For while you look so sick and pale,
To vend your drugs you'll ne'er prevail."
[147]
THE APE AND HER YOUNG ONES.
An ape had cubs ”

“ First industry excites to rise."
"Up, up," she says, "to meet the sun,
Your task of yesterday's undone!"
[167] "Lie still," cries sloth, "it is not warm,
An hour's more sleep can do no harm;
You will have time your work to do,
And leisure for amusement too." ”

“ Too long, and narrow, for Reynard by far.
"You make a poor dinner, I fear," said the bird;
"Why, I think," said the fox, "'twould be very absurd
[21] To deny what you say, yet I cannot complain,
But confess, though a fox, that I'm matched by a crane."
MORAL.
Cunning folks who play tricks which good manners condemn,
Often find their own tricks play'd again upon them. ”

“ Well, a pair is a couple—now then let us tell 'em;
A couple in fifty will go— (my poor brain!)
Why just a score times, and five pair will remain.
"Twenty-five pair of fowls—now how shameful it is,
That I can't reckon up as much money as this!
[37] Well, there's no use in trying; so let's give a guess;
I will say twenty pounds, and it can't be no less.
"Twenty pounds, I am certain, will buy me a cow,
Thirty geese, and two turkeys—eight pigs and a sow;
Now if these turn out well, at the end of the year,
I shall fill both my pockets with guineas 'tis clear. ”