'y La Fontaines \wQ COMPLETE FABLES Kh

Translated by Randolphr Paul Runyon' ,f/ La Fontaines, -AV COMPLETE FABLES in Modern Verse /■

Translated by Randolph Paul Runyon For Elizabeth

Two fables in Book 12, “Consoling the Widow” and “On a Mission from Hell,” taken from La Fontaine’s Complete Tales in Verse: An Illustrated and Annotated Translation ©2009 . Edited and translated by Randolph Paul Runyon, printed here by permission of McFarland & Com­ pany, Inc., Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640. www.mcfarlandpub.com. (In the McFarland book, they appear as “The Ephesian Matron” and “Belphegor.”)

Cover design by Stacey Castle Design, staceycastle.com Interior pages design/layout by Elizabeth S. Runyon

Printed by CreateSpace, An Amazon.com Company Available on Kindle

Contact Randolph Paul Runyon: [email protected] Contents

Translator’s Preface...... 2 To Monseigneur the Dauphin...... 6

THE FABLES Book 1

The Cicada and the Ant (1, 1)...... 7 The Crow and the Fox (1,2)...... 8 The Frog Who Wanted to Be as Big as a Bull (1, 3)...... 8 The Two Mules (1, 4)...... 11 The Wolf and the Dog (1, 5)...... 12 The Lion’s Share (1,6)...... 13 The Bag with Two Pouches (1, 7)...... 14 The Swallow and the Little Birds (1, 8)...... 15 The City Mouse and the Country Mouse (1,9)...... 16 The Wolfand the Lamb (1, 10)...... 17 The Man and His Mirror Image (1, 11)...... 18 A Tale of Two Dragons (1, 12)...... 19 The Thieves and the Ass (1, 13)...... 20 Simonides Saved by the Gods (1, 14)...... 21 Death and the Wretched Man (1, 15)...... 22 Death and the Woodcutter (1, 16)...... 23 The Bachelor and the Widows (1, 17)...... 24 (1, 18)...... T5 The Boy and the Schoolmaster (1, 19)...... LG The Rooster and the Pearl (1, 20)...... 27 The Hornets and the Honeybees (1,21)...... T7 (1, 22)...... 28

Book 2

Against the Hard to Please (2, 1)...... 30 The Rats Hold a Meeting (2, 2)...... 31

v THE COMPLETE FABLES

Wolf v. Fox Before His Honor the Ape (2, 3)...... 32 Two Bulls and a Frog (2, 4)...... 33 The Bat and the Two Weasels (2, 5)...... 34 The Bird Wounded by an Arrow (2, 6)...... 35 The Dog and Her Friend (2, 7)...... 35 The Eagle and the Beetle (2, 8)...... 36 The Lion and the Gnat (2, 9)...... 38 The Ass Carrying Sponges and the Ass Carrying Salt (2, 10)...... 39 The Lion and the Rat; the Pigeon and the Ant (2, 11and 12)...... 40 The Astrologer Who Fell Down a Well (2, 13)...... 42 The Hare and the Frogs (2, 14)...... 43 The Cock and the Fox (2, 15)...... 45 The Crow Trying to Imitate the Eagle (2, 16)...... 46 The Peacock Complaining to Juno (2, 17)...... 47 The Cat Who Was Turned into a Woman (2, 18)...... 47 The Lion and the Ass Go Hunting (2, 19)...... 48 Interprets a Will (2, 20)...... 49

Book 3

The Miller, His Son, and the Ass (3, 1)...... 51 The Belly and the Limbs (3, 2)...... 53 The Wolf Who Became a Shepherd (3,3)...... 55 The Frogs Who Wanted a King (3, 4)...... 56 The Fox and the Goat (3, 5)...... 57 The Eagle, the Wild Sow, and the Cat (3, 6)...... 58 The Drunkard and His Wife (3, 7)...... 59 Gout and the Spider (3, 8)...... 60 The Wolfand the Stork (3, 9)...... 61 The Lion Brought Down by the Man (3, 10)...... 62 (3, 11)...... 62 The Swan and the Cook (3, 12)...... 63 The Wolves and the Lambs (3, 13)...... 63 The Lion in Old Age (3, 14)...... 64 Philomel and Procne (3, 15)...... 65 The Wife Who Drowned (3, 16)...... 66 The Weasel Who Entered a Granary (3, 17)...... 67 The Cat and the Old Rat (3, 18)...... 68 vi JEAN DE LA FONTAINE

