Aesop's Fables - new translation

<SPAN name="MERCURY_AND_THE_WOODMAN"></SPAN> <h2>MERCURY AND THE WOODMAN</h2> <br/> <p>A Woodman was felling a tree on the bank of a river, when his axe, glancing off the trunk, flew out of his hands and fell into the water. As he stood by the water's edge lamenting his loss, Mercury appeared and asked him the reason for his grief; and on learning what had happened, out of pity for his distress he dived into the river and, bringing up a golden axe, asked him if that was the one he had lost. The Woodman replied that it was not, and Mercury then dived a second time, and, bringing up a silver axe, asked if that was his. "No, that is not mine either," said the Woodman. Once more Mercury dived into the river, and brought up the missing axe. The Woodman was overjoyed at recovering his property, and thanked his benefactor warmly; and the latter was so pleased with his honesty that he made him a present of the other two axes. When the Woodman told the story to his companions, one of these was filled with envy of his good fortune and determined to try his luck for himself. So he went and began to fell a tree at the edge of the river, and presently contrived to let his axe drop into the water. Mercury appeared as before, and, on learning that his axe had fallen in, he dived and brought up a golden axe, as he had done on the previous occasion. Without waiting to be asked whether it was his or not the fellow cried, "That's mine, that's mine," and stretched out his hand eagerly for the prize: but Mercury was so disgusted at his dishonesty that he not only declined to give him the golden axe, but also refused to recover for him the one he had let fall into the stream.</p> <p class="adage">Honesty is the best policy.</p> <br/> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="THE_ASS,_THE_FOX,_AND_THE_LION"></SPAN> <h2>THE ASS, THE FOX, AND THE LION</h2> <br/> <p>An Ass and a Fox went into partnership and sallied out to forage for food together. They hadn't gone far before they saw a Lion coming their way, at which they were both dreadfully frightened. But the Fox thought he saw a way of saving his own skin, and went boldly up to the Lion and whispered in his ear, "I'll manage that you shall get hold of the Ass without the trouble of stalking him, if you'll promise to let me go free." The Lion agreed to this, and the Fox then rejoined his companion and contrived before long to lead him by a hidden pit, which some hunter had dug as a trap for wild animals, and into which he fell. When the Lion saw that the Ass was safely caught and couldn't get away, it was to the Fox that he first turned his attention, and he soon finished him off, and then at his leisure proceeded to feast upon the Ass.</p> <p class="adage">Betray a friend, and you'll often find you have ruined yourself.</p> <br/> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="THE_LION_AND_THE_MOUSE"></SPAN> <h2>THE LION AND THE MOUSE</h2> <br/> <p>A Lion asleep in his lair was waked up by a Mouse running over his face. Losing his temper he seized it with his paw and was about to kill it. The Mouse, terrified, piteously entreated him to spare its life. "Please let me go," it cried, "and one day I will repay you for your kindness." The idea of so insignificant a creature ever being able to do anything for him amused the Lion so much that he laughed aloud, and good-humouredly let it go. But the Mouse's chance came, after all. One day the Lion got entangled in a net which had been spread for game by some hunters, and the Mouse heard and recognised his roars of anger and ran to the spot. Without more ado it set to work to gnaw the ropes with its teeth, and succeeded before long in setting the Lion free. "There!" said the Mouse, "you laughed at me when I promised I would repay you: but now you see, even a Mouse can help a Lion."</p> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <div class="figcenter"><SPAN href="images/046.jpg" name="046"><ANTIMG src="images/046.jpg" alt="THE CROW AND THE PITCHER"></SPAN></div> <SPAN name="THE_CROW_AND_THE_PITCHER"></SPAN> <h2>THE CROW AND THE PITCHER</h2> <br/> <p>A thirsty Crow found a Pitcher with some water in it, but so little was there that, try as she might, she could not reach it with her beak, and it seemed as though she would die of thirst within sight of the remedy. At last she hit upon a clever plan. She began dropping pebbles into the Pitcher, and with each pebble the water rose a little higher until at last it reached the brim, and the knowing bird was enabled to quench her thirst.</p> <p class="adage">Necessity is the mother of invention.</p> <br/> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="THE_BOYS_AND_THE_FROGS"></SPAN> <h2>THE BOYS AND THE FROGS</h2> <br/> <p>Some mischievous Boys were playing on the edge of a pond, and, catching sight of some Frogs swimming about in the shallow water, they began to amuse themselves by pelting them with stones, and they killed several of them. At last one of the Frogs put his head out of the water and said, "Oh, stop! stop! I beg of you: what is sport to you is death to us."