’S LIPPINCOTT CLASSICS FABLES FROM THE TRANSLATIONS OF THOMAS

JAMES AND GEORGE TYLER TOWNSEND AESOP’S FABLES

INTRODUCTION BY ANGELO PATRI

ILLUSTRATED BY GLEN ROUNDS

J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY, PHILADELPHIA

JEFFERSON SCHOOL LIBRARY SAN LEANDRO, CALIFORNIA COPYRIGHT FOR INTRODUCTION AND ILLUSTRATIONS, 1949, BY

J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY. PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF

AMERICA, BY THE POLYGRAPHIC COMPANY; BOUND

BY H. WOLFF. DESIGNED BY HELEN GENTRY. INTRODUCTION

ON LY one other book holds more truth, and love of people, than Aesop’s Fables and that is the Bible. Long before the Bible was printed, the Fables were being passed from neighbor to neighbor, from parents to children, an unwritten code of behavior, a storehouse of wisdom garnered by generations. A fable is a brief story—about animals or men or both —told with the purpose of pointing out a truth and that truth or moral is often stated quite frankly at the end of the story. Profound observations about human nature are thus presented in a nutshell in such fables as the story of the fox who said the grapes were sour because he could not reach them; the shepherd boy who at last cried, “ Wolf! wolf!” in vain; the dog in the manger who would not allow the ass to eat the hay that he did not want himself. These tales have become household say­ ings, frequently quoted by all of us when the behavior of our friends or enemies calls them to mind. Possibly many of the animal tales that later became fables had their origin in unwritten folklore but when they were written down in the form of fables—stories told with the purpose of pointing a moral—it was by philosophers and scholars who used them deliberately vii TABLE OF CONTENTS A B cont. The Angler and the Little The Blackamoor 122 Fish 40 The Blind Man and the The Ant and the Dove 55 Whelp 29 The Ass and his Driver 81 The Boasting Traveller 111 27 The Bold Kid and the The Ass and his Purchaser 142 Wolf 146 The Ass and the Frogs 46 The Bowman and the Lion 117 The Ass and the Grasshop­ The Boy and the Scorpion 127 pers 40 The Boy Bathing 79 The Ass and the Lap-Dog 152 The Brazier and his Dog 80 The Ass and the Wolf 47 The Bull and the Goat 29 The Ass Carrying Salt 160 The Bundle of Sticks 20 The Ass in the Lion’s Skin 45 c The Ass’s Shadow 27 The Camel 146 The Ass, the Cock and the The Cat and the Mice 113 Lion 39 The Charger and the Ass 46 The Ass, the Fox and the The Collier and the Fuller 127 Lion 162 The Countryman and the The Astronomer 80 Snake no B The Country Mouse and The Bald Knight 56 the Town Mouse 4 The Bat and the Weasels 108 The Crab and her Mother 20 The Bear and the Fox 69 The Crab and the Fox 59 The Belly and the Members 128 The Creaking Wheels 158 The Birdcatcher and the Lark 11 The Crow and Mercury 38 XI C cont. F cont. The Crow and the Raven 82 The Farmer and the Dogs 61 The Crow and the Serpent 28 The Farmer and the Lion 102 D The Farthing Rushlight 7 The Fawn and his Mother 121 The Dancing Monkeys 16 The Fir-tree and the The Doctor and his Patient 33 Bramble 126 The Dog and the Oyster 25 The Fisherman 18 The Dog and the Shadow 26 The Fisherman Piping 107 The Dog in the Manger 98 The Fishermen 148 The Dogs and the Fox 78 The Flea and the Man 57 The Dogs and the Hides 25 The Flea and the Ox 122 The Dog’s House 9 The Flea and the Wrestler 78 The Dog, the Cock and the The Flies and the Honey- Fox 19 The Dolphins and the pot 54 The Fowler and the Sprat 133 Viper 114 E The Fox and the Bramble 138 The Eagle and the Arrow 11 The Fox and the Goat 35 The Eagle and the Beetle 50 139 The Eagle and the Jack­ The Fox and the Hedge­ daw 151 hog 130 F 104 The Falconer and the Par­ The Fox and the Monkey 104 tridge 14 The Fox and the Stork 137 The Farmer and his Sons 54 The Fox and the Wood­ The Farmer and his Two man 84 Daughters 157 The Fox Without a Tail 22 xii G H cont. - The Game-cocks and the The Horse and the Stag 7 Partridge 43 The Hound and the Hare 154 The Geese and the Cranes 92 The Hunter and the Wood­ The Gnat and the Bull 75 man 52 The Gnat and the Lion 135 The Husbandman and the The Goat and the Goatherd M3 Sea 126 The Goatherd and the The Husbandman and the Goats 70 Stork 98 The Goose with the Gold­ J en Eggs 67 The Jackass in Office 132 The Great and the Little The Jackdaw and the Fishes 76 Doves 115 The Gull and the Kite 34 Jupiter and the Bee 66 H Jupiter and the Camel 147 The Hare and the Tortoise 124 Jupiter, Neptune, Minerva The Hares and the Foxes 156 and Momus 157 The Hares and the Frogs 125 The Hares and the Lions 100 K The Kid and the Wolf 164 The Hart and the Vine 136 The Kingdom of the Lion 116 The Heifer and the Ox 30 The Kites and the Swans The Hen and the Cat 86 99 The Hen and the Swallow 21 L Hercules and the Wagoner 129 The Labourer and the The Horse and his Rider 94 Snake 123 The Horse and the Groom 91 The Lamb and the Wolf 84 The Horse and the Loaded The Leopard and the Fox 44 Ass 62 The Lion and Ass Hunting 44 xi 11 L cont. M cont. The Lion and the Bull 74 The Manslayer 96 The Lion and the Bulls 155 The Marriage of the Sun 72 The Lion and the Dolphin 106 Mercury and the Sculptor 161 The Lion and the Fox 60 Mercury and the Wood­ The Lion and the Goat 1 34 man 23 The Lion and the Hare 129 The Mice and the Weasels 37 3 The Mischievous Dog 156 The Lioness ll8 The Miser 86 The Lion in Love 102 The Mole and her Mother 107 The Lion, Jupiter and the The Monkey and the Camel 97 Elephant 48 The Monkey and the Dol­ The Lion, the Ass and the phin 93 >sRax Hunting 1 3 3 The Monkey and the Fish­ The Lion, the Bear and the ermen 141 Fox 119 The Monkey Who Would The Lion, the Mouse and Be King 38 the Fox 24 The Moon and her Mother 59 The Lion, the Wolf and The Mouse and the Frog 41 the Fox 131 The Mule 63 M N v The Man and his Two The Nurse and the Wolf 72 Wives 52 0 The Man and the Lion 6 The Oak and the Woodcut- The Man and the Satyr 65 ters 18 The Man Bitten by a Dog 87 The Oaks and Jupiter 79 The Man, the Horse, the The Old Woman and her Ox and the Dog 15 Maids 109

