Aesop

“ One day there came a great wind, rushing through the tops of the trees with a roaring noise, and waving the branches back and forth.
It frightened the Hares so much that they all started together, running as fast as they could to get out of the forest, which had been their home.
“What a sad state is ours,” they said, “never to eat in comfort, to sleep always in fear, to be startled by a shadow, and fly with beating heart at the rustling of the leaves. Better death, by far. Let us drown ourselves in yonder lake.” ”

“ When the dinner was over, the City Mouse said: “Old friend, I thank you for your courtesy, but I must have a plain talk with you. I do not see how you can bear to live so poor a life in this little hole. Why not come with me to the city, where you will have all sorts of good things to eat and a gay time? You are wasting your life. When you have once seen the city you will never be willing to return to this quiet place.” ”

“ After a while, the Wolf did get into the field. Then in real terror the Boy called and called: “Pray do come and help me. The Wolf is killing the sheep. The Wolf! the Wolf!” But no one gave heed to his cries. Finding only a terrified coward in care of the flock, the Wolf left few of them uninjured. ”

“ THE FOX AND THE GRAPES
A FOX came at vintage time to a place where ripe grapes were hanging in tempting clusters over the branch of a tree. “I will get them,” said the Fox. He made many a spring and jump, but failing each time to secure the prize, he at length walked away, muttering, “Well, what does it matter? The grapes are sour.”
THE WOLF AND THE CRANE
A WOLF had a bone in his throat and ran up and down in the greatest agony, begging every animal he met to relieve him, hinting at the same time that there would be a substantial reward. ”

“ After a while, as the fight went on, the Birds began to have the best of it, and then away flew the Bat to their side. “What Beast comes here?” said the Birds.
“I am not a Beast,” said the Bat; [100] “I am a Bird. Look at my wings. This is my battle as truly as it is yours.”
But the Birds would have nothing to do with him. And to this day the Bat seems ashamed to show himself in the daytime but hides in lonely places, away from all other creatures, and only flits about noiselessly in the dark, when both Birds and Beasts are asleep. ”

“ One day the Frog from the pond said to the other, “Do come and live with me; I have plenty of food and water, and nothing to disturb me; and it is so pleasant in my pond. Now here there is very little food, and not much water, and the road passes through your pool, so that you must always be afraid of passers-by.”
“Thank you,” said the other Frog; “you are very kind, but I am quite content here. There is water enough; those who pass never trouble me; and as to food, I had a good dinner day before yesterday. ”

“ The timid Hares were startled by the splash; but, as they saw the frogs dive to the bottom of the lake, a wise old Hare said, “Stop a moment! let us consider. Here are creatures that are more timid than we—they are afraid even of us. See, they are drowning themselves for fear of us! It may not be so bad with us as we thought. Perhaps we have been foolish, as foolish as the frogs, who are alarmed when there is no danger. Let us make the best of our lot, and try to be brave in it.” So back they went again to the forest. ”

“ THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE
A HARE one day made himself merry over the slow pace of the Tortoise, vainly boasting of his own great speed in running.
The Tortoise took the laughing and boasting in good part. “Let us try a race,” she said; “I will run with you five miles for five dollars, and the Fox out yonder shall be the judge.” ”

“ When she saw how heedless all the Birds were, the Swallow would have nothing more to do with them, but left the woods where they lived and came among men, building her nests in barns and along the eaves of houses. ”

“ THE PARTRIDGE AND THE FOWLER
A PARTRIDGE, having been taken in the net of a Fowler, cried out piteously, “Spare me, good Master Fowler, and I promise you, on my word, that I will decoy other partridges into your net.”
“No,” replied the man, “whatever I might have done, I am determined now not to let you go; for no death is too bad for one who is ready to betray his friends.”
THE THIRSTY PIGEON
A PIGEON, pressed by thirst and seeing a glass of water painted on a sign, supposed it to be real. ”

“ The Weasel protested that it was against nature for a weasel to let a bird go. Whereupon the Bat insisted that he was not a bird, and to prove it, called attention to his mouselike head and ears, which so confused the Weasel that he let the Bat go.
Some time afterward, on another flight, the Bat fell again to the ground, and another Weasel caught him. On perceiving that the Weasel thought he was a mouse, the Bat contended that he had wings and therefore was not a mouse, and was again allowed to go free. ”

“ A Swallow, who was passing, stopped to look at them.
“What a foolish creature you were, to hatch those eggs!” said the Swallow. “Don’t you know that as soon as the little snakes grow big enough, they will bite some one—probably you first of all?”
“Then,” said the Hen, as she stood on one leg and looked at the ugly little snakes, first with one eye and [71] then with the other, “you think I have done more harm than good?”
“I certainly do,” said the Swallow, as she flew away. “Good judgment is better than thoughtless kindness.” ”

“ Now, if you will stop quarreling and stand by each other, you will be like the bundle of sticks—no one can do you any harm; but if you do not keep together, you will be as weak as is one of the little sticks by itself, which any one can break. ”

“ THE ELEPHANT IN FAVOR
ONCE upon a time the Elephant stood high in the good graces of the Lion. The forest immediately began to talk of the matter, and, as usual, many guesses were made as to the means by which the Elephant had gained such favor.
“It is no beauty,” say the beasts to each other, “and it is not amusing; and what habits it has! what manners!”
“If it had possessed such a bushy tail as mine, I should not have wondered,” says the Fox.
“Or, sister,” says the Bear, “if it had gotten into favor on account of its claws, no one would have found the matter at all extraordinary ”

