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| Reservations | Contents |
The Old Man and DeathAN OLD MAN was employed in cutting wood in the forest, and, in carrying the faggots to the city for sale one day, became very wearied with his long journey. He sat down by the wayside, and throwing down his load, besought Death to come. Death at once appeared in answer to his summons and asked for what reason he had called him. The old man hurriedly replied, "That, lifting up the load, you may place it again on my shoulders." ❋ The Old Woman and the PhysicianAN OLD WOMAN having lost the use of her eyes, called in a physician to heal them, and made this bargain with him in the presence of witnesses: that if he should cure her blindness, he should receive from her a sum of money; but if her infirmity remained, she should give him nothing. This agreement being made, the physician, time after time, applied his salve to her eyes, and on every visit took something away, stealing all her property little by little. And when he had got all she had, he healed her and demanded the promised payment. The old woman, when she recovered her sight and saw none of her goods in her house, would give him nothing. The physician insisted on his claim, and. as she still refused, summoned her before the judge. The old woman, standing up in the court, argued: "This man here speaks the truth in what he says; for I did promise to give him a sum of money if I should recover my sight: but if I continued blind, I was to give him nothing. Now he declares that I am healed. I on the contrary affirm that I am still blind; for when I lost the use of my eyes, I saw in my house various chattels and valuable goods: but now, though he swears I am cured of my blindness, I am not able to see a single thing in it." ❋ The Old Woman and the Wine-JarAN OLD WOMAN found an empty jar which had lately been full of prime old wine and which still retained the fragrant smell of its former contents. She greedily placed it several times to her nose, and drawing it backwards and forwards said, "O most delicious! How nice must the wine itself have been, when it leaves behind in the very vessel which contained it so sweet a perfume!" ❋ The memory of a good deed lives. The Quack FrogA FROG once on a time came forth from his home in the marsh and proclaimed to all the beasts that he was a learned physician, skilled in the use of drugs and able to heal all diseases. A fox asked him, "How can you pretend to prescribe for others, when you are unable to heal your own lame gait and wrinkled skin?" ❋ The Tortoise and the EagleA TORTOISE, lazily basking in the sun, complained to the sea-birds of her hard fate, that no one would teach her to fly. An Eagle, hovering near, heard her lamentation and demanded what reward she would give him if he would take her aloft and float her in the air. "I will give you," she said, "all the riches of the red Sea." "I will teach you to fly then," said the eagle; and taking her up in his talons he carried her almost to the clouds suddenly he let her go, and she fell on a lofty mountain, dashing her shell to pieces. The tortoise exclaimed in the moment of death: "I have deserved my present fate; for what had I to do with wings and clouds, who can with difficulty move about on the earth?" ❋ If men had all they wished, they would be often ruined. The Traveller and FortuneA TRAVELLER wearied from a long journey lay down, overcome with fatigue, on the very brink of a deep well. Just as he was about to fall into the water, Dame fortune, it is said, appeared to him and waking him from his slumber thus addressed him: "Good Sir, pray wake up: for if you fall into the well, the blame will be thrown on me, and I shall get an ill name among mortals; for I find that men are sure to impute their calamities to me, however much by their own folly they have really brought them on themselves." ❋ Everyone hopes more or less to be the master of his own fate. The Traveller and His DogA TRAVELLER about to set out on a journey saw his dog stand at the door stretching himself. He asked him sharply: "Why do you stand there gaping? Everything is ready but you, so come with me instantly." The dog, wagging his tail, replied: "Master! I am quite ready; it is you for whom I am waiting." ❋ The loiterer often blames delay on his more active friend.1 The Travellers and the Plane-TreeTWO TRAVELLERS, worn out by the heat of the summer's sun, laid themselves down at noon under the wide-spreading branches of a plane-tree. As they rested under its shade, one of the travellers 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 Two Travellers and the AxeTWO MEN were journeying together. One of them picked up an axe that lay on the path, and said, "I have found an axe." "Nay, my friend," replied the other, "do not say 'I,' but 'we' have found an axe." They had not gone far before they saw the owner of the axe pursuing them, and he who had picked up the axe said, "We are undone." "Nay," replied the other, "keep to your first mode of speech, my friend; what you thought right then, think right now. Say 'I,' not 'We' are undone." He who shares the danger ought to share the prize. ❋ The AstronomerAN ASTRONOMER used to go out at night to observe the stars. One evening, as he wandered through the suburbs with his whole attention fixed on the sky, he fell accidentally into a deep well. While he lamented and bewailed his sores and bruises, and cried loudly for help, a neighbour ran to the