Two Game Cocks, having fought a battle, the defeated one skulked away and hid, but the victor mounted a wall and crowed lustily. This attracted the attention of a hawk, who said:
“Behold! how pride goeth before a fall.”
So he swooped down upon the boasting bird and was about to destroy him, when the vanquished Cock came out of his hiding-place, and between the two the Hawk was calamitously defeated.
The Wolf and the Shepherds
A Wolf passing a Shepherd’s hut looked in and saw the shepherds dining.
“Come in,” said one of them, ironically, “and partake of your favourite dish, a haunch of mutton.”
“Thank you,” said the Wolf, moving away, “but you must excuse me; I have just had a saddle of shepherd.”
The Goose and the Swan
A Certain rich man reared a Goose and a Swan, the one for his table, the other because she was reputed a good singer. One night when the Cook went to kill the Goose he got hold of the Swan instead. Thereupon the Swan, to induce him to spare her life, began to sing; but she saved him nothing but the trouble of killing her, for she died of the song.