XIV O cont. S cont. The Old Woman and the The Shepherd and the Physician 89 Sheep 61 The Olive-tree and the Fig- The Shepherd and the tree 119 Wolf 33 The One-eyed Doe 120 The Shepherd Boy and the The Owl and the Birds 150 Wolf 76 The Sick Kite 34 The Sick Lion 73 145 The Peasant and the Apple- The Sick Stag 136 The Spendthrift and the tree 49 The Philosopher, the Ants Swallow 67 The Swallow and the and Mercury 159 The Pomegranate, the Raven 17 114 The Swallow in Chancery 92 8 The Swan and the Goose 140 The Prophet 96 The Swollen Fox 105 T Q The Thief and the Inn­ The Quack Frog 149 keeper 64 R The Thieves and the Cock 99 The Raven and the Swan 83 The Thirsty Pigeon 138 The Rich Man and the Tan- The Tortoise and the Eagle 70 ner 103 The Traveller and Fortune 95 The Rivers and the Sea 148 The Travellers and the s Bear 68 The Sea-side Travellers 94 The Travellers and the 53 Hatchet i l l XV T cont. W cont. The Travellers and the The Widow and the Hen 82 Plane-tree 3 2 The Widow and the Sheep 163 The T rumpeter T aken Pris­ TheWild Ass and the Lion 116 oner 77 The Wild Boar and the Fox 1 2 The Two Dogs 1 54 The Wind and the Sun 58 The Two Frogs and the The Wise and the Foolish Well 57 Frogs 42 The Two Pots 10 The Wolf and the Crane 100 r The Two Wallets 31 The Wolf and the Goat 140 The Wolf and the Horse 3 1 V The Wolf and the Lamb 85 The Vain Wolf and the The Wolf and the Lion 88 Lion 88 The Wolf and the Sheep 60 Venus and the Cat 2 14 The Wolf and the Shep­ The Vine and the Goat 120 herd 109 The Viper and the File 10 The Wolf and the Shep­ w herds 77 The Walnut-tree 105 The Wolf in Sheep’s Cloth­ The War-horse and the ing 9 Miller 91 TheWolves and the Sheep 162 The Wasps, the Partridges The Wolves and the Sheep­ and the Farmer 14 dogs 17

XVI THE LION AND THE MOUSE

LