本文 A FRIENDLY Collier meeting one day with a Fuller, an old acquaintance of his, kindly invited him to come and share his house. "A thousand thanks for your civility," replied the Fuller; "but I am rather afraid that as fast as I make an…

本文 THE Lion, the Ass, and the Fox went hunting together, and it was agreed that whatever was taken should be shared between them. They caught a large fat Stag, which the Lion ordered the Ass to divide. The Ass took a deal of pains to div…

本文 A WOLF devoured his prey so ravenously that a bone. stuck in his throat, giving him great pain. pain. He ran howling up and down, and offered to reward handsomely any one who would pull it out. A Crane, moved by pity as well as by the…

本文 A LION fell in love with the fair daughter of a forester, and demanded her of her father in marriage. The man durst not refuse, though he would gladly have done so; but he told the Lion that his daughter was so young and delicate, tha…

本文 A KITE who had been ill for a long time, begged of his mother to go to all the temples in the country, and see what prayers and promises could do for his recovery. The old Kite replied, "My son, unless you can think of an altar that n…

本文 THE Hares once took serious counsel among themselves whether death itself would not be preferable to their miser able condition. "What a sad state is ours," they said, "never to eat in comfort, to sleep ever in fear, to be startled by…

本文 A JACKDAW seeing how well some Pigeons in a certain dove-cote fed, and how happily they lived together, wished much to join them. With this view he whitened his feathers, and slipped in one evening just as it was getting dark. As long…

本文 A CALF, full of play and wantonness, seeing an Ox at the plough, could not forbear insulting him. "What a sorry poor drudge are you," said he, "to bear that heavy yoke upon your neck, and with a plough at your tail ail day,to go turni…

本文 THE Leopard one day, in the hearing of the Fox, was very loud in the praise of his own beautifully spotted skin. The Fox thereupon told him that, handsome as he might be, he considered that he himself was yet a great deal handsomer. "…

本文 A PRODIGAL young fellow, who had run through all his money, and even sold all his outer clothes except his cloak, seeing a Swallow skimming over the meadows one fine day in the early spring, believed that summer was really come, and s…

本文 A MAN was one day entertaining a lot of fellows in an ale-house with an account of the wonders he had done when abroad on his travels. "I was once at Rhodes," said he, "and the people of Rhodes, you know, are famous for jumping Well, …

本文 A CERTAIN man had two children, a boy and a girl. The lad was a handsome young fellow enough, but the girl was as plain as a girl can well be. The latter, provoked beyond endurance by the way in which her Brother looked in the glass a…

本文 IT is said that the Mouse spoken of in the last Fable was so emboldened by the offers of friendship made to him by the Lion in return for his assistance, that he asked for the hand of his daughter in marriage. The Lion, amused at the …

本文 A LION, tired with the chase, lay sleeping at full length under a shady tree. Some Mice scrambling over him while he slept, awoke him. Laying his paw upon one of them, he was about to crush him, but the Mouse implored his mercy in suc…

本文 A CERTAIN man had a Dog which worried so many people, that he was obliged to fasten a heavy clog about his neck to stop him from such sport in future. This the stupid cur took to be a mark of honourable distinction, and grew so vain i…

本文 A DISPUTE once arose between the North Wind and the Sun as to which was the stronger of the two. Seeing a traveller on his way, they agreed to try which could the sooner get his cloak off him. The North Wind began, and sent a furious …

本文 A FROG one day peeping out of a lake, saw two Bulls fighting at some distance off in the meadow. Calling to his companions, "My dear friends," said he, "whatever will become of us?" "Why, what are you frightened at?" asked one of the …

本文 In a country where men could have more than one wife, a certain man, whose head was fast becoming white, had two, one a little older than himself, and one much younger. The young Wife, being of a gay and lively turn, did not want peop…

本文 A VILLAGER, one frosty day in the depth of winter, found a Snake under a hedge almost dead with the cold. Having pity on the poor creature, he brought it home, and laid it on the hearth near the fire. Revived by the heat, it reared it…

本文 A MAN and a Lion once argued together as to which belonged to the nobler race. The former called the attention of the Lion to a monument on which was sculptured a Man striding over a vanquished Lion. "That proves nothing at all," said…

本文 A CERTAIN Knight, who wore a wig to conceal his baldness, was out hunting one day. wind carried away his wig, and showed his bald pate. His friends all laughed heartily at the odd figure he made, but the old fellow, so far from being …

本文 A KITE that had kept sailing around a dove-cote for many days to no purpose, was forced by hunger to have recourse to stratagem. Approaching the Pigeons in his gentlest manner, he tried to show them how much better their state would b…

本文 THE Members of the Body once rebelled against the Belly, who, they said, led an idle, lazy life at their expense. The Hands declared that they would not again lift a crust even to keep him from starving, the Mouth that it would not ta…

本文 A NIGHTINGALE once fell into the clutches of a hungry Hawk who had been all day on the look-out for food. Pray let me go," said the Nightingale, " I am such a mite for a stomach like yours. I sing so nicely too. Do let me go, it will …

本文 AN OX grazing in a meadow, chanced to set his foot on a young Frog and crushed him to death. His brothers and sisters, who were playing near, at once ran to tell their mother what had happened. " The monster that did it, mother, was s…

本文 A STAG, hard pressed by the hounds, ran for shelter into an ox-stall, the door of which was open. One of the Oxen turned round, and asked him why he came to such a place as that, where he would be sure to be taken. The Stag replied th…

本文 An Ant and a Fly one day disputed as to their respective merits. " Vile creeping insect!" said the Fly to the Ant, " can you for a moment compare yourself with me? I soar on the wing like a bird. I enter the palaces of kings, and alig…

本文 A DOG, bearing in his mouth a piece of meat that he had stolen, was crossing a smooth stream by means of a plank. Looking in, he saw what he took to be another dog carrying another piece of meat. Snapping greedily to get this as well,…

本文 A CERTAIN house was much infested by Mice; the owner brought home a Cat, a famous mouser, who soon made such havoc among the little folk, that those who remained resolved they would never leave the upper shelves. The Cat grew hungry a…

本文 THE Peacock complained to Juno that while every one laughed at his voice, an insignificant creature like the Nightingale had a note that delighted everybody. Juno, angry at the unreasonableness of her favourite bird, scolded him in th…