“ A Weasel, who was drawn to the spot by his cries, thus counseled him: “Stay where you are, my friend, and fast till you are thin; for you will never come out till you reduce yourself to the same condition as when you went in.”
THE WOLF AND THE SHEEP
A WOLF, that had been bitten by a dog and was unable to move, begged a Sheep that passed by to take pity on his sad case and fetch him some water from a stream. “If you will bring me a drink,” said he, “I will find meat myself.” ”

“ The old Mouse said, “It is easy to advise; what is wanted is some one to act.”
THE KID AND THE WOLF
A KID, coming alone from its pasture, was pursued by a Wolf. With great presence of mind the kid turned and said: “I know, Friend Wolf, that you mean to kill me; but as my life is to be short, let it be a merry one. Do you pipe and let me have one more dance before I die.” While the Wolf was piping and the Kid was dancing, some Dogs, hearing the music, ran to the place to see what was going on; and the Wolf was glad to take himself off as fast as his legs would carry him. ”

“ As he flew away with it the Frog was dragged out of the water, too, for he was still tied to the Mouse.
“Stop, stop!” cried the Frog. “Let me go. It is the Mouse you want.”
“Come along,” said the Hawk; “I want you both. I will eat you first, for I like Frog meat even better than I do Mouse.”
In a few moments the Hawk had made a good supper, and there was nothing left of either the false Frog or the foolish Mouse.
[42]
THE SHEPHERD’S BOY AND THE WOLF
A MAN who had a fine flock of Sheep put them all into a field, and hired a Boy to take care of them, while he worked near by with his Men. ”

“ They who practice cunning must expect to suffer by it, and he laughs best who laughs last.
THE DOG, THE COCK, AND THE FOX
A DOG and a Cock, who were neighbors, once made a little journey together.
When night came on, the Cock flew up into the branches of a tree to sleep; and the Dog found a hollow in the trunk, into which he could creep and lie down. They slept well, and as soon as the morning dawned, the Cock, as usual, began to crow. ”

“ The remaining Frogs cried to Jupiter to help them, but he would not listen. And the Stork-King ate them for breakfast, dinner, and supper, every day, till in a short time there was not a Frog left in the lake. Poor, foolish Frogs, not to have known when they were well off.
THE DONKEY IN THE LION’S SKIN
A DONKEY once put on a Lion’s skin which some hunters had spread out to dry. It did not fit the Donkey very well, but he found that in it he could frighten all the timid, foolish little animals, so he amused himself by chasing them about. ”

“ He who incites to strife is worse than he who takes part in it. ”

“ A DONKEY was one day walking through a pond, with a load of wood on his back, when his foot slipped and he fell.
“Help, help!” cried the poor Donkey, [76] as he struggled and kicked in the water. But his load was so heavy that he could not rise, and he groaned aloud.
The Frogs heard his groans but showed no pity. “What a foolish fellow,” said they, “to make such a fuss about a little fall into the water. What would you say if you had to live here always, as we do?”
THE NURSE AND THE WOLF
A WOLF, prowling about to find something for supper, heard a Child crying in a house. ”

“ Thrift sometimes overreaches, and figures are not always facts.
THE DOG IN THE MANGER
A DOG once made his bed in a manger and lay there snarling and growling at whoever came by. The Oxen coming for their provender said: “What a miserable cur! neither to eat the grain himself nor to let any one else eat it!”
THE MOUSE, THE FROG, AND THE HAWK
A MOUSE in an evil day made the acquaintance of a Frog, and together they set off on their travels. On pretense of affection and of keeping his companion safe from harm, the Frog tied the Mouse’s forefoot to his own hind leg, and thus they proceeded. ”

“ THE Nightingale, sitting aloft upon an oak, was seen by a Hawk, who swooped down and seized her. The Nightingale earnestly prayed the Hawk to let her go, saying that she was not big enough to satisfy the hunger of a Hawk, who ought to find plenty of larger birds. “Do you happen to see many large birds flying about?” the Hawk asked. “I should be foolish, indeed, to let you go for the sake of larger birds that are not in sight. A morsel is better than nothing.”
THE CROW AND THE PITCHER
A CROW who was nearly perishing with thirst spied a pitcher with a little water in it. ”

“ The next day there happened to be a severe frost, and, shivering himself, he found the Swallow lying frozen and stiff upon the ground.
“Unhappy bird,” he said, “had you not come before your time, I should not now be so wretched, and you might have escaped your fate. A single swallow does not make a summer.”
[156]
THE BOAR AND THE FOX
A BOAR stood whetting his tusks against a tree.
“What do you mean,” asked a Fox, “by such warlike preparation? There is no enemy in sight.”
“When the enemy is in sight,” said the Boar, “it is time to think of something else.” ”

“ Such a bushy tail as it was—so ample, so golden! No; better wait a little. Surely men are sleeping still. It is even possible that [207] a thaw may set in meanwhile. In that case it will be able to withdraw its tail easily from the ice hole.
So it waits; it goes on waiting, but its tail only freezes all the more. The Fox looks round; the day is already beginning to dawn. People are stirring; voices are to be heard. Our poor Fox begins to move wildly about, now this way and now that. But still it cannot free itself from the hole.
Luckily, a Wolf comes running that way. ”

“ IN DESPERATION over the hard times they had on account of their many enemies, the Hares came together and, after rehearsing their situation, came to the sad conclusion that nothing was left to them but to drown themselves as the most miserable and unfortunate of creatures. They repaired to a pond to throw themselves off a rock into the water and thus make an end of their troubles. ”