One day a Hare stood laughing at the slow pace of the Tortoise, and boasting how swiftly he could run. The Tortoise laughed back cheerfully, “Let us race five miles, and let Mr. Fox be the judge, and decide who beats.” So they got ready, and when the Fox said “One, two, three, go!” off they started. The slow-going Tortoise, jogging along, was soon left far behind by the swift-speeding Hare, who laughed at the fun and said, “I might as well take a nap!” When the Hare awoke he looked up and saw the Tortoise almost at the goal. Running like the wind he reached the goal a few minutes too late. “Oh, oh, my friend,” laughed Judge Fox, “slow and steady wins the race.”
13. ONE GOOD TRICK
Once a Cat and a Fox met in the wood. The Fox said: “I know a hundred different tricks for getting away from hunters’ dogs. How many do you know, Puss?” “I know only one,” said Puss, “and if that fails me I am a dead cat!” “Poor, poor Pussy,” sighed the Fox, “I am sorry for you!” Just then the cries of hunters and barking of dogs were heard. The Fox ran off as fast as he could, trying this trick and that, but the hunters’ dogs soon caught him. The Cat simply sprang up to the top of a tree. That was her one trick, and she was safe. “I see,” said Puss, as she saw the Fox carried off, “one good trick is better than a thousand poor ones.”
14. THE CONCEITED GRASSHOPPER
One day a very young Grasshopper and an old Rooster met out in a field. “I can jump higher than anybody,” chirped the Grasshopper. “All right; let me see you do it,” said the Rooster, at the same time opening his mouth wide as if he meant to yawn. “Here I go, then,” cried the Grasshopper. He jumped so high he landed right in the mouth of the Rooster, who gulped him down. That was the end of the boasting Grasshopper.
15. THE BLIND MEN AND THE ELEPHANT
Six blind beggars sitting by a roadside as an Elephant passed were told that they might touch it so that they would know what an Elephant was like. The first one touched only the Elephant’s side and said, “He is like a wall!” The second one felt only his tusk and said, “No, no, he is like a spear.” The third took hold of his trunk and said, “He is surely like a snake.” “No such thing,” cried the fourth, grasping one of his legs, “he is like a tree.” The fifth was a tall man and took hold of his ear, and said, “All of you are wrong, he is like a big fan.” The sixth man happened to catch hold of his tail, and cried, “O foolish fellows, he is not like a wall, nor a spear, nor a snake, nor a tree, nor a fan; he is exactly like a rope.” So the Elephant passed on while the six blind men stood there quarreling, each being sure he knew exactly how the Elephant looked, and each calling the others hard names because the rest did not agree with him.
“THOSE WHO PLAY AND DANCE ALL SUMMER MUST EXPECT TO DANCE HUNGRY TO BED IN WINTER”