Aesop's Fables - new translation

<SPAN name="THE_FOX_AND_THE_GOAT"></SPAN> <h2>THE FOX AND THE GOAT</h2> <br/> <p>A Fox fell into a well and was unable to get out again. By and by a thirsty Goat came by, and seeing the Fox in the well asked him if the water was good. "Good?" said the Fox, "it's the best water I ever tasted in all my life. Come down and try it yourself." The Goat thought of nothing but the prospect of quenching his thirst, and jumped in at once. When he had had enough to drink, he looked about, like the Fox, for some way of getting out, but could find none. Presently the Fox said, "I have an idea. You stand on your hind legs, and plant your forelegs firmly against the side of the well, and then I'll climb on to your back, and, from there, by stepping on your horns, I can get out. And when I'm out, I'll help you out too." The Goat did as he was requested, and the Fox climbed on to his back and so out of the well; and then he coolly walked away. The Goat called loudly after him and reminded him of his promise to help him out: but the Fox merely turned and said, "If you had as much sense in your head as you have hair in your beard you wouldn't have got into the well without making certain that you could get out again."</p> <p class="adage">Look before your leap.</p> <br/> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="THE_FISHERMAN_AND_THE_SPRAT"></SPAN> <h2>THE FISHERMAN AND THE SPRAT</h2> <br/> <p>A Fisherman cast his net into the sea, and when he drew it up again it contained nothing but a single Sprat that begged to be put back into the water. "I'm only a little fish now," it said, "but I shall grow big one day, and then if you come and catch me again I shall be of some use to you." But the Fisherman replied, "Oh, no, I shall keep you now I've got you: if I put you back, should I ever see you again? Not likely!"</p> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="THE_BOASTING_TRAVELLER"></SPAN> <h2>THE BOASTING TRAVELLER</h2> <br/> <p>A Man once went abroad on his travels, and when he came home he had wonderful tales to tell of the things he had done in foreign countries. Among other things, he said he had taken part in a jumping-match at Rhodes, and had done a wonderful jump which no one could beat. "Just go to Rhodes and ask them," he said; "every one will tell you it's true." But one of those who were listening said, "If you can jump as well as all that, we needn't go to Rhodes to prove it. Let's just imagine this is Rhodes for a minute: and now&mdash;jump!"</p> <p class="adage">Deeds, not words.</p> <br/> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="THE_CRAB_AND_HIS_MOTHER"></SPAN> <h2>THE CRAB AND HIS MOTHER</h2> <br/> <div class="figcenter"><SPAN href= "images/04crab.jpg" name="04crab"><ANTIMG src="images/04-tcrab.jpg" alt="THE CRAB AND HIS MOTHER"></SPAN></div> <p>An Old Crab said to her son, "Why do you walk sideways like that, my son? You ought to walk straight." The Young Crab replied, "Show me how, dear mother, and I'll follow your example." The Old Crab tried, but tried in vain, and then saw how foolish she had been to find fault with her child.</p> <p class="adage">Example is better than precept.</p> <br/> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="THE_ASS_AND_HIS_SHADOW"></SPAN> <h2>THE ASS AND HIS SHADOW</h2> <br/> <p>A certain man hired an Ass for a journey in summertime, and started out with the owner following behind to drive the beast. By and by, in the heat of the day, they stopped to rest, and the traveller wanted to lie down in the Ass's Shadow; but the owner, who himself wished to be out of the sun, wouldn't let him do that; for he said he had hired the Ass only, and not his Shadow: the other maintained that his bargain secured him complete control of the Ass for the time being. From words they came to blows; and while they were belabouring each other the Ass took to his heels and was soon out of sight.</p> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="THE_FARMER_AND_HIS_SONS"></SPAN> <h2>THE FARMER AND HIS SONS</h2> <br/> <p>A Farmer, being at death's door, and desiring to impart to his Sons a secret of much moment, called them round him and said, "My sons, I am shortly about to die; I would have you know, therefore, that in my vineyard there lies a hidden treasure. Dig, and you will find it." As soon as their father was dead, the Sons took spade and fork and turned up the soil of the vineyard over and over again, in their search for the treasure which they supposed to lie buried there. They found none, however: but the vines, after so thorough a digging, produced a crop such as had never before been seen.</p> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="THE_DOG_AND_THE_COOK"></SPAN> <h2>THE DOG AND THE COOK</h2> <br/> <p>A rich man once invited a number of his friends and acquaintances to a banquet. His dog thought it would be a good opportunity to invite another Dog, a friend of his; so he went to him and said, "My master is giving a feast: there'll be a fine spread, so come and dine with me to-night." The Dog thus invited came, and when he saw the preparations being made in the kitchen he said to himself, "My word, I'm in luck: I'll take care to eat enough to-night to last me two or three days." At the same time he wagged his tail briskly, by way of showing his friend how delighted he was to have been asked. But just then the Cook caught sight of him, and, in his annoyance at seeing a strange Dog in the kitchen, caught him up by the hind legs and threw him out of the window. He had a nasty fall, and limped away as quickly as he could, howling dismally. Presently some other dogs met him, and said, "Well, what sort of a dinner did you get?" To which he replied, "I had a splendid time: the wine was so good, and I drank so much of it, that I really don't remember how I got out of the house!"</p> <p class="adage">Be shy of favours bestowed at the expense of others.