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The Buffoon and the CountrymanA RICH NOBLEMAN once opened the theatres 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 theatre was crowded in every part. The buffoon appeared alone on 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, Herakles, 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 theatre, 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 clamoured for the countryman to be kicked out of the theatre. 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 Dolphins, the Whales, and the SpratTHE DOLPHINS and Whales waged a fierce war with each other. When the battle was at its height, a sprat lifted its head out of the waves and said that he would reconcile their differences if they would accept him as an umpire. One of the dolphins replied, "We would far rather be destroyed in our battle with each other than admit any interference from you in our affairs." ❋ The Image of Sir Transporter and the CarpenterA VERY POOR MAN, a carpenter by trade, had a wooden image of Sir Transporter, before which he made offerings day by day, and begged the idol to make him rich, but in spite of his entreaties he became poorer and poorer. At last, being very angry, he took his image down from its pedestal and dashed it against the wall. When its head was knocked off, out came a stream of gold, which the carpenter quickly picked up and said, "Well, I think you are altogether contradictory and unreasonable; for when I paid you honour, I reaped no benefits: but now that I maltreat you I am loaded with an abundance of riches." ❋ The Mole and His MotherA MOLE, a creature blind from birth, once said to his mother: "I am sure than I can see, Mother!" In the desire to prove to him his mistake, his mother placed before him a few grains of frankincense, and asked, "What is it?" The young mole said, "It is a pebble." His mother exclaimed: "My son, I am afraid that you are not only blind, but that you have lost your sense of smell. ❋ The Mules and the RobbersTWO MULES well-laden with packs were trudging along. One carried baskets 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 on 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 Thrush and the FowlerA 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, "Foolish creature that I am! For the sake of a little pleasant food I have deprived myself of my life." ❋ The Two FrogsTWO FROGS dwelt in the same pool. When the pool dried up under the summer's heat, they left it and set out together for another home. As they went along they chanced to pass a deep well, amply supplied with water, and when they saw it, one of the frogs said to the other, "Let us descend and make our abode in this well: it will furnish us with shelter and food." The other replied with greater caution, "But suppose the water should fail us. How can we get out again from so great a depth?" ❋ Do nothing without a regard to the consequences. Truth and the TravellerA WAYFARING MAN, travelling in the desert, met a woman standing alone and terribly dejected. He asked of her, "Who are you?" "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 Bull and the CalfA BULL was striving with all his might to squeeze himself through a narrow passage which led to his stall. A young Calf came up, and offered to go before and show him the way by which he could manage to pass. "Save yourself the trouble," said the bull; "I knew that way long before you were born." ❋ The Mice and the WeaselsTHE WEASELS and the mice waged a perpetual war with each other, in which much blood was shed. The weasels were always the victors. The mice thought that the cause of their frequent defeats was that they had no leaders set apart from the general army to command them, and that they were exposed to dangers from lack of discipline. They therefore chose as leaders mice that were most renowned for their family descent, strength, and counsel, as well as those most noted for their courage in the fight, so that they might be better marshalled in battle array and formed into troops, regiments, and battalions. When all this was done, and the army disciplined, and the herald mouse had duly proclaimed war by challenging the weasels, the newly chosen generals bound their heads with straws, that they might be more conspicuous to all their troops. Scarcely had the battle begun, when a great rout overwhelmed the mice, who scampered off as fast as they could to their holes. The generals, not being able to get in on account of the ornaments on their heads, were all captured and eaten by the weasels. ❋ The more honour the more danger. The Mouse and the BullA BULL was bitten by a mouse and, angered by the wound, tried to capture him. But the mouse reached his hole in safety. Though the bull dug into the walls with his horns, he tired before he could rout out the mouse, and crouching down, went to sleep outside the hole. The mouse peeped out, crept furtively up his flank, and again biting him, retreated to his hole. The bull rising up, and not knowing what to do, was sadly perplexed. At which the mouse said, "The great do not always prevail. There are times when the small and lowly are the strongest to do mischief." ❋ The Mouse, the Frog, and the HawkA MOUSE who always lived on the land, by an unlucky chance formed an intimate acquaintance with a frog, who lived for the most part in the water. The frog, one day intent on mischief, bound the foot of the mouse tightly to his own. Thus joined together, the frog first of all led his friend the mouse to the meadow where they were used to find their food. After this, he gradually led him towards the pool in which he lived, till reaching the very brink, he suddenly jumped in, dragging the mouse with him. The frog enjoyed the water amazingly, and swam croaking about, as if he had done a good deed. The unhappy Mouse was soon suffocated by the water, and his dead body floated about on the surface, tied to the foot of the frog. A Hawk observed it, and, pouncing on it with his talons, carried it aloft. The frog, being still fastened to the leg of the mouse, was also carried off a prisoner, and was eaten by the hawk. ❋ Harm hatch, harm catch. The Weasel and the MiceA WEASEL, inactive from age and infirmities, was not able to catch mice as he once did. He therefore rolled himself in flour and lay down in a dark corner. A Mouse, supposing him to be food, leaped on him, and was instantly caught and squeezed to death. Another perished in a similar manner, and then a third, and still others after them. A very old Mouse, who had escaped many a trap and snare, observed from a safe distance the trick of his crafty foe and said, "Ah! you that lie there, may you prosper just in the same proportion as you are what you pretend to be!" ❋ The MuleA MULE, frolicsome from lack of work and from too much corn, galloped about in a very extravagant manner, and said to himself: "My father surely was a high-mettled racer, and I am his own child in speed and spirit." On the next day, being driven a long journey, and feeling very wearied, he exclaimed in a disconsolate tone: "I must have made a mistake; my father, after all, could have been only a donkey." ❋ The Swollen FoxA VERY HUNGRY FOX, seeing some bread and meat left by shepherds in the hollow of an oak, crept into the hole and made a hearty meal. When he finished, he was so full that he was not able to get out, and began to groan and lament his fate. Another Fox passing by heard his cries, and coming up, asked the cause of his complaining. On learning what had happened, he said to him, "Ah, you will have to remain there, my friend, till you become such as you were when you crept in, and then you will easily get out."
A Case for PatienceA half-starved fox, who saw in the hollow of an oak tree some bread and meat left there by shepherds, crept in and ate it. With his stomach distended he could not get out again. Another fox, passing by and hearing his cries and lamentations, came up and asked what was the matter. On being told, he said: "Well, stay there till you are as thin as you were when you went in; then you will get out quite easily." ❋ This tale shows how time solves difficult sex problems. The Woman and Her HenA WOMAN had a hen that gave her an egg every day. She often thought of how she might get two eggs daily instead of one, and at last, to gain her purpose, determined to give the hen a double allowance of barley. From that day the hen became fat and sleek, and never once laid another egg. ❋ The Charcoal-Burner and the FullerA CHARCOAL-BURNER carried on his trade in his own house. One day he met a friend, a fuller, and begged him to come and live with him, saying that they should be far better neighbours and that their housekeeping expenses would be lessened. The fuller replied, "The arrangement is impossible as far as I am concerned, for whatever I should whiten, you would at once blacken again with your charcoal." ❋ Like may draw like. The Geese and the CranesTHE GEESE and the cranes were feeding in the same meadow, when a birdcatcher came to ensnare them in his nets. The cranes, being light of wing, fled away at his approach; while the geese, being slower of flight and heavier in their bodies, were captured. ❋ The Sparrow and the HareA HARE pounced on by an eagle sobbed very much and uttered cries like a child. A Sparrow upbraided her and said, "Where now is your 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 Trumpeter Taken PrisonerA 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." ❋ |
