Fables 141 to 160

A LAMP, soaked with too much oil and flaring brightly, boasted that it gave more light than the sun. Then a sudden puff of wind arose, and the Lamp was immediately extinguished. Its owner lit it again, and said: “Boast no more, but henceforth be content to give thy light in silence. Know that not even the stars need to be relit.”

A LAMP, soaked with too much oil and burning brightly, boasted that it gave more light than the sun. Then a sudden gust of wind blew, and the Lamp went out at once. Its owner lit it again and said: “Stop boasting. From now on, be content to give your light in silence. Remember that even the stars never need to be relit.”

AN ARAB Camel-driver, after completing the loading of his Camel, asked him which he would like best, to go up hill or down. The poor beast replied, not without a touch of reason: “Why do you ask me? Is it that the level way through the desert is closed?”

An Arab camel driver finished loading his camel. Then he asked the camel whether he would rather go uphill or downhill. The poor animal replied, with some good reason: “Why do you ask me? Is the flat route through the desert closed?”

A MILLER and his son were driving their Ass to a neighboring fair to sell him. They had not gone far when they met with a troop of women collected round a well, talking and laughing. “Look there,” cried one of them, “did you ever see such fellows, to be trudging along the road on foot when they might ride?” The old man hearing this, quickly made his son mount the Ass, and continued to walk along merrily by his side. Presently they came up to a group of old men in earnest debate. “There,” said one of them, “it proves what I was a-saying. What respect is shown to old age in these days? Do you see that idle lad riding while his old father has to walk? Get down, you young scapegrace, and let the old man rest his weary limbs.” Upon this the old man made his son dismount, and got up himself. In this manner they had not proceeded far when they met a company of women and children: “Why, you lazy old fellow,” cried several tongues at once, “how can you ride upon the beast, while that poor little lad there can hardly keep pace by the side of you?” The good-natured Miller immediately took up his son behind him. They had now almost reached the town. “Pray, honest friend,” said a citizen, “is that Ass your own?” “Yes,” replied the old man. “O, one would not have thought so,” said the other, “by the way you load him. Why, you two fellows are better able to carry the poor beast than he you.” “Anything to please you,” said the old man; “we can but try.” So, alighting with his son, they tied the legs of the Ass together and with the help of a pole endeavored to carry him on their shoulders over a bridge near the entrance to the town. This entertaining sight brought the people in crowds to laugh at it, till the Ass, not liking the noise nor the strange handling that he was subject to, broke the cords that bound him and, tumbling off the pole, fell into the river. Upon this, the old man, vexed and ashamed, made the best of his way home again, convinced that by endeavoring to please everybody he had pleased nobody, and lost his Ass in the bargain.

A miller and his son were leading their Ass to a nearby fair to sell him. They had not gone far when they met a group of women talking and laughing around a well. “Look there,” cried one woman. “Have you ever seen such fools, walking along the road when they could ride?” Hearing her, the old man quickly put his son on the Ass and walked cheerfully beside him. Soon they reached a group of old men deep in discussion. “There,” said one man, “that proves what I was saying. What respect does anyone show old people these days? Do you see that lazy boy riding while his old father has to walk? Get down, you young rascal, and let the old man rest his tired legs.” So the old man made his son get down and climbed onto the Ass himself. They had not gone much farther when they met a group of women and children. “You lazy old man,” several voices cried at once. “How can you ride that animal while the poor little boy can hardly keep up beside you?” The good-natured Miller immediately lifted his son onto the Ass behind him. They had almost reached the town when a townsman spoke to them. “Tell me, my good friend,” he said, “is that Ass yours?” “Yes,” replied the old man. “Oh, no one would have thought so,” said the townsman, “from the way you load him. You two are better able to carry the poor animal than he is to carry you.” “Anything to please you,” said the old man. “We can at least try.” So the old man and his son got down and tied the Ass’s legs together. Using a pole, they tried to carry him on their shoulders across a bridge near the town entrance. The amusing sight drew crowds of people, who laughed at them. The Ass disliked the noise and the strange way he was being handled. He broke the ropes holding him, tumbled off the pole, and fell into the river. Upset and ashamed, the old man hurried home. He was convinced that by trying to please everybody, he had pleased nobody and lost his Ass as well.

A CERTAIN HOUSE was overrun with Mice. A Cat, discovering this, made her way into it and began to catch and eat them one by one. Fearing for their lives, the Mice kept themselves close in their holes. The Cat was no longer able to get at them and perceived that she must tempt them forth by some device. For this purpose she jumped upon a peg, and suspending herself from it, pretended to be dead. One of the Mice, peeping stealthily out, saw her and said, “Ah, my good madam, even though you should turn into a meal-bag, we will not come near you.”

A HOUSE was overrun with Mice. A Cat discovered the Mice, entered the house, and began catching and eating them one by one. Fearing for their lives, the Mice stayed hidden in their holes. The Cat could no longer reach them, so she realized she needed a trick to lure them out. To do this, she jumped onto a peg and hung from it, pretending to be dead. One of the Mice peeked out cautiously, saw her, and said, “Ah, my good lady, even if you turned into a bag of flour, we would not come near you.”

A BULL was bitten by a Mouse and, angered by the wound, tried to capture him. But the Mouse reached his hole in safety. Though the Bull dug into the walls with his horns, he tired before he could rout out the Mouse, and crouching down, went to sleep outside the hole. The Mouse peeped out, crept furtively up his flank, and again biting him, retreated to his hole. The Bull rising up, and not knowing what to do, was sadly perplexed. At which the Mouse said, “The great do not always prevail. There are times when the small and lowly are the strongest to do mischief.”

A Bull was bitten by a Mouse and tried to catch him, angry at being hurt. But the Mouse reached his hole safely. Although the Bull dug into the walls with his horns, he grew tired before he could force the Mouse out. He crouched down and went to sleep outside the hole. The Mouse peeked out, crept quietly up the Bull’s side, and bit him again before retreating to his hole. The Bull got up, deeply confused and unsure what to do. Then the Mouse said, “The great do not always win. Sometimes the small and lowly are the strongest when it comes to causing trouble.”

A RICH MAN gave a great feast, to which he invited many friends and acquaintances. His Dog availed himself of the occasion to invite a stranger Dog, a friend of his, saying, “My master gives a feast, and there is always much food remaining; come and sup with me tonight.” The Dog thus invited went at the hour appointed, and seeing the preparations for so grand an entertainment, said in the joy of his heart, “How glad I am that I came! I do not often get such a chance as this. I will take care and eat enough to last me both today and tomorrow.” While he was congratulating himself and wagging his tail to convey his pleasure to his friend, the Cook saw him moving about among his dishes and, seizing him by his fore and hind paws, bundled him without ceremony out of the window. He fell with force upon the ground and limped away, howling dreadfully. His yelling soon attracted other street dogs, who came up to him and inquired how he had enjoyed his supper. He replied, “Why, to tell you the truth, I drank so much wine that I remember nothing. I do not know how I got out of the house.”

A RICH MAN held a great feast and invited many friends and acquaintances. His Dog took the opportunity to invite another Dog, a friend of his. He said, “My master is holding a feast, and there is always plenty of food left over. Come and have supper with me tonight.” The invited Dog arrived at the agreed time and saw the preparations for such a grand feast. He said joyfully to himself, “How glad I am that I came! I do not often get a chance like this. I will make sure to eat enough to last me both today and tomorrow.” As he congratulated himself, he wagged his tail to show his friend how pleased he was. The Cook saw him moving among the dishes and grabbed him by his front and back paws. Without a second thought, the Cook threw him out of the window. He hit the ground hard and limped away, howling terribly. His howls soon drew other street dogs, who came over and asked how he had enjoyed his supper. He replied, “Well, to tell you the truth, I drank so much wine that I remember nothing. I do not know how I got out of the house.”