</p> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="THE_NORTH_WIND_AND_THE_SUN"></SPAN> <h2>THE NORTH WIND AND THE SUN</h2> <br/> <p>A dispute arose between the North Wind and the Sun, each claiming that he was stronger than the other. At last they agreed to try their powers upon a traveller, to see which could soonest strip him of his cloak. The North Wind had the first try; and, gathering up all his force for the attack, he came whirling furiously down upon the man, and caught up his cloak as though he would wrest it from him by one single effort: but the harder he blew, the more closely the man wrapped it round himself. Then came the turn of the Sun. At first he beamed gently upon the traveller, who soon unclasped his cloak and walked on with it hanging loosely about his shoulders: then he shone forth in his full strength, and the man, before he had gone many steps, was glad to throw his cloak right off and complete his journey more lightly clad.</p> <p class="adage">Persuasion is better than force</p> <br/> <div class="figcenter"><SPAN href="images/048.jpg" name="048"><ANTIMG src="images/048t.jpg" alt="THE NORTH WIND AND THE SUN"></SPAN></div> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="THE_MISTRESS_AND_HER_SERVANTS"></SPAN> <h2>THE MISTRESS AND HER SERVANTS</h2> <br/> <p>A Widow, thrifty and industrious, had two servants, whom she kept pretty hard at work. They were not allowed to lie long abed in the mornings, but the old lady had them up and doing as soon as the cock crew. They disliked intensely having to get up at such an hour, especially in winter-time: and they thought that if it were not for the cock waking up their Mistress so horribly early, they could sleep longer. So they caught it and wrung its neck. But they weren't prepared for the consequences. For what happened was that their Mistress, not hearing the cock crow as usual, waked them up earlier than ever, and set them to work in the middle of the night.</p> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="THE_GOODS_AND_THE_ILLS"></SPAN> <h2>THE GOODS AND THE ILLS</h2> <br/> <p>There was a time in the youth of the world when Goods and Ills entered equally into the concerns of men, so that the Goods did not prevail to make them altogether blessed, nor the Ills to make them wholly miserable. But owing to the foolishness of mankind the Ills multiplied greatly in number and increased in strength, until it seemed as though they would deprive the Goods of all share in human affairs, and banish them from the earth. The latter, therefore, betook themselves to heaven and complained to Jupiter of the treatment they had received, at the same time praying him to grant them protection from the Ills, and to advise them concerning the manner of their intercourse with men. Jupiter granted their request for protection, and decreed that for the future they should not go among men openly in a body, and so be liable to attack from the hostile Ills, but singly and unobserved, and at infrequent and unexpected intervals. Hence it is that the earth is full of Ills, for they come and go as they please and are never far away; while Goods, alas! come one by one only, and have to travel all the way from heaven, so that they are very seldom seen.</p> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="THE_HARES_AND_THE_FROGS"></SPAN> <h2>THE HARES AND THE FROGS</h2> <br/> <p>The Hares once gathered together and lamented the unhappiness of their lot, exposed as they were to dangers on all sides and lacking the strength and the courage to hold their own. Men, dogs, birds and beasts of prey were all their enemies, and killed and devoured them daily: and sooner than endure such persecution any longer, they one and all determined to end their miserable lives. Thus resolved and desperate, they rushed in a body towards a neighbouring pool, intending to drown themselves. On the bank were sitting a number of Frogs, who, when they heard the noise of the Hares as they ran, with one accord leaped into the water and hid themselves in the depths. Then one of the older Hares who was wiser than the rest cried out to his companions, "Stop, my friends, take heart; don't let us destroy ourselves after all: see, here are creatures who are afraid of us, and who must, therefore, be still more timid than ourselves."</p> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <div class="figcenter"><SPAN href= "images/052-1.jpg"><ANTIMG src="images/052-1.jpg" alt="THE FOX AND THE STORK"></SPAN></div> <SPAN name="THE_FOX_AND_THE_STORK"></SPAN> <h2>THE FOX AND THE STORK</h2> <br/> <p>A Fox invited a Stork to dinner, at which the only fare provided was a large flat dish of soup. The Fox lapped it up with great relish, but the Stork with her long bill tried in vain to partake of the savoury broth. Her evident distress caused the sly Fox much amusement. But not long after the Stork invited him in turn, and set before him a pitcher with a long and narrow neck, into which she could get her bill with ease. Thus, while she enjoyed her dinner, the Fox sat by hungry and helpless, for it was impossible for him to reach the tempting contents of the vessel.