THE BROTHER AND SISTER. 23 THE FATAL COURTSHIP. It is said that the Mouse spoken of in the last Fable was so emboldened by the offers of friendship made to him by the Lion in return for his assistance, that he asked for the hand of his daughter in marriage. The Lion, amused at the request, good-humouredly told the Mouse he should plead his own cause, and called the young Lioness to come to him. She, bounding forward heedlessly, did not see her little lover, who was running to meet her, and one of her paws falling upon him, he was crushed to pieces. THE BROTHER AND SISTER. A CERTAIN man had two children, a boy and a girl. The lad was a handsome young fellow enough, but the girl was as plain as a girl can well be. The latter, provoked beyond endurance by the way in which her Brother looked in the glass and made remarks to her disadvantage, went to her father and complained of it. The father drew his children to him very tenderly, and said, "My dears, I wish you both to look in the glass every day. You, my son, that, seeing your face is handsome, you may take care not to spoil it by ill-temper and bad behaviour, and you, my daughter, that you may be encouraged to make up for your want of beauty by the sweetness of your manners, and the grace of your conversation." THE BOASTING TRAVELLER. A MAN was one day entertaining a lot of fellows in an ale-house with an account of the wonders he had done when abroad on his travels. "I was once at Rhodes," said he, "and the people of Rhodes, you know, are famous for jumping. Well, I took a jump there that no other man could come within a yard of. That's a fact, and if we were there I could bring you ten men who would prove it." "What need is there to go to Rhodes for witnesses ?" asked one of his hearers; "just imagine that you are there now, and show us your leap." THE SPENDTHRIFT AND THE SWALLOW. A PRODIGAL young fellow, who had run through all his money, and even sold all his outer clothes except his cloak, seeing a Swallow skimming over the meadows one fine day in the early spring, believed that summer was really come, and sold his cloak too. The next morning there happened to be a severe frost, and, shivering and nearly frozen himself, he found the Swallow lying stiff and dead upon the ground. He thereupon upbraided the poor bird as the cause of all his misfortunes. Stupid thing," said he, “had you not come before your time, I should not now be so wretched as I am." 66 THE LEOPARD AND THE FOX. THE Leopard one day, in the hearing of the Fox, was very loud in the praise of his own beautifully spotted skin. The Fox thereupon told him that, handsome as he might be, he considered that he himself was yet a great deal handsomer. "Your beauty is of the body," said the Fox; "mine is of the mind." THE WANTON CALF. A CALF, full of play and wantonness, seeing an Ox at the plough, could not forbear insulting him. "What a sorry poor drudge are you," said he, "to bear that heavy yoke upon your neck, and with a plough at your tail all day, to go turning up the ground for a master. You are a wretched poor slave, and know no better, or you would not do it. See what a happy life I lead; I go just where I please—sometimes in the cool shade, sometimes in the warm sunshine; and whenever I like I drink at the clear and running brook." The Ox, not at all moved by this address, went on quietly and calmly with his work, and in the evening, when unyoked and going to take his rest, he saw the Calf, hung with garlands of flowers, being led off for sacrifice by the priests. He pitied him, but could not help saying, as he passed, "Now, friend, whose condition is the better, yours or mine?" THE JACKDAW AND THE PIGEONS. A JACKDAW seeing how well some Pigeons in a certain dove-cote fed, and how happily they lived together, wished much to join them. With this view he whitened his feathers, and slipped in one evening just as it was getting dark. As long as he kept quiet he escaped notice, but growing bolder by degrees, and feeling very jolly in his new quarters, he burst into a hearty laugh. His voice betrayed him. The Pigeons set upon him and drove him out. When he would afterwards have joined the Jackdaws again, his discoloured feathers and his battered state drew attention to him, and his former mates finding out what he had been at, would let him have no further part with them. THE HARES AND THE FROGS. 66 THE Hares once took serious counsel among themselves whether death itself would not be preferable to their miserable condition. What a sad state is ours," they said, never to eat in comfort, to sleep ever in fear, to be startled by a shadow, and fly with beating heart at the rustling of the leaves. Better death by far;" and off they went accordingly to drown themselves in a neighbouring lake. Some scores of Frogs who were enjoying the moonlight on the bank, scared at the approach of the Hares, jumped into the water. The splash awoke fresh fears in the breasts of the timid Hares, and they came to a full stop in their flight. One wise old fellow among them cried, "Hold, brothers! See, weak and fearful as we are, beings exist that are more weak and fearful still. Why then should we seek to die? Let us rather make the best of our lot, such as it is." THE SICK KİTE. A KITE who had been ill for a long time, begged of his mother to go to all the temples in the country, and see what prayers and promises could do for his recovery. The old Kite replied, "My son, unless you can think of an altar that neither of us has robbed, I fear that nothing can be done for in that way." you |