SOME THIEVES broke into a house and found nothing but a Cock, whom they stole, and got off as fast as they could. Upon arriving at home they prepared to kill the Cock, who thus pleaded for his life: “Pray spare me; I am very serviceable to men. I wake them up in the night to their work.” “That is the very reason why we must the more kill you,” they replied; “for when you wake your neighbors, you entirely put an end to our business.”

Some thieves broke into a house and found nothing but a Cock. They stole the Cock and escaped as fast as they could. When the thieves got home, they prepared to kill the Cock, who pleaded for his life: “Please spare me. I am very useful to people. I wake them at night so they can go to work.” “That gives us all the more reason to kill you,” the thieves replied. “When you wake your neighbors, you bring our business to a complete stop.”

The safeguards of virtue are hateful to those with evil intentions.

Anything that protects goodness is hated by people with evil intentions.

A PRINCE had some Monkeys trained to dance. Being naturally great mimics of men’s actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when arrayed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers. The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage. The Monkeys at the sight of the nuts forgot their dancing and became (as indeed they were) Monkeys instead of actors. Pulling off their masks and tearing their robes, they fought with one another for the nuts. The dancing spectacle thus came to an end amidst the laughter and ridicule of the audience.

A prince had some monkeys trained to dance. Because monkeys naturally imitate human actions so well, they proved to be quick learners. Dressed in fine clothes and masks, the monkeys danced as well as any of the courtiers. The show was performed many times to loud applause. But one day, a courtier looking to cause trouble took a handful of nuts from his pocket. He threw the nuts onto the stage. At the sight of the nuts, the monkeys forgot their dancing and stopped acting like performers. They became monkeys again, as indeed they had been all along. Pulling off their masks and tearing their robes, the monkeys fought one another for the nuts. And so the dancing show ended, with the audience laughing and mocking the performers.

A FARMER, who bore a grudge against a Fox for robbing his poultry yard, caught him at last, and being determined to take an ample revenge, tied some rope well soaked in oil to his tail, and set it on fire. The Fox by a strange fatality rushed to the fields of the Farmer who had captured him. It was the time of the wheat harvest; but the Farmer reaped nothing that year and returned home grieving sorely.

A FARMER held a grudge against a Fox for stealing from his poultry yard. At last, he caught the Fox and was determined to take full revenge. He tied some rope soaked in oil to the Fox’s tail and set the rope on fire. By a strange twist of fate, the Fox rushed into the fields of the Farmer who had captured him. It was time to harvest the wheat. But the Farmer harvested nothing that year and returned home deeply distressed.

A TRAVELER wearied from a long journey lay down, overcome with fatigue, on the very brink of a deep well. Just as he was about to fall into the water, Dame Fortune, it is said, appeared to him and waking him from his slumber thus addressed him: “Good Sir, pray wake up: for if you fall into the well, the blame will be thrown on me, and I shall get an ill name among mortals; for I find that men are sure to impute their calamities to me, however much by their own folly they have really brought them on themselves.”

A traveler, exhausted after a long journey, lay down right at the edge of a deep well. Just as he was about to fall into the water, Dame Fortune is said to have appeared to him. She woke him and said: “Please wake up, good sir. For if you fall into the well, people will blame me, and I will get a bad reputation among mortals. I find that people always blame me for their troubles, however much their own foolishness has caused those troubles.”

Everyone is more or less master of his own fate.

Everyone has more or less control over their own fate.

A SEAGULL having bolted down too large a fish, burst its deep gullet-bag and lay down on the shore to die. A Kite saw him and exclaimed: “You richly deserve your fate; for a bird of the air has no business to seek its food from the sea.”

A SEAGULL gulped down a fish that was too large and burst the pouch in his throat. He lay down on the shore to die. A Kite saw him and exclaimed: “You fully deserve your fate. A bird of the air has no business looking for food in the sea.”

Every man should be content to mind his own business.

Everyone should be content to mind their own business.

A LION and a Bear seized a Kid at the same moment, and fought fiercely for its possession. When they had fearfully lacerated each other and were faint from the long combat, they lay down exhausted with fatigue. A Fox, who had gone round them at a distance several times, saw them both stretched on the ground with the Kid lying untouched in the middle. He ran in between them, and seizing the Kid scampered off as fast as he could. The Lion and the Bear saw him, but not being able to get up, said, “Woe be to us, that we should have fought and belabored ourselves only to serve the turn of a Fox.”

A Lion and a Bear seized a young goat at the same moment and fought fiercely over it. After badly tearing each other’s flesh in the long fight, both animals felt faint and lay down exhausted. A Fox had circled them several times at a distance. He saw both animals stretched out on the ground, with the young goat lying untouched between them. He ran between them, seized the young goat, and raced away as fast as he could. The Lion and the Bear saw him, but could not get up. They said, “How foolish we were to fight and beat each other, only to benefit a Fox.”

It sometimes happens that one man has all the toil, and another all the profit.

Sometimes one man does all the work, and another gets all the profit.

A PHILOSOPHER witnessed from the shore the shipwreck of a vessel, of which the crew and passengers were all drowned. He inveighed against the injustice of Providence, which would for the sake of one criminal perchance sailing in the ship allow so many innocent persons to perish. As he was indulging in these reflections, he found himself surrounded by a whole army of Ants, near whose nest he was standing. One of them climbed up and stung him, and he immediately trampled them all to death with his foot. Mercury presented himself, and striking the Philosopher with his wand, said, “And are you indeed to make yourself a judge of the dealings of Providence, who hast thyself in a similar manner treated these poor Ants?”

A Philosopher stood on the shore and watched a ship sink. All the crew and passengers drowned. He spoke bitterly against the injustice of Providence. Perhaps one criminal was sailing on the ship, yet Providence would let so many innocent people die for that criminal. As he thought about this injustice, he found himself surrounded by an army of Ants. He was standing near their nest. One Ant climbed up and stung him, and he immediately trampled all the Ants to death with his foot. Mercury appeared and struck the Philosopher with his wand. He said, “And do you really think you can judge the actions of Providence? You yourself have treated these poor Ants in just the same way.”

A PEASANT found an Eagle captured in a trap, and much admiring the bird, set him free. The Eagle did not prove ungrateful to his deliverer, for seeing the Peasant sitting under a wall which was not safe, he flew toward him and with his talons snatched a bundle from his head. When the Peasant rose in pursuit, the Eagle let the bundle fall again. Taking it up, the man returned to the same place, to find that the wall under which he had been sitting had fallen to pieces; and he marveled at the service rendered him by the Eagle.

A Peasant found an Eagle caught in a trap. He greatly admired the bird and set him free. The Eagle showed his gratitude to the man who had freed him. Seeing the Peasant sitting under an unsafe wall, the Eagle flew toward him. With his talons, he snatched a bundle from the Peasant’s head. When the Peasant got up to chase him, the Eagle dropped the bundle. The man picked up the bundle and returned to the same spot. He found that the wall he had been sitting under had collapsed. He marveled at what the Eagle had done for him.

THE FOX and the Leopard disputed which was the more beautiful of the two. The Leopard exhibited one by one the various spots which decorated his skin. But the Fox, interrupting him, said, “And how much more beautiful than you am I, who am decorated, not in body, but in mind.”

The Fox and the Leopard argued over who was more beautiful. The Leopard showed off the spots on his skin, one by one. But the Fox interrupted him and said, “How much more beautiful I am than you! My beauty is not in my body, but in my mind.”

A LION came across a Hare, who was fast asleep. He was just in the act of seizing her, when a fine young Hart trotted by, and he left the Hare to follow him. The Hare, scared by the noise, awoke and scudded away. The Lion was unable after a long chase to catch the Hart, and returned to feed upon the Hare. On finding that the Hare also had run off, he said, “I am rightly served, for having let go of the food that I had in my hand for the chance of obtaining more.”

A Lion came across a Hare who was fast asleep. He was just about to grab her when a fine young Hart trotted by. The Lion left the Hare to chase the Hart. Frightened by the noise, the Hare woke up and darted away. After a long chase, the Lion failed to catch the Hart and returned to eat the Hare. When he found that the Hare had also run away, he said, “I got what I deserved. I gave up the food I already had for the chance to get more.”

A VERY POOR MAN, a Carpenter by trade, had a wooden image of Mercury, before which he made offerings day by day, and begged the idol to make him rich, but in spite of his entreaties he became poorer and poorer. At last, being very angry, he took his image down from its pedestal and dashed it against the wall. When its head was knocked off, out came a stream of gold, which the Carpenter quickly picked up and said, “Well, I think thou art altogether contradictory and unreasonable; for when I paid you honour, I reaped no benefits: but now that I maltreat you I am loaded with an abundance of riches.”

A VERY POOR MAN, a Carpenter by trade, owned a wooden statue of Mercury. Every day he made offerings before the statue and begged the idol to make him rich. But despite his pleas, he grew poorer and poorer. At last, he became very angry, took the statue down from its pedestal, and smashed it against the wall. When the statue’s head broke off, a stream of gold poured out. The Carpenter quickly gathered the gold and said, “Well, I think you are completely contradictory and unreasonable. When I honored you, I gained nothing. But now that I mistreat you, I am showered with riches.”

THE LION, the Fox and the Ass entered into an agreement to assist each other in the chase. Having secured a large booty, the Lion on their return from the forest asked the Ass to allot his due portion to each of the three partners in the treaty. The Ass carefully divided the spoil into three equal shares and modestly requested the two others to make the first choice. The Lion, bursting out into a great rage, devoured the Ass. Then he requested the Fox to do him the favour to make a division. The Fox accumulated all that they had killed into one large heap and left to himself the smallest possible morsel. The Lion said, “Who has taught you, my very excellent fellow, the art of division? You are perfect to a fraction.” He replied, “I learned it from the Ass, by witnessing his fate.”

The Lion, the Fox and the Ass agreed to help each other hunt. After catching a large amount of prey, the three returned from the forest. The Lion asked the Ass to give each partner his fair share. The Ass carefully divided the catch into three equal shares and modestly invited the other two to choose first. The Lion flew into a rage and ate the Ass. Then he asked the Fox to do him the favor of dividing the catch. The Fox piled all the animals they had killed into one large heap, keeping only the smallest possible bite for himself. The Lion said, “Who taught you the art of dividing, my excellent fellow? You have it down to the smallest fraction.” The Fox replied, “I learned from the Ass, by seeing what happened to him.”

Happy is the man who learns from the misfortunes of others.

The person who learns from the misfortunes of others is happy.

A BULL, escaping from a Lion, hid in a cave which some shepherds had recently occupied. As soon as he entered, a He-Goat left in the cave sharply attacked him with his horns. The Bull quietly addressed him: “Butt away as much as you will. I have no fear of you, but of the Lion. Let that monster go away and I will soon let you know what is the respective strength of a Goat and a Bull.”

A BULL fleeing a Lion hid in a cave where some shepherds had recently stayed. As soon as he entered, a He-Goat left in the cave fiercely attacked him with his horns. The Bull said calmly to the He-Goat: “Butt me as much as you like. I’m not afraid of you, but I am afraid of the Lion. Once that monster leaves, I’ll soon show you how a Goat’s strength compares to a Bull’s.”

It shows an evil disposition to take advantage of a friend in distress.

Taking advantage of a friend in trouble shows an evil character.

A BALD KNIGHT, who wore a wig, went out to hunt. A sudden puff of wind blew off his hat and wig, at which a loud laugh rang forth from his companions. He pulled up his horse, and with great glee joined in the joke by saying, “What a marvel it is that hairs which are not mine should fly from me, when they have forsaken even the man on whose head they grew.”

A bald knight who wore a wig went out hunting. A sudden gust of wind blew off his hat and wig, and his companions burst out laughing. He stopped his horse and happily joined in the joke, saying, “What a wonder that hair that isn't mine should fly away from me. After all, it even left the man whose head it grew on.”