</p> <div class="figcenter"><SPAN href= "images/052-2.jpg" name="052-2"><ANTIMG src="images/052-2.jpg" alt="THE FOX AND THE STORK"></SPAN></div> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="THE_WOLF_IN_SHEEP'S_CLOTHING"></SPAN> <h2>THE WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING</h2> <br/> <p>A Wolf resolved to disguise himself in order that he might prey upon a flock of sheep without fear of detection. So he clothed himself in a sheepskin, and slipped among the sheep when they were out at pasture. He completely deceived the shepherd, and when the flock was penned for the night he was shut in with the rest. But that very night as it happened, the shepherd, requiring a supply of mutton for the table, laid hands on the Wolf in mistake for a Sheep, and killed him with his knife on the spot.</p> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="THE_STAG_IN_THE_OX-STALL"></SPAN> <h2>THE STAG IN THE OX-STALL</h2> <br/> <p>A Stag, chased from his lair by the hounds, took refuge in a farmyard, and, entering a stable where a number of oxen were stalled, thrust himself under a pile of hay in a vacant stall, where he lay concealed, all but the tips of his horns. Presently one of the Oxen said to him, "What has induced you to come in here? Aren't you aware of the risk you are running of being captured by the herdsmen?" To which he replied, "Pray let me stay for the present. When night comes I shall easily escape under cover of the dark." In the course of the afternoon more than one of the farm-hands came in, to attend to the wants of the cattle, but not one of them noticed the presence of the Stag, who accordingly began to congratulate himself on his escape and to express his gratitude to the Oxen. "We wish you well," said the one who had spoken before, "but you are not out of danger yet. If the master comes, you will certainly be found out, for nothing ever escapes his keen eyes." Presently, sure enough, in he came, and made a great to-do about the way the Oxen were kept. "The beasts are starving," he cried; "here, give them more hay, and put plenty of litter under them." As he spoke, he seized an armful himself from the pile where the Stag lay concealed, and at once detected him. Calling his men, he had him seized at once and killed for the table.</p> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="THE_MILKMAID_AND_HER_PAIL"></SPAN> <h2>THE MILKMAID AND HER PAIL</h2> <br/> <p>A farmer's daughter had been out to milk the cows, and was returning to the dairy carrying her pail of milk upon her head. As she walked along, she fell a-musing after this fashion: "The milk in this pail will provide me with cream, which I will make into butter and take to market to sell. With the money I will buy a number of eggs, and these, when hatched, will produce chickens, and by and by I shall have quite a large poultry-yard. Then I shall sell some of my fowls, and with the money which they will bring in I will buy myself a new gown, which I shall wear when I go to the fair; and all the young fellows will admire it, and come and make love to me, but I shall toss my head and have nothing to say to them." Forgetting all about the pail, and suiting the action to the word, she tossed her head. Down went the pail, all the milk was spilled, and all her fine castles in the air vanished in a moment!</p> <p class="adage">Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.</p> <br/> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="THE_DOLPHINS,_THE_WHALES,_AND_THE_SPRAT"></SPAN> <h2>THE DOLPHINS, THE WHALES, AND THE SPRAT</h2> <br/> <p>The Dolphins quarrelled with the Whales, and before very long they began fighting with one another. The battle was very fierce, and had lasted some time without any sign of coming to an end, when a Sprat thought that perhaps he could stop it; so he stepped in and tried to persuade them to give up fighting and make friends. But one of the Dolphins said to him contemptuously, "We would rather go on fighting till we're all killed than be reconciled by a Sprat like you!"</p> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="THE_FOX_AND_THE_MONKEY"></SPAN> <h2>THE FOX AND THE MONKEY</h2> <br/> <p>A Fox and a Monkey were on the road together, and fell into a dispute as to which of the two was the better born. They kept it up for some time, till they came to a place where the road passed through a cemetery full of monuments, when the Monkey stopped and looked about him and gave a great sigh. "Why do you sigh?" said the Fox. The Monkey pointed to the tombs and replied, "All the monuments that you see here were put up in honour of my forefathers, who in their day were eminent men." The Fox was speechless for a moment, but quickly recovering he said, "Oh! don't stop at any lie, sir; you're quite safe: I'm sure none of your ancestors will rise up and expose you."</p> <p class="adage">Boasters brag most when they cannot be detected.</p> <br/> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />