THE HARE AND THE HOUND\n\nA Hound, having started a Hare which proved to be a capital runner, at length gave up the chase. His master, seeing it, said, "The little one is the best runner, eh?"\n\n"Ah, Master," answered the Dog, "it's all very well to laugh; but you do not see the difference between us. He was running for his life, while I was only running for my dinner."
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1 THE HARE AND THE HOUND
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THE OWL AND THE GRASSHOPPER\n\nAn Owl, who was sitting in a hollow tree, dozing away a long summer afternoon, was much disturbed by a rogue of a Grasshopper, singing in the grass below.\n\nSo far from moving away at the request of the Owl, or keeping quiet, the Grasshopper sang all the more, saying that honest people got their sleep at night.\n\nThe Owl waited in silence for a while, and then artfully addressed the Grasshopper thus: "I suppose I ought to be angry with you, my dear, for I confess I would rather sleep than listen to your singing. But if one cannot be allowed to sleep, it is something to be kept awake by such a pleasant little pipe as yours. And now it occurs to me that I have some delicious nectar with which to reward a musician who sings so sweetly. If you will take the trouble to come up, you shall have a drop. It will clear your voice nicely."\n\nThe silly Grasshopper came hopping up to the Owl, who at once caught and killed him, and so finished her nap in comfort.
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2 THE OWL AND THE GRASSHOPPER
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THE MULE EATING THISTLES\n\nA MULE, laden with choice provision of several sorts, was on his way to the field. His master and the reapers were at work there, and the provision that he carried was for the refreshment of both man and beast.\n\nSeeing a large, strong thistle by the roadside, he stopped to eat it. "Many people would wonder," thought he, "that, with such dainty food upon my back, I should have appetite for the despised thistle; but to me the bitter, prickly weed has a more savory relish than anything else in the world. Let others choose what they will, but give me a fine, juicy thistle like this, and I shall be content. Every one to his taste. It is wisely ordered that what one rejects should be the choice of another. A wise man has said that a weed is a plant that people have not yet found a use for."
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3 THE MULE EATING THISTLES
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THE SICK STAG\n\nA Stag, whose joints had become stiff with age, was at great pains to gather an abundant supply of food—enough, as he thought, for the remainder of his days.\n\nHe stretched himself beside it, in a quiet, sunny corner of his pasture, and now dozing, now nibbling, was passing a happy old age.\n\nHe had been a favorite among his companions, and they now came often, and in great numbers, to call upon him and wish him good luck. He made them welcome in a hospitable manner, and each, as often as he came, helped himself to a little of the food so abundantly provided.\n\nThe end of the matter was, that the poor Stag died, not so much from either sickness or old age as from want of the food which his friends had eaten for him. Before doing a thing, it is well sometimes to consider, "What if every one should do it?"
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4 THE SICK STAG
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THE WOLF AND THE SHEPHERDS\n\nA Wolf, passing by, saw some Shepherds in a hut, eating for their dinner a haunch of mutton. Approaching them, he said: "Ah! gentlemen, you are feasting on mutton. I like your taste. But what a hue and cry you would raise if _I_ were to do it."
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5 THE WOLF AND THE SHEPHERDS
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THE BOY AND THE NETTLE\n\nA Boy was once stung by a Nettle. Crying with pain, he ran home and told his mother, saying, "Although it pains me so much, I did but touch it ever so gently, for I had been hurt by it before."\n\n"That was just it," said his mother. "It was that which gave you so bad a sting. The next time you have occasion to touch a Nettle, grasp it boldly, with courage and resolution. It will be as soft as silk in your hand and will not hurt you in the least. And you will meet many persons, as well as things, that must be handled in the same way, if you would escape discomfort from them."
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6 THE BOY AND THE NETTLE
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THE HARES AND THE FOXES\n\nThe Hares waged war with the Eagles and called upon the Foxes to help them.\n\nThe Foxes replied: "We would willingly have helped you, if we had not known so well who you were and with whom you were fighting. Before we can commit ourselves, we must count the cost."
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7 THE HARES AND THE FOXES
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MERCURY AND THE WOODMAN\n\nA Woodman, felling a tree by the side of a river, let his ax drop by accident into the stream.\n\nBeing thus suddenly deprived of the tool by means of which he gained his livelihood, he sat down upon the bank and lamented his hard fate.\n\nTo his surprise Mercury appeared and asked him what was the matter. Having heard the story of the man's misfortune, he dived to the bottom of the river, and bringing up a golden ax, inquired if that was the one he had lost.\n\nOn his saying that it was not his, Mercury dived a second time, and returning with a silver ax in his hand, again demanded of the Woodman if it was his.\n\nThis also the Woodman refused, saying that it was none of his. Mercury disappeared a third time and brought up the ax that the man had lost. This the poor man took with joy and thankfulness.\n\nSo pleased was Mercury with the honesty of the man, that he gave him the other two axes in addition to his own.\n\nThe Woodman, on his return home, related to his companions all that had happened. One of them resolved to see if he could secure the same good fortune to himself.\n\nHe ran to the river and threw his ax in, then sat down upon the bank to lament his sad fate.\n\nMercury appeared as before and demanded to know the cause of his grief. After hearing the man's account, he dived and brought up a golden ax and asked the man if that was his.\n\nTransported at the sight of the precious metal, the fellow eagerly answered that it was, and greedily attempted to snatch it. The god, detecting his falsehood and greed, not only declined to give him the golden ax but refused to recover for him his own.
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8 MERCURY AND THE WOODMAN
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THE RAT AND THE ELEPHANT\n\nA Rat, traveling on the highway, met a huge Elephant, bearing his royal master and the master's favorite dog, cat, parrot, and monkey. Behind them came a retinue of servants and many courtiers.\n\nAn admiring crowd followed the great beast and his attendants, so that the entire road was filled.\n\n"How foolish you are," said the Rat to the people, "to make such a fuss at seeing an elephant. Is it his great bulk that you so much admire? Mere size is nothing. At most it can only frighten little girls and boys, and I can do that as well. I am a beast as well as he. I have as many legs, and ears, and eyes. If you will take the trouble to compare us, you will see that I have finer parts. What right, then, has he to take up all the highway, which belongs to me as well as to him?"\n\nAt this moment, the Cat from her high place spied the Rat. She jumped to the ground and soon convinced him that he was not an Elephant.
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9 THE RAT AND THE ELEPHANT
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THE HUSBANDMAN AND THE STORK\n\nA Husbandman pitched a net in his fields, to take the cranes and wild geese that came daily to feed upon the newly sown corn.\n\nIn this net he captured several cranes and geese, and among them, on one occasion, was a Stork. The cranes and geese accepted their lot as one of the chances to which such lives as theirs were subject; but the Stork was in very sad case and pleaded hard for his life.\n\nAmong other reasons why he should not be put to death, the Stork urged that he was neither goose nor crane but a poor, harmless Stork, who performed his duty to his parents as well as ever he could, feeding them when they were old, and carrying them, when required, from place to place upon his back.\n\n"All this may be true," replied the Husbandman; "but, as I have taken you in bad company, and in the same crime, you must expect to suffer the same punishment."
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10 THE HUSBANDMAN AND THE STORK
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THE SATYR AND THE TRAVELER\n\nA Satyr, ranging in the forest in winter, once came across a Traveler who was half starved and nearly frozen.\n\nHe took pity upon him and invited him to come to his cave for food and shelter.\n\nOn their way, the Man kept blowing upon his fingers. "Why do you do that?" said the Satyr, who had seen but little of the world of men.\n\n"To warm my hands," replied the Man; "they are nearly frozen."\n\nArriving at the cave, the Satyr poured out a smoking mess of pottage and set it before the Traveler, who eagerly seized it and began to blow upon it with all his might.\n\n"What, blowing again!" exclaimed the Satyr. "Is it not hot enough?"\n\n"It is, indeed," answered the Man; "that is the very reason why I am blowing it. I want to cool it enough to be able to eat it."\n\nUpon this the Satyr exclaimed in alarm, "Be off with you! I will have no part with a Man who can blow hot and cold from the same mouth."
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11 THE SATYR AND THE TRAVELER
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THE STAG AT THE LAKE\n\nA Stag, one hot day, came to drink from a clear lake, and stopped to look at his own image in the water.\n\n"How beautiful are my fine spreading horns!" said he. "How strong and graceful they are, branching from each side of my head! What a pity it is that my legs should be so thin and ugly!"\n\nJust at this moment a lion came crashing through the forest and made ready to spring upon him. Away went the stag! and the legs that he had despised would soon have carried him out of danger; but when he came to the thick woods, his beautiful antlers, of which he had been so vain, caught in the branches and held him fast until the lion came up and seized him.
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12 THE STAG AT THE LAKE
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THE PEASANT AND THE APPLE TREE\n\nA Peasant had in his garden an Apple Tree which for year after year had borne no fruit, but served only as a harbor for sparrows and grasshoppers.\n\nSeeing no good to himself in the tree, he resolved to cut it down, and, taking his ax in his hand, he made a bold stroke at its roots.\n\nEach in his own way, the grasshoppers and sparrows entreated him not to cut down the tree that sheltered them. "We will do our best to make up to you the worth of the wood, if you will spare it," they said, "lightening your labor by our cheering songs." But he paid no heed to them and gave a second and a third blow with his ax.\n\nWhen he reached the hollow of the tree, he found a hive full of honey. He tasted the honeycomb and at once threw down his ax. From that time the greatest of care was taken of the tree, and the sparrows and grasshoppers still found shelter in it. They could not forget, however, that the man had only saved their home for them from self-interest.
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13 THE PEASANT AND THE APPLE TREE
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JUPITER, NEPTUNE, MINERVA, AND MOMUS\n\nAccording to an old legend, the first man was made by Jupiter, the first bull by Neptune, and the first house by Minerva.\n\nOn the completion of their labors, a dispute arose as to which had made the most perfect work.\n\nThey agreed to rest the decision with Momus, a judge, and to abide by his word.\n\nMomus, however, being very envious of the handicraft of each, found fault in turn with all.\n\nHe criticized the work of Neptune because he had not made the horns of the bull below the eyes, that the animal might better see where to strike.\n\nHe condemned the work of Jupiter because he had not placed the heart of man on the outside, so that every one might read the thoughts of the evil-disposed and take precautions against intended mischief.\n\nAnd last of all, he inveighed against Minerva, not because of any fault in the house itself but because she had not contrived iron wheels in its foundation, so that its inhabitants might more easily remove if a neighbor proved unpleasant.\n\nIndignant at such inveterate fault-finding, Jupiter drove Momus from his office as judge and expelled him from the mansions of Olympus.
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14 JUPITER, NEPTUNE, MINERVA, AND MOMUS
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THE FARTHING RUSHLIGHT\n\nA Rushlight, in love with its own brilliancy, once boasted that its light was brighter even than that of the sun, the moon, and the stars.\n\nJust then a door opened, and a puff of wind blew it out.\n\nAs the owner relighted it, he said: "Cease now your boasting. Be content to shine in silence. Heavenly lights do not blow out. Know that not even the stars need to be relit."
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15 THE FARTHING RUSHLIGHT
