66 3. "Hang the grapes!" said he, at last; they are green and sour, and will do me no good; I will leave them for some one who likes them. I would not take them as a gift." 4. Thus it is that we are all too apt to speak in contempt of things which we are not able to get. The fox could not reach the grapes, and it was for that reason only that he said he did not like them. 1. A CROW stole a piece of cheese, and flew with it in his mouth to the top of a high tree near the den of a fox; and the fox, by chance, came close to the foot of the tree, to lie down and bask himself in the sun. 2. Soon after the fox had laid himself down, he saw the crow with this nice piece of cheese. "Well," thought he, "I should 1 Pronounced flu. 2 Pronounced laf. 3 Pronounced würld. like that very much." So he looked up the tree, and in his sly way, thus said: "My dear crow, how glad I am to see you! How gay you look! 3. "What a shame it is that folks should say that you are as black as a coal, that you have a very rough voice, and that all the birds who know you dislike to be where you are! 4. "One should not," said the fox, "give heed to every thing that one hears; for I see that you are a very fine bird, and that your wings are not wholly black, for they are mixed with a fine green. If your voice should charm me as much as your shape, I shall be at a loss to know how to praise you. 5. "Now, my dear, do let me hear your voice. Give me one of your best songs, that I may tell every one that I see, if they wish to hear a sweet voice and a fine song, they must go to the crow." 6. The crow was so vain as to think that all which the fox had said was true; so she tried to sing him a song, and down dropped the cheese, which was just the very thing the fox wanted; as soon as he saw it fall, he took it up, and, with a loud laugh ran off as fast as he could. 7. The crow then saw what the fox meant by his praise, and with a sigh or two said, "What a fool have I been, to be so weak as to think that what the fox spoke was true!" 8. Let this fable teach boys not to play with those who will cheat and tell lies, and let it teach little girls not to trust those who would flatter them. 1. A MAN put a fawn in a yard, and said to her, "You may eat as much grass as you like, but be sure you do not touch this vine." 66 2. And the fawn said, " No, I will not touch a leaf of it." The man then went out and shut the gate. 3. When the fawn saw that the man was gone, she said, "Well, he will not see me now, 1 Fawn, a young deer. 2 Pronounced ō-bā'. Pronounced e'tn. for he is quite out of sight; so I will pick a few leaves, and he will never know it.” 4. So she began to eat the leaves; but some of the dry leaves fell off and made a noise. 5. There was a dog put near the vine to guard it, to take care that no one came to steal the grapes or hurt the vine, as the grapes were very fine. 6. The dog, being near, heard the dry leaves fall; so he ran to the vine to know the cause, and when he came there, he found the young thief of a fawn. 7. "Well, you young rogue," said the dog, "I have caught you in the act; you had a strict charge not to bite or touch any part of the vine. Since you did not mind what was said to you, I must eat you up, as you have eaten the vine." 66 8. And the fawn said, "I wish I had not done as I have, and I will do so no more." “Ah!” said the dog, "I dare say you do ; but it is now too late, and I must obey my orders." So he ate up the fawn on the spot. 9. Here you see what a sad thing it is not to take good advice; for had the fawn minded what was told her, she would not have lost her life. |