The Fables of Aesop

Home , Belling the Cat, The Fox and the Grapes, The Fox and the Lion, The Fox and the Mask, The Frog and the Ox, The Miser and his Gold

First published in 1894 First schocken edition published in 1966

Published in the United States by Schocken Books Inc., New York. Distributed by Pantheon Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 66-24908 ISBN 0-8052-0138-6 (paperback) l o Manufactured in the United States of America rof hild B98765432 P . F.J .C OF HARVARD PREFACE

T is difficult to say what are and what are not the Fables of Æsop. Almost all the , fables that have appeared in the Western world have been sheltered at one time or another under the shadow of that name. I could at any rate enumerate at least seven hundred which have appeared in English in various books entitled Æsop's Fables. L’Estrange’s collection alone contains over five hundred. In the struggle for existence among all these a certain number stand out as being the most effective and the most familiar. I have attempted to bring most of these into the following pages. PAGE A Short History of the Æsopic Fable XV

List of Fables . . xxiii

Æsop’s Fables . . . i

Notes . • J99

Index of Fables . 225 6 ■ -j <5)@(------

LIST OF FABLES

PAGE 1. The Cock and the Pearl . . . . 2 2. The Wolf and the Lamb . . . . 4 3. The Dog and the Shadow . . . . 7 4. The Lion’s Share . . . . . 8 5. The Wolf and the Crane . . . . 1 0 6. The Man and the Serpent . . . . 1 2 7. The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse . . 1 5 8. The Fox and the Crow . . . . 1 9 9. The Sick Lion . . . . . 2 3 10. The Ass and the Lap-Dog . . . . 2 4 11. The Lion and the Mouse . . . . 2 6 12. The Swallow and the other Birds . . . 2 8 13. The Frogs desiring a King . . . . 3 1 14. The Mountains in Labour . . . . 3 6 15. The Hares and the Frogs . . . . 3 8 16. The Wolf and the Kid . . . . 4 0 17. The Woodman and the Serpent . . . 4 3 18. The Bald Man and the Fly . . . . 4 7 19. The Fox and the Stork . . . . 5 0 20. The Fox and the Mask . . . . 5 2 ÆSOP’S FABLES LIST OF FABLES XXV PAGE 21. The Jay and the Peacock . . • -55 52. The Four Oxen and the Lion . . .122 22. The Frog and the Ox . . ■ -57 53. The Fisher and the Little Fish . . .124 23. Androcles . . . • . 6 0 54. Avaricious and Envious . . . .127 24. The Bat, the Birds, and the Beasts . . . 6 2 55. The Crow and the Pitcher . . . .129 25. The Hart and the Hunter . . . . 6 5 56. The Man and the Satyr . . . .131 26. The Serpent and the File . . • .67 57* The Goose with the Golden Eggs . . .134 27. The Man and the Wood . . . . 6 8 58. The Labourer and the Nightingale . . 138 28. The Dog and the Wolf . . .70 59. The Fox, the Cock, and the Dog . . . 140 29. The Belly and the Members . . . 7 2 60. The Wind and the Sun .... 142 30. The Hart in the Ox-Stall . . . * 74 61. Hercules and the Waggoner . . . ,145 31. The Fox and the Grapes . . • . 7 6 62. The Miser and his Gold .... 146 32. The Peacock and Juno . . • -79 63. The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey . . 149 33. The Horse, Hunter, and Stag . . . 8 0 64. The Fox and the Mosquitoes . . .152 34. The Fox and the Lion . . • 83 65. The Fox without a Tail . . . .154 35. The Lion and the Statue . . . 85 66. The One-Eyed Doe . . . . .156 36. The Ant and the Grasshopper . . . 8 6 67. Belling the Cat . . . . 159 37. The Tree and the Reed . . • . 8 8 68. The Hare and the Tortoise .... 162 38. The Fox and the Cat . . • • 91 69. The Old Man and Death . . . .164 39. The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing . . *93 70. The Hare with Many Friends . . .168 40. The Dog in the Manger . . • -97 71. The Lion in Love . . . .170 41. The Man and the Wooden God . . . 9 8 72. The Bundle of Sticks . . . 173 42. The Fisher ...••• 100 73. The Lion, the Fox, and the Beasts . . .174 43. The Shepherd’s Boy . • . .102 74. The Ass’s Brains . . . . .177 44. The Young Thief and his Mother . . .105 75. The Eagle and the Arrow . . . .179 45. The Man and his Two Wives . . •106 76. The Cat-Maiden . . . . .180 46. The Nurse and the Wolf . . • .109 77. The Milkmaid and her Pail . . . 183 47. The Tortoise and the Birds . . . .111 78. The Horse and the Ass . . . .185 48. The Two Crabs . . • • .114 79. The Trumpeter taken Prisoner . . .187 49. The Ass in the Lion’s Skin . . . .116 80. The Buffoon and the Countryman . . .189 50. The Two Fellows and the Bear . . .118 81. The Old Woman and the Wine-Jar . . .190 82. The Fox and the Goat .... 193 51. The Two Pots 120

