A FABLE XXXII. The Farmer and his Dog. FARMER who had just stepped into the field to mend a gap in one of his fences, found at his return the cradle, where he had left his only child afleep, turned upside down, the clothes all torn and bloody, and his Dog lying near it befineared alfo with blood. Immediately conceiving that the creature had deftroyed his child, he inftantly dafhed out his brains with the hatchet in his hand: when turning up the cradle, he found his child unhurt, and an enormous ferpent lying dead on the floor, killed by that faithful Dog, whofe courage and fidelity in preferving the life of his fon deferved another kind of reward. Thefe affecting circum ftances afforded him a ftriking leffon, how danger. ous it is too haftily to give way to the blind impulfe of a fudden paflion AGNAT, half ftarved with cold, and pinched with hunger, came early one morning to a Bee-hive, begged the relief of charity, and offered to teach mufic in the family, on the humble terms of diet and lodging. The Bee received her petitioner with a cold civility, and defired to be excufed. I bring up all my children, faid fhe, to my own ufeful trade, that they may be able when they grow up to get an honeft livelihood by their induftry. Befides, how do you think I could be fo imprudent as to teach them an art, which I fee has re.. duced its profeffor to indigence and beggary? A FABLE XXXIV. The Owl and the Eagle. N Owl fat blinking in the trunk of an hollow tree, and arraigned the brightnefs of the Sun. What is the ufe of its beams, faid fhe, but to dazzle one's eyes fo that one cannot fee a Moufe? For my part, I am at a lofs to conceive for what purpose fo glaring an object was created. We had certainly been much better without it. O fool! replied an Eagle, perched on a branch of the fame tree, to rail at excellence which thou canst not tafte; ignorant that the fault is not in the Sun, but in thyfelf. All, it is true, have not faculties to understand, nor powers to enjoy the benefit of it: but muft the bufinefs and the pleafures of the world be obftructed, that an Owl may catch Mice? The fick Lion, the Fox, and the Wolf. ALION, LION, having furfeited himself with feafting too luxurioufly on the carcafe of a wild boar, was feized with a violent and dangerous diforder. The beafts of the foreft flocked in great numbers to pay their respects to him upon the occafion, and icarce one was abfent, except the Fox. The Wolf, an ill-natured and malicious beaft, feized this opportunity to accufe the Fox of pride, ingratitude, and difaffection to his majefty. In the midft of his invective, the Fox entered, who having heard part of the Wolf's accufation, and obferving the Lion's countenance to be kindled into wrath, thus adroitly excufed himself, and retorted upon his accufer. I fee many here, who, with mere lip-fervice, have pretended to fhow you their loyalty; but for my part, from the moment I heard of your majefty's illness, neglecting useless compliments, I employed myfelf It day and night to inquire among the most learned phyficians, an infallible remedy for your difeafe, and have at length happily been informed of one. is a plaifter made of part of a Wolf's fkin, taken warm from his back, and laid to your majefty's ftomach. This remedy was no fooner propofed, than it was determined that the experiment fhould be tried: and whilft the operation was performing, the Fox, with a farcaftic fmile, whispered this useful maxim in the Wolf's ear-If you would be safe from harm yourfelf, learn for the future not to meditate mifchief against others.. The Blind Man and the Lame. IT is from our wants and infirmities that almost all the tonnexions of fociety take their rife. H |