her voice, eagerly flew up. The Owl came forth from her hollow,

seized her, and put her to death.
The Monkey and the Camel

THE BEASTS of the forest gave a splendid entertainment at which
the Monkey stood up and danced. Having vastlydelighted the

assembly, he sat down amidstuniversalapplause. The Camel,
envious of the praises bestowed on the Monkey and desiring to

divert to himself the favor of the guests, proposed to stand up
in his turn and dance for their amusement. He moved about in so

utterly ridiculous a manner that the Beasts, in a fit of
indignation, set upon him with clubs and drove him out of the

assembly.
It is absurd to ape our betters.

The Peasant and the Apple-Tree
A PEASANT had in his garden an Apple-Tree which bore no fruit but

only served as a harbor for the sparrows and grasshoppers. He
resolved to cut it down, and taking his axe in his hand, made a

bold stroke at its roots. The grasshoppers and sparrows
entreated him not to cut down the tree that sheltered them, but

to spare it, and they would sing to him and lighten his labors.
He paid no attention to their request, but gave the tree a second

and a third blow with his axe. When he reached the hollow of the
tree, he found a hive full of honey. Having tasted the

honeycomb, he threw down his axe, and looking on the tree as
sacred, took great care of it.

Self-interest alone moves some men.
The Two Soldiers and the Robber

TWO SOLDIERS traveling together were set upon by a Robber. The
one fled away; the other stood his ground and defended himself

with his stout right hand. The Robber being slain, the timid
companion ran up and drew his sword, and then, throwing back his

traveling cloak said, "I'll at him, and I'll take care he shall
learn whom he has attacked." On this, he who had fought with the

Robber made answer, "I only wish that you had helped me just now,
even if it had been only with those words, for I should have been

the more encouraged, believing them to be true; but now put up
your sword in its sheath and hold your equallyuseless tongue,

till you can deceive others who do not know you. I, indeed, who
have experienced with what speed you run away, know right well

that no dependence can be placed on your valor."
The Trees Under the Protection of the Gods

THE GODS, according to an ancient legend, made choice of certain
trees to be under their special protection. Jupiter chose the

oak, Venus the myrtle, Apollo the laurel, Cybele the pine, and
Hercules the poplar. Minerva, wondering why they had preferred

trees not yielding fruit, inquired the reason for their choice.
Jupiter replied, "It is lest we should seem to covet the honor

for the fruit." But said Minerva, "Let anyone say what he will
the olive is more dear to me on account of its fruit." Then said

Jupiter, "My daughter, you are rightly called wise; for unless
what we do is useful, the glory of it is vain."

The Mother and the Wolf
A FAMISHED WOLF was prowling about in the morning in search of

food. As he passed the door of a cottage built in the forest, he
heard a Mother say to her child, "Be quiet, or I will throw you

out of the window, and the Wolf shall eat you." The Wolf sat all
day waiting at the door. In the evening he heard the same woman

fondling her child and saying: "You are quiet now, and if the
Wolf should come, we will kill him." The Wolf, hearing these

words, went home, gasping with cold and hunger. When he reached
his den, Mistress Wolf inquired of him why he returned wearied

and supperless, so contrary to his wont. He replied: "Why,
forsooth!

use I gave credence to the words of a woman!"
The Ass and the Horse

AN ASS besought a Horse to spare him a small portion of his feed.
"Yes," said the Horse; "if any remains out of what I am now

eating I will give it you for the sake of my own superior
dignity, and if you will come when I reach my own stall in the

evening, I will give you a little sack full of barley." The Ass
replied, "Thank you. But I can't think that you, who refuse me a

little matter now. will by and by confer on me a greater
benefit."

Truth and the Traveler
A WAYFARING MAN, traveling in the desert, met a woman standing

alone and terriblydejected. He inquired of her, "Who art thou?"
"My name is Truth," she replied. "And for what cause," he asked,

"have you left the city to dwell alone here in the wilderness?"
She made answer, "Because in former times, falsehood was with

few, but is now with all men."
The Manslayer

A MAN committed a murder, and was pursued by the relations of the
man whom he murdered. On his reaching the river Nile he saw a

Lion on its bank and being fearfully afraid, climbed up a tree.
He found a serpent in the upper branches of the tree, and again

being greatly alarmed, he threw himself into the river, where a
crocodile caught him and ate him. Thus the earth, the air, and

the water alike refused shelter to a murderer.
The Lion and the Fox

A FOX entered into partnership with a Lion on the pretense of
becoming his servant. Each undertook his proper duty in

accordance with his own nature and powers. The Fox discovered
and pointed out the prey; the Lion sprang on it and seized it.

The Fox soon became jealous of the Lion carrying off the Lion's
share, and said that he would no longer find out the prey, but

would capture it on his own account. The next day he attempted
to snatch a lamb from the fold, but he himself fell prey to the

huntsmen and hounds.
The Lion and the Eagle

AN EAGLE stayed his flight and entreated a Lion to make an
alliance with him to their mutualadvantage. The Lion replied,

"I have no objection, but you must excuse me for requiring you to
find surety for your good faith, for how can I trust anyone as a

friend who is able to fly away from his bargainwhenever he
pleases?'

Try before you trust.
The Hen and the Swallow

A HEN finding the eggs of a viper and carefully keeping them
warm, nourished them into life. A Swallow, observing what she

had done, said, "You silly creature! why have you hatched these
vipers which, when they shall have grown, will inflictinjury on

all, beginning with yourself?'
The Buffoon and the Countryman

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