Roman numbers refer lo the order of notes, Arabic to pages of text. A few proverbial expressions derived from fables are given in italics, with reference to the fables from which they are derived (see Notes). Cross references have been given for other titles of the fables.

A ndrocles, xxiii., 60 Eagle and Tortoise, see Tortoise and Ant and Grasshopper, xxxvi., 86 Birds Ass and Lapdog, x., 24 Ass in Lion’s skin, xlix., 116 F isher, xlii., 100 Ass’s Brains, lxxiv., 177 Fisher and Little Fish, liii., 124 Avaricious and Envious, liv., 127 Four Oxen and Lion, lii., 122 Fox and Cat, xxxviii., 91 B a ld M an a n d F l y , xviii., 47 Fox and Crow, viii., 19 Bat, Birds, and Beasts, xxiv., 62 Fox and Goat, lxxxii., 193 Belling the Cat, lxvii., 159 Fox and Grapes, xxxi., 76 Belly and Members, xxix., 72 Fox and Lion, xxxiv., 83 Blow hot and cold, see Man and Satyr Fox and Mask, xx., 52 Borrowed plumes, see Jay and Peacock Fox and Mosquitoes, lxiv., 152 Brass Pot and Earthenware Pot, see Fox and Stork, xix., 50 Two Pots Fox, Cock, and Dog, lix., 140 Buffoon and Countryman, Ixxx., 189 Fox without a Tail, lxv., 154 Bull and Frog, see Frog and Ox Frog and Ox, xxii., 57 Bundle of Sticks, lxxii., 173 Frogs and Hares, see Hares and Frogs Frogs desiring a King, xiii., 31 C a t -M a id e n , lxxvi., 180 Cock and Pearl, i., 2 G oose w it h t h e G olden E ggs, lvii., Countryman and Serpent, see Woodman *34 and Serpent Grapes are sour, see Fox and Grapes Crabs, see Two Crabs Crow and Pitcher, lv., 129 H ar e a n d T orto ise, lxviii., 162 Hare with many Friends, lxx., 168 D a w a n d P e aco ck s, see Jay and Pea Hares and Frogs, xv., 38 cocks Hart and Hunter, xxv., 65 Death and Old Man, see Old Man and Hart in Ox-stall, xxx., 74 Death Hercules and Waggoner, lxi., 145 Dog and Shadow, iii., 7 Horse and Ass, lxxviii., 185 Dog and Wolf, xxviii., 70 Horse, Hunter, and Stag, xxxiii., 80 Dog in Manger, xl., 97 J a y a n d P e aco ck, xxi., 55 Eagle and A rrow, lxxv., 179 Juno and Peacock, see Peacock and Juno ÆSOP’S FABLES