</p> <br/> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="THE_MONKEY_AS_KING"></SPAN> <h2>THE MONKEY AS KING</h2> <br/> <p>At a gathering of all the animals the Monkey danced and delighted them so much that they made him their King. The Fox, however, was very much disgusted at the promotion of the Monkey: so having one day found a trap with a piece of meat in it, he took the Monkey there and said to him, "Here is a dainty morsel I have found, sire; I did not take it myself, because I thought it ought to be reserved for you, our King. Will you be pleased to accept it?" The Monkey made at once for the meat and got caught in the trap. Then he bitterly reproached the Fox for leading him into danger; but the Fox only laughed and said, "O Monkey, you call yourself King of the Beasts and haven't more sense than to be taken in like that!"</p> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="THE_THIEVES_AND_THE_COCK"></SPAN> <h2>THE THIEVES AND THE COCK</h2> <div class="figcenter"><SPAN href="images/076.jpg" name="076"><ANTIMG src="images/076.jpg" alt="THE THIEVES AND THE COCK"></SPAN></div> <p>Some Thieves broke into a house, and found nothing worth taking except a Cock, which they seized and carried off with them. When they were preparing their supper, one of them caught up the Cock, and was about to wring his neck, when he cried out for mercy and said, "Pray do not kill me: you will find me a most useful bird, for I rouse honest men to their work in the morning by my crowing." But the Thief replied with some heat, "Yes, I know you do, making it still harder for us to get a livelihood. Into the pot you go!"</p> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="THE_FARMER_AND_FORTUNE"></SPAN> <h2>THE FARMER AND FORTUNE</h2> <br/> <p>A Farmer was ploughing one day on his farm when he turned up a pot of golden coins with his plough. He was overjoyed at his discovery, and from that time forth made an offering daily at the shrine of the Goddess of the Earth. Fortune was displeased at this, and came to him and said, "My man, why do you give Earth the credit for the gift which I bestowed upon you? You never thought of thanking me for your good luck; but should you be unlucky enough to lose what you have gained I know very well that I, Fortune, should then come in for all the blame."</p> <p class="adage">Show gratitude where gratitude is due.</p> <br/> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="JUPITER_AND_THE_MONKEY"></SPAN> <h2>JUPITER AND THE MONKEY</h2> <br/> <p>Jupiter issued a proclamation to all the beasts, and offered a prize to the one who, in his judgment, produced the most beautiful offspring. Among the rest came the Monkey, carrying a baby monkey in her arms, a hairless, flat-nosed little fright. When they saw it, the gods all burst into peal on peal of laughter; but the Monkey hugged her little one to her, and said, "Jupiter may give the prize to whomsoever he likes: but I shall always think my baby the most beautiful of them all."</p> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="FATHER_AND_SONS"></SPAN> <h2>FATHER AND SONS</h2> <br/> <p>A certain man had several Sons who were always quarrelling with one another, and, try as he might, he could not get them to live together in harmony. So he determined to convince them of their folly by the following means. Bidding them fetch a bundle of sticks, he invited each in turn to break it across his knee. All tried and all failed: and then he undid the bundle, and handed them the sticks one by one, when they had no difficulty at all in breaking them. "There, my boys," said he, "united you will be more than a match for your enemies: but if you quarrel and separate, your weakness will put you at the mercy of those who attack you."</p> <p class="adage">Union is strength.</p> <br/> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="THE_LAMP"></SPAN> <h2>THE LAMP</h2> <br/> <p>A Lamp, well filled with oil, burned with a clear and steady light, and began to swell with pride and boast that it shone more brightly than the sun himself. Just then a puff of wind came and blew it out. Some one struck a match and lit it again, and said, "You just keep alight, and never mind the sun. Why, even the stars never need to be relit as you had to be just now."</p> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="THE_OWL_AND_THE_BIRDS"></SPAN> <h2>THE OWL AND THE BIRDS</h2> <div class="figleft"><SPAN href="images/080.jpg" name="080"><ANTIMG src= "images/080t.jpg" alt="THE OWL AND THE BIRDS"></SPAN></div> <p>The Owl is a very wise bird; and once, long ago, when the first oak sprouted in the forest, she called all the other Birds together and said to them, "You see this tiny tree? If you take my advice, you will destroy it now when it is small: for when it grows big, the mistletoe will appear upon it, from which birdlime will be prepared for your destruction." Again, when the first flax was sown, she said to them, "Go and eat up that seed, for it is the seed of the flax, out of which men will one day make nets to catch you." Once more, when she saw the first archer, she warned the Birds that he was their deadly enemy, who would wing his arrows with their own feathers and shoot them. But they took no notice of what she said: in fact, they thought she was rather mad, and laughed at her. When, however, everything turned out as she had foretold, they changed their minds and conceived a great respect for her wisdom. Hence, whenever she appears, the Birds attend upon her in the hope of hearing something that may be for their good. She, however, gives them advice no longer, but sits moping and pondering on the folly of her kind.</p> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <SPAN name="THE_ASS_IN_THE_LION'S_SKIN"></SPAN> <h2>THE ASS IN THE LION'S SKIN</h2> <div class="figcenter"><SPAN href="images/082.jpg" name="082"><ANTIMG src="images/082t.jpg" alt="THE ASS IN THE LION'S SKIN"></SPAN></div> <br/> <p>An Ass found a Lion's Skin, and dressed himself up in it. Then he went about frightening every one he met, for they all took him to be a lion, men and beasts alike, and took to their heels when they saw him coming. Elated by the success of his trick, he loudly brayed in triumph. The Fox heard him, and recognised him at once for the Ass he was, and said to him, "Oho, my friend, it's you, is it? I, too, should have been afraid if I hadn't heard your voice."</p> <br/> <br/> <hr> <br/> <br/> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />