As the Ants were airing their provisions one winter, a hungry Grasshopper begged charity of them. They told him, that he should have wrought in summer, if he would not have wanted in winter. "Well," says the Grasshopper, "but I was not idle neither; for I sung out the whole season." "Nay then," said they, "you will even do well to make a merry year of it, and dance in winter to the tune that you sung in summer." REFLECTION. The stress of this moral lies upon the preference of honest labour to idleness; and the refusal of relief, on the one hand, is intended only for a reproof to the inconsiderate loss of opportunity, on the other. This does not hinder yet, but that the Ants, out of their abundance, ought to have relieved the Grasshopper in her distress, though it was her own fault that brought her to it for if one man's faults could discharge another man of his duty, there would be no longer any place left for the common offices of society. To conclude, we have our failings, every one of us; and the improvidence of my neighbour must not make me inhuman. The Ant did well to reprove the Grasshopper for her slothfulness; but she did ill, after that, to refuse her charity in her distress. AN Ass, finding a Lion's skin, disguised himself with it, and ranged about the forest, putting all the beasts that saw him into bodily fear. After he had diverted himself thus for some time, he met a Fox; and being desirous to frighten him, as well as the rest, he leapt at him with some fierceness, and endeavoured to imitate the roaring of the Lion. "Your humble servant," says the Fox; "if you had held your tongue, I might have taken you for a Lion, as others did; but now you bray, I know who you are." REFLECTION. This is so trite and common a subject, that there is scarce any one who is ignorant of it. A man is known by his words, as a tree is by its fruit; and, if we would be apprised of the nature and qualities of any one, let him but discourse, and he himself will speak them to us, better than another can describe them. We may therefore perceive from this fable, how proper it is for those to hold their tongues, who would not discover the weakness of their understandings. Asses and Owls, unseen, themselves betray, The deepest rivers are most silent; the greatest noise is ever found where there is the least depth of water. And it is a true observation, that those who are the weakest in understanding, and most slow of apprehension, are generally the strongest in opinion, and most precipitate in uttering their crude conceptions. NEVER did two creatures live better together than a Dog and a Cat, brought up in the same house from a whelp and a kitten; so kind, so frolicsome and diverting, that it was half the entertainment of the family to see the gambols and love-tricks that passed betwixt them. Only it was observed, that still at meal-times, when scraps fell from the table, or a bone was thrown down to them, they would be snarling and spitting at one another under the table, like the worst of foes. REFLECTION. Here is a perfect emblem of the practices and friendships of the world. We contract little likings, enter into agreeable conversations, and pass away the time so merrily and kindly together, that one would think it impossible for any thing under the sun to break the |