Fables 301 to 312

A KING, whose only son was fond of martial exercises, had a dream in which he was warned that his son would be killed by a lion. Afraid the dream should prove true, he built for his son a pleasant palace and adorned its walls for his amusement with all kinds of life-sized animals, among which was the picture of a lion. When the young Prince saw this, his grief at being thus confined burst out afresh, and, standing near the lion, he said: “O you most detestable of animals! through a lying dream of my father’s, which he saw in his sleep, I am shut up on your account in this palace as if I had been a girl: what shall I now do to you?” With these words he stretched out his hands toward a thorn-tree, meaning to cut a stick from its branches so that he might beat the lion. But one of the tree’s prickles pierced his finger and caused great pain and inflammation, so that the young Prince fell down in a fainting fit. A violent fever suddenly set in, from which he died not many days later.

A KING had an only son who loved military training. One night, the King dreamed that his son would be killed by a lion. Afraid the dream would come true, he built his son a pleasant palace. To entertain the Prince, he decorated the walls with life-sized pictures of all kinds of animals, including a lion. When the young Prince saw the picture, his sorrow at being shut away flared up again. Standing near the lion, he said: “Oh, you most hateful of animals! Because of a false dream my father had in his sleep, I am locked in this palace on your account. I am kept here as if I were a girl. What shall I do to you now?” With these words, he reached toward a thorn tree to cut a stick from its branches and beat the lion. But one of the thorns pierced his finger, causing great pain and swelling. The pain and swelling made the young Prince faint. A severe fever suddenly set in, and he died from the fever a few days later.

We had better bear our troubles bravely than try to escape them.

We are better off facing our troubles bravely than trying to escape them.

A CAT fell in love with a handsome young man, and entreated Venus to change her into the form of a woman. Venus consented to her request and transformed her into a beautiful damsel, so that the youth saw her and loved her, and took her home as his bride. While the two were reclining in their chamber, Venus wishing to discover if the Cat in her change of shape had also altered her habits of life, let down a mouse in the middle of the room. The Cat, quite forgetting her present condition, started up from the couch and pursued the mouse, wishing to eat it. Venus was much disappointed and again caused her to return to her former shape.

A Cat fell in love with a handsome young man and begged Venus to turn her into a woman. Venus agreed and transformed her into a beautiful young woman. As a result, the young man saw her, fell in love with her, and took her home as his bride. While the couple rested on a couch in their bedroom, Venus wanted to test the Cat. Had her habits changed along with her shape? To find out, Venus placed a mouse in the middle of the room. The Cat completely forgot she was now a woman, jumped off the couch, and chased the mouse, wanting to eat it. Venus was very disappointed and changed her back into a cat.

Nature exceeds nurture.

Nature is stronger than nurture.

THE EAGLE and the Beetle were at enmity together, and they destroyed one another’s nests. The Eagle gave the first provocation in seizing upon and in eating the young ones of the Beetle. The Beetle got by stealth at the Eagle’s eggs, and rolled them out of the nest, and followed the Eagle even into the presence of Jupiter. On the Eagle making his complaint, Jupiter ordered him to make his nest in his lap; and while Jupiter had the eggs in his lap, the Beetle came flying about him, and Jupiter rising up unawares, to drive him away from his head, threw down the eggs, and broke them.

The Eagle and the Beetle were enemies, and they destroyed each other’s nests. The Eagle started the conflict by seizing and eating the Beetle’s young. The Beetle secretly reached the Eagle’s eggs and rolled them out of the nest. The Beetle even followed the Eagle into Jupiter’s presence. When the Eagle complained, Jupiter told him to build his nest in Jupiter’s lap. While Jupiter held the eggs in his lap, the Beetle flew around him. Jupiter suddenly stood up to drive the Beetle away from his head, accidentally dropping and breaking the eggs.

The weak often revenge themselves on those who use them ill, even though they be more powerful.

The weak often take revenge on those who mistreat them, even when those people are more powerful.

THE SHE-GOATS having obtained a beard by request to Jupiter, the He-Goats were sorely displeased and made complaint that the females equaled them in dignity. “Allow them,” said Jupiter, “to enjoy an empty honour and to assume the badge of your nobler sex, so long as they are not your equals in strength or courage.”

The female goats asked Jupiter for beards, and he granted their request. The male goats were very upset and complained that the females now had the same dignity as them. “Let them enjoy an empty honor,” said Jupiter, “and wear the badge of your nobler sex. Let them do so as long as they are not your equals in strength or courage.”

It matters little if those who are inferior to us in merit should be like us in outside appearances.

It matters little if those with less merit than us look like us on the outside.

A FLY bit the bare head of a Bald Man who, endeavoring to destroy it, gave himself a heavy slap. Escaping, the Fly said mockingly, “You who have wished to revenge, even with death, the Prick of a tiny insect, see what you have done to yourself to add insult to injury?” The Bald Man replied, “I can easily make peace with myself, because I know there was no intention to hurt. But you, an ill-favoured and contemptible insect who delights in sucking human blood, I wish that I could have killed you even if I had incurred a heavier penalty.”

A Fly bit the bare head of a Bald Man. Trying to kill the Fly, the Bald Man gave himself a hard slap. The Fly escaped and said mockingly, “You wanted revenge for a tiny insect’s bite, even if that meant killing me. Now look at what you’ve done to yourself. Haven’t you added insult to injury?” The Bald Man replied, “I can easily forgive myself, because I know I didn’t mean to hurt myself. But you are an ugly, worthless insect who enjoys sucking human blood. I wish I could have killed you, even if I had hurt myself more badly.”

A SHIPWRECKED MAN, having been cast upon a certain shore, slept after his buffetings with the deep. After a while he awoke, and looking upon the Sea, loaded it with reproaches. He argued that it enticed men with the calmness of its looks, but when it had induced them to plow its waters, it grew rough and destroyed them. The Sea, assuming the form of a woman, replied to him: “Blame not me, my good sir, but the winds, for I am by my own nature as calm and firm even as this earth; but the winds suddenly falling on me create these waves, and lash me into fury.”

A SHIPWRECKED MAN washed up on a shore and fell asleep after being battered by the sea. After a while, he woke up, looked at the Sea, and angrily blamed it for his troubles. He argued that the Sea tempted men with its calm appearance. But once the Sea had drawn them into sailing its waters, it grew rough and destroyed them. The Sea took the form of a woman and replied: “Do not blame me, my good sir, but the winds. By nature, I am as calm and steady as this earth. But the winds suddenly sweep over me, creating these waves and whipping me into a fury.”

A RICH NOBLEMAN once opened the theaters without charge to the people, and gave a public notice that he would handsomely reward any person who invented a new amusement for the occasion. Various public performers contended for the prize. Among them came a Buffoon well known among the populace for his jokes, and said that he had a kind of entertainment which had never been brought out on any stage before. This report being spread about made a great stir, and the theater was crowded in every part. The Buffoon appeared alone upon the platform, without any apparatus or confederates, and the very sense of expectation caused an intense silence. He suddenly bent his head towards his bosom and imitated the squeaking of a little pig so admirably with his voice that the audience declared he had a porker under his cloak, and demanded that it should be shaken out. When that was done and nothing was found, they cheered the actor, and loaded him with the loudest applause. A Countryman in the crowd, observing all that has passed, said, “So help me, Hercules, he shall not beat me at that trick!” and at once proclaimed that he would do the same thing on the next day, though in a much more natural way. On the morrow a still larger crowd assembled in the theater, but now partiality for their favourite actor very generally prevailed, and the audience came rather to ridicule the Countryman than to see the spectacle. Both of the performers appeared on the stage. The Buffoon grunted and squeaked away first, and obtained, as on the preceding day, the applause and cheers of the spectators. Next the Countryman commenced, and pretending that he concealed a little pig beneath his clothes (which in truth he did, but not suspected by the audience ) contrived to take hold of and to pull his ear causing the pig to squeak. The Crowd, however, cried out with one consent that the Buffoon had given a far more exact imitation, and clamored for the Countryman to be kicked out of the theater. On this the rustic produced the little pig from his cloak and showed by the most positive proof the greatness of their mistake. “Look here,” he said, “this shows what sort of judges you are.”

A RICH NOBLEMAN once opened the theaters to the public for free. He announced a generous reward for anyone who invented a new amusement for the occasion. Various public performers competed for the prize. Among them came a Buffoon, well known to the people for his jokes. He said he had an act that had never been performed on any stage before. News of his claim caused great excitement, and every part of the theater was packed. The Buffoon appeared alone on the stage, without any equipment or helpers. The audience’s eager anticipation brought complete silence. Suddenly, he bent his head toward his chest and imitated a little pig’s squeal with remarkable skill. The audience declared that he had a pig under his cloak and demanded that he shake it out. When he shook his cloak and no pig appeared, they cheered him and applauded as loudly as they could. A Countryman in the crowd had watched everything that happened. He said, “So help me, Hercules, he shall not beat me at that trick!” He immediately announced that he would do the same thing the next day, though much more naturally. The next day, an even larger crowd gathered in the theater. But most of the audience now favored their beloved performer. They came more to mock the Countryman than to watch the show. Both performers appeared onstage. The Buffoon went first, grunting and squeaking. Just as on the previous day, the audience applauded and cheered. Next, the Countryman began, pretending to hide a little pig beneath his clothes. He really did have a pig there, but the audience did not suspect it. He managed to grab the pig’s ear and pull it, making the pig squeal. Yet the whole crowd shouted that the Buffoon’s imitation had been far more accurate. They loudly demanded that the Countryman be kicked out of the theater. At this, the Countryman pulled the little pig from his cloak. The pig provided undeniable proof of how badly the audience had been mistaken. “Look here,” he said, “this shows what sort of judges you are.”

A CROW in great want of food saw a Serpent asleep in a sunny nook, and flying down, greedily seized him. The Serpent, turning about, bit the Crow with a mortal wound. In the agony of death, the bird exclaimed: “O unhappy me! who have found in that which I deemed a happy windfall the source of my destruction.”

A desperately hungry Crow saw a Serpent asleep in a sunny corner. The Crow flew down and greedily grabbed him. The Serpent turned and gave the Crow a fatal bite. As the bird lay dying in agony, he cried: “How unfortunate I am! What I thought was a lucky find has brought about my death.”

A CERTAIN HUNTER, having snared a hare, placed it upon his shoulders and set out homewards. On his way he met a man on horseback who begged the hare of him, under the pretense of purchasing it. However, when the Horseman got the hare, he rode off as fast as he could. The Hunter ran after him, as if he was sure of overtaking him, but the Horseman increased more and more the distance between them. The Hunter, sorely against his will, called out to him and said, “Get along with you! for I will now make you a present of the hare.”

A HUNTER caught a hare in a snare, put it on his shoulders, and set off for home. On the way, he met a man on horseback who asked for the hare, pretending he wanted to buy it. But once the Horseman had the hare, he rode off as fast as he could. The Hunter ran after him, as if he was sure he could catch him. But the Horseman kept getting farther and farther ahead. Very reluctantly, the Hunter called out to him and said, “Go on, then! I'll give you the hare as a gift now.”

THE OLIVE-TREE ridiculed the Fig-Tree because, while she was green all the year round, the Fig-Tree changed its leaves with the seasons. A shower of snow fell upon them, and, finding the Olive full of foliage, it settled upon its branches and broke them down with its weight, at once despoiling it of its beauty and killing the tree. But finding the Fig-Tree denuded of leaves, the snow fell through to the ground, and did not injure it at all.

The Olive-Tree mocked the Fig-Tree because the Olive-Tree stayed green all year, while the Fig-Tree changed leaves with the seasons. Snow fell on both trees. Because the Olive-Tree was covered in leaves, the snow settled on its branches and broke them under its weight. This immediately stripped the Olive-Tree of its beauty and killed the tree. But because the Fig-Tree had no leaves, the snow fell through to the ground and did no harm at all.

ONCE UPON A TIME, when the Sun announced his intention to take a wife, the Frogs lifted up their voices in clamor to the sky. Jupiter, disturbed by the noise of their croaking, inquired the cause of their complaint. One of them said, “The Sun, now while he is single, parches up the marsh, and compels us to die miserably in our arid homes. What will be our future condition if he should beget other suns?”

Once upon a time, the Sun announced that he intended to marry. The Frogs cried out loudly to the sky. Their croaking disturbed Jupiter, who asked why they were complaining. One of them said, “Even now, while the Sun is single, he dries up the marsh. He forces us to die miserably in our dried-up homes. What will happen to us if he fathers more suns?”

A BRAZIER had a little Dog, which was a great favourite with his master, and his constant companion. While he hammered away at his metals the Dog slept; but when, on the other hand, he went to dinner and began to eat, the Dog woke up and wagged his tail, as if he would ask for a share of his meal. His master one day, pretending to be angry and shaking his stick at him, said, “You wretched little sluggard! what shall I do to you? While I am hammering on the anvil, you sleep on the mat; and when I begin to eat after my toil, you wake up and wag your tail for food. Do you not know that labor is the source of every blessing, and that none but those who work are entitled to eat?”

A metalworker had a little Dog, a great favorite of his master and his constant companion. While the master hammered away at his metals, the Dog slept. But when the master sat down to dinner and began eating, the Dog woke up and wagged his tail. He acted as if he were asking for a share of his master’s meal. One day, his master pretended to be angry and shook his stick at the Dog. He said, “You lazy little rascal! What should I do with you? While I hammer on the anvil, you sleep on the mat. But when I begin to eat after my hard work, you wake up and wag your tail for food. Don’t you know that work is the source of every blessing, and only those who work deserve to eat?”