Fables
The Ant and the
Chrysalis
An Ant nimbly running about in the
sunshine in search of food came across a Chrysalis that was very near its time
of change. The Chrysalis moved its tail, and thus attracted the attention of
the Ant, who then saw for the first time that it was alive. “Poor, pitiable
animal!” cried the Ant disdainfully. “What a sad fate is yours! While I can run hither and thither, at my
pleasure, and, if I wish, ascend the tallest tree, you lie imprisoned here in
your shell, with power only to move a joint or two of your scaly tail.” The
Chrysalis heard all this, but did not try to make any reply. A few days after,
when the Ant passed that way again, nothing but the shell remained. Wondering
what had become of its contents, he felt himself suddenly shaded and fanned by
the gorgeous wings of a beautiful Butterfly. “Behold in me,” said the
Butterfly, “your much-pitied friend! Boast now of your powers to run and climb
as long as you can get me to listen.” So saying, the Butterfly rose in the air,
and, borne along and aloft on the summer breeze, was soon lost to the sight of
the Ant forever.
“Appearances are deceptive.”
The Ant and the
Dove
AN ANT went to the bank of a river
to quench its thirst, and being carried
away by the rush of the stream, was on the point of drowning.
A Dove sitting on a tree overhanging the water plucked a leaf and let it fall into the stream close
to her. The Ant climbed onto it and floated in safety to the
bank. Shortly afterwards a birdcatcher came and stood under
the tree, and laid his lime-twigs for
the Dove, which sat in the branches. The
Ant, perceiving his design, stung him in
the foot. In pain the birdcatcher threw down the twigs, and the
noise made the Dove take wing.
“One good turn deserves another”
The Ass in the
Lion’s Skin
An Ass once found a Lion’s skin
which the hunters had left out in the sun to dry. He put it on and went towards his native
village. All fled at his approach, both
men and animals, and he was a proud Ass that day. In his delight he lifted up his voice and
brayed, but then every one knew him, and his owner came up and gave him a sound
cudgeling for the fright he had caused.
And shortly afterwards a Fox came up to him and said: “Ah, I knew you by
your voice.”
“Fine clothes may disguise, but
silly words will disclose a fool.”
The Bald Man and the
Fly
A FLY bit the bare head of a Bald
Man who, endeavoring to destroy it, gave
himself a heavy slap. Escaping, the Fly
said mockingly, “You who have wished to
revenge, even with death, the Prick of a tiny insect, see what you have done to
yourself to add insult to injury?’ The Bald Man replied, “I can easily make
peace with myself, because I know there
was no intention to hurt. But you, an ill-favored and contemptible insect who
delights in sucking human blood, I wish
that I could have killed you even if I had incurred a heavier penalty.”
“Revenge will hurt the avenger”
The Bear and the
Two Travelers
TWO MEN were traveling together,
when a Bear suddenly met them on their
path. One of them climbed up quickly
into a tree and concealed himself in the
branches. The other, seeing that he must be attacked, fell flat on the ground,
and when the Bear came up and felt him
with his snout, and smelt him all over, he held his breath, and feigned the appearance of
death as much as he could. The Bear soon left him, for it is said he
will not touch a dead body. When he was quite gone, the other
Traveler descended from the tree, and jocularly
inquired of his friend what it was the
Bear had whispered in his ear. “He gave
me this advice,” his companion
replied. “Never travel with a friend
who deserts you at the approach of
danger.”
“Misfortune tests the sincerity of
friends.”
The Bee and Jupiter
A BEE from Mount Hymettus, the queen
of the hive, ascended to Olympus to
present Jupiter some honey fresh from her combs. Jupiter,
delighted with the offering of honey, promised to give whatever she should ask. She therefore besought him, saying, “Give me, I pray thee, a sting, that if any
mortal shall approach to take my honey,
I may kill him.” Jupiter was much
displeased, for he loved the race of
man, but could not refuse the request because
of his promise. He thus answered the
Bee: “You shall have your request, but it will be at the
peril of your own life. For if you use your sting, it shall remain in
the wound you make, and then you will
die from the loss of it.”
