The Ass and His Masters
AN ASS, belonging to an herb-seller who gave him too little food
and too read more

The Ass and His Masters
AN ASS, belonging to an herb-seller who gave him too little food
and too much work made a petition to Jupiter to be released from
his present service and provided with another master. Jupiter,
after warning him that he would repent his request, caused him to
be sold to a tile-maker. Shortly afterwards, finding that he had
heavier loads to carry and harder work in the brick-field, he
petitioned for another change of master. Jupiter, telling him
that it would be the last time that he could grant his request,
ordained that he be sold to a tanner. The Ass found that he had
fallen into worse hands, and noting his master's occupation,
said, groaning: It would have been better for me to have been
either starved by the one, or to have been overworked by the
other of my former masters, than to have been bought by my
present owner, who will even after I am dead tan my hide, and
make me useful to him.
He that finds discontentment in one place is not likely to find happiness in another.

The Ass and His Driver
AN ASS, being driven along a high road, suddenly started off and
bolted to read more

The Ass and His Driver
AN ASS, being driven along a high road, suddenly started off and
bolted to the brink of a deep precipice. While he was in the act
of throwing himself over, his owner seized him by the tail,
endeavoring to pull him back. When the Ass persisted in his
effort, the man let him go and said, Conquer, but conquer to
your cost.
A willful beast must go his own way.

The Fox and the Crow
A crow having stolen a bit of meat, perched in a tree and held it read more

The Fox and the Crow
A crow having stolen a bit of meat, perched in a tree and held it in her beak. A Fox, seeing this, longed to possess the meat himself, and by a wily stratagem succeeded. How handsome is the Crow, he exclaimed, in the beauty of her shape and in the fairness of her complexion! Oh, if her voice were only equal to her beauty, she would deservedly be considered the Queen of Birds! This he said deceitfully; but the Crow, anxious to refute the reflection cast upon her voice, set up a loud caw and dropped the flesh. The Fox quickly picked it up, and thus addressed the Crow: My good Crow, your voice is right enough, but your wit is wanting.

The Ass and His Shadow
A TRAVELER hired an Ass to convey him to a distant place. The
day read more

The Ass and His Shadow
A TRAVELER hired an Ass to convey him to a distant place. The
day being intensely hot, and the sun shining in its strength, the
Traveler stopped to rest, and sought shelter from the heat under
the Shadow of the Ass. As this afforded only protection for one,
and as the Traveler and the owner of the Ass both claimed it, a
violent dispute arose between them as to which of them had the
right to the Shadow. The owner maintained that he had let the
Ass only, and not his Shadow. The Traveler asserted that he had,
with the hire of the Ass, hired his Shadow also. The quarrel
proceeded from words to blows, and while the men fought, the Ass
galloped off.
In quarreling about the shadow we often lose the substance.

The Lioness
A controversy prevailed among the beasts of the field as to which of the animals deserved the most read more

The Lioness
A controversy prevailed among the beasts of the field as to which of the animals deserved the most credit for producing the greatest number of whelps at a birth. They rushed clamorously into the presence of the Lioness and demanded of her the settlement of the dispute. And you, they said, how many sons have you at a birth?' The Lioness laughed at them, and said: Why! I have only one; but that one is altogether a thoroughbred Lion.
The value is in the worth, not in the number.

The Piglet, the Sheep, and the Goat
A young pig was shut up in a fold-yard with a Goat and read more

The Piglet, the Sheep, and the Goat
A young pig was shut up in a fold-yard with a Goat and a Sheep. On one occasion when the shepherd laid hold of him, he grunted and squeaked and resisted violently. The Sheep and the Goat complained of his distressing cries, saying, He often handles us, and we do not cry out. To this the Pig replied, Your handling and mine are very different things. He catches you only for your wool, or your milk, but he lays hold on me for my very life.

The Kingdom of the Lion
THE beasts of the field and forest had a Lion as their king. He was read more

The Kingdom of the Lion
THE beasts of the field and forest had a Lion as their king. He was neither wrathful, cruel, nor tyrannical, but just and gentle as a king could be. During his reign he made a royal proclamation for a general assembly of all the birds and beasts, and drew up conditions for a universal league, in which the Wolf and the Lamb, the Panther and the Kid, the Tiger and the Stag, the Dog and the Hare, should live together in perfect peace and amity. The Hare said, Oh, how I have longed to see this day, in which the weak shall take their place with impunity by the side of the strong. And after the Hare said this, he ran for his life.

The Ass Carrying the Image
AN ASS once carried through the streets of a city a famous wooden
Image, read more

The Ass Carrying the Image
AN ASS once carried through the streets of a city a famous wooden
Image, to be placed in one of its Temples. As he passed along,
the crowd made lowly prostration before the Image. The Ass,
thinking that they bowed their heads in token of respect for
himself, bristled up with pride, gave himself airs, and refused
to move another step. The driver, seeing him thus stop, laid his
whip lustily about his shoulders and said, O you perverse
dull-head! it is not yet come to this, that men pay worship to an
Ass.
They are not wise who give to themselves the credit due to others.

The Lion in Love
A lion demanded the daughter of a woodcutter in marriage. The Father, unwilling to grant, and read more

The Lion in Love
A lion demanded the daughter of a woodcutter in marriage. The Father, unwilling to grant, and yet afraid to refuse his request, hit upon this expedient to rid himself of his importunities. He expressed his willingness to accept the Lion as the suitor of his daughter on one condition: that he should allow him to extract his teeth, and cut off his claws, as his daughter was fearfully afraid of both. The Lion cheerfully assented to the proposal. But when the toothless, clawless Lion returned to repeat his request, the Woodman, no longer afraid, set upon him with his club, and drove him away into the forest.