A BOAR CHALLENGES AN ASS.

Some hard words passed between a Boar and an Ass, and a challenge followed upon them. The Boar, priding himself upon his tusks, and comparing his head with the Ass's head, looked forward to the fight with confidence. The time for the battle came. The combatants approached one another. The Boar rushed upon the Ass, who, suddenly turning round, let his hoofs fly with all his might right in the jaws of the Boar, so that the latter staggered and fell back.

"Well," said he, "who could have expected an attack from that end?

Attacks come from unexpected quarters.

THE ASS AND THE LION HUNTING.

The Lion once took a fancy to go Hunting in company with an Ass. He sent the Ass into the forest, and told him to bray there as hard as he could.

"By that means," said he, "you will rouse all the Beasts in the forest. I shall stand here, and catch all that fly this way."

So the Ass brayed in his most hideous manner; and when the Lion was tired of slaughter, he called to him to come out of the wood.

"Did I not do my part well?" asked the conceited Beast.

"Excellently," replied the Lion. "Had I not known that you were nothing more than an Ass, I should have been frightened myself."

The braggart is not the fighter.

SOCRATES AND HIS FRIENDS.

Socrates once built a house, and everybody who saw it had something or other to say against it. "What a front!" said one.

"What an inside!" said another.

"What rooms! not big enough to turn round in," said a third.

"Small as it is," answered Socrates, "I wish I had true Friends enough to fill it."

Houses are easier to get than friends.

THE APE AND THE DOLPHIN.

A Ship, wrecked off the coast of Greece, had on board a large Ape, kept for the diversion of the sailors. The ship went down, and the Ape, with most of the crew, was left struggling in the water. Dolphins are said to have a great friendship for man; and one of these fishes, taking the Ape for

a man, came under him, and, supporting him on his back, swam with him to the mouth of the harbor of Piræus.

"In what part of Greece do you live?" demanded the Dolphin.

"I am an Athenian," said the Ape.

"Oh, then, you know Piræus, of course?" said the Dolphin.

"Know Piræus!" said the Ape, not wishing to appear ignorant to the Dolphin; "I should rather think I did.

first cousins."

Why, my father and he are

Thereupon the Dolphin, finding that he was supporting an impostor, slipped from beneath his legs, and left him to his fate.

The liar should take care to be well informed.

THE FOX AND HEDGEHOG.

A Fox, swimming across a river, was drifted along by the stream, and carried by an eddy into a nook on the opposite bank. He lay there exhausted, and unable for a time to scramble up. To add to his misfortunes a swarm of Flies settled upon his head, and stung and plagued him grievously. A Hedgehog, that happened to be near the edge of the water, offered to drive away the Flies that molested and teased him in that sad manner.

"Nay," cried the Fox, "pray let them alone. Those that are now upon me are already full almost to bursting with my blood. If you drive them away, a fresh swarm of hungry rascals will take their places, and I shall not have a drop of blood left in my body."

Old trials are better borne than new ones.

THE CAT AND THE FOX.

The Cat and the Fox were once talking together in the middle of a forest.

"Let things be never so bad," said Reynard, "I don't care; I have a hundred tricks to escape my enemies, if one should fail."

"said the Fox.

"You are

"I," replied the Cat, "have but one; if that fails me, I am undone." "I am sorry for you," truly to be pitied; and if you were not such a helpless creature, I'd give you one or two of my tricks. As it is, I suppose each must shift for himself."

Just then a pack of Hounds burst into view. The Cat, having recourse to her one means of defence, flew up a tree, and sat securely among the branches, from whence she saw the Fox, after trying his hundred tricks in vain, overtaken by the Dogs and torn in pieces.

One thing well learned brings safety.

THE FOX, THE WOLF, AND THE HORSE.

A Fox seeing a Horse for the first time, grazing in a field, at once ran to a Wolf of his acquaintance, and described the animal that he had found.

"It is, perhaps," said the Fox, "some delicious prey that fortune has put in our path. Come with me, and judge for yourself."

Off they ran, and soon came to the Horse, who, scarcely lifting his head, seemed little anxious to be on speaking terms with such suspicious-looking characters.

"Sir," said the Fox, "your humble servants wish to learn the name by which you are known to your illustrious friends."

The Horse, who was not without a ready wit, replied that his name had been curiously written upon his hoofs for the information of those who cared to read it.

"Gladly would I," replied the sly Fox, suspecting in an instant something wrong, "but my parents were poor, and could not pay for my education: hence, I never learned to read. The family of my companion here, on the contrary, are great folk, and he can both read and write, and has a thousand other accomplishments."

The Wolf, pleased with the flattery, at once went up, with a knowing air, to examine one of the hoofs which the Horse raised for his conven