“Evil wishes, like chickens, come
home to roost.”
The Boys and the
Frogs
SOME BOYS, playing near a pond, saw
a number of Frogs in the water and began
to pelt them with stones. They killed
several of them, when one of the Frogs,
lifting his head out of the water, cried
out: “Pray stop, my boys: what is sport to you, is death to us.”
“One man’s pleasure may be another’s
pain.”-
The Cat and Venus
A CAT fell in love with a handsome
young man, and entreated Venus to change
her into the form of a woman. Venus
consented to her request and transformed
her into a beautiful damsel, so that the youth saw her and loved her, and took her home
as his bride. While the two were reclining in their chamber,
Venus wishing to discover if the Cat in
her change of shape had also altered her habits of life, let down a mouse in the middle
of the room. The Cat, quite forgetting her present condition,
started up from the couch and pursued
the mouse, wishing to eat it. Venus was
much disappointed and again caused her
to return to her former shape.
“Nature exceeds nurture.”
The Dog and the
Hare
A HOUND having started a Hare on the
hillside pursued her for some distance,
at one time biting her with his teeth as if he would take her life, and at another fawning
upon her, as if in play with another
dog. The Hare said to him, “I wish you
would act sincerely by me, and show
yourself in your true colors. If you are a friend, why do you bite me so hard?
If an enemy, why do you fawn on
me?’
“No one can be a friend if you know
not whether to trust or distrust him.”
The Dog and the
Wolf
A gaunt Wolf was almost dead with
hunger when he happened to meet a
House-dog who was passing by. “Ah,
Cousin,” said the Dog. “I knew how it
would be; your irregular life will soon be the ruin of you.
Why do you not work steadily as I do, and get your food regularly given to you?” “I would have no
objection,” said the Wolf, “if I could only
get a place.” “I will easily arrange that for you,” said the Dog; “come
with me to my master and you shall share
my work.” So the Wolf and the Dog went towards the town together. On the
way there the Wolf noticed that the hair on a certain part of the Dog’s neck was very much worn away, so he
asked him how that had come about. “Oh,
it is nothing,” said the Dog. “That is
only the place where the collar is put
on at night to keep me chained up; it
chafes a bit, but one soon gets used to it.” “Is that all?” said the
Wolf. “Then good-bye to you, Master Dog.”
“Better starve free than be a fat
slave.”
The Dogs and the
Fox
SOME DOGS, finding the skin of a
lion, began to tear it in pieces with
their teeth. A Fox, seeing them, said,
“If this lion were alive, you would soon
find out that his claws were stronger than
your teeth.” “It is easy to kick
a man that is down.” The Eagle and the Fox
AN EAGLE and a Fox formed an intimate friendship and decided to live near each other. The Eagle built her nest in the branches of a tall tree, while the Fox crept into the
underwood and there produced her
young. Not long after they had agreed
upon this plan, the Eagle, being in want
of provision for her young ones, swooped
down while the Fox was out, seized upon one of the little cubs, and feasted herself and her brood. The Fox on her return, discovered what had happened, but was less
grieved for the death of her young than
for her inability to avenge them. A
just retribution, however, quickly fell
upon the Eagle. While hovering near an altar, on which some
villagers were sacrificing a goat, she
suddenly seized a piece of the flesh, and carried it, along with a burning cinder, to her nest. A strong breeze soon fanned the spark into a flame, and the
eaglets, as yet unfledged and helpless,
were roasted in their nest and dropped down dead at the bottom of the tree. There, in the sight of the Eagle, the Fox gobbled them up.
The Fox and the
Grapes
One hot summer’s day a Fox was
strolling through an orchard till he
came to a bunch of Grapes just ripening on a vine which had been trained over a lofty branch. “Just the thing to quench my thirst,” quote he. Drawing back a few paces, he took a run
and a jump, and just missed the
bunch. Turning round again with a One, Two, Three, he jumped up, but with no
greater success. Again and again he tried after the tempting morsel,
but at last had to give it up, and
walked away with his nose in the air, saying: “I am sure they are sour.”
“It is easy to despise what you
cannot get.”
The Fox Who Had
Lost His Tail
A FOX caught in a trap escaped, but
in so doing lost his tail. Thereafter,
feeling his life a burden from the shame and ridicule to which he was exposed, he schemed to
convince all the other Foxes that being
tailless was much more attractive, thus making
up for his own deprivation. He
assembled a good many Foxes and publicly
advised them to cut off their tails, saying that they would not only look much better without them,
but that they would get rid of the
weight of the brush, which was a very great
inconvenience. One of them
interrupting him said, “If you had not
yourself lost your tail, my friend, you would not thus counsel us.”
The Hares and the
Frogs
The Hares were so persecuted by the
other beasts, they did not know where to
go. As soon as they saw a single animal
approach them, off they used to
run. One day they saw a troop of
wild Horses stampeding about, and in quite
a panic all the Hares scuttled off to a
lake hard by, determined to drown themselves
rather than live in such a continual state of fear. But just as
they got near the bank of the lake, a troop of Frogs, frightened in their turn by the approach of the Hares
scuttled off, and jumped into the
water. “Truly,” said one of the Hares,
“things are not so bad as they seem:
“There is always someone worse off than yourself.”
The Wolf and the
Kid
A Kid was perched up on the top of a
house, and looking down saw a Wolf
passing under him. Immediately he began
to revile and attack his enemy. “Murderer and thief,” he cried, “what do you here near honest folks’ houses? How dare you make an appearance where your vile deeds are known?” “Curse away,
my young friend,” said the Wolf.
“It is easy to be brave from a safe
distance.”
The Lion and the
Eagle
AN EAGLE stayed his flight and
entreated a Lion to make an alliance
with him to their mutual advantage. The
Lion replied, “I have no objection, but
you must excuse me for requiring you to find
surety for your good faith, for how can I trust anyone as a friend who is able to fly away from his
bargain whenever he pleases?’
“Try before you trust.”
The Lion and the
Mouse
Once when a Lion was asleep a little
Mouse began running up and down upon
him; this soon wakened the Lion, who placed his huge paw upon him, and opened his big jaws to
swallow him. “Pardon, O King,” cried the little Mouse: “forgive me
this time, I shall never forget it: who
knows but what I may be able to do you a turn some of these days?” The Lion was so tickled at the idea of the Mouse being able to help him, that he lifted
up his paw and let him go. Some time after the Lion was caught in a
trap, and the hunters who desired to
carry him alive to the King, tied him to a tree while they went in search of a wagon to
carry him on. Just then the little Mouse
happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight
in which the Lion was, went up to him and soon gnawed away the ropes that bound the King of the Beasts.
“Was I not right?” said the little
mouse, after the lion had gotten out for a freedom.
“Little friends may prove great
friends.”
The Lion in Love
A LION demanded the daughter of a
woodcutter in marriage. The Father, unwilling to grant, and yet afraid to
refuse his request, hit upon this
expedient to rid himself of his importunities.
He expressed his willingness to
accept the Lion as the suitor of his daughter
on one condition: that he should allow
him to extract his teeth, and cut off
his claws, as his daughter was fearfully afraid of both. The Lion cheerfully assented to the
proposal. But when the toothless, clawless Lion returned
to repeat his request, the Woodman, no
longer afraid, set upon him with his club,
and drove him away into the forest.
The Lion’s Share
The Lion went once a-hunting along
with the Fox, the Jackal, and the
Wolf. They hunted and they hunted till
at last they surprised a Stag, and soon
took its life. Then came the question how the spoil should be divided. “Quarter me this Stag,” roared the Lion; so the other animals skinned it and
cut it into four parts. Then the Lion took his stand in front of the
carcass and pronounced judgment: The first quarter is for me in my capacity as King of Beasts; the second is mine as
arbiter; another share comes to me for
my part in the chase; and as for the fourth quarter, well, as for that, I should like to
see which of you will dare to lay a paw
upon it.” “Humph,” grumbled the Fox as he walked away with his tail between his legs; but he spoke in a low growl.
“You may share the labours of the great, but you will not share the spoil.”
The Monkey and the
Dolphin
A SAILOR, bound on a long voyage,
took with him a Monkey to amuse him
while on shipboard. As he sailed off the
coast of Greece, a violent tempest arose
in which the ship was wrecked and he, his Monkey, and all the crew were obliged to swim
for their lives. A Dolphin saw the Monkey contending with the
waves, and supposing him to be a man
(whom he is always said to befriend), came and placed himself under him, to convey him on his
back in safety to the shore. When the Dolphin arrived with his burden in
sight of land not far from Athens, he
asked the Monkey if he were an Athenian. The latter replied that he was, and that he
was descended from one of the most noble
families in that city. The Dolphin then inquired if he knew the Piraeus
(the famous harbor of Athens). Supposing that a man was meant, the Monkey answered
that he knew him very well and that he
was an intimate friend. The Dolphin, indignant at these falsehoods,
dipped the Monkey under the water and
drowned him.
The Monkeys and
Their Mother
THE MONKEY, it is said, has two
young ones at each birth. The Mother fondles one and nurtures it with the
greatest affection and care, but hates
and neglects the other. It happened once
that the young one which was caressed
and loved was smothered by the too great
affection of the Mother, while the despised one was nurtured and reared in spite of the neglect to
which it was exposed.
“The best intentions will not always
ensure success.”
The Nurse and the
Wolf
“Be quiet now,” said an old Nurse to
a child sitting on her lap. “If you make that noise again I will throw
you to the Wolf.” Now it chanced that a Wolf was passing close under the window
as this was said. So he crouched down by
the side of the house and waited. “I am
in good luck to-day,” thought he. “It is
sure to cry soon, and a daintier morsel I haven’t had for many a long day.” So he waited, and he waited, and he waited,
till at last the child began to cry, and the Wolf came forward before the window,
and looked up to the Nurse, wagging his tail.
But all the Nurse did was to shut down the window and call for help, and
the dogs of the house came rushing out.
“Ah,” said the Wolf as he galloped away,
“Enemies promises were made to be
broken.”
The Shepherd’s Boy
and the Wolf
A SHEPHERD-BOY, who watched a flock
of sheep near a village, brought out the
villagers three or four times by crying out, “Wolf! Wolf!”
and when his neighbors came to help him, laughed at them for their pains. The Wolf, however, did truly come at
last. The Shepherd-boy, now really alarmed, shouted
in an agony of terror: “Pray, do come and help me; the Wolf is
killing the sheep”; but no one paid any
heed to his cries, nor rendered any assistance. The Wolf, having no cause of fear, at his
leisure lacerated or destroyed the whole
flock.
“There is no believing a liar, even
when he speaks the truth.”
The Kid and the
Wolf
A KID, returning without protection
from the pasture, was pursued by a
Wolf. Seeing he could not escape, he
turned round, and said: “I know, friend Wolf, that I must be your
prey, but before I die I would ask of
you one favor you will play me a tune to which I may dance.” The Wolf complied, and while he was piping and the Kid was dancing, some hounds hearing
the sound ran up and began chasing the
Wolf. Turning to the Kid, he said, “It
is just what I deserve; for I, who am
only a butcher, should not have turned
piper to please you.”
“In time of dire need, clever
thinking is key or outwit your enemy to save your skin.”
The Wolf in Sheep’s
Clothing
A Wolf found great difficulty in
getting at the sheep owing to the
vigilance of the shepherd and his dogs.
But one day it found the skin of
a sheep that had been flayed and thrown aside, so it put it on over its own pelt and strolled down
among the sheep. The Lamb that belonged
to the sheep, whose skin the Wolf was
wearing, began to follow the Wolf in the Sheep’s clothing; so, leading the Lamb a little apart, he soon made
a meal off her, and for some time he
succeeded in deceiving the sheep, and enjoying
hearty meals.
“Appearances
are deceptive.”
Сергей Голубев