K id a n d W o lf, see W olf a n d K id Pitcher and Crow, see Crow and King Log and King Stork, see Frogs Pitcher desiring a King Put your shoulder to the wheel, see Hercules and Waggoner L abourer a n d N ig h t in g a l e , lviii., 138 Lapdog and Ass, see Ass and Lapdog Sa t y r a n d M a n , see M a n a n d S a t y r Lion and Mouse, xi., 26 Serpent and File, xxvi., 67 Lion and Statue, xxxv., 85 Shepherd Boy, xliii., 102 Lion, Fox, and Beasts, lxxiii., 174 Sick Lion, ix., 23 Lion in Love, lxxi., 170 Sun and Wind, see Wind and Sun Lion Sick, see Sick Lion Swallow and other Birds, xii., 28 Lion’s Share, iv., 8

T h ief a n d M oth er, see Y oung T hief M a n a n d Se r p e n t , vi., 12 Man and Satyr, lvi., 131 a n d M other Man and Two Wives, xlv., 106 To blow hot and cold, see Man and Satyr Man and Wood, xxvii., 68 To cry “ fVolf" see Shepherd Boy Man and Wooden God (statue), xli., To warm a serpent in your bosom, see Man 98 and Serpent Man, Axe, and Wood, see Man and Tortoise and Birds, xlvii., n 1 Wood Town Mouse and Country Mouse, vii., Man, Boy, and Donkey, lxiii., 149 Man, Lion, and Statue, see Lion and Travellers and Bear, see Two Fellows Statue and Bear Master's Eye, see Hart in Ox-stall Tree and Reed, xxxvii., 88 Mice in Council, see Belling the Cat Trumpeter taken Prisoner, lxxix., 187 Milkmaid and Pail, lxxvii., 183 Two Crabs, xlviii., 114 Miser and Gold, lxii., 146 Two Fellows and Bear, L, 118 Mountains in Labour, xiv., 36 Two Pots, li., 120 Mouse and Lion, see Lion and Mouse W aggoner a n d H ercules, see H ercules Nulla Vestigia retrorsum, see Lion, Fox, a n d W aggon er and Beasts Wind and Sun, lx., 142 Nurse and Wolf, xlvi., 109 “ W olf! ” see Shepherd Boy Wolf and Crane, v., 10 O a k a n d R eed, see T ree a n d R eed W olf and Dog, see Dog and W olf Old Man and Death, lxix., 164 Wolf and Kid, xvi., 40 Old Woman and Wine-jar, lxxxi., 190 W olf and Lamb, ii., 4 One-eyed Doe, lxvi., 156 W olf and Nurse, see Nurse and W olf Oxen and Lion, see Four Oxen and W olf in Sheep’s Clothing, xxxix., 93 Lion Woodman and Serpent, xvii., 43

P eacock a n d J uno, xxxii., 79 Y oung T h ief a n d M o t h e r , xliv., 105 Children’s Literature $7.95

The Fables o f A esop

Selected, Told Anew, and Their History Traced by Joseph Jacobs

Done into Pictures by Richard Heighway

This famous old edition of A esop, with its ever-charming illus trations that light up the pointed morals, is still the most readable one. Here is the essential A esop, to be transmitted across the generations, from parent to child. For these Fables are meant to be read aloud, with a child close beside to look at pictures and print. The old magic cannot help but work: we learn again, through imperishably naïve and clever stories, of the shifting but always discernible difference between what is right and what is wrong. Joseph Jacobs was an accomplished folklorist of the turn of the century. In his modest way, without troubling the reader with scholarly baggage (which he carried lightly), he gives us the vital old stuff as it was meant to be given—with wit and sparkle. The pictures by Richard Heighway are classics in the art of illustration. They convey the spirit of the text to the unlettered: the grotesque grace, the simple humor, the cruder vices, the subtle innocence.

Cover design by Ted Bernstein

Schocken Books, New York