THE GLOW-WORM AND THE DAW
A Jackdaw once ran up to a Glow-Worm and was about to seize him. “Wait a moment, good friend,” said the Worm; “and you shall hear something to your advantage.”
“Ah! what is it?” said the Daw.
“I am but one of the many Glow-Worms that live in this forest. If you wish to have them all, follow me,” said the Glow-Worm.
“Certainly!” said the Daw.
Then the Glow-Worm led him to a place in the wood where a fire had been kindled by some woodmen, and pointing to the sparks flying about, said, “There you find the Glow-Worms warming themselves round a fire. When you have done with them, I shall show you some more, at a distance from this place.”
The Daw darted at the sparks, and tried to swallow some of them; but his mouth being burned by the attempt, he ran away exclaiming, “Ah, the Glow-Worm is a dangerous little creature!”
Said the Glow-Worm with pride, “Wickedness yields to wisdom!”
THE FOX AND THE VILLAGERS
A Fox that had long been the dread of the village poultry yard was one day found lying breathless in a field. The report went abroad that, after all, he had been caught and killed by some one. In a moment, everybody in the village came out to see the dead Fox. The village Cock, with all his Hens and Chicks, was also there to enjoy the sight.
The Fox then got up, and shaking off his drowsiness, said, “I ate a number of Hens and Chicks last night; hence I must have slumbered longer than usual.”
The Cock counted his Hens and Chicks and found a number wanting. “Alas!” said he, “how is it I did not know of it?”
“My dear sir,” said the Fox, as he retreated to the wood, “it was last night I had a good meal on your Hens and Chicks, yet you did not know of it. A moment ago they found me lying in the field, and you knew of it at once.” Ill news travels fast!
THE FROG AND THE SNAKE
A Snake and a Frog were friends in a pond. The Snake taught the Frog to hiss, and the Frog taught the Snake to croak. The Snake would hide in the reeds and croak. The Frogs would say, “Why, there is one of us,” and come near. The Snake would then dart at them, and eat all he could seize. The Frog would hide in the reeds and hiss. His kin would say, “Why, there is the Snake,” and keep off.
After some time, the Frogs found out the trick of the Snake, and took care not to come near him. Thus the Snake got no Frogs to eat for a long time; so he seized his friend to gobble him up.
The Frog then said, though too late, “By becoming your friend, I lost the company of my kindred, and am now losing my life.” One’s neck to fate one has to bend, when one would make so bad a friend!
THE ASSEMBLY OF ANIMALS
Once there was a great assembly of the animals in a wood. The Lion said, “Look how great my valor! ’Tis this that makes me king of the woods.”
The Fox said, “Look, how deep my cunning! ’Tis this that feeds me so well.”
The Peacock said, “Look, how bright my feathers! ’Tis this that makes me the wonder and admiration of the wood.”
The Elephant said, “Look, how long and powerful my tusks! there is nothing that can resist them.”
A Toad, who lived secure in the heart of a rock, close by, said, “’Tis the Lion’s valor that leads him to the herds, and gets him killed by the hunters. ’Tis the Fox’s cunning that brings him to the furrier at last. ’Tis the plumes of the Peacock that men covet; hence his ruin. The Elephant is hunted for his tusks, and they are his bane.” In the mark of your vanity is your death!
THE COCK AND HIS THREE HENS
A Cock, named Crimson Crest, was once strutting about with his three hens, Meek Love, Bright Wit, and Fine Feather. The hens, being in very good spirits, said, “Ah, how we love you!”
“Why do you love me at all?” said Crimson Crest.
“Because,” said they, “of the noble qualities that adorn your mind.”
“Are you sure,” said he, “you love me for the qualities that adorn my mind?”
“Yes, we are,” said the three with one voice.
After having gone over some distance, Crimson Crest dropped down like one dead.
Meek Love wept, saying, “Ah, how he loved us!”
Bright Wit wept, saying, “Ah, how well he crowed!”
Fine Feather wept, saying, “Ah, what bright plumes he had!”
Crimson Crest some time after showed signs of life.
Meek Love cried, “Oh, live and love us again!”
Bright Wit cried, “Oh, let us hear your crowing again!”
Fine Feather cried, “Oh, let us see your bright plumes again!”
Then Crimson Crest got up like one waking from a trance, and with a hearty laugh exclaimed, “Ladies, you fancied you all loved me for one and the same reason; but now you see. There is many a way to love as they say!”
