Part 5

Just 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.

The 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.

Mortified 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.

Then 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.

The Man looked up gratefully, but, growing faint with sudden heat, he quickly flung aside his cloak, and hastened for comfort to the nearest shade.

Persuasion is often better than force.

THE BEAR AND THE TWO TRAVELERS

TWO men were traveling together, when a Bear suddenly crossed their path.

One of the men climbed quickly into a tree, and tried to conceal himself in its branches.

Seeing 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.

The Bear soon left him, for it is said a Bear will not touch a dead body.

When 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?”

His friend replied very gravely: “He gave me this bit of advice, ‘Never travel with a friend who deserts you at the approach of danger.’”

THE TWO GOATS

TWO 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.

Meeting 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.

THE BULL AND THE CALF

A BULL was once striving with all his might to squeeze himself through a narrow passage which led to his stall.

“I will go through,” said a young Calf, “and show you the way. I have done it many a time.”

“Save yourself the trouble,” said the Bull; “I knew the way before you were born.”

THE FAWN AND HIS MOTHER

A YOUNG Fawn once said to his Mother: “I do not see, Mother, how it is that you should be so afraid of the dogs. You are larger than a dog, and swifter; and you are much more used to running. Why is it that the mere mention of a hound puts you into such a terrible fright?”

The Mother smiled upon her brave young son. “I know very well,” she said, “that all you say is true. I look at my long legs, and remember all the advantages that you mention, yet when I hear the bark of but a single dog, I faint with terror.”

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THE MULE AND HIS SHADOW

ONE very hot day a Traveler hired a Mule with his driver to carry some merchandise to a distant place.

The way lay across a sandy plain, and the day being intensely hot, the Traveler called upon the driver to stop for rest. To escape from the direct heat of the sun, which was shining in all its strength, the Traveler proceeded to sit down in the shadow of the Mule.

But a violent dispute arose, for the shadow was sufficient for but one, and the driver, a lusty fellow, rudely pushed the Traveler one side, claiming the spot for himself, saying: “When you hired this Mule of me, you said nothing about the shadow. If now you want that too, you must pay for it.”

The discussion grew so violent that they forgot the Mule, who took advantage of his freedom and ran away. And so, in disputing about the shadow they lost the substance.

THE BLIND MAN AND THE LAME MAN

A BLIND Man, being stopped in a bad piece of road, met a Lame Man, and entreated him to help him out of the difficulty into which he had fallen.

“How can I,” replied the Lame Man, “since I can scarcely drag myself along? I am lame, and you look very strong.”

“I am strong enough,” said the other. “I could go if I could but see the way.”

“Oh, then we may help each other,” said the Lame Man. “If you will take me on your shoulders, we will seek our fortunes together. I will be eyes for you, and you shall be feet for me.”

“With all my heart,” said the Blind Man. “Let us render each other our mutual services.” So he took his lame companion upon his back, and they traveled on with safety and pleasure.

THE TWO POTS

A RIVER carried down, in its stream, two Pots, one made of Earthenware and the other of Brass.

The Brass Pot was disposed to be social. “Since we must be companions, let us be friendly,” he said. “In union is strength. Though we are carried away against our will, it is of no use to repine. We may yet see much good.”

But the Earthen Pot said: “I beg you not to come so near me. I am as much afraid of you as of the river; for if you do but touch me ever so slightly, I shall be sure to break. To be really social and friendly people must have ways and needs in common.”

THE QUACK FROG

THERE was once a Frog who made proclamation that he was a learned physician, able to heal all diseases.

He went so far as to tell the beasts that it was their own fault that they were ill, since if they would but submit to his treatment, he would restore them to perfect health.

A Fox, hearing it, asked: “How is it, since you can do such great things for others, you do not first try to mend your own ugly gait and your wrinkled skin? They who assume to help others should first improve themselves.”

THE WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING

A WOLF once clothed himself in the fleece of a sheep, and being mistaken for one of the flock, got into the fold. He had a chance to make way with as many sheep as he liked; but his time for doing so was short, for the Shepherd, coming into the fold during the night, discovered him.

Tying him to a tree, he left him hanging there, still in his sheep’s dress, as a warning to other wolves who might be prowling about.

