"Tut, tut!" said the Crane; "which is the better now, to strut about in the dirt, and be gazed at by children, or to soar above the clouds, as I do?"

Appearances are deceitful.

THE BULL AND THE GOAT.

A Bull, being pursued by a Lion, spied a cave and fled towards it, meaning to take shelter there. A Goat came to the mouth of the cave, and, menacing the Bull with his horns, disputed the passage.

The Bull, having no time to lose, was obliged to make off again without delay, but not before saying to the Goat, " Were it not for the Lion that is behind me, I would soon let you know the difference between a Bull and a Goat."

Valor does not always show itself in blows.

A MAN BITTEN BY A DOG.

A Man, who had been sadly bitten by a Dog, was advised by an old woman to cure the wound by rubbing a piece of bread in it, and giving it to the Dog that had bitten him. He did so, and

Æsop, passing by at the time, asked him what he was about.

The Man told him, and Æsop replied, "I am glad you do it privately, for if the rest of the Dogs of the town were to see you, we should be eaten up alive."

Season counsel with sense.

THE STAG AND THE FAWN.

A Fawn once said to a Stag, "How is it that you, who are so much bigger, and stronger, and fleeter than a Dog, are in such a fright when you behold one? If you stood your ground, and used your horns, I should think the Hounds would fly from you."

"I have said that to myself, little one, over and over again," replied the Stag, "and made up my mind to act upon it; but yet, no sooner do I hear the voice of a Dog than I am ready to jump out of my skin."

No arguments will give courage to a coward.

THE ASS, THE LION, AND THE COCK.

An Ass and a Cock, feeding in the same meadow, were one day surprised by a Lion. The Cock

crowed loudly, and the Lion (who is said to have a great antipathy to the crowing of a Cock) at once turned tail and ran off again. The Ass, believing that it was from fear of him that the Lion fled, pursued him. As soon as they were out of hearing of the Cock, the Lion turned round upon the Ass and tore him in pieces.

False confidence leads into danger.

THE FOX AND THE MASK.

A Pox was one day rummaging in the house of an actor, and came across a very beautiful Mask. Putting his paw on the forehead, he said, "What a handsome face we have here! It is a pity that it should want brains."

Beauty without brains nothing gains.

DEATH AND CUPID.

Cupid, one sultry summer's noon, tired with play and faint with heat, went into a cool grotto to repose himself. This happened to be the cave of Death. He threw himself carelessly down upon the floor, and his quiver turning upside down, all the arrows fell out, and mingled with those of Death, which lay scattered about the place. When

he awoke, he gathered them up as well as he could; but they were so intermingled, that although he knew the proper number to take, he could not rightly distinguish his own. Hence he took up some of the arrows which belonged to Death, and left some of his. This is the reason why that we now and then see the hearts of the old and decrepit transfixed with the bolts of Love; and with great grief and surprise, sometimes see youth aud beauty smitten with the darts of Death.

Death and Love strike unexpectedly.

THE LION, THE TIGER, AND THE FOX.

A Lion and a Tiger happened to come together over the dead body of a Fawn that had been recently shot. A fierce battle ensued, and as each animal was in the prime of his age and strength, the combat was long and furious. At last they lay stretched on the ground panting, bleeding, and exhausted, each unable to lift a paw against the other. An impudent Fox coming by at the time, stepped in and carried off before their eyes the prey on account of which they had both fought so savagely.

"Woe betide us," said the Lion, " that we should suffer so much to serve a Fox!"

It often happens that one has the toil and

another the profit.

THE VAIN JACKDAW.

A Discontented Jackdaw once found some feathers which had fallen from the Peacocks, and dressed himself with his picked-up plumage. Then he sought out the company of these Birds, and strutted about with them, much pleased with his looks. But they soon found him out, pulled their feathers off him, and treated him so roughly that he was glad to flee from them.

He went back to the society of his fellow Jackdaws, but they in turn would have nothing to do with so sorry looking a bird.

The honest man shuns pretension.

THE MAN AND THE TREES.

One day a Man went into a Forest and asked the Trees if they would be so good as to give him a handle for his axe. The Trees readily granted his request and gave him a piece of tough Ash. But no sooner had the Man fitted it into his axehead, than he quickly began to use it, and laid about him so vigorously that the giants of the Forest fell under his strokes.

"Alas!" said a doomed Oak to a Cedar, "the