THE COUNTRY MOUSE AND THE CITY MOUSE\n\nA Mouse from the city went on a visit to a friend in the country.\n\nThe Country Mouse, with many apologies, brought out the best that he had and waited on his guest.\n\nThere was plenty of oatmeal and peas, a nice scrap of bacon, and even a paring of cheese for dessert. While the guest was dining, the Country Mouse, out of politeness, would eat none of these dainties, for fear there should not be enough for both, but nibbled a piece of straw to keep his guest company.\n\nWhen the dinner was over, the City Mouse said: "Old friend, I thank you for your courtesy, but I must have a plain talk with you. I do not see how you can bear to live so poor a life in this little hole. Why not come with me to the city, where you will have all sorts of good things to eat and a gay time? You are wasting your life. When you have once seen the city you will never be willing to return to this quiet place."\n\nAfter being urged a long time, the Country Mouse at last agreed to go to the city that very night. So they started off together, and about midnight came to the great house where the City Mouse lived. In the dining room was spread a rich feast; and the City Mouse, with many airs and graces, ran about the table, and, picking out the nicest bits, waited upon his country friend, who, amazed at the good things, ate to his heart's content.\n\nAll at once the doors of the dining room were flung open, and in came a crowd of people, followed by a big dog, who barked loudly and ran about the room.\n\nThe Mice rushed for the hole, to escape, and the little field Mouse almost died of fright. As soon as he was able to speak, he said:\n\n"Well! if this is city life, I have seen enough of it. Stay in this fine place if you like. I shall be only too glad to get home to my quiet, safer, country house and my plain oatmeal and peas."
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1 THE COUNTRY MOUSE AND THE CITY MOUSE
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THE COCK AND THE JEWEL\n\n"Come, my dears," said a Cock to his hens one morning; "I am hungry, and so are you. Let us go out. I will scratch up some nice worms and beetles for our breakfast."\n\nThe hens stood waiting while he scratched.\n\nBut the first thing that he found was neither a beetle nor a worm but a precious stone. It may have been a ruby or an emerald.\n\n"Dear me!" said the Cock; "what is this? a Jewel! How glad anybody else might be to have found such a prize; but I have no need of it. I would rather have a few kernels of good corn than all the Jewels in the world."\n\n"And so would we," said the hens. "Nothing can do us good if it is not a thing that we ourselves want."
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2 THE COCK AND THE JEWEL
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THE OLD HOUND\n\nOnce there was a beautiful Hound. He had long, silky ears and a smooth, bright skin; and he was not only beautiful but strong and swift, and a faithful servant. Whenever his master went hunting, the Hound went with him and chased the deer. After many years the Hound grew old and feeble, but still he followed his master, with the other dogs.\n\nOne day a stag had been chased till it was almost tired out, and the old Hound came up with it and seized it; but his teeth were old and broken and could not hold fast, so that the stag gave a sudden bound and got away. Just then the master rode up, and seeing what had happened, was very angry. He took his whip to strike his faithful old\nHound.\n\n"Hold! hold! O dear Master," said he, "do not strike me. I meant to do well. It is not my fault that I am old. Remember what I have been, if you do not like me as I am now."
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3 THE OLD HOUND
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THE VAIN JACKDAW\n\nJupiter having determined, it is said, to appoint a sovereign over the birds, proclamation was made that on a certain day the candidates should present themselves before him, and he would choose the most beautiful to be king.\n\nThe Jackdaw, knowing his own ugliness, yet wishing to rule over the birds, searched through woods and fields for feathers which had fallen from the wings of his companions, and stuck them all over his body. \n\nWhen the appointed day arrived, and the birds had assembled, the Jackdaw made his appearance in his many-feathered finery, and Jupiter proposed to make him king.\n\nUpon seeing this, the other birds were indignant, and each plucking from the Jackdaw his own kind of feathers, they left the proposed king a plain Jackdaw with no claim to superior beauty.
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4 THE VAIN JACKDAW
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THE DONKEY AND THE LAP DOG\n\nThere was once a man who had a Donkey and a little pet Dog. The Donkey worked all day in the fields and slept in the barn at night.\n\nBut the Lap Dog frisked about and played, jumping in his master's lap whenever he pleased, feeding from his hand, and sleeping by his bed at night.\n\nThe Donkey grumbled a great deal at this. "How hard I work!" said he, "and I never get any pay but blows and hard words. Why should I not be petted like that wretched little Dog? It may be partly my own fault. Perhaps if I played with my master as he does, I too might be treated like him."\n\nSo the Donkey pushed his way into the house, and jumped up on his master's knee, putting his forefeet on his shoulders and giving a loud bray.\n\nThe master, almost deafened by the noise and in danger from the great clumsy creature, called out, "Help! help!" and the servants, running in, drove the Donkey out of doors with sticks and stones.
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5 THE DONKEY AND THE LAP DOG
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THE ONE-EYED DOE\n\nA Doe, blind in one eye, used to graze as near as she could to the edge of a cliff, so that she might keep her blind eye to the water, while with the other she kept watch against the approach of hunters or hounds on the shore.\n\nSome boatmen sailing by saw her standing thus on the edge of a cliff, and finding that she did not perceive their approach, they came very close, and taking aim, shot her.\n\nFinding herself wounded, she said, "O unhappy creature that I am, to take such care as I did against the dangers of the land, and then, after all, to find this seashore, to which I had come for safety, so much more perilous!"
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6 THE ONE-EYED DOE
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THE CAMEL\n\nWhen man first beheld the Camel, he was so awed by his vast size that he fled away from him in terror.\n\nBut after a time, perceiving the meekness and gentleness of the animal's temper, he summoned courage to approach him. The Camel so readily obeyed the commands that were given him, and seemed so wanting in spirit, that at last the man put a bridle in his mouth and set a child to guide him.\n\nSince then Camels are valued for the service they render.
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7 THE CAMEL
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THE WOLF AND THE HOUSE DOG\n\nA Wolf met a Dog, and seeing that he looked fat and sleek, said to him, "How does it happen, my friend, that you are so plump, while I, although I run after game day and night, am half starved?"\n\n"Why," said the Dog, "I do not have to run after my food. I only guard the house at night, and all the family pet me and feed me with scraps from their own plates. Come and live with me, and you shall be as well off as I am."\n\n"That I should like," said the Wolf. "I will at least go with you and try the life."\n\nAs they trotted along the road together, the Wolf saw a mark on the Dog's neck, and asked him what it was.\n\n"Oh, that is nothing," said the Dog; "only a little mark made by the fretting of my chain."\n\n"Do you wear a chain?" asked the Wolf; "and do you mean to say that you are tied up?"\n\n"Why, yes," said the Dog; "they tie me in the daytime, but at night I can go where I please. It is a bit annoying at first, but one soon gets used to it."\n\n"Good-by," said the Wolf; "that is enough for me. Though I may not be fat, I will at least be free."
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8 THE WOLF AND THE HOUSE DOG
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THE OAK AND THE REED\n\nOn the bank of a river grew a tall Oak Tree. It stood with its roots firm in the ground, and its head high in the air, and said to itself: "How strong I am! Nothing shall make me bow. I look down upon all the other trees."\n\nBut one day there was a storm. The terrible unseen wind came and struck the proud Oak. Crash! went the trunk, down came all the beautiful branches, and the Tree fell into the river. As the water carried it away, it passed a Reed that grew on the bank. The little Reed stood up tall and slender, and looked at the poor broken Tree.\n\n"O Reed," said the Tree, "how did it happen that you were not broken down and spoiled when the wind came? You are so little and weak, and I was so strong and proud."\n\n"Ah, poor Tree!" said the Reed, "that is just the reason that the wind did not hurt me. I bent low until it had gone by, but you stood stiff and tried to stop it on its way. No one can stop the wind. It must go where it is sent, but it will not hurt those who are not proud and stubborn."
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9 THE OAK AND THE REED
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THE DOG AND THE HARE\n\nA Dog once gave chase to a Hare. Having not long since made a good meal, the Dog was not hungry, and so was not in haste to end the sport by killing the Hare.\n\nAt times he would snap at his prey, and at times play with him and lick him with his tongue, till at last the bewildered Hare cried:\n\n"Pray tell me, are you an enemy or a friend? If a friend, why do you bite me so? and if an enemy, why do you caress me?"\n\nNo one can trust a person who is neither the one thing nor the other.
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10 THE DOG AND THE HARE
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THE HAWK, KITE, AND PIGEONS\n\nThe Pigeons, terrified by the frequent appearance of a Kite, asked the Hawk to help them.\n\n"You are the only bird of our acquaintance," they said, "that can protect us from our enemy. If you will take care of us, we shall feel safe."\n\nThe Hawk at once consented, and took up his abode in the dovecote. But when the Pigeons had let him come in, they found that he slew more of them in a single day than the Kite could possibly pounce upon in a whole year.\n\nThe oldest, wisest pigeon among them said: "When we are in trouble, we must not forget that there are other dangers than the ones we are suffering from. There is a proverb among men that tells them to avoid a remedy that is worse than the disease."
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11 THE HAWK, KITE, AND PIGEONS
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THE WAR HORSE AND THE MULE\n\nA War Horse, ready for battle, with his splendid saddle and jingling bridle, came galloping swiftly along the highroad, his hoofs sounding like thunder on the hard ground.\n\nA poor old Mule, with a heavy load on his back, was going slowly down the same road.\n\n"Out of my way," said the War Horse, "or I will trample you in the dust!"\n\nThe poor Mule made room for him as fast as he could, and the Horse went proudly on his way.\n\nNot long after this the Horse was shot in the eye; and, as he was no longer fit for the army, his fine saddle and bridle were taken off, and he was sold to a farmer, who made him drag heavy loads. \n\nSince he had not been trained to the work, it came hard to him, and he complained bitterly.\n\nThe Mule, meeting him soon after, knew him and called out: "Aha! is it you? I thought pride would have a fall some day."
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12 THE WAR HORSE AND THE MULE
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THE WIND AND THE SUN\n\nThe North Wind and the Sun once fell into a dispute as to which was the stronger of the two. They related their most famous exploits, and each ended as he began, by thinking he had the greater power.\n\nJust then a traveler came in sight, and they agreed to test the matter by trying to see which of them could soonest make the traveler remove his cloak.\n\nThe boastful North Wind was the first to try, the Sun meanwhile watching behind a gray cloud. He blew a furious blast and nearly tore the cloak from its fastenings; but the Man only held his cloak more closely, and old Boreas spent his strength in vain.\n\nMortified by his failure to do so simple a thing, the Wind withdrew at last in despair. "I don't believe you can do it, either," he said.\n\nThen out came the kindly Sun in all his splendor, dispelling the clouds that had gathered and sending his warmest rays down upon the traveler's head.\n\nThe Man looked up gratefully, but, growing faint with sudden heat, he quickly flung aside his cloak, and hastened for comfort to the nearest shade.\n\nPersuasion is often better than force.
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13 THE WIND AND THE SUN
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THE BEAR AND THE TWO TRAVELERS\n\nTwo men were traveling together, when a Bear suddenly crossed their path.\n\nOne of the men climbed quickly into a tree, and tried to conceal himself in its branches.\n\nSeeing that he must be attacked, the other one fell flat upon the ground; and when the Bear came up, felt him with his snout, and smelt him all over, the man held his breath, feigning death.\n\nThe Bear soon left him, for it is said a Bear will not touch a dead body.\n\nWhen the Bear had gone, the man in the tree came down to join his companion, and, as a pleasant joke, inquired, "What was it that the Bear whispered in your ear when he bent over you for so long?"\n\nHis friend replied very gravely: "He gave me this bit of advice, 'Never travel with a friend who deserts you at the approach of danger.'"
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14 THE BEAR AND THE TWO TRAVELERS
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THE TWO GOATS\n\nTwo Goats started at the same moment, from opposite ends, to cross a rude bridge that was only wide enough for one to cross at a time. \n\nMeeting at the middle of the bridge, neither would yield to the other. They locked horns and fought for the right of way, until both fell into the torrent below and were drowned.
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15 THE TWO GOATS