Book 4

The Lion in Love (4, 1)...... 71 The Shepherd and the Sea (4, 2)...... 71 The Fly and the Ant (4, 3)...... 73 The Gardener and His Lord (4, 4)...... 74 The Donkey and the Little Dog (4, 5)...... 76 The War of the Rats and the Weasels (4, 6)...... 77 The Ape and the Dolphin (4, 7)...... 78 The Man and the Wooden Idol (4, 8)...... 80 The Jay Bedecked with Peacock Feathers (4, 9)...... 80 The Camel and the Floating Sticks (4, 10)...... 81 The Frog and the Rat (4, 11)...... 82 The Tribute the Animals Sent to Alexander the Great (4, 12)...... 83 The Horse's Revenge on the Stag (4, 13)...... 86 The Fox and the Bust (4, 14)...... 87 The Wolf the Goat, and the Kid (4, 15)...... 88 The Wolf the Mother, and the Child (4, 16)...... 89 What Socrates Said (4, 17)...... 90 The Old Man and His Sons (4, 18)...... 90 The Oracle and the Unbeliever (4, 19)...... 92 The Miser Who Lost His Treasure (4, 20)...... 93 The Owner's Eye (4, 21)...... 94 The Lark and Her Young with the Owner of a Field (4, 22)...... 97

Book 5

Mercury and the Woodchopper (5, 1)...... 99 The Pot of Iron and the Pot of Clay (5, 2)...... 101 The Little Fish and the Fisherman (5, 3)...... 102 The Ears of the Hare (5, 4)...... 103 The Fox with His Tail Cut Off (5, 5)...... 104 The Old Woman and Her Two Servants (5, 6)...... 105 The Satyr and the Traveler (5, 7)...... 105 The Horse and the Wolf (5, 8)...... 106 The Plowman and His Children (5, 9)...... 108 The Mountain Giving Birth (5, 10)...... 109

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Fortune and the Child (5, 11)...... 109 TheDoctors(5,12)...... 110 The Hen Who Laid the Golden Eggs (5, 13)...... 1 10 The Ass Carrying Relics (5, 14)...... 110 The Stag and the Vine (5, 15)...... 111 The Snake and the File (5, 16)...... Ill The Hare and the Partridge (5, 17)...... 112 The Eagle and the Owl (5, 18)...... 113 The Lion Going Off to War (5, 19)...... 114 The Bear and the Two Friends (5, 20)...... 11 5 The Ass in the Lions Skin (5, 21)...... 116

Book 6

The Shepherd and the Lion (6, 1) / The Lion and the Hunter (6, 2)...... 117 The North Wind and the Sun (6, 3)...... 118 Jupiter and the Tenant Farmer (6, 4)...... 120 The Rooster, the Cat, and the Young Mouse (6, 5)...... 121 The Fox, the Monkey, and the Animals (6, 6)...... 123 The Mule Who Boasted of His Genealogy (6, 7)...... 124 The Old Man and the Ass (6, 8)...... 124 The Stag Seeing Himself in the Water (6, 9)...... 125 The Tortoise and the Hare (6, 10)...... 126 (6, 11)...... 127 The Sun and the Frogs (6, 12)...... 128 The Peasant and the Snake (6, 13)...... 128 The Sick Lion and the Fox (6, 14)...... 129 The Fowler, the Goshawk, and the Lark (6, 15)...... 130 The Horse and the Ass (6, 16)...... 131 The Dog Who Lost His Bone (6, 17)...... 131 The Driver Stuck in the Mud (6, 18)...... 132 The Charlatan (6, 19)...... 133 The Goddess of Discord (6, 20)...... 134 The Young Widow (6, 21)...... 135 Epilogue...... 136

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Book 7

To Mme de Montespan...... 138 The Animals Sickened by the Plague (7, 1)...... 139 The Unhappily Married Man (7, 2)...... 141 The Rat Who Retired from the World (7, 3)...... 142 The Heron—The Girl (7, 4)...... 144 The Wishes (7, 5)...... 146 In the Lion’s Court (7, 6)...... 147 The Vultures and the Pigeons (7, 7)...... 149 The Carriage and the Fly (7, 8)...... 150 The Milkmaid and the Jug of Milk (7,9)...... 151 The Curate and the Corpse (7, 10)...... 153 The Man Who Runs After Fortune and the Man Who Waits for Her in His Bed (7, 11)...... 154 The Two Cocks (7, 12)...... 157 The Ingratitude and Injustice ofMen Toward Fortune (7, 13).... 158 The Fortune-Tellers (7, 14)...... 160 The Cat, the Weasel, and the Rabbit (7, 15)...... 162 The Head and the Tail of the Snake (7, 16)...... 164 An Animal on the Moon (7, 17)...... 165

Book 8

Death and the Dying Man (8, 1)...... 168 The Cobbler and the Financier (8, 2)...... 169 The Lion, the Wolf, and the Fox (8, 3)...... 171 The Power of Fables (8, 4)...... 172 The Man and the Flea (8, 5)...... 174 Women and Secrets (8, 6)...... 175 The Dog with His Master’s Lunch (8, 7)...... 176 The Joker and the Fish (8, 8)...... 178 The Rat and the Oyster (8, 9)...... 178 The Bear and the Gardener (8, 10)...... 180 The Two Friends (8, 11)...... 181 The Pig, the Goat, and the Sheep (8, 12)...... 1 83 Thyrsis and Amaranth (8, 13)...... 184

ix THE COMPLETE FABLES

The Lioness’s Funeral (8, 14)...... 186 The Rat and the Elephant (8, 15)...... 188 The Horoscope (8, 16)...... 189 The Ass and the Dog (8, 17)...... 192 The Pasha and the Merchant (8, 18)...... 193 The Egghead’s Revenge (8, 19)...... 195 Jupiters’ Thunderbolts (8, 20)...... 197 The Falcon and the Capon (8, 21)...... 198 The Cat and the Rat (8, 22)...... 200 The Raging Torrent and the Peaceful River (8, 23)...... 201 Education (8, 24)...... 201 The Two Dogs and the Dead Ass (8, 25)...... 202 Democritus and the Abderites (8, 26)...... 204 The Wolfand the Hunter (8,27)...... 205