Some shepherds who chanced to pass by saw him there, and stopped to inquire why sheep should be thus served. As they came nearer and saw that it was not a sheep but a Wolf, the Shepherd said, “This is the way I serve a Wolf, even though I find him wearing the habit of a sheep.”

THE BOY AND THE FILBERTS

A BOY once thrust his hand into a pitcher nearly filled with Filberts. He grasped as many as his hand could possibly hold; but when he tried to draw out his closed fist, the narrowness of the neck prevented him from doing so. Unwilling to lose his nuts, yet unable to get them by drawing out his hand, he burst into tears and bitterly lamented his hard fortune. A person standing by finally gave him this wise and reasonable advice:

“Be satisfied to take half as many, my boy, and you will get them easily.”

THE MISER

A MISER who had buried a lump of gold in the ground came to the spot every day to look at it.

Finding one day that it had been stolen, he began to tear his hair and lament loudly.

A neighbor, seeing him, said: “Pray do not grieve so. Bury a stone in the same hole and fancy it is the gold. It will serve you just as well, for when the gold was there you made no use of it.”

THE WIDOW AND HER LITTLE MAIDS

A WIDOW who had great reputation as a housekeeper, because she was so fond of cleaning, was waited upon by two little Maids.

She herself was wakened before dawn by the crowing of the cock, and would rise at once and call her Maids.

The Maids, who had no taste for such excessive tidiness, and who were kept weary by such constant labor, held a spite against the poor cock for rousing their mistress so early.

“If it were not for him,” they said, “the mistress would sleep till the sun is well up. Let us kill the cock, since there is no other way to stop his loud crowing.”

But the mistress, no longer hearing the cock, was unable to tell the time, and so often woke her Maids in the middle of the night and set them to work.

THE CHARCOAL BURNER AND THE FULLER

A CHARCOAL Burner carried on his trade at his own house. One day he met a friend who was a Fuller, and begged him to come and live with him.

“We shall be far better friends if we live together,” he said, “and then our housekeeping expenses will be greatly lessened.”

The Fuller replied: “The arrangement would not suit me in the least, for whatever I should take pains to whiten, your charcoal would immediately blacken. I am afraid we should not grow better friends under such circumstances.”

THE PORCUPINE AND THE SNAKES

A PRICKLY Porcupine came wandering along one day, looking for a place to live.

He found a family of Snakes in a warm cave, and asked them to let him share their shelter.

The Snakes consented, though much against their will, and the Porcupine crept into their home. But it was not long before they found that his sharp quills stuck into them and hurt them, and they wished they had never let him in.

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“Dear Porcupine, please go away,” they said; “you are so large and so prickly.”

But the Porcupine was very rude, and said: “Oh, no. If you do not like it here, you can go away. I find it very comfortable.”

It was too late that the Snakes learned that it is easier to keep an intruder out than to compel him to go when you have once let him in.

THE BUNDLE OF STICKS

AN Old Man had many Sons, who were often quarreling. He tried to make them good friends, but could not. As the end of his life drew near, the old Man called them all to him and showed them a bundle of sticks tied tightly together.

“Now,” said the Father, “see if you can break this bundle of sticks.”

Each of the Sons in turn took the bundle and tried with all his might to break it, but could not. When all had tried and given it up, the Father said, “Untie the bundle, and each of you take a stick and see if you can break that.” This they could do very easily. Then said the Father:

“You saw when the sticks were bound together how strong they were; but as soon as they were untied, you broke them easily. Now, if you will stop quarreling and stand by each other, you will be like the bundle of sticks—no one can do you any harm; but if you do not keep together, you will be as weak as is one of the little sticks by itself, which any one can break.”

THE MISCHIEVOUS DOG

THERE was once a Dog who used to run at every one whom he met, but so quietly that no one suspected harm from him till he began to bite his heels.

In order to give notice to strangers that the Dog could not be trusted, and at the same time to punish the Dog himself, the master would sometimes hang a bell about his neck and compel him to drag a heavy clog, which he firmly attached to his collar by a chain.

For a time the Dog hung his head; but seeing that his bell and clog brought him into notice, he grew proud of them, and ran about the market place to display them and attract attention to himself. He even went so far as to give himself airs with the other dogs, who had no such mark of distinction.

An old Hound, seeing it, said: “Why do you make such an exhibition of yourself, as if your bell and clog were marks of merit? They do indeed bring you into notice; but when their meaning is understood, they are marks of disgrace—a reminder that you are an ill-mannered cur. It is one thing to be renowned when our virtues give occasion for it; it is quite another to become notorious for our faults.”

THE DOG AND THE OYSTER

A DOG, seeing an Oyster, took it to be an egg and swallowed it. Soon after, suffering great pain, he said, “It was my greedy haste that brought me this torment.”

THE FOX AND THE LEOPARD

THE Fox and the Leopard once disputed who was the more beautiful. The Leopard exhibited, one by one, the various spots which covered his skin. The Fox, who was even more proud of his wits than of his person, interrupted him at last by saying: “Yet when all is said, how much more beautiful am I, who am decorated not simply in body but in mind. The person should be of more value than his coat.”

THE DOGS AND THE HIDES

SOME Dogs, famished with hunger, saw cowhides steeping in a river, close by a tannery, and thought they might be eaten. Not being able to reach them, they set to work first to drink up the river, but burst themselves with drinking long before they reached the hides.

THE WOODMAN AND THE TREES

A WOODMAN came into a forest, and made a petition to the Trees to provide him a handle for his ax.

The Trees, honored by his civility, acceded to his request, and held a consultation to decide which of them should be given him.

Without a dissenting voice, they chose the Ash, who, it seems, is not a favorite among the Trees. Some of them were bold enough to say that bad luck went with the Ash, and that at heart they were not bound to be in sympathy with woodcutters.

The Woodman cut down the Tree, and fitted the handle to his ax; then to the dismay of the Trees, set to work and, with strong strokes, quickly felled all the noblest giants of the forest.

Lamenting too late the fate of his companions, an old Oak remarked to a neighboring Cedar:

“The first step has lost us all. If we had not so willingly given up the rights of the Ash, we might have stood for ages.”

THE MILKMAID AND HER PAIL OF MILK

DOLLY the Milkmaid having been a good girl and careful in her work, her mistress gave her a pail of new milk for herself.

With the pail upon her head, Dolly tripped gayly along on her way to the town, whither she was going to sell her milk.

“For this milk,” said Dolly, “I shall get a shilling, and with it I will buy twenty of the eggs laid by our neighbor’s fine fowls. The mistress will surely lend me a hen, and, allowing for all mishaps, I shall raise a good dozen of chicks. They will be well grown before the next fair-time comes around, and it is then that chickens bring the highest price. I shall be able to sell mine for a guinea.

“Then I shall buy that jacket that I saw in the village the other day, and a hat and ribbons too. And when I go to the fair, how smart I shall be!

“Robin will be there, and will come up and offer to be friends again. But I won’t make up too easily; and when he wants me for a partner in the dance, I shall just toss up my head and—”

Here Dolly gave her head the least bit of a toss, when down came the pail, and all the milk was spilled upon the ground.

Poor Dolly! it was her good-by to eggs, chickens, jacket, hat, ribbons, and all.

THE CAT AND THE FOX

THE Cat and the Fox were once talking together in the middle of the forest.

“I do not care what happens,” said the Fox, “for I have a thousand tricks, any one of which would get me out of difficulty. But pray, Mrs. Puss,” he added, “what would you do if there should be an invasion?”

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“I have but one course,” Puss replied. “If that would not serve me, I should be undone.”

“I am sorry for you,” said the Fox. “I would gladly teach you one or two of my tricks, but it is not wise to trust another. We must each take care for himself.”

These words were hardly spoken, when a pack of hounds came upon them in full cry.

The Cat, by means of her one well-proved safeguard, ran up a tree and sat serenely among the branches. “This is my way,” she said to the Fox. “What is yours to be?”

The Fox, with all his thousand tricks, was not able to get out of sight, and fell a prey to the dogs.

THE MONKEY AND THE CAT

A MONKEY and a Cat lived in the same family, and it was hard to tell which was the greater thief.

One day, as they were roaming together, they spied some chestnuts roasting in the ashes of a fire.

“Come,” said the cunning Monkey, “we shall not go dinnerless to-day. Your claws are better than mine for the purpose; pull the chestnuts out of the ashes and you shall have half.”

