being much impaired, and the road rough and broken, he unfortunately slipped; and, unable to recover himself, fell down, and smashed all the vessels to pieces. His enraged master began to beat him most unmercifully. But the poor ass, lifting up his head as he lay on the ground, thus strongly remonstrated: "Unfeeling wretch! to thy own avaricious cruelty, in first pinching me of food, and then loading me beyond my strength, thou owest the misfortune which thou so unjustly imputest to

me."

23.

THE STAG LOOKING INTO THE WATER.

A stag, drinking at a clear spring, saw himself in the water; and pleased with the prospect, stood afterwards, for some time, contemplating and surveying himself from head to foot: "Ah!" said he, "what a glorious pair of branching horns are there! how gracefully do those antlers hang over my forehead, and give an agreeable turn to my whole face. If some other parts of my body were but proportionable to them, I would turn my back to nobody; but I have a set of such legs as really makes me ashamed to see them! People may talk what they please of their conveniences, and what great need we have of them upon several occasions, but for my part I find them so very slender and unsightly, that I had as soon have none at all." While he was giving himself these airs, he was alarmed by the noise of some huntsmen and a pack of hounds, who were making rapidly towards him. Away he flies in much consternation, and bounding nimbly over the plain, left dogs and men at a vast distance behind him. Presently, he had the ill luck to get entangled by his horns in a thicket, where he was held fast till the hounds came in and pulled him down. Finding now how it was likely to go with him, in the pangs of death, he uttered these words:Unhappy creature that I am! I am convinced, too late, that what I prided myself in has been the cause of my undoing; and what I so much despised, was the only thing that could have saved me."

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24.

THE FOX AND THE GRAPES.

A fox, parched with thirst, perceived some grapes hanging from a lofty vine. As they looked ripe and tempting, Reynard was very desirous to refresh himself with their delicious juice;

but after trying again and again to reach them, and leaping till he was tired, he found it impracticable to jump so high, and at last gave up the attempt. "Pshaw!" said he, eying them, as he retired, with affected indifference, "I believe, after all, that the grapes are sour, and I shall not, therefore, give myself the trouble of plucking them."

25.

THE CORMORANT AND THE FISHES.

A cormorant, whose eyes had become so dim by age that he could not discern his prey at the bottom of the waters, bethought himself of a stratagem to supply his wants. "Hark you, friend," said he to a gudgeon, whom he observed swimming on the surface of a certain canal, "if you have any regard for yourself or your brethren, go this moment, and acquaint them from me, that the owner of this piece of water is determined to drag it a week hence." The gudgeon immediately swam away, and reported this terrible news to a general assembly. of the fishes, who at once agreed to send him back as their ambassador to the cormorant. The purport of his commission was to return him thanks for the intelligence, and add their entreaties, that, as he had been so good as to inform them of their danger, he would also be pleased to put them into a way of escaping it. "That I will most readily," returned the artful cormorant, you have only to collect yourselves together at the top of the water, and I will then transport you, one by one, to a solitary pool, to which no creature but myself ever found the way." This project was approved of by the unwary fishes, and was with great expedition performed by the deceitful cormorant; who, having placed them in shallow water, devoured them all, one by one, as his hunger or luxury required.

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26.

JUNO AND THE PEACOCK.

The peacock presented a memorial to Juno, setting forth how hardly he thought he was used, in not having so good a voice as the nightingale; how that pretty animal was agreeable to every ear that heard it, while he was laughed at for his ugly screaming

noise, if he did but open his mouth. The goddess, concerned at the uneasiness of her favorite bird, answered him very kindly to this purpose: if the nightingale is blessed with a fine voice, you have the advantage in beauty and size; consider, that the properties of every creature were decreed by the higher powers: to you, beauty; to the eagle, strength; to the nightingale, a voice of melody; to the parrot, the faculty of speech; and to the horse, swiftness. Each of these is satisfied with his own peculiar quality; and, unless you wish to be miserable, you too must learn to be contented with your lot.

27.

THE TWO FROGS.

One sultry summer, the lakes and ponds being almost everywhere dried up, a couple of frogs agreed to travel together in search of water. At last they same to a deep well, and sitting upon the brink of it, began to consult whether they should leap in or not. One of them was for doing so, urging that there was plenty of clear spring water, and no danger of being disturbed. "Well," said the other, "all this may be true, and yet I cannot agree with your opinion; for if the water should happen to dry up here too, how should we get out again?”