Book 9

The Faithless Trustee (9, 1)...... 208 The Two Doves (9, 2)...... 210 The Monkey and the Leopard (9, 3)...... 213 The Acorn and the Pumpkin (9, 4)...... 214 The Schoolboy, the Teacher, and the Owner of a Garden (9, 5J....215 The Sculptor and the Statue of Zeus (9, 6)...... 216 The Mouse Metamorphosed into a Girl (9, 7)...... 217 The Madman Selling Wisdom (9, 8)...... 218 The Oyster and the Litigants (9, 9)...... 219 The Wolf and the Scrawny Dog (9, 10)...... 220 Nothing to Excess (9, 11)...... 221 The Candle (9, 12)...... 222 Jupiter and the Traveler (9, 13)...... 223 The Cat and the Fox (9, 14)...... 224 The Husband, the Wife, and the Thief (9, 15)...... 225 The Treasure and the Two Men (9, 16)...... 226 (9, 17)...... 227 The Kite and the Nightingale (9, 18)...... 228 The Shepherd and His Flock (9, 19)...... 229 Address to Madame de La Sabliere...... 230 The Two Mice, the Fox, and the Egg...... 234

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Book 10

The Man and the Snake (10, 1)...... 237 The Turtle and the Ducks (10, 2)...... 240 The Fishes and the Cormorant (10, 3)...... 242 The Man Who Buried His Treasure (10, 4)...... 244 The Wolf and the Shepherds (10, 5)...... 245 The Spider and the Swallow (10, 6)...... 246 The Partridge and the Roosters (10, 7)...... 247 The Dog Whose Ears Had Been Cropped (10, 8)...... 248 The Shepherd and the King (10, 9)...... 250 The Singing Shepherd and the Fishes (10, 10)...... 252 The Two Parrots, the King, and His Son (10, 11)...... 253 The Lioness and the She-Bear (10, 12)...... 255 The Two Adventurers and the Talisman (10, 13)...... 256 Address to Monsieur le Due de La Rochefoucauld (10, 14)...... 258 The Merchant, the Nobleman, the Shepherd, and the Son of a King (10, 15)...... 260

Book 11

The Lion (11, 1)...... 262 The Gods Wanting to Instruct a Son ofJupiter ’s (11, 2)...... 264 The Farmer, the Dog, and the Fox (11, 3)...... 266 The Mogul’s Dream (11, 4)...... 268 The Lion, the Monkey and the Two Asses (11, 5)...... 269 The Wolfand the Fox (11,6)...... 271 The Peasant from the Danube (11, 7)...... 273 The Old Man and the Three Youths (11, 8)...... 276 The Mice and the Owl (11, 9)...... ITT Epilogue...... ITO

xi THE COMPLETE FABLES

Book 12

Ulysses’ Companions (12, 1)...... 280 The Cat and the Two Sparrows (12, 2)...... 283 The Miser and the Ape (12, 3)...... 284 The Two Nanny Goats (12, 4)...... 286 To Monseigneur the Duke of Burgundy...... 287 The Old Cat and the Young Mouse (12, 5)...... 288 The Ailing Stag (12, 6)...... 290 The Bat, the Bush, and the Duck (12, 7)...... 291 The Quarrel Between the Dogs and the Cats and That of the Cats with the Mice (12, 8)...... 292 The Fox and the Wolf(12, 9)...... 293 The Crayfish and Her Daughter (12, 10)...... 296 The Magpie and the Eagle (12, 11)...... 297 The Kite, the King, and the Hunter (12, 12)...... 298 The Fox, the Flies, and the Hedgehog (12, 13)...... 302 Love and Folly (12, 14)...... 303 The Crow, the Gazelle, the Tortoise and the Rat (12, 15)...... 304 The Forest and the Woodsman (12, 16)...... 307 The Fox, the Wolf, and the Horse (12, 17)...... 308 The Fox and the Young Turkeys (12, 18)...... 309 The Ape (12, 19)...... 310 The Scythian Philosopher (12, 20)...... 310 The Elephant and Jupiter’s Ape (12, 21)...... 312 The Wise Man and the Fool (12, 22)...... 314 The English Fox (12, 23)...... 314 Daphnis and Alcimadure (12, 24)...... 316 Philemon and Baucis (12, 25)...... 318 Consoling the Widow (12, 26)...... 324 On a Mission from Hell (12, 27)...... 330 The Daughters ofMineas (12, 28)...... 338 The Arbiter, the Hospitaler, and the Hermit (12, 29)...... 356

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