THE BLACK DOG AND THE WHITE DOG
A Man in the East once went about saying, “I can put these two dogs together, one of which is white, and the other black, as you see, and make a gray dog of them; and turn the gray dog again to the black dog and the white dog, if people would pay for the fun.”
A Wag who heard these words removed the two dogs at night, and left instead a gray cur. The man rose up in the morning and complained bitterly to the crowd, which came to see him, that some one had stolen his two dogs.
“No,” said the Wag, who was one of the crowd, “some one has simply saved you the trouble of putting the two dogs together, and making a gray dog of them. So you must now perform the other part of your trick, and make the black dog and the white dog out of this gray cur.”
The man quietly threw his wallet over his shoulders and walked away. The Wag and the crowd shouted—“The tongue hath no bone in it. It can turn as you twist it.” It is one thing to say, and another thing to do!
THE ELEPHANT AND THE APE
An Elephant named Grand Tusk and an Ape named Nimble were friends.
Grand Tusk observed, “Behold, how big and powerful I am!”
Nimble cried in reply, “Behold, how agile and entertaining I am!”
Each was eager to know which was really superior to the other, and which quality was the most esteemed by the wise.
So they went to Dark Sage, an owl that lived in an old tower, to have their claims discussed and settled.
Dark Sage said, “You must do as I bid, that I may form an opinion.”
“Agreed!” cried both.
“Then,” said Dark Sage, “cross yonder river, and bring me the mangoes on the great tree beyond.”
Off went Grand Tusk and Nimble, but when they came to the stream, which was flowing full, Nimble held back; but Grand Tusk took him up on his back, and swam across in a very short time. Then they came to the mango-tree, but it was very lofty and thick. Grand Tusk could neither touch the fruit with his trunk, nor could he break the tree down to gather the fruit. Up sprang Nimble, and in a trice let drop a whole basketful of rich ripe mangoes. Grand Tusk gathered the fruit up into his capacious mouth, and the two friends crossed the stream as before.
“Now,” said Dark Sage, “which of you is the better? Grand Tusk crossed the stream, and Nimble gathered the fruit.” Each thing in its place is best.
THE CROW AND THE DAWN
A Crow that lived on a tree by a great city in the East thought that the day dawned because of his cawing. One day he said to himself, “How important I am! But for my care, I confess, the world would get into a mess.”
He had a mind to see how the world would fare if for it he did not care. So toward day-dawn he shut his eyes, and slept away without cawing. Then he awoke, and found the sun shining as bright as ever on the great city.
He said, with great ill-humor, “I see how it happened. Some knave of my kind must have cawed and helped the sun up!”
Error breeds error.
THE LION AND THE GOAT
A Lion was eating up one after another the animals of a certain country. One day an old Goat said, “We must put a stop to this. I have a plan by which he may be sent away from this part of the country.”
“Pray act up to it at once,” said the other animals.
The old Goat laid himself down in a cave on the roadside, with his flowing beard and long curved horns. The Lion on his way to the village saw him, and stopped at the mouth of the cave.
“So you have come, after all,” said the Goat.
“What do you mean?” said the Lion.
“Why, I have long been lying in this cave. I have eaten up one hundred Elephants, a hundred Tigers, a thousand Wolves, and ninety-nine Lions. One more Lion has been wanting. I have waited long and patiently. Heaven has, after all, been kind to me,” said the Goat, and shook his horns and his beard, and made a start as if he were about to spring upon the Lion.
The latter said to himself, “This animal looks like a Goat, but it does not talk like one. So it is very likely some wicked spirit in this shape. Prudence often serves us better than valor, so for the present I shall return to the wood,” and he turned back.
The Goat rose up, and, advancing to the mouth of the cave, said, “Will you come back to-morrow?”
“Never again,” said the Lion.
“Do you think I shall be able to see you, at least, in the wood to-morrow?”
“Neither in the wood, nor in this neighborhood any more,” said the Lion, and running to the forest, soon left it with his kindred.
The animals in the country, not hearing him roar any more, gathered round the Goat, and said, “The wisdom of one doth save a host.”
THE SUNLING
In the good old days a Clown in the East, on a visit to a city kinsman, while at dinner, pointed to a burning candle and asked what it was. The City Man said, in jest, it was a sunling, or one of the children of the sun.
The Clown thought that it was something rare; so he waited for an opportunity, and hid it in a chest of drawers close by. Soon the chest caught fire, then the curtains by its side, then the room, then the whole house.