well, and learning what had happened said: "Listen, old fellow, why, in striving to pry into what is in heaven, don't you manage to see what is on earth?" ❋ The Charger and the MillerA CHARGER, feeling the infirmities of age, was sent to work in a mill instead of going out to battle. But when he was compelled to grind instead of serving in the wars, he bewailed his change of fortune and called to mind his former state, saying, "Ah, miller, I had indeed to go campaigning before, but I was barbed from counter to tail, and a man went along to groom me; and now I cannot understand what ailed me to prefer the mill before the battle." "Forbear," said the miller to him, "harping on what was of yore, for it is the common lot of mortals to sustain the ups and downs of fortune." ❋ The Cock and the JewelA COCK, scratching for food for himself and his hens, found a precious stone and exclaimed: "If your owner had found you, and not I, he would have taken you up, and have set you in your first estate; but I have found you for no purpose. I would rather have one barleycorn than all the jewels in the world." ❋ The Monkey and the CamelTHE 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 on him with clubs and drove him out of the assembly. ❋ It is absurd to ape our betters. The Monkey and the DolphinA SAILOR, bound on a long voyage, took with him a monkey to amuse him while on shipboard. As he sailed off the coast of Greece, a violent tempest arose in which the ship was wrecked and he, his monkey, and all the crew were obliged to swim for their lives. A dolphin saw the monkey contending with the waves, and supposing him to be a man (whom he is always said to befriend), came and placed himself under him, to convey him on his back in safety to the shore. When the dolphin arrived with his burden in sight of land not far from Athens, he asked the monkey if he were an Athenian. The latter replied that he was, and that he was descended from one of the most noble families in that city. The dolphin then asked if he knew the Piraeus (the famous harbour of Athens). Supposing that a man was meant, the monkey answered that he knew him very well and that he was an intimate friend. The dolphin, indignant at these falsehoods, dipped the monkey under the water and drowned him. ❋ The Monkey and the FishermenA MONKEY perched on a lofty tree saw some fishermen casting their nets into a river, and narrowly watched their proceedings. The fishermen after a while gave up fishing, and on going home to dinner left their nets on the bank. The monkey, who is the most imitative of animals, descended from the treetop and endeavoured to do as they had done. Having handled the net, he threw it into the river, but became tangled in the meshes and drowned. With his last breath he said to himself, "I deserved what I got; for what business had I who had never handled a net to try and catch fish?" ❋ The Monkeys and Their MotherTHE MONKEY, it is said, has two young ones at each birth. The mother fondles one and nurtures it with the greatest affection and care, but hates and neglects the other. It happened once that the young one which was caressed and loved was smothered by the too great affection of the mother, while the despised one was nurtured and reared in spite of the neglect to which it was exposed. ❋ The best intentions will not always ensure success. The Dancing MonkeysA PRINCE had some monkeys trained to dance. Being naturally great mimics of men's actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers. The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them on the stage. The monkeys at the sight of the nuts forgot their dancing and became (as indeed they were) monkeys instead of actors. Pulling off their masks and tearing their robes, they fought with one another for the nuts. The dancing spectacle thus came to an end amidst the laughter and ridicule of the audience. ❋ The Milk-Woman and Her PailA FARMER'S daughter was carrying her pail of milk from the field to the farmhouse, when she fell a-musing. "The money for which this milk will be sold, will buy at least three hundred eggs. The eggs, allowing for all mishaps, will produce two hundred and fifty chickens. The chickens will become ready for the market when poultry will fetch the highest price, so that by the end of the year I shall have money enough from my share to buy a new gown. In this dress I will go to the Christmas parties, where all the young fellows will propose to me, but I will toss my head and refuse them every one." At this moment she tossed her head in unison with her thoughts, when down fell the milk pail to the ground, and all her imaginary schemes perished in a moment. ❋ Don't count your chicken before they are hatched. * The Mice in CouncilTHE MICE summoned a council to decide how they might best devise means of warning themselves of the approach of their great enemy the cat. Among the many plans suggested, the one that found most favour was the proposal to tie a bell to the neck of the cat, so that the mice, being warned by the sound of the tinkling, might run away and hide themselves in their holes at his approach. But when the mice further debated who among them should thus "bell the cat," there was no one found to do it. ❋ The Two Soldiers and the RobberTWO SOLDIERS travelling together were set on 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 travelling cloak said, "I will at him, and I will 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 valour." ❋ |
