THE FOX AND THE CAT
A fox was boasting to a cat of its clever devices for escaping its enemies. “I have a whole bag of tricks,” he said, “which contains a hundred ways of escaping my enemies.”
“I have only one,” said the cat, “but I can generally manage with that.” Just at that moment they heard the cry of a pack of hounds coming toward them, and the cat immediately scampered up a tree and hid himself in the boughs. “This is my plan,” said the cat. “What are you going to do?”
The fox thought first of one way, then of another, and while he was debating, the hounds came nearer, and at last the fox in his confusion was caught up by the hounds and soon killed by the huntsmen.
Better one carefully thought out plan of action than a hundred untried ideas.
the fox and the grapes the fox and the cat
the fox and the raven the fox and the crane
from drawings by bess bruce cleveland
the heron who was hard to please the ants and the grasshopper
the eagle and the jackdaw the dove and the ant
from drawings by bess bruce cleveland
THE ANTS
and
THE GRASSHOPPER
The ants were employing a fine winter’s day in drying grain collected in the summer-time. A grasshopper, perishing from famine, passed by and earnestly begged for a little food. The ants inquired of him: “Why did you not treasure up food during the summer?” He replied: “I had not leisure enough. I passed the days in singing.” They then said in derision: “If you were foolish enough to sing all the summer you must dance supperless to bed in the winter.”
In living, be guided much by the laws of nature, and not by the hope of mercy.
FABLES FROM INDIA
ADAPTED BY RAMASWAMI RAJU