THE FOX AND THE GOAT
A Fox one day tried to drink at a well when he caught his feet on a stone and fell into the water. It was not so deep as to drown him, yet the poor Fox could not get out. Soon a Goat came that way. He, too, thought he would drink, but then he saw the Fox in the well, so he said, “Is the water good?” “Oh, yes,” said the Fox, “it is very good and nice, and there is a lot of it.” In sprang the Goat, and at once the Fox sprang on to his back, and thence out of the well. “Ah, my friend!” said he, as he stood safe on the brink, “if your brains had been as large as your beard, you would have seen where you meant to jump to!” and then the sly Fox ran off and left the poor Goat in the well. Look before you leap.
THE TWO FROGS
Two Frogs were neighbors. The one inhabited a deep pond, far removed from public view; the other lived in a gully containing little water, and traversed by a country road. He that lived in the pond warned his friend, and entreated him to change his residence and come and live with him, saying that he could enjoy greater safety from danger and more abundant food. The other refused, saying that he felt it so very hard to remove from a place to which he had become accustomed. A few days afterward a heavy wagon passed through the gully, and crushed him to death under its wheels. A wilful man will have his way to his own hurt.
THE DOG IN THE MANGER
A cross Dog lay in a manger full of hay; and when the Ox came near to eat his own food, the rude and ill-bred cur at once began to snarl and bite at him. “What a selfish Beast thou art!” said the Ox; “thou canst not eat the hay thyself, nor wilt thou look on while others feed.” Do not be selfish.
THE STAG AT THE POOL
One hot day, a Stag, who came down from the hills to quench his thirst at a pool of clear water, saw his form in the stream. “Ah!” said he, “what fine horns these are—with what grace do they rise above my head! I wish that all the parts of my body were as good as they. But sometimes I quite blush at these poor, thin, weak legs of mine.” While he thought thus, all at once the cries of the huntsman and the bay of the hounds were heard. Away flew the Stag, and by the aid of these same thin, weak legs he soon outran the hunt. At last he found himself in a wood, and he had the bad luck to catch his fine horns in the branch of a tree, where he was held till the hounds came up and caught him. He now saw how foolish he had been in thinking so ill of his legs which would have brought him safely away, and in being so vain of those horns which had caused his ruin. The useful is better than the beautiful.
THE WAR-HORSE AND THE ASS
A War-Horse, grand in all the trappings of war, came with a great noise down the road. The ground rang with the sound of his hoofs. At the same time a meek Ass went with tired step down the same road with a great load on his back. The Horse cried to the poor Ass to “get out of my way, or I will crush you beneath my feet.” The Ass, who did not wish to make the proud horse cross, at once went to the side, so that he might pass him. Not long after this, the Horse was sent to the wars. There he had the ill-luck to get a bad wound, and in that state, as he was not fit to serve in the field of war, his fine clothes were taken from him, and he was sold to the man with whom the Ass dwelt. Thus the Ass and the Horse met once more, but this time the grand War-Horse was, with great pains and toil, drawing a cart with a load of bricks. Then the Ass saw what small cause he had to think his lot worse than that of the Horse, who had in times gone by treated him with so much scorn. Pride will have a fall.
THE FROGS WHO WANTED A KING
In old times when the Frogs swam at ease through the ponds and lakes, they grew tired of their tame mode of life. They thought they would like some kind of change, so they all met and with much noise prayed to Jove to send them a King. Jove and all the gods laughed loud at the Frogs, and with a view to please them he threw to them a log, and said, “There is a King for you!” The loud fall of the log made a great splash in the lake, which sent a thrill through all the Frogs; and it was long ere they dared to take a peep at their new lord and King. At length some of the more brave swam to him, and they were soon followed by the rest; and when they saw that he did not move but lay quite still, they leaped upon his back, and sprang and sang on him, and cried out that he was no King but a log. Such a King did not at all please them; so they sent a fresh prayer to Jove to beg him for a King who had some life, and would move. Then Jove sent a Stork, and said he thought this would suit them. The Stork had but just come to the Frogs than he set to work to eat them up as fast as he could. Of course the Frogs did not like this new King even as well as King Log, and they sent at once to Jove and prayed to him to take away the Stork. They would rather have no King at all than all be eaten up. But Jove would not grant their prayer this time. “No,” said he, “it was your own wish, and if you will be so vain and foolish, you must pay the cost.” It is better to bear the ills we have than fly to those we know not of.
