A BEAR happened to be stung by a Bee, and the pain was so acute, that in the madness of revenge he ran into the garden and overturned the Hive. This outrage provoked their anger to a high degree, and brought the fury of the whole swarm upon him. They attacked him with such violence, that his life was in danger, and it was with the utmost difficulty that he made his escape, wounded from head to tail. In this desperate condition, lamenting his misfortunes and licking his sores, he could not forbear reflecting how much more advisable it had been to have patiently acquiesced under one injury, than thus by an unprofitable resentment to have provoked a thousand.

REFLECTION.

It is more prudent to acquiesce under an injury from a single person, than by an act of vengeance to bring upon us the resentment of a whole community.

A Fox, hard pressed by the hounds, was getting over a hedge, but tore his foot upon a Bramble which grew just in the midst of it; upon which he reproached the Bramble for his inhospitable cruelty, in using a stranger, which had fled to him for protection, after such a barbarous manner. "Yes," says the Bramble, "6 you intended to have made me serve your turn, I know ; but take this piece of advice with you for the future, never lay hold of a Bramble again, as you tender your sweet person; for laying hold, is a privilege that belongs to us Brambles, and we do not care to let it go out of the family."

REFLECTION.

Impertinent people, who are most apt to take liberties with others, are generally the most surprised, if they are

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retorted upon with any severity; though they, of all people, have the least reason to expect quarter. cannot but be pleasant to indifferent spectators, when they see one of this fraternity meet with his match, and beaten with his own weapons. He that is known to be an ill man, may be hurt unpitied; his misfortunes are conferred upon him to the satisfaction of him that occasions them; and we do not look upon him as an object of pity, but an example of justice. This fable has an eye to a moral which has been already drawn from some others; and advises us to be cautious whom we lay hold of, or meddle with, in too familiar a way: for those, who, can lay hold again, and perhaps are better qualified for it than ourselves, are carefully to be avoided.

Two Men being to travel through a forest together, mutually promised to stand by each other, in any danger they should meet upon the way. They had not gone far, before a Bear came rushing towards them out of a thicket; upon which one, being a light nimble fellow, got up into a tree; the other falling flat upon his face, and holding his breath, lay still, while the Bear came up and smelled at him; but that creature, supposing him to be a dead carcase, went back again into the wood, without doing him the least harm. When all was over, the spark who had climbed the tree, came down to his companion, and, with a pleasant smile, asked him what the Bear said to him; "for," says he, "I took notice that he clapt his mouth very close to your ear." "Why," replies the other, "he charged me to take care for the future, not to put any confidence in such cowardly rascals as you are."