It is well for people to consider the consequences before they venture upon a step which may be irremediable. We should always"look before we leap."

28.

THE COCK AND THE FOX.

As a cock had just perched himself upon a corn-rick, and began to crow, a fox, who had lain concealed in a neighbouring thicket, watching for an opportunity of plunder, came up, and finding his victim inaccessible from the height of his situation, had recourse to stratagem, in order to decoy him down; so, approaching the rick: "Cousin," said he, "I am truly glad to see you; but at the same time I cannot but express my uneasiness at the inconvenience of the place, which will not let me pay my respects to you in a becoming manner: though I suppose

you will come down presently, when that difficulty will be removed." "Indeed, cousin," said the cock, "to tell you the truth, I do not think it safe to venture upon the ground; for though I am convinced how much you are my friend, yet I may have the misfortune to fall into the clutches of some other beast, and what will become of me then?"—"Oh dear," said Reynard, "is it possible that you can be so ignorant as not to know of the peace that has been lately proclaimed between all kinds of birds and beasts, and that we are for the future to forbear all hostilities, and to live in perfect love and harmony." During this speech the cock seemed to give little attention to what was said, but stretched out his neck, as if he saw something at a distance. 66 Cousin," ," said the fox, "what is that you look at so earnestly?'""Why," replied the cock, "I think I see a pack of hounds yonder, a little way off."-"Oh then," returned the fox, "your humble servant, I must begone.' Nay, pray, cousin, do not go," said the cock, "I am just coming down; sure, you are not afraid of dogs in these peaceable times?" "Not at all," said he, "but it is ten to one whether they have heard of the proclamation yet."

29.

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THE BOY AND THE NETTLE.

A boy, playing in a field, chanced to be stung by a nettle, and came crying to his father. He told him he had been hurt by that nasty plant several times before; that he was always afraid of it; and that now, though he did but just touch it, yet he was most severely stung. "Child." said he, 66 your touching it so gently and timorously is the very reason of its hurting you. A nettle may be handled safely, if do it with courage and resolution; if you seize it boldly and hold it fast, be assured it will never sting you; and so it is with many things in the world; if we grapple boldly with them, we shall come off unhurt."

you

30.

THE LION AND THE MOUSE.

A lion, by accident, laid his paw upon a poor little mouse. The frightened creature begged hard for her life; urged that clemency was the fairest attribute of power, and earnestly entreated his majesty not to stain his illustrious paws with the

blood of so insignificant an animal; upon which the lion generously set her at liberty. It happened, a few days afterward, that the lion, ranging for prey, fell into the toils of the hunter. The mouse heard his roarings, knew the voice of her benefactor, and immediately repairing to his assistance, succeeded in gnawing in pieces the meshes of the net; and, by delivering her preserver, convinced him that there is no creature so much below another, as not to have it in his power to return a good office.

31.

THE ASS AND THE LAP-DOG.

An ass who lived in the same house with a lap-dog, observing the superior degree of attention which the little favorite enjoyed, imagined he had nothing more to do, in order to obtain an equal share in the good graces of the family, than to imitate the lapdog's playful caresses. Accordingly he began to frisk about his master, kicking up his heels, and braying in an awkward affectation of wantonness and pleasantry. This strange behaviour could not fail of raising much laughter; which the ass mistaking for approbation and encouragement, he proceeded to leap upon his master's breast, and began very familiarly to lick his face; but he was presently convinced, by the force of a good cudgel, that what is natural and agreeable in one, may in another be justly censured as rude and impertinent; and that the surest way to gain esteem, is for every one to act suitably to his own station and character.

32.

THE WOLF TURNED SHEPHERD.

A wolf, who by his frequent visits to a flock of sheep, began to be too well known, determined that, in order to carry on his depredations more successfully, he would appear in a new character. To this end he disguised himself in a shepherd's dress, and resting his fore-feet upon a stick, which served him by way of crook, he made his approach as quietly as possible towards the fold. The shepherd and his dog lay on the grass, fast asleep; so that he would certainly have succeeded in his project, if he had not imprudently attempted to imitate the shepherd's voice. The horrible noise which he made, awakened