After the flames had been put down the City Man and the Clown went into the burned building to see what remained. The Clown turned over the embers of the chest of drawers. The City Man asked what he was seeking for. The Clown said, “It is in this chest that I hid the bright sunling; I wish to know if he has survived the flames.”
“Alas,” said the City Man, who now found out the cause of all the mischief, “never jest with fools!”
THE MUSHROOM AND THE GOOSE
A Goose that was once cackling with great pride thought that a Mushroom was gazing at it, and said, “You contemptible thing, why do you stare at me like that? You can never hope to meet me on terms of equality, can you?”
“Certainly, madam,” said the Mushroom “and that very soon.”
This enraged the Goose more, so she said, “I would cut you up in pieces with my bill but for the people who are close by, and who are so silly as to care for you,” and went strutting away. Soon after the Goose and Mushroom were served up in separate dishes, very near each other.
“Ah,” said the Mushroom, “you see we have met after all, and so closely.” Those who have a common fate in the end had better be friends.
THE FABLES OF PILPAY THE HINDU
Pilpay is thought to have been a Hindu who lived many centuries before Jesus was born, and who wrote fables that have been translated into almost every language. His fables are older than those of Æsop.
THE FOX AND THE HEN
A hungry Fox, spying a fine fat Hen, made up his mind to eat her. But as he was about to spring upon her he heard a great noise, and looking up, saw a drum hanging upon a tree. As the wind blew, the branches beat upon the drum.
“Ah!” said he. “A thing that can make so much noise must certainly have more flesh upon it than a miserable hen.”
So, allowing the Hen to escape, he sprang upon the drum; but when he tore the parchment head open he found that there was nothing inside.
“Wretched being that I am,” said he. “I have missed a dainty meal for nothing at all.”
By being too greedy we may miss everything that is worth having.
THE THREE FISHES
Three Fishes lived in a pond. The first was wise, the second had a little sense, and the third was foolish. A fisherman saw the fish, and went home for his net in order that he might catch them.
“I must get out of this pond at once,” said the Wise Fish. And he threw himself into a little channel that led to a river. The others did not trouble at all.
Presently the Fisherman returned with his net, and stopped up the channel leading to the river. The Second Fish wished he had followed the example of the Wise Fish; but he soon thought of a plan to escape. He floated upside down on the surface of the water, and the fisherman, thinking he was dead, did not trouble about him any more.
But the Foolish Fish was caught, and taken home to be eaten.
We should all endeavor to be wise.
THE FALCON AND THE HEN
“How ungrateful you must be!” said a Falcon to a Hen. “You are fed with the best of food, you have a snug bed provided for you at night, you are protected from foxes, and yet, when the men who do all this for you want to take hold of you, you run away and do not return their caresses. Now, I do not receive anything like so many benefits, and yet I allow the men to hold me, and I serve them when they go hunting in the field.”
“Ah!” said the Hen. “What you say is true. But, remember, you never see a hawk roasting in front of the fire, whereas you see hundreds of good fat hens treated in that way.”
Circumstances alter cases.
THE KING WHO GREW KIND
A cruel King was riding out one day, when he saw a fox attack a hen. But just then a dog ran after the fox and bit his leg. The fox, however, lame as he was, managed to escape into his hole, and the dog ran off. A man who saw him threw a stone at the dog, and cracked his head; but at this moment a horse passing by ran against the man and trod on his foot. A minute later the horse’s foot stepped upon a stone, and his ankle was broken.
“Ah,” said the King. “This will be a lesson to me. I see that misfortunes always overtake those who ill-use others.”
And from that time the King became a kind and wise ruler of his people.
Punishment sooner or later overtakes those who wrong others.
THE HORSES’ COUNCIL
ADAPTED FROM JOHN GAY
Once upon a time, a restless, dissatisfied horse persuaded all the other horses on the farm that they were oppressed by the man who owned them, and that they should rebel against him.
So a meeting was called to which all the horses came, to argue the matter and see what should be done. One wanted one thing, one another, and at the last a young colt, who had not yet been trained sprang to the front with tossing mane, and proud, arched neck, and eyes of fire, and thus addressed the listening throng of horses:
“What slaves we are! How low has fallen our race! Because our fathers lived in their service, must we too toil? Shall we submit ourselves to man, and spend our youth in servile tasks; with straining sinews drag the ploughshare through the heavy soil, or draw the carrier’s heavy load in winter cold or beneath the sun of summer? See how strong we are, how weak man is! Shall we subdue our strength, and champ a bit, and serve his pride? Not so. Away with bit and bridle, rein and spur! We shall be free as air!”
He ceased, and with a step of conscious pride regained his place among the crowd, from which came snickers of applause and neighs of praise.
Then from behind the crowd, with slow and stately movements, came an aged steed. He faced the turbulent crew, and with firm accents that compelled their silence, he began to speak:
“When I was young as you,” he said, “I too cried out for freedom from the daily toil that was my task. I soon had better thoughts. Man toils for us. For us he braves the summer heat, to store our food. If we lend him our strength to plough the land, he sows and reaps the grain, that we may share it, as we share the toil. Through all the world’s history it has been decreed each one must in some way aid the other’s need.”
He ceased, and left the place, and by his words the council quietly dispersed.
THE OAK AND THE REED
ADAPTED FROM THE FRENCH OF LA FONTAINE
One day the Oak said to the Reed: “Nature has been indeed unkind to you. She has made you so weak that even the tiniest bird that flies bends you to earth beneath her little weight. The gentlest breeze that scarcely moves the surface of the lake has power to bend your head.
“My head, which rises like a mountain, is not content to stop the blazing rays of sunshine, but braves even the tempest; the wind that to you seems to be a hurricane, to me is but a gentle sigh of wind at eventide.
“If you had grown beneath the shelter of my leafy crown, with which I cover all the ground around, I would have saved you from the storms which make you suffer. Alas, you are most often found along the marshy borders of the kingdom of the winds. Nature, it seems to me, has been to you unjust.”
“Your pity,” said the Reed, “comes from good nature, but have no care for me. The winds for me hold far less danger than they hold for you. I bend but do not break. You have till now resisted all their powerful blows and never bent your back. But wait the end.”
Just as the gentle little Reed ended these words, a great north wind rushed down from the horizon and flung itself on them with fury. The Reed bent low before it, but the tree defied the anger of the blast and held its head upright. But the strong wind drew back, doubled its force, and with a furious rush tore up the oak tree by its mighty roots.
The blast passed on and in the quiet that it left behind, the Reed raised up her head, and looking sadly at the giant tree whose stately head lay in the waters of the stream, she sadly said:
“It is often well to bend before the storms that threaten us.”
THE ADVANTAGE OF KNOWLEDGE
ADAPTED FROM THE FRENCH OF LA FONTAINE
Two citizens lived beside each other in a town in France. The one was rich and had a fine house, and a garden, horses, and carriages, and servants to wait on him. But he was stupid, for when he was a boy at school he learned nothing. The other man was poor in gold and silver, but he was rich in knowledge, and full of wisdom, and he knew all the beauty and the glory of the world.
These two held constant arguments. The rich man said that nothing in the world should be held in honor but riches, and that the wise and learned should bow to him because of all his wealth.
“My friend,” he often said, “what use is it to read so many books? They do not bring you money! You have a small house, you wear the same coat in the winter that you do in summer.”
The wise man could not always answer back, he had too much to say, and often kept silence.
But a war broke out. All the town, in which the two men lived, was broken down, and both men had to leave it to seek their fortune in another place. The rich man, who had lost his money, was now poor indeed, for he had nothing, and wandered through the world getting nothing but scorn for his ignorance. But the wise man was welcomed everywhere, and received with honor because of all the wisdom and the knowledge that he brought with him.
Knowledge is power.
THE TORRENT AND THE RIVER
ADAPTED FROM THE FRENCH OF LA FONTAINE
With great noise and much tumult a torrent fell down the mountain side. All fled before it; horror followed it; it made the country round it tremble.
Only one traveler, who was flying from robbers that were following after him, dared to cross the stream, and put it as a barrier between him and the men who were pursuing him. This gave him confidence although the robbers still followed. So when he reached the edge of a broad river, that seemed to him to be an image of sleep, it looked so soft and peaceable and quiet, he rode his horse into the water to cross it. It had no high banks, but a little beach sloped from the meadow down to meet the water, which looked so peaceful that it seemed as if a little child might cross it, to gather flowers on the other side, and so the traveler thought it held no danger for him.
But the quiet river was very deep, and though it made no noise, its current ran so strongly that it lifted both the horse and rider on its waves and carried them away, and drowned them.
Quiet people are stronger than the noisy.