Two Travelers were walking along the seash.o.r.e. Far out they saw something riding on the waves.
"Look," said one, "a great ship rides in from distant lands, bearing rich treasures!"
The object they saw came ever nearer the sh.o.r.e.
"No," said the other, "that is not a treasure ship. That is some fisherman"s skiff, with the day"s catch of savoury fish."
Still nearer came the object. The waves washed it up on sh.o.r.e.
"It is a chest of gold lost from some wreck," they cried. Both Travelers rushed to the beach, but there they found nothing but a water-soaked log.
_Do not let your hopes carry you away from reality._
[Ill.u.s.tration]
THE WOLF AND THE LION
A Wolf had stolen a Lamb and was carrying it off to his lair to eat it. But his plans were very much changed when he met a Lion, who, without making any excuses, took the Lamb away from him.
The Wolf made off to a safe distance, and then said in a much injured tone:
"You have no right to take my property like that!"
The Lion looked back, but as the Wolf was too far away to be taught a lesson without too much inconvenience, he said:
"Your property? Did you buy it, or did the Shepherd make you a gift of it? Pray tell me, how did you get it?"
_What is evil won is evil lost._
[Ill.u.s.tration]
THE STAG AND HIS REFLECTION
A Stag, drinking from a crystal spring, saw himself mirrored in the clear water. He greatly admired the graceful arch of his antlers, but he was very much ashamed of his spindling legs.
"How can it be," he sighed, "that I should be cursed with such legs when I have so magnificent a crown."
At that moment he scented a panther and in an instant was bounding away through the forest. But as he ran his wide-spreading antlers caught in the branches of the trees, and soon the Panther overtook him. Then the Stag perceived that the legs of which he was so ashamed would have saved him had it not been for the useless ornaments on his head.
_We often make much of the ornamental and despise the useful._
THE PEAc.o.c.k
The Peac.o.c.k, they say, did not at first have the beautiful feathers in which he now takes so much pride. These, Juno, whose favorite he was, granted to him one day when he begged her for a train of feathers to distinguish him from the other birds. Then, decked in his finery, gleaming with emerald, gold, purple, and azure, he strutted proudly among the birds. All regarded him with envy. Even the most beautiful pheasant could see that his beauty was surpa.s.sed.
Presently the Peac.o.c.k saw an Eagle soaring high up in the blue sky and felt a desire to fly, as he had been accustomed to do.
Lifting his wings he tried to rise from the ground. But the weight of his magnificent train held him down. Instead of flying up to greet the first rays of the morning sun or to bathe in the rosy light among the floating clouds at sunset, he would have to walk the ground more enc.u.mbered and oppressed than any common barnyard fowl.
_Do not sacrifice your freedom for the sake of pomp and show._
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE PEAc.o.c.k]
[Ill.u.s.tration]
THE MICE AND THE WEASELS
The Weasels and the Mice were always up in arms against each other. In every battle the Weasels carried off the victory, as well as a large number of the Mice, which they ate for dinner next day. In despair the Mice called a council, and there it was decided that the Mouse army was always beaten because it had no leaders. So a large number of generals and commanders were appointed from among the most eminent Mice.
To distinguish themselves from the soldiers in the ranks, the new leaders proudly bound on their heads lofty crests and ornaments of feathers or straw. Then after long preparation of the Mouse army in all the arts of war, they sent a challenge to the Weasels.
The Weasels accepted the challenge with eagerness, for they were always ready for a fight when a meal was in sight. They immediately attacked the Mouse army in large numbers. Soon the Mouse line gave way before the attack and the whole army fled for cover. The privates easily slipped into their holes, but the Mouse leaders could not squeeze through the narrow openings because of their head-dresses. Not one escaped the teeth of the hungry Weasels.
_Greatness has its penalties._
THE WOLF AND THE LEAN DOG
A Wolf prowling near a village one evening met a Dog. It happened to be a very lean and bony Dog, and Master Wolf would have turned up his nose at such meager fare had he not been more hungry than usual. So he began to edge toward the Dog, while the Dog backed away.
"Let me remind your lordship," said the Dog, his words interrupted now and then as he dodged a snap of the Wolf"s teeth, "how unpleasant it would be to eat me now. Look at my ribs. I am nothing but skin and bone. But let me tell you something in private. In a few days my master will give a wedding feast for his only daughter. You can guess how fine and fat I will grow on the sc.r.a.ps from the table. _Then_ is the time to eat me."
The Wolf could not help thinking how nice it would be to have a fine fat Dog to eat instead of the scrawny object before him. So he went away pulling in his belt and promising to return.
Some days later the Wolf came back for the promised feast. He found the Dog in his master"s yard, and asked him to come out and be eaten.
"Sir," said the Dog, with a grin, "I shall be delighted to have you eat me. I"ll be out as soon as the porter opens the door."
But the "porter" was a huge Dog whom the Wolf knew by painful experience to be very unkind toward wolves. So he decided not to wait and made off as fast as his legs could carry him.