<SPAN name="THE_STAG_AND_THE_LION"></SPAN>
<h2>THE STAG AND THE LION</h2>
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<p>A Stag was chased by the hounds, and took refuge in a cave,
where he hoped to be safe from his pursuers. Unfortunately the cave
contained a Lion, to whom he fell an easy prey. "Unhappy that I
am," he cried, "I am saved from the power of the dogs only to fall
into the clutches of a Lion."</p>
<p class="adage">Out of the frying-pan into the fire.</p>
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<SPAN name="THE_IMPOSTOR"></SPAN>
<h2>THE IMPOSTOR</h2>
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<p>A certain man fell ill, and, being in a very bad way, he made a
vow that he would sacrifice a hundred oxen to the gods if they
would grant him a return to health. Wishing to see how he would
keep his vow, they caused him to recover in a short time. Now, he
hadn't an ox in the world, so he made a hundred little oxen out of
tallow and offered them up on an altar, at the same time saying,
"Ye gods, I call you to witness that I have discharged my vow." The
gods determined to be even with him, so they sent him a dream, in
which he was bidden to go to the sea-shore and fetch a hundred
crowns which he was to find there. Hastening in great excitement to
the shore, he fell in with a band of robbers, who seized him and
carried him off to sell as a slave: and when they sold him a
hundred crowns was the sum he fetched.</p>
<p class="adage">Do not promise more than you can perform.</p>
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<SPAN name="THE_DOGS_AND_THE_HIDES"></SPAN>
<h2>THE DOGS AND THE HIDES</h2>
<br/>
<p>Once upon a time a number of Dogs, who were famished with
hunger, saw some Hides steeping in a river, but couldn't get at
them because the water was too deep. So they put their heads
together, and decided to drink away at the river till it was
shallow enough for them to reach the Hides. But long before that
happened they burst themselves with drinking.</p>
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<div class="figcenter"><SPAN href="images/225.jpg" name="225"><ANTIMG src="images/225.jpg" alt="THE LION, THE FOX, AND THE ASS"></SPAN></div>
<SPAN name="THE_LION,_THE_FOX,_AND_THE_ASS"></SPAN>
<h2>THE LION, THE FOX, AND THE ASS</h2>
<br/>
<p>A Lion, a Fox, and an Ass went out hunting together. They had
soon taken a large booty, which the Lion requested the Ass to
divide between them. The Ass divided it all into three equal parts,
and modestly begged the others to take their choice; at which the
Lion, bursting with fury, sprang upon the Ass and tore him to
pieces. Then, glaring at the Fox, he bade him make a fresh
division. The Fox gathered almost the whole in one great heap for
the Lion's share, leaving only the smallest possible morsel for
himself. "My dear friend," said the Lion, "how did you get the
knack of it so well?" The Fox replied, "Me? Oh, I took a lesson
from the Ass."</p>
<p class="adage">Happy is he who learns from the misfortunes of
others.</p>
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<hr>
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<SPAN name="THE_FOWLER,_THE_PARTRIDGE,_AND_THE_COCK"></SPAN>
<h2>THE FOWLER, THE PARTRIDGE, AND THE COCK</h2>
<br/>
<p>One day, as a Fowler was sitting down to a scanty supper of
herbs and bread, a friend dropped in unexpectedly. The larder was
empty; so he went out and caught a tame Partridge, which he kept as
a decoy, and was about to wring her neck when she cried, "Surely
you won't kill me? Why, what will you do without me next time you
go fowling? How will you get the birds to come to your nets?" He
let her go at this, and went to his hen-house, where he had a plump
young Cock. When the Cock saw what he was after, he too pleaded for
his life, and said, "If you kill me, how will you know the time of
night? and who will wake you up in the morning when it is time to
get to work?" The Fowler, however, replied, "You are useful for
telling the time, I know; but, for all that, I can't send my friend
supperless to bed." And therewith he caught him and wrung his
neck.</p>
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<SPAN name="THE_GNAT_AND_THE_LION"></SPAN>
<h2>THE GNAT AND THE LION</h2>
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<div class="figcenter"><SPAN href="images/227.jpg" name="227"><ANTIMG src="images/227.jpg" alt=""></SPAN></div>
<p>A Gnat once went up to a Lion and said, "I am not in the least
afraid of you: I don't even allow that you are a match for me in
strength. What does your strength amount to after all? That you can
scratch with your claws and bite with your teeth—just like a
woman in a temper—and nothing more. But I'm stronger than
you: if you don't believe it, let us fight and see." So saying, the
Gnat sounded his horn, and darted in and bit the Lion on the nose.
When the Lion felt the sting, in his haste to crush him he
scratched his nose badly, and made it bleed, but failed altogether
to hurt the Gnat, which buzzed off in triumph, elated by its
victory. Presently, however, it got entangled in a spider's web,
and was caught and eaten by the spider, thus falling a prey to an
insignificant insect after having triumphed over the King of the
Beasts.</p>
<div class="figcenter"><SPAN href= "images/13gnat.jpg" name="13gnat"><ANTIMG src="images/13-tgnat.jpg" alt="THE GNAT AND THE LION"></SPAN></div>
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<SPAN name="THE_FARMER_AND_HIS_DOGS"></SPAN>
<h2>THE FARMER AND HIS DOGS</h2>
<br/>
<p>A Farmer was snowed up in his farmstead by a severe storm, and
was unable to go out and procure provisions for himself and his
family. So he first killed his sheep and used them for food; then,
as the storm still continued, he killed his goats; and, last of
all, as the weather showed no signs of improving, he was compelled
to kill his oxen and eat them. When his Dogs saw the various
animals being killed and eaten in turn, they said to one another,
"We had better get out of this or we shall be the next to go!"</p>
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<hr>
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<SPAN name="THE_EAGLE_AND_THE_FOX"></SPAN>
<h2>THE EAGLE AND THE FOX</h2>
<br/>
<p>An Eagle and a Fox became great friends and determined to live
near one another: they thought that the more they saw of each other
the better friends they would be. So the Eagle built a nest at the
top of a high tree, while the Fox settled in a thicket at the foot
of it and produced a litter of cubs. One day the Fox went out
foraging for food, and the Eagle, who also wanted food for her
young, flew down into the thicket, caught up the Fox's cubs, and
carried them up into the tree for a meal for herself and her
family. When the Fox came back, and found out what had happened,
she was not so much sorry for the loss of her cubs as furious
because she couldn't get at the Eagle and pay her out for her
treachery. So she sat down not far off and cursed her. But it
wasn't long before she had her revenge. Some villagers happened to
be sacrificing a goat on a neighbouring altar, and the Eagle flew
down and carried off a piece of burning flesh to her nest. There
was a strong wind blowing, and the nest caught fire, with the
result that her fledglings fell half-roasted to the ground. Then
the Fox ran to the spot and devoured them in full sight of the
Eagle.</p>
<p class="adage">False faith may escape human punishment, but
cannot escape the divine.</p>
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<hr>
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<SPAN name="THE_BUTCHER_AND_HIS_CUSTOMERS"></SPAN>
<h2>THE BUTCHER AND HIS CUSTOMERS</h2>
<br/>
<p>Two Men were buying meat at a Butcher's stall in the
market-place, and, while the Butcher's back was turned for a
moment, one of them snatched up a joint and hastily thrust it under
the other's cloak, where it could not be seen. When the Butcher
turned round, he missed the meat at once, and charged them with
having stolen it: but the one who had taken it said he hadn't got
it, and the one who had got it said he hadn't taken it. The Butcher
felt sure they were deceiving him, but he only said, "You may cheat
me with your lying, but you can't cheat the gods, and they won't
let you off so lightly."</p>
<p class="adage">Prevarication often amounts to perjury.</p>
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<hr>
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<SPAN name="HERCULES_AND_MINERVA"></SPAN>
<h2>HERCULES AND MINERVA</h2>
<br/>
<p>Hercules was once travelling along a narrow road when he saw
lying on the ground in front of him what appeared to be an apple,
and as he passed he stamped upon it with his heel. To his
astonishment, instead of being crushed it doubled in size; and, on
his attacking it again and smiting it with his club, it swelled up
to an enormous size and blocked up the whole road. Upon this he
dropped his club, and stood looking at it in amazement. Just then
Minerva appeared, and said to him, "Leave it alone, my friend; that
which you see before you is the apple of discord: if you do not
meddle with it, it remains small as it was at first, but if you
resort to violence it swells into the thing you see."</p>
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<hr>
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<SPAN name="THE_FOX_WHO_SERVED_A_LION"></SPAN>
<h2>THE FOX WHO SERVED A LION</h2>
<br/>
<p>A Lion had a Fox to attend on him, and whenever they went
hunting the Fox found the prey and the Lion fell upon it and killed
it, and then they divided it between them in certain proportions.
But the Lion always got a very large share, and the Fox a very
small one, which didn't please the latter at all; so he determined
to set up on his own account. He began by trying to steal a lamb
from a flock of sheep: but the shepherd saw him and set his dogs on
him. The hunter was now the hunted, and was very soon caught and
despatched by the dogs.</p>
<p class="adage">Better servitude with safety than freedom with
danger.</p>
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<hr>
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<SPAN name="THE_QUACK_DOCTOR"></SPAN>
<h2>THE QUACK DOCTOR</h2>
<br/>
<p>A certain man fell sick and took to his bed. He consulted a
number of doctors from time to time, and they all, with one
exception, told him that his life was in no immediate danger, but
that his illness would probably last a considerable time. The one
who took a different view of his case, who was also the last to be
consulted, bade him prepare for the worst: "You have not
twenty-four hours to live," said he, "and I fear I can do nothing."
As it turned out, however, he was quite wrong; for at the end of a
few days the sick man quitted his bed and took a walk abroad,
looking, it is true, as pale as a ghost. In the course of his walk
he met the Doctor who had prophesied his death. "Dear me," said the
latter, "how do you do? You are fresh from the other world, no
doubt. Pray, how are our departed friends getting on there?" "Most
comfortably," replied the other, "for they have drunk the water of
oblivion, and have forgotten all the troubles of life. By the way,
just before I left, the authorities were making arrangements to
prosecute all the doctors, because they won't let sick men die in
the course of nature, but use their arts to keep them alive. They
were going to charge you along with the rest, till I assured them
that you were no doctor, but a mere impostor."</p>
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<hr>
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<SPAN name="THE_LION,_THE_WOLF,_AND_THE_FOX"></SPAN>
<h2>THE LION, THE WOLF, AND THE FOX</h2>
<br/>
<p>A Lion, infirm with age, lay sick in his den, and all the beasts
of the forest came to inquire after his health with the exception
of the Fox. The Wolf thought this was a good opportunity for paying
off old scores against the Fox, so he called the attention of the
Lion to his absence, and said, "You see, sire, that we have all
come to see how you are except the Fox, who hasn't come near you,
and doesn't care whether you are well or ill." Just then the Fox
came in and heard the last words of the Wolf. The Lion roared at
him in deep displeasure, but he begged to be allowed to explain his
absence, and said, "Not one of them cares for you so much as I,
sire, for all the time I have been going round to the doctors and
trying to find a cure for your illness." "And may I ask if you have
found one?" said the Lion. "I have, sire," said the Fox, "and it is
this: you must flay a Wolf and wrap yourself in his skin while it
is still warm." The Lion accordingly turned to the Wolf and struck
him dead with one blow of his paw, in order to try the Fox's
prescription; but the Fox laughed and said to himself, "That's what
comes of stirring up ill-will."</p>
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<hr>
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<SPAN name="HERCULES_AND_PLUTUS"></SPAN>
<h2>HERCULES AND PLUTUS</h2>
<br/>
<p>When Hercules was received among the gods and was entertained at
a banquet by Jupiter, he responded courteously to the greetings of
all with the exception of Plutus, the god of wealth. When Plutus
approached him, he cast his eyes upon the ground, and turned away
and pretended not to see him. Jupiter was surprised at this conduct
on his part, and asked why, after having been so cordial with all
the other gods, he had behaved like that to Plutus. "Sire," said
Hercules, "I do not like Plutus, and I will tell you why. When we
were on earth together I always noticed that he was to be found in
the company of scoundrels."</p>
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<hr>
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<div class="figcenter"><SPAN href="images/234.jpg" name="234"><ANTIMG src="images/234.jpg" alt="THE FOX AND THE LEOPARD"></SPAN></div>
<SPAN name="THE_FOX_AND_THE_LEOPARD"></SPAN>
<h2>THE FOX AND THE LEOPARD</h2>
<br/>
<p>A Fox and a Leopard were disputing about their looks, and each
claimed to be the more handsome of the two. The Leopard said, "Look
at my smart coat; you have nothing to match that." But the Fox
replied, "Your coat may be smart, but my wits are smarter
still."</p>
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