The Spendthrift and the Swallow

The Spendthrift and the Swallow

A YOUNG MAN, a great spendthrift, had run through all his patrimony and

had but one good cloak left. One day he happened to see a Swallow,

which had appeared before its season, skimming along a pool and

twittering gaily. He supposed that summer had come, and went and sold

his cloak. Not many days later, winter set in again with renewed frost

and cold. When he found the unfortunate Swallow lifeless on the ground,

he said, “Unhappy bird! what have you done? By thus appearing before

the springtime you have not only killed yourself, but you have wrought

my destruction also.”

The Trumpeter Taken Prisoner

A TRUMPETER, bravely leading on the soldiers, was captured by the

enemy. He cried out to his captors, “Pray spare me, and do not take my

life without cause or without inquiry. I have not slain a single man of

your troop. I have no arms, and carry nothing but this one brass

trumpet.” “That is the very reason for which you should be put to

death,” they said; “for, while you do not fight yourself, your trumpet

stirs all the others to battle.”

The Owl and the Birds

AN OWL, in her wisdom, counseled the Birds that when the acorn first

began to sprout, to pull it all up out of the ground and not allow it

to grow. She said acorns would produce mistletoe, from which an

irremediable poison, the bird-lime, would be extracted and by which

they would be captured. The Owl next advised them to pluck up the seed

of the flax, which men had sown, as it was a plant which boded no good

to them. And, lastly, the Owl, seeing an archer approach, predicted

that this man, being on foot, would contrive darts armed with feathers

which would fly faster than the wings of the Birds themselves. The

Birds gave no credence to these warning words, but considered the Owl

to be beside herself and said that she was mad. But afterwards, finding

her words were true, they wondered at her knowledge and deemed her to

be the wisest of birds. Hence it is that when she appears they look to

her as knowing all things, while she no longer gives them advice, but

in solitude laments their past folly.

The Goods and the Ills

ALL the Goods were once driven out by the Ills from that common share

which they each had in the affairs of mankind; for the Ills by reason

of their numbers had prevailed to possess the earth. The Goods wafted

themselves to heaven and asked for a righteous vengeance on their

persecutors. They entreated Jupiter that they might no longer be

associated with the Ills, as they had nothing in common and could not

live together, but were engaged in unceasing warfare; and that an

indissoluble law might be laid down for their future protection.

Jupiter granted their request and decreed that henceforth the Ills

should visit the earth in company with each other, but that the Goods

should one by one enter the habitations of men. Hence it arises that

Ills abound, for they come not one by one, but in troops, and by no

means singly: while the Goods proceed from Jupiter, and are given, not

alike to all, but singly, and separately; and one by one to those who

are able to discern them.

The Ass in the Lion’s Skin

AN ASS, having put on the Lion’s skin, roamed about in the forest and

amused himself by frightening all the foolish animals he met in his

wanderings. At last coming upon a Fox, he tried to frighten him also,

but the Fox no sooner heard the sound of his voice than he exclaimed,

“I might possibly have been frightened myself, if I had not heard your

bray.”

The Sparrow and the Hare

A HARE pounced upon by an eagle sobbed very much and uttered cries like

a child. A Sparrow upbraided her and said, “Where now is thy remarkable

swiftness of foot? Why were your feet so slow?” While the Sparrow was

thus speaking, a hawk suddenly seized him and killed him. The Hare was

comforted in her death, and expiring said, “Ah! you who so lately, when

you supposed yourself safe, exulted over my calamity, have now reason

to deplore a similar misfortune.”

The Flea and the Ox

A FLEA thus questioned an Ox: “What ails you, that being so huge and

strong, you submit to the wrongs you receive from men and slave for

them day by day, while I, being so small a creature, mercilessly feed

on their flesh and drink their blood without stint?” The Ox replied: “I

do not wish to be ungrateful, for I am loved and well cared for by men,

and they often pat my head and shoulders.” “Woe’s me!” said the flea;

“this very patting which you like, whenever it happens to me, brings

with it my inevitable destruction.”

The Ass and His Purchaser

A MAN wished to purchase an Ass, and agreed with its owner that he

should try out the animal before he bought him. He took the Ass home

and put him in the straw-yard with his other Asses, upon which the new

animal left all the others and at once joined the one that was most

idle and the greatest eater of them all. Seeing this, the man put a

halter on him and led him back to his owner. On being asked how, in so

short a time, he could have made a trial of him, he answered, “I do not

need a trial; I know that he will be just the same as the one he chose

for his companion.”

A man is known by the company he keeps.

The Dove and the Crow

A DOVE shut up in a cage was boasting of the large number of young ones

which she had hatched. A Crow hearing her, said: “My good friend, cease

from this unseasonable boasting. The larger the number of your family,

the greater your cause of sorrow, in seeing them shut up in this

prison-house.”

The Man and the Satyr

A MAN and a Satyr once drank together in token of a bond of alliance

being formed between them. One very cold wintry day, as they talked,

the Man put his fingers to his mouth and blew on them. When the Satyr

asked the reason for this, he told him that he did it to warm his hands

because they were so cold. Later on in the day they sat down to eat,

and the food prepared was quite scalding. The Man raised one of the

dishes a little towards his mouth and blew in it. When the Satyr again

inquired the reason, he said that he did it to cool the meat, which was

too hot. “I can no longer consider you as a friend,” said the Satyr, “a

fellow who with the same breath blows hot and cold.”

Jupiter, Neptune, Minerva, and Momus

ACCORDING to an ancient legend, the first man was made by Jupiter, the

first bull by Neptune, and the first house by Minerva. On the

completion of their labours, a dispute arose as to which had made the

most perfect work. They agreed to appoint Momus as judge, and to abide

by his decision. Momus, however, being very envious of the handicraft

of each, found fault with all. He first blamed the work of Neptune

because he had not made the horns of the bull below his eyes, so he

might better see where to strike. He then condemned the work of

Jupiter, because he had not placed the heart of man on the outside,

that everyone might read the thoughts of the evil disposed and take

precautions against the intended mischief. And, lastly, he inveighed

against Minerva because she had not contrived iron wheels in the

foundation of her house, so its inhabitants might more easily remove if

a neighbor proved unpleasant. Jupiter, indignant at such inveterate

faultfinding, drove him from his office of judge, and expelled him from

the mansions of Olympus.

The Eagle and the Jackdaw

AN EAGLE, flying down from his perch on a lofty rock, seized upon a

lamb and carried him aloft in his talons. A Jackdaw, who witnessed the

capture of the lamb, was stirred with envy and determined to emulate

the strength and flight of the Eagle. He flew around with a great whir

of his wings and settled upon a large ram, with the intention of

carrying him off, but his claws became entangled in the ram’s fleece

and he was not able to release himself, although he fluttered with his

feathers as much as he could. The shepherd, seeing what had happened,

ran up and caught him. He at once clipped the Jackdaw’s wings, and

taking him home at night, gave him to his children. On their saying,

“Father, what kind of bird is it?” he replied, “To my certain knowledge

he is a Daw; but he would like you to think an Eagle.”

The Eagle and the Fox

AN EAGLE and a Fox formed an intimate friendship and decided to live

near each other. The Eagle built her nest in the branches of a tall

tree, while the Fox crept into the underwood and there produced her

young. Not long after they had agreed upon this plan, the Eagle, being

in want of provision for her young ones, swooped down while the Fox was

out, seized upon one of the little cubs, and feasted herself and her

brood. The Fox on her return, discovered what had happened, but was

less grieved for the death of her young than for her inability to

avenge them. A just retribution, however, quickly fell upon the Eagle.

While hovering near an altar, on which some villagers were sacrificing

a goat, she suddenly seized a piece of the flesh, and carried it, along

with a burning cinder, to her nest. A strong breeze soon fanned the

spark into a flame, and the eaglets, as yet unfledged and helpless,

were roasted in their nest and dropped down dead at the bottom of the

tree. There, in the sight of the Eagle, the Fox gobbled them up.

The Two Bags

EVERY MAN, according to an ancient legend, is born into the world with

two bags suspended from his neck all bag in front full of his

neighbors’ faults, and a large bag behind filled with his own faults.

Hence it is that men are quick to see the faults of others, and yet are

often blind to their own failings.

The Bitch and Her Whelps

A BITCH, ready to whelp, earnestly begged a shepherd for a place where

she might litter. When her request was granted, she besought permission

to rear her puppies in the same spot. The shepherd again consented. But

at last the Bitch, protected by the bodyguard of her Whelps, who had

now grown up and were able to defend themselves, asserted her exclusive

right to the place and would not permit the shepherd to approach.

The Stag at the Pool

A STAG overpowered by heat came to a spring to drink. Seeing his own

shadow reflected in the water, he greatly admired the size and variety

of his horns, but felt angry with himself for having such slender and

weak feet. While he was thus contemplating himself, a Lion appeared at

the pool and crouched to spring upon him. The Stag immediately took to

flight, and exerting his utmost speed, as long as the plain was smooth

and open kept himself easily at a safe distance from the Lion. But

entering a wood he became entangled by his horns, and the Lion quickly

came up to him and caught him. When too late, he thus reproached

himself: “Woe is me! How I have deceived myself! These feet which would

have saved me I despised, and I gloried in these antlers which have

proved my destruction.”

What is most truly valuable is often underrated.

The Lark Burying Her Father

THE LARK (according to an ancient legend) was created before the earth

itself, and when her father died, as there was no earth, she could find

no place of burial for him. She let him lie uninterred for five days,

and on the sixth day, not knowing what else to do, she buried him in

her own head. Hence she obtained her crest, which is popularly said to

be her father’s grave-hillock.

Youth’s first duty is reverence to parents.

The Gnat and the Bull

A GNAT settled on the horn of a Bull, and sat there a long time. Just

as he was about to fly off, he made a buzzing noise, and inquired of

the Bull if he would like him to go. The Bull replied, “I did not know

you had come, and I shall not miss you when you go away.”

Some men are of more consequence in their own eyes than in the eyes of

their neighbors.

The Monkey and the Camel

THE BEASTS of the forest gave a splendid entertainment at which the

Monkey stood up and danced. Having vastly delighted the assembly, he

sat down amidst universal applause. The Camel, envious of the praises

bestowed on the Monkey and desiring to divert to himself the favour of

the guests, proposed to stand up in his turn and dance for their

amusement. He moved about in so utterly ridiculous a manner that the

Beasts, in a fit of indignation, set upon him with clubs and drove him

out of the assembly.

It is absurd to ape our betters.

The Dogs and the Hides

SOME DOGS famished with hunger saw a number of cowhides steeping in a

river. Not being able to reach them, they agreed to drink up the river,

but it happened that they burst themselves with drinking long before

they reached the hides.

Attempt not impossibilities.

The Jackdaw and the Fox

A HALF-FAMISHED JACKDAW seated himself on a fig-tree, which had

produced some fruit entirely out of season, and waited in the hope that

the figs would ripen. A Fox seeing him sitting so long and learning the

reason of his doing so, said to him, “You are indeed, sir, sadly

deceiving yourself; you are indulging a hope strong enough to cheat

you, but which will never reward you with enjoyment.”

Mercury and the Workmen

A WORKMAN, felling wood by the side of a river, let his axe drop by

accident into a deep pool. Being thus deprived of the means of his

livelihood, he sat down on the bank and lamented his hard fate. Mercury

appeared and demanded the cause of his tears. After he told him his

misfortune, Mercury plunged into the stream, and, bringing up a golden

axe, inquired if that were the one he had lost. On his saying that it

was not his, Mercury disappeared beneath the water a second time,

returned with a silver axe in his hand, and again asked the Workman if

it were his. When the Workman said it was not, he dived into the pool

for the third time and brought up the axe that had been lost. The

Workman claimed it and expressed his joy at its recovery. Mercury,

pleased with his honesty, gave him the golden and silver axes in

addition to his own. The Workman, on his return to his house, related

to his companions all that had happened. One of them at once resolved

to try and secure the same good fortune for himself. He ran to the

river and threw his axe on purpose into the pool at the same place, and

sat down on the bank to weep. Mercury appeared to him just as he hoped

he would; and having learned the cause of his grief, plunged into the

stream and brought up a golden axe, inquiring if he had lost it. The

Workman seized it greedily, and declared that truly it was the very

same axe that he had lost. Mercury, displeased at his knavery, not only

took away the golden axe, but refused to recover for him the axe he had

thrown into the pool.

The Peasant and the Apple-Tree

A PEASANT had in his garden an Apple-Tree which bore no fruit but only

served as a harbor for the sparrows and grasshoppers. He resolved to

cut it down, and taking his axe in his hand, made a bold stroke at its

roots. The grasshoppers and sparrows entreated him not to cut down the

tree that sheltered them, but to spare it, and they would sing to him

and lighten his labours. He paid no attention to their request, but

gave the tree a second and a third blow with his axe. When he reached

the hollow of the tree, he found a hive full of honey. Having tasted

the honeycomb, he threw down his axe, and looking on the tree as

sacred, took great care of it.

Self-interest alone moves some men.

The Two Soldiers and the Robber

TWO SOLDIERS traveling together were set upon by a Robber. The one fled

away; the other stood his ground and defended himself with his stout

right hand. The Robber being slain, the timid companion ran up and drew

his sword, and then, throwing back his traveling cloak said, “I’ll at

him, and I’ll take care he shall learn whom he has attacked.” On this,

he who had fought with the Robber made answer, “I only wish that you

had helped me just now, even if it had been only with those words, for

I should have been the more encouraged, believing them to be true; but

now put up your sword in its sheath and hold your equally useless

tongue, till you can deceive others who do not know you. I, indeed, who

have experienced with what speed you run away, know right well that no

dependence can be placed on your valor.”

The Shepherd and the Sheep

A SHEPHERD driving his Sheep to a wood, saw an oak of unusual size full

of acorns, and spreading his cloak under the branches, he climbed up

into the tree and shook them down. The Sheep eating the acorns

inadvertently frayed and tore the cloak. When the Shepherd came down

and saw what was done, he said, “O you most ungrateful creatures! You

provide wool to make garments for all other men, but you destroy the

clothes of him who feeds you.”

The Trees Under the Protection of the Gods

THE GODS, according to an ancient legend, made choice of certain trees

to be under their special protection. Jupiter chose the oak, Venus the

myrtle, Apollo the laurel, Cybele the pine, and Hercules the poplar.

Minerva, wondering why they had preferred trees not yielding fruit,

inquired the reason for their choice. Jupiter replied, “It is lest we

should seem to covet the honour for the fruit.” But said Minerva, “Let

anyone say what he will the olive is more dear to me on account of its

fruit.” Then said Jupiter, “My daughter, you are rightly called wise;

for unless what we do is useful, the glory of it is vain.”

The Flea and the Wrestler

A FLEA settled upon the bare foot of a Wrestler and bit him, causing

the man to call loudly upon Hercules for help. When the Flea a second

time hopped upon his foot, he groaned and said, “O Hercules! if you

will not help me against a Flea, how can I hope for your assistance

against greater antagonists?”

The Lion and the Fox

A FOX entered into partnership with a Lion on the pretense of becoming

his servant. Each undertook his proper duty in accordance with his own

nature and powers. The Fox discovered and pointed out the prey; the

Lion sprang on it and seized it. The Fox soon became jealous of the

Lion carrying off the Lion’s share, and said that he would no longer

find out the prey, but would capture it on his own account. The next

day he attempted to snatch a lamb from the fold, but he himself fell

prey to the huntsmen and hounds.

Truth and the Traveler

A WAYFARING MAN, traveling in the desert, met a woman standing alone

and terribly dejected. He inquired of her, “Who art thou?” “My name is

Truth,” she replied. “And for what cause,” he asked, “have you left the

city to dwell alone here in the wilderness?” She made answer, “Because

in former times, falsehood was with few, but is now with all men.”

The Manslayer

A MAN committed a murder, and was pursued by the relations of the man

whom he murdered. On his reaching the river Nile he saw a Lion on its

bank and being fearfully afraid, climbed up a tree. He found a serpent

in the upper branches of the tree, and again being greatly alarmed, he

threw himself into the river, where a crocodile caught him and ate him.

Thus the earth, the air, and the water alike refused shelter to a

murderer.

The Lion and the Eagle

AN EAGLE stayed his flight and entreated a Lion to make an alliance

with him to their mutual advantage. The Lion replied, “I have no

objection, but you must excuse me for requiring you to find surety for

your good faith, for how can I trust anyone as a friend who is able to

fly away from his bargain whenever he pleases?”

Try before you trust.

The Ass and His Driver

AN ASS, being driven along a high road, suddenly started off and bolted

to the brink of a deep precipice. While he was in the act of throwing

himself over, his owner seized him by the tail, endeavoring to pull him

back. When the Ass persisted in his effort, the man let him go and

said, “Conquer, but conquer to your cost.”

The Thrush and the Fowler

A THRUSH was feeding on a myrtle-tree and did not move from it because

its berries were so delicious. A Fowler observed her staying so long in

one spot, and having well bird-limed his reeds, caught her. The Thrush,

being at the point of death, exclaimed, “O foolish creature that I am!

For the sake of a little pleasant food I have deprived myself of my

life.”

The Mother and the Wolf

A FAMISHED WOLF was prowling about in the morning in search of food. As

he passed the door of a cottage built in the forest, he heard a Mother

say to her child, “Be quiet, or I will throw you out of the window, and

the Wolf shall eat you.” The Wolf sat all day waiting at the door. In

the evening he heard the same woman fondling her child and saying: “You

are quiet now, and if the Wolf should come, we will kill him.” The

Wolf, hearing these words, went home, gasping with cold and hunger.

When he reached his den, Mistress Wolf inquired of him why he returned

wearied and supperless, so contrary to his wont. He replied: “Why,

forsooth! use I gave credence to the words of a woman!”

The Hen and the Swallow

A HEN finding the eggs of a viper and carefully keeping them warm,

nourished them into life. A Swallow, observing what she had done, said,

“You silly creature! why have you hatched these vipers which, when they

shall have grown, will inflict injury on all, beginning with yourself?”

The Rose and the Amaranth

AN AMARANTH planted in a garden near a Rose-Tree, thus addressed it:

“What a lovely flower is the Rose, a favourite alike with Gods and with

men. I envy you your beauty and your perfume.” The Rose replied, “I

indeed, dear Amaranth, flourish but for a brief season! If no cruel

hand pluck me from my stem, yet I must perish by an early doom. But

thou art immortal and dost never fade, but bloomest for ever in renewed

youth.”

The Travelers and the Plane-Tree

TWO TRAVELERS, worn out by the heat of the summer’s sun, laid

themselves down at noon under the widespreading branches of a

Plane-Tree. As they rested under its shade, one of the Travelers said

to the other, “What a singularly useless tree is the Plane! It bears no

fruit, and is not of the least service to man.” The Plane-Tree,

interrupting him, said, “You ungrateful fellows! Do you, while

receiving benefits from me and resting under my shade, dare to describe

me as useless, and unprofitable?”

Some men underrate their best blessings.

The Ass and the Horse

AN ASS besought a Horse to spare him a small portion of his feed.

“Yes,” said the Horse; “if any remains out of what I am now eating I

will give it you for the sake of my own superior dignity, and if you

will come when I reach my own stall in the evening, I will give you a

little sack full of barley.” The Ass replied, “Thank you. But I can’t

think that you, who refuse me a little matter now, will by and by

confer on me a greater benefit.”

The Crow and the Sheep

A TROUBLESOME CROW seated herself on the back of a Sheep. The Sheep,

much against his will, carried her backward and forward for a long

time, and at last said, “If you had treated a dog in this way, you

would have had your deserts from his sharp teeth.” To this the Crow

replied, “I despise the weak and yield to the strong. I know whom I may

bully and whom I must flatter; and I thus prolong my life to a good old

age.”

The Fox and the Bramble

A FOX was mounting a hedge when he lost his footing and caught hold of

a Bramble to save himself. Having pricked and grievously torn the soles

of his feet, he accused the Bramble because, when he had fled to her

for assistance, she had used him worse than the hedge itself. The

Bramble, interrupting him, said, “But you really must have been out of

your senses to fasten yourself on me, who am myself always accustomed

to fasten upon others.”

The Ass and the Charger

AN ASS congratulated a Horse on being so ungrudgingly and carefully

provided for, while he himself had scarcely enough to eat and not even

that without hard work. But when war broke out, a heavily armed soldier

mounted the Horse, and riding him to the charge, rushed into the very

midst of the enemy. The Horse was wounded and fell dead on the

battlefield. Then the Ass, seeing all these things, changed his mind,

and commiserated the Horse.

The Lion, Jupiter, and the Elephant

THE LION wearied Jupiter with his frequent complaints. “It is true, O

Jupiter!” he said, “that I am gigantic in strength, handsome in shape,

and powerful in attack. I have jaws well provided with teeth, and feet

furnished with claws, and I lord it over all the beasts of the forest,

and what a disgrace it is, that being such as I am, I should be

frightened by the crowing of a cock.” Jupiter replied, “Why do you

blame me without a cause? I have given you all the attributes which I

possess myself, and your courage never fails you except in this one

instance.” On hearing this the Lion groaned and lamented very much and,

reproaching himself with his cowardice, wished that he might die. As

these thoughts passed through his mind, he met an Elephant and came

close to hold a conversation with him. After a time he observed that

the Elephant shook his ears very often, and he inquired what was the

matter and why his ears moved with such a tremor every now and then.

Just at that moment a Gnat settled on the head of the Elephant, and he

replied, “Do you see that little buzzing insect? If it enters my ear,

my fate is sealed. I should die presently.” The Lion said, “Well, since

so huge a beast is afraid of a tiny gnat, I will no more complain, nor

wish myself dead. I find myself, even as I am, better off than the

Elephant.”

The Dog and the Oyster

A DOG, used to eating eggs, saw an Oyster and, opening his mouth to its

widest extent, swallowed it down with the utmost relish, supposing it

to be an egg. Soon afterwards suffering great pain in his stomach, he

said, “I deserve all this torment, for my folly in thinking that

everything round must be an egg.”

They who act without sufficient thought, will often fall into

unsuspected danger.

The Mules and the Robbers

TWO MULES well-laden with packs were trudging along. One carried

panniers filled with money, the other sacks weighted with grain. The

Mule carrying the treasure walked with head erect, as if conscious of

the value of his burden, and tossed up and down the clear-toned bells

fastened to his neck. His companion followed with quiet and easy step.

All of a sudden Robbers rushed upon them from their hiding-places, and

in the scuffle with their owners, wounded with a sword the Mule

carrying the treasure, which they greedily seized while taking no

notice of the grain. The Mule which had been robbed and wounded

bewailed his misfortunes. The other replied, “I am indeed glad that I

was thought so little of, for I have lost nothing, nor am I hurt with

any wound.”

The Lamb and the Wolf

A WOLF pursued a Lamb, which fled for refuge to a certain Temple. The

Wolf called out to him and said, “The Priest will slay you in

sacrifice, if he should catch you.” On which the Lamb replied, “It

would be better for me to be sacrificed in the Temple than to be eaten

by you.”

The Partridge and the Fowler

A FOWLER caught a Partridge and was about to kill it. The Partridge

earnestly begged him to spare his life, saying, “Pray, master, permit

me to live and I will entice many Partridges to you in recompense for

your mercy to me.” The Fowler replied, “I shall now with less scruple

take your life, because you are willing to save it at the cost of

betraying your friends and relations.”

The Flea and the Man

A MAN, very much annoyed with a Flea, caught him at last, and said,

“Who are you who dare to feed on my limbs, and to cost me so much

trouble in catching you?” The Flea replied, “O my dear sir, pray spare

my life, and destroy me not, for I cannot possibly do you much harm.”

The Man, laughing, replied, “Now you shall certainly die by mine own

hands, for no evil, whether it be small or large, ought to be

tolerated.”

The Rich Man and the Tanner

A RICH MAN lived near a Tanner, and not being able to bear the

unpleasant smell of the tan-yard, he pressed his neighbor to go away.

The Tanner put off his departure from time to time, saying that he

would leave soon. But as he still continued to stay, as time went on,

the rich man became accustomed to the smell, and feeling no manner of

inconvenience, made no further complaints.

The Viper and the File

A VIPER, entering the workshop of a smith, sought from the tools the

means of satisfying his hunger. He more particularly addressed himself

to a File, and asked of him the favour of a meal. The File replied,

“You must indeed be a simple-minded fellow if you expect to get

anything from me, who am accustomed to take from everyone, and never to

give anything in return.”

The covetous are poor givers.

The Lion and the Shepherd

A LION, roaming through a forest, trod upon a thorn. Soon afterward he

came up to a Shepherd and fawned upon him, wagging his tail as if to

say, “I am a suppliant, and seek your aid.” The Shepherd boldly

examined the beast, discovered the thorn, and placing his paw upon his

lap, pulled it out; thus relieved of his pain, the Lion returned into

the forest. Some time after, the Shepherd, being imprisoned on a false

accusation, was condemned “to be cast to the Lions” as the punishment

for his imputed crime. But when the Lion was released from his cage, he

recognized the Shepherd as the man who healed him, and instead of

attacking him, approached and placed his foot upon his lap. The King,

as soon as he heard the tale, ordered the Lion to be set free again in

the forest, and the Shepherd to be pardoned and restored to his

friends.

The Camel and Jupiter

THE CAMEL, when he saw the Bull adorned with horns, envied him and

wished that he himself could obtain the same honours. He went to

Jupiter, and besought him to give him horns. Jupiter, vexed at his

request because he was not satisfied with his size and strength of

body, and desired yet more, not only refused to give him horns, but

even deprived him of a portion of his ears.

The Panther and the Shepherds

A PANTHER, by some mischance, fell into a pit. The Shepherds discovered

him, and some threw sticks at him and pelted him with stones, while

others, moved with compassion towards one about to die even though no

one should hurt him, threw in some food to prolong his life. At night

they returned home, not dreaming of any danger, but supposing that on

the morrow they would find him dead. The Panther, however, when he had

recruited his feeble strength, freed himself with a sudden bound from

the pit, and hastened to his den with rapid steps. After a few days he

came forth and slaughtered the cattle, and, killing the Shepherds who

had attacked him, raged with angry fury. Then they who had spared his

life, fearing for their safety, surrendered to him their flocks and

begged only for their lives. To them the Panther made this reply: “I

remember alike those who sought my life with stones, and those who gave

me food aside, therefore, your fears. I return as an enemy only to

those who injured me.”

The Eagle and the Kite

AN EAGLE, overwhelmed with sorrow, sat upon the branches of a tree in

company with a Kite. “Why,” said the Kite, “do I see you with such a

rueful look?” “I seek,” she replied, “a mate suitable for me, and am

not able to find one.” “Take me,” returned the Kite, “I am much

stronger than you are.” “Why, are you able to secure the means of

living by your plunder?” “Well, I have often caught and carried away an

ostrich in my talons.” The Eagle, persuaded by these words, accepted

him as her mate. Shortly after the nuptials, the Eagle said, “Fly off

and bring me back the ostrich you promised me.” The Kite, soaring aloft

into the air, brought back the shabbiest possible mouse, stinking from

the length of time it had lain about the fields. “Is this,” said the

Eagle, “the faithful fulfillment of your promise to me?” The Kite

replied, “That I might attain your royal hand, there is nothing that I

would not have promised, however much I knew that I must fail in the

performance.”

The Eagle and His Captor

AN EAGLE was once captured by a man, who immediately clipped his wings

and put him into his poultry-yard with the other birds, at which

treatment the Eagle was weighed down with grief. Later, another

neighbor purchased him and allowed his feathers to grow again. The

Eagle took flight, and pouncing upon a hare, brought it at once as an

offering to his benefactor. A Fox, seeing this, exclaimed, “Do not

cultivate the favour of this man, but of your former owner, lest he

should again hunt for you and deprive you a second time of your wings.”

The King’s Son and the Painted Lion

A KING, whose only son was fond of martial exercises, had a dream in

which he was warned that his son would be killed by a lion. Afraid the

dream should prove true, he built for his son a pleasant palace and

adorned its walls for his amusement with all kinds of life-sized

animals, among which was the picture of a lion. When the young Prince

saw this, his grief at being thus confined burst out afresh, and,

standing near the lion, he said: “O you most detestable of animals!

through a lying dream of my father’s, which he saw in his sleep, I am

shut up on your account in this palace as if I had been a girl: what

shall I now do to you?” With these words he stretched out his hands

toward a thorn-tree, meaning to cut a stick from its branches so that

he might beat the lion. But one of the tree’s prickles pierced his

finger and caused great pain and inflammation, so that the young Prince

fell down in a fainting fit. A violent fever suddenly set in, from

which he died not many days later.

We had better bear our troubles bravely than try to escape them.

The Cat and Venus

A CAT fell in love with a handsome young man, and entreated Venus to

change her into the form of a woman. Venus consented to her request and

transformed her into a beautiful damsel, so that the youth saw her and

loved her, and took her home as his bride. While the two were reclining

in their chamber, Venus wishing to discover if the Cat in her change of

shape had also altered her habits of life, let down a mouse in the

middle of the room. The Cat, quite forgetting her present condition,

started up from the couch and pursued the mouse, wishing to eat it.

Venus was much disappointed and again caused her to return to her

former shape.

Nature exceeds nurture.

The Eagle and the Beetle

THE EAGLE and the Beetle were at enmity together, and they destroyed

one another’s nests. The Eagle gave the first provocation in seizing

upon and in eating the young ones of the Beetle. The Beetle got by

stealth at the Eagle’s eggs, and rolled them out of the nest, and

followed the Eagle even into the presence of Jupiter. On the Eagle

making his complaint, Jupiter ordered him to make his nest in his lap;

and while Jupiter had the eggs in his lap, the Beetle came flying about

him, and Jupiter rising up unawares, to drive him away from his head,

threw down the eggs, and broke them.

The weak often revenge themselves on those who use them ill, even

though they be more powerful.

The She-Goats and Their Beards

THE SHE-GOATS having obtained a beard by request to Jupiter, the

He-Goats were sorely displeased and made complaint that the females

equaled them in dignity. “Allow them,” said Jupiter, “to enjoy an empty

honour and to assume the badge of your nobler sex, so long as they are

not your equals in strength or courage.”

It matters little if those who are inferior to us in merit should be

like us in outside appearances.

The Bald Man and the Fly

A FLY bit the bare head of a Bald Man who, endeavoring to destroy it,

gave himself a heavy slap. Escaping, the Fly said mockingly, “You who

have wished to revenge, even with death, the Prick of a tiny insect,

see what you have done to yourself to add insult to injury?” The Bald

Man replied, “I can easily make peace with myself, because I know there

was no intention to hurt. But you, an ill-favoured and contemptible

insect who delights in sucking human blood, I wish that I could have

killed you even if I had incurred a heavier penalty.”

The Shipwrecked Man and the Sea

A SHIPWRECKED MAN, having been cast upon a certain shore, slept after

his buffetings with the deep. After a while he awoke, and looking upon

the Sea, loaded it with reproaches. He argued that it enticed men with

the calmness of its looks, but when it had induced them to plow its

waters, it grew rough and destroyed them. The Sea, assuming the form of

a woman, replied to him: “Blame not me, my good sir, but the winds, for

I am by my own nature as calm and firm even as this earth; but the

winds suddenly falling on me create these waves, and lash me into

fury.”

The Buffoon and the Countryman

A RICH NOBLEMAN once opened the theaters without charge to the people,

and gave a public notice that he would handsomely reward any person who

invented a new amusement for the occasion. Various public performers

contended for the prize. Among them came a Buffoon well known among the

populace for his jokes, and said that he had a kind of entertainment

which had never been brought out on any stage before. This report being

spread about made a great stir, and the theater was crowded in every

part. The Buffoon appeared alone upon the platform, without any

apparatus or confederates, and the very sense of expectation caused an

intense silence. He suddenly bent his head towards his bosom and

imitated the squeaking of a little pig so admirably with his voice that

the audience declared he had a porker under his cloak, and demanded

that it should be shaken out. When that was done and nothing was found,

they cheered the actor, and loaded him with the loudest applause. A

Countryman in the crowd, observing all that has passed, said, “So help

me, Hercules, he shall not beat me at that trick!” and at once

proclaimed that he would do the same thing on the next day, though in a

much more natural way. On the morrow a still larger crowd assembled in

the theater, but now partiality for their favourite actor very

generally prevailed, and the audience came rather to ridicule the

Countryman than to see the spectacle. Both of the performers appeared

on the stage. The Buffoon grunted and squeaked away first, and

obtained, as on the preceding day, the applause and cheers of the

spectators. Next the Countryman commenced, and pretending that he

concealed a little pig beneath his clothes (which in truth he did, but

not suspected by the audience ) contrived to take hold of and to pull

his ear causing the pig to squeak. The Crowd, however, cried out with

one consent that the Buffoon had given a far more exact imitation, and

clamored for the Countryman to be kicked out of the theater. On this

the rustic produced the little pig from his cloak and showed by the

most positive proof the greatness of their mistake. “Look here,” he

said, “this shows what sort of judges you are.”

The Crow and the Serpent

A CROW in great want of food saw a Serpent asleep in a sunny nook, and

flying down, greedily seized him. The Serpent, turning about, bit the

Crow with a mortal wound. In the agony of death, the bird exclaimed: “O

unhappy me! who have found in that which I deemed a happy windfall the

source of my destruction.”

The Hunter and the Horseman

A CERTAIN HUNTER, having snared a hare, placed it upon his shoulders

and set out homewards. On his way he met a man on horseback who begged

the hare of him, under the pretense of purchasing it. However, when the

Horseman got the hare, he rode off as fast as he could. The Hunter ran

after him, as if he was sure of overtaking him, but the Horseman

increased more and more the distance between them. The Hunter, sorely

against his will, called out to him and said, “Get along with you! for

I will now make you a present of the hare.”

The Olive-Tree and the Fig-Tree

THE OLIVE-TREE ridiculed the Fig-Tree because, while she was green all

the year round, the Fig-Tree changed its leaves with the seasons. A

shower of snow fell upon them, and, finding the Olive full of foliage,

it settled upon its branches and broke them down with its weight, at

once despoiling it of its beauty and killing the tree. But finding the

Fig-Tree denuded of leaves, the snow fell through to the ground, and

did not injure it at all.

The Frogs’ Complaint Against the Sun

ONCE UPON A TIME, when the Sun announced his intention to take a wife,

the Frogs lifted up their voices in clamor to the sky. Jupiter,

disturbed by the noise of their croaking, inquired the cause of their

complaint. One of them said, “The Sun, now while he is single, parches

up the marsh, and compels us to die miserably in our arid homes. What

will be our future condition if he should beget other suns?”

The Brazier and His Dog

A BRAZIER had a little Dog, which was a great favourite with his

master, and his constant companion. While he hammered away at his

metals the Dog slept; but when, on the other hand, he went to dinner

and began to eat, the Dog woke up and wagged his tail, as if he would

ask for a share of his meal. His master one day, pretending to be angry

and shaking his stick at him, said, “You wretched little sluggard! what

shall I do to you? While I am hammering on the anvil, you sleep on the

mat; and when I begin to eat after my toil, you wake up and wag your

tail for food. Do you not know that labor is the source of every

blessing, and that none but those who work are entitled to eat?”

FOOTNOTES

1 (return)

[ A History of the Literature of Ancient Greece, by K. O. Mueller. Vol.

i, p. 191. _London_, Parker, 1858.]

2 (return)

[ Select Fables of Æsop, and other Fabulists. In three books,

translated by Robert Dodsley, accompanied with a selection of notes,

and an Essay on Fable. _Birmingham_, 1864. P. 60.]

3 (return)

[ Some of these fables had, no doubt, in the first instance, a primary

and private interpretation. On the first occasion of their being

composed they were intended to refer to some passing event, or to some

individual acts of wrong-doing. Thus, the fables of the “Eagle and the

Fox” and of the “Fox and Monkey” are supposed to have been written by

Archilochus, to avenge the injuries done him by Lycambes. So also the

fables of the “Swollen Fox” and of the “Frogs asking a King” were

spoken by Æsop for the immediate purpose of reconciling the inhabitants

of Samos and Athens to their respective rulers, Periander and

Pisistratus; while the fable of the “Horse and Stag” was composed to

caution the inhabitants of Himera against granting a bodyguard to

Phalaris. In a similar manner, the fable from Phædrus, the “Marriage of

the Sun,” is supposed to have reference to the contemplated union of

Livia, the daughter of Drusus, with Sejanus the favourite, and minister

of Trajan. These fables, however, though thus originating in special

events, and designed at first to meet special circumstances, are so

admirably constructed as to be fraught with lessons of general utility,

and of universal application.]

4 (return)

[ Hesiod. Opera et Dies, verse 202.]

5 (return)

[ Æschylus. Fragment of the Myrmidons. Æschylus speaks of this fable as

existing before his day. ὡς δ’ ἐστὶ μύθων τῶν Διβυστικῶν λογος. See

Scholiast on the Aves of Aristophanes, line 808.]

6 (return)

[ Fragment. 38, ed. Gaisford. See also Mueller’s History of the

Literature of Ancient Greece, vol. i. pp. 190–193.]

7 (return)

[ M. Bayle has well put this in his account of Æsop. “Il n’y a point

d’apparence que les fables qui portent aujourd’hui son nom soient les

mêmes qu’il avait faites; elles viennent bien de lui pour la plupart,

quant à la matière et la pensée; mais les paroles sont d’un autre.” And

again, “C’est donc à Hésiode, que j’aimerais mieux attribuer la gloire

de l’invention; mais sans doute il laissa la chose très imparfaite.

Esope la perfectionne si heureusement, qu’on l’a regarde comme le vrai

père de cette sorte de production.”—_Bayle. Dictionnaire Historique_.]

8 (return)

[ Plato in Phædone.]

9 (return)

[ Apologos en! misit tibi

Ab usque Rheni limite

Ausonius nomen Italum

Præceptor Augusti tui

Æsopiam trimetriam;

Quam vertit exili stylo

Pedestre concinnans opus

Fandi Titianus artifex.

_Ausonii Epistola_, xvi. 75–80.]

10 (return)

[ Both these publications are in the British Museum, and are placed in

the library in cases under glass, for the inspection of the curious.]

11 (return)

[ Fables may possibly have been not entirely unknown to the mediæval

scholars. There are two celebrated works which might by some be classed

amongst works of this description. The one is the “Speculum Sapientiæ,”

attributed to St. Cyril, Archbishop of Jerusalem, but of a considerably

later origin, and existing only in Latin. It is divided into four

books, and consists of long conversations conducted by fictitious

characters under the figures the beasts of the field and forest, and

aimed at the rebuke of particular classes of men, the boastful, the

proud, the luxurious, the wrathful, &c. None of the stories are

precisely those of Æsop, and none have the concinnity, terseness, and

unmistakable deduction of the lesson intended to be taught by the

fable, so conspicuous in the great Greek fabulist. The exact title of

the book is this: “Speculum Sapientiæ, B. Cyrilli Episcopi: alias

quadripartitus apologeticus vocatus, in cujus quidem proverbiis omnis

et totius sapientiæ speculum claret et feliciter incipit.” The other is

a larger work in two volumes, published in the fourteenth century by

Cæsar Heisterbach, a Cistercian monk, under the title of “Dialogus

Miraculorum,” reprinted in 1851. This work consists of conversations in

which many stories are interwoven on all kinds of subjects. It has no

correspondence with the pure Æsopian fable.]

12 (return)

[ Post-mediæval Preachers, by S. Baring-Gould. Rivingtons, 1865.]

13 (return)

[ For an account of this work see the Life of Poggio Bracciolini, by

the Rev. William Shepherd. Liverpool, 1801.]

14 (return)

[ Professor Theodore Bergh. See Classical Museum, No. viii. July,

1849.]

15 (return)

[ Vavassor’s treatise, entitled “De Ludicrâ Dictione” was written A.D.

1658, at the request of the celebrated M. Balzac (though published

after his death), for the purpose of showing that the burlesque style

of writing adopted by Scarron and D’Assouci, and at that time so

popular in France, had no sanction from the ancient classic writers.

_Francisci Vavassoris opera omnia_. Amsterdam. 1709.]

16 (return)

[ The claims of Babrias also found a warm advocate in the learned

Frenchman, M. Bayle, who, in his admirable Dictionary, (_Dictionnaire

Historique et Critique de Pierre Bayle_. Paris, 1820,) gives additional

arguments in confirmation of the opinions of his learned predecessors,

Nevelet and Vavassor.]

17 (return)

[ Scazonic, or halting, iambics; a choliambic (a lame, halting iambic)

differs from the iambic Senarius in always having a spondee or trochee

for its last foot; the fifth foot, to avoid shortness of metre, being

generally an iambic. See Fables of Babrias, translated by Rev. James

Davies. Lockwood, 1860. Preface, p. 27.]

18 (return)

[ See Dr. Bentley’s Dissertations upon the Epistles of Phalaris.]

19 (return)

[ Dr. Bentley’s Dissertations on the Epistles of Phalaris, and Fables

of Æsop examined. By the Honourable Charles Boyle.]

20 (return)

[ M. Bayle thus characterises this Life of Æsop by Planudes, “Tous les

habiles gens conviennent que c’est un roman, et que les absurdités

grossières qui l’on y trouve le rendent indigne de toute créance.”

_Dictionnaire Historique_. Art. _Esope_.]

INDEX

Æthiop

The Ant and the Dove

The Ants and the Grasshopper

The Apes and the Two Travelers

The Ass and the Charger

The Ass and His Driver

The Ass and the Frogs

The Ass and the Grasshopper

The Ass and his Masters

The Ass and his Purchaser

The Ass and his Shadow

The Ass and the Horse

The Ass and the Lapdog

The Ass and the Mule

The Ass and the Old Shepherd

The Ass and the Wolf

The Ass Carrying the Image

The Ass, the Cock, and the Lion

The Ass in the Lion’s Skin

The Ass, the Fox, and the Lion

The Astronomer

The Bald Man and the Fly

The Bald Knight

The Bat And The Weasels

The Bear and the Fox

The Bear and the Two Travelers

The Bee and Jupiter

The Belly and the Members

The Birdcatcher, the Partridge, and the Cock

The Birds, the Beasts, and the Bat

The Bitch and her Whelps

The Blind Man and the Whelp

The Boasting Traveler

The Bowman and Lion

The Boy and the Filberts

The Boy and the Nettles

The Boy Bathing

The Boy hunting Locusts

The Boys and the Frogs

The Brazier and His Dog

The Brother and the Sister

The Buffoon and the Countryman

The Bull and the Calf

The Bull and the Goat

The Bull, the Lioness, and the Wild-Boar Hunter

The Camel

The Camel and the Arab

The Camel and Jupiter

The Cat and the Birds

The Cat and the Cock

The Cat and the Mice

The Cat and Venus

The Cobbler Turned Doctor

The Cock and the Jewel

The Charcoal-Burner and the Fuller

The Charger and the Miller

The Crab and the Fox

The Crab and its Mother

The Crow and Mercury

The Crow and the Pitcher

The Crow and the Raven

The Crow and the Serpent

The Crow and the Sheep

The Dancing Monkeys

The Doe and the Lion

The Dog and the Cook

The Dog and the Hare

The Dog and the Oyster

The Dog and the Shadow

The Dog, the Cock, and the Fox

The Dog in the Manger

The Dogs and the Fox

The Dogs and the Hides

The Dog’s House

The Dolphins, the Whales, and the Sprat

The Dove and the Crow

The Eagle and the Arrow

The Eagle and the Beetle

The Eagle and His Captor

The Eagle and the Fox

The Eagle and the Jackdaw

The Eagle and the Kite

The Eagle, the Cat, and the Wild Sow

The Farmer and the Cranes

The Farmer and the Fox

The Farmer and the Snake

The Farmer and His Sons

The Farmer and the Stork

The Father And His Sons

The Father and His Two Daughters

The Fawn and His Mother

The Fighting Cocks and the Eagle

The Fir-Tree and the Bramble

The Fisherman and His Nets

The Fisherman and the Little Fish

The Fisherman Piping

The Fishermen

The Flea and the Man

The Flea and the Ox

The Flea and the Wrestler

The Flies and the Honey-Pot

The Fly and the Draught-Mule

The Fowler and the Viper

The Fox and the Bramble

The Fox and the Crane

The Fox and the Crow

The Fox and the Goat

The Fox and the Grapes

The Fox and the Hedgehog

The Fox and the Leopard

The Fox and the Lion

The Fox and the Lion

The Fox and the Mask

The Fox and the Monkey

The Fox and the Monkey

The Fox and the Woodcutter

The Fox Who Had Lost His Tail

The Frogs Asking for a King

The Frogs’ Complaint Against the Sun

The Gamecocks and the Partridge

The Geese and the Cranes

The Gnat and the Bull

The Gnat and the Lion

The Goat and the Ass

The Goat and the Goatherd

The Goatherd and the Wild Goats

The Goods and the Ills

The Grasshopper and the Owl

The Hare and the Hound

The Hare and the Tortoise

The Hares and the Foxes

The Hares and the Frogs

The Hares and the Lions

The Hart and the Vine

The Hawk and the Nightingale

The Hawk, the Kite, and the Pigeons

The Heifer and the Ox

The Hen and the Golden Eggs

The Hen and the Swallow

Hercules and the Wagoner

The Herdsman and the Lost Bull

The Horse and the Ass

The Horse and Groom

The Horse and his Rider

The Horse and the Stag

The Hunter and the Horseman

The Hunter and the Woodman

The Huntsman and the Fisherman

The Image of Mercury and the Carpenter

The Jackdaw and the Doves

The Jackdaw and the Fox

Jupiter and the Monkey

Jupiter, Neptune, Minerva, and Momus

The Kid and the Wolf

The Kid and the Wolf

The Kingdom of the Lion

The King’s Son and the Painted Lion

The Kites and the Swans

The Laborer and the Snake

The Lamb and the Wolf

The Lamp

The Lark and Her Young Ones

The Lark Burying Her Father

The Lion and the Boar

The Lion and the Bull

The Lion and the Dolphin

The Lion and the Eagle

The Lion and the Fox

The Lion and the Hare

The Lion and the Mouse

The Lion and the Shepherd

The Lion and the Three Bulls

The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox

The Lion, the Fox, and the Ass

The Lion in a Farmyard

The Lion in Love

The Lion, Jupiter, and the Elephant

The Lion, the Mouse, and the Fox

The Lion, the Wolf, and the Fox

The Lioness

The Man and His Two Sweethearts

The Man and His Wife

The Man and the Lion

The Man and the Satyr

The Man bitten by a Dog

The Man, the Horse, the Ox, and the Dog

The Manslayer

The Master and His Dogs

Mercury and the Sculptor

Mercury and the Workmen

The Mice and the Weasels

The Mice in Council

The Milk-Woman and her Pail

The Miller, His Son, and their Ass

The Mischievous Dog

The Miser

The Mole and His Mother

The Monkey and the Camel

The Monkey and the Dolphin

The Monkey and the Fishermen

The Monkeys and their Mother

The Mother and the Wolf

The Mountain in Labor

The Mouse and the Bull

The Mouse, the Frog, and the Hawk

The Mule

The Mules and the Robbers

The North Wind and the Sun

The Oak and the Reeds

The Oak and the Woodcutters

The Oaks and Jupiter

The Old Hound

The Old Lion

The Old Man and Death

The Old Woman and the Physician

The Old Woman and the Wine-Jar

The Olive-Tree and the Fig-Tree

The One-Eyed Doe

The Owl and the Birds

The Ox and the Frog

The Oxen and the Axle-Trees

The Oxen and the Butchers

The Panther and the Shepherds

The Partridge and the Fowler

The Peacock and the Crane

The Peacock and Juno

The Peasant and the Apple-Tree

The Peasant and the Eagle

The Philosopher, the Ants, and Mercury

The Playful Ass

The Pomegranate, Apple-Tree, and Bramble

The Porker, the Sheep, and the Goat

The Prophet

The Quack Frog

The Raven and the Swan

The Rich Man and the Tanner

The Rivers and the Sea

The Rose and the Amaranth

The Salt Merchant and his Ass

The Seagull and the Kite

The Seaside Travelers

The Seller of Images

The Serpent and the Eagle

The She-Goats and their Beards

The Shepherd and the Dog

The Shepherd and the Sea

The Shepherd and the Sheep

The Shepherd and the Wolf

The Shepherd’s Boy and the Wolf

The Shipwrecked Man and the Sea

The Sick Kite

The Sick Lion

The Sick Stag

The Sparrow and the Hare

The Spendthrift and the Swallow

The Stag at the Pool

The Stag in the Ox-Stall

The Stag, the Wolf, and the Sheep

The Swallow and the Crow

The Swallow, the Serpent, and the Court of Justice

The Swan and the Goose

The Swollen Fox

The Thief and his Mother

The Thief and the Housedog

The Thief and the Innkeeper

The Thieves and the Cock

The Thirsty Pigeon

The Three Tradesmen

The Thrush and the Fowler

The Tortoise and the Eagle

The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse

The Traveler and Fortune

The Traveler and his Dog

The Travelers and the Plane-Tree

The Trees and the Axe

The Trees Under the Protection of the Gods

The Trumpeter Taken Prisoner

Truth and the Traveler

The Two Bags

The Two Dogs

The Two Frogs

The Two Frogs

The Two Men Who Were Enemies

The Two Pots

The Two Soldiers and the Robber

The Two Travelers and the Axe

The Vain Jackdaw

The Vine and the Goat

The Viper and the File

The Walnut-Tree

The Wasp and the Snake

The Wasps, the Partridges, and the Farmer

The Weasel and the Mice

The Widow and Her Little Maidens

The Widow and the Sheep

The Wild Ass and the Lion

The Wild Boar and the Fox

The Wolf and the Crane

The Wolf and the Fox

The Wolf and the Goat

The Wolf and the Horse

The Wolf and the Housedog

The Wolf and the Lamb

The Wolf and the Lion

The Wolf and the Lion

The Wolf and the Sheep

The Wolf and the Shepherd

The Wolf and the Shepherds

The Wolf, the Fox, and the Ape

The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

The Wolves and the Sheep

The Wolves and the Sheepdogs

The Woman and her Hen