Puss pulled them out, burning her paws very much in doing so. When she had stolen every one, she turned to the Monkey for her share of the booty; but, to her chagrin, she could find no chestnuts, for he had eaten them all.

THE WOLF AND THE SHEPHERD

FOR a long time the Wolf had followed the Sheep without attempting to injure one of them.

The Shepherd stood on his guard against him for a while, and kept strict watch that he did not come too near. But as day after day passed and the Wolf showed no disposition to injure any of the flock, he allowed him to approach nearer, till at last he came among the Sheep, and seemed to watch over them like a dog.

“He is really quite a help to me,” said the Shepherd to himself; “and I have never seen him make the slightest effort to seize a sheep or a lamb.”

So, having occasion to go to town one day, he left his flock in the care of the Wolf, whom he regarded as a guardian over them.

But no sooner was the man gone, than the Wolf, seeing his opportunity, fell upon the Sheep and destroyed the greater part of them.

“I have been rightly served,” said the Shepherd, on his return. “Why did I not know better than to trust my Sheep to their worst enemy? Soon or late, nature will show itself.”

THE WOLF, THE FOX, AND THE APE

A WOLF accused of theft a Fox, who utterly denied the charge, whereupon an Ape undertook to adjudge the matter in question.

When each had fully stated his case, the Ape pronounced this sentence:

“I am fully satisfied that you, Wolf, never lost what you claim.” Then turning to the Fox, he said, “And I believe you to have done that which you so stoutly deny.”

THE BLIND MAN AND THE WHELP

A BLIND Man was accustomed to distinguish different animals by touching them with his hands.

The whelp of a wolf was brought him, with the request that he should feel it and tell what it was.

Being in doubt, he said, “I do not quite know whether it is the cub of a fox or the whelp of a wolf; but this I know full well, that it would not be safe to admit it to the sheepfold.”

THE SPENDTHRIFT AND THE SWALLOW

A YOUNG man who had been a great spendthrift, and had run through all the money he had inherited, and even sold all his outer clothing except his cloak, saw a Swallow skimming over the meadows in the early springtime and twittering gayly. Believing that summer was really come, he sold his cloak also.

The next day there happened to be a severe frost, and, shivering himself, he found the Swallow lying frozen and stiff upon the ground.

“Unhappy bird,” he said, “had you not come before your time, I should not now be so wretched, and you might have escaped your fate. A single swallow does not make a summer.”

THE BOAR AND THE FOX

A BOAR stood whetting his tusks against a tree.

“What do you mean,” asked a Fox, “by such warlike preparation? There is no enemy in sight.”

“When the enemy is in sight,” said the Boar, “it is time to think of something else.”

HERCULES AND THE WAGONER

AS A WAGONER drove his wagon through a miry lane, the wheels stuck fast in the clay, so that the horses could proceed no further.

The Man, without making the least effort to remedy the matter, fell upon his knees and began to call upon Hercules to come and help him out of his trouble.

“Lazy fellow,” said Hercules, “lay your own shoulder to the wheel. Stir yourself and do what you can. Then, if you want aid from the gods, you shall have it. Remember the proverb, Heaven helps those who help themselves.”

THE MULES AND THE ROBBERS

TWO Mules, laden with packs, were trudging along the highway. One carried panniers filled with money, the other sacks of grain.

The Mule that carried the treasure walked with head erect and stately step, jingling the bells about his neck as he went.

His companion followed at a quiet, easy pace.

Suddenly a band of Robbers sprang upon them, attracted by the strong, proud step and the jingling bells. The Mule that carried the gold made so great an ado that the Robbers seized his pack, wounding him with their weapons, and, hearing footsteps, fled.

“I am glad,” said the other, “that I was thought of so little consequence, for I have lost nothing, nor am I hurt with any wound.”

THE SWALLOW AND THE CROW

THE Swallow and the Crow were once contending about their plumage. The Crow finally put an end to the dispute by saying, “Your feathers are well enough now while it is warm, but mine protect me against the winter.”

JUPITER AND THE BEE

A BEE made Jupiter a present of a pot of honey, which was so kindly taken that he bade her ask what she would in exchange.

The Bee, who was nursing a private spite for the loss of some of her winter’s store, desired of Jupiter that wherever she should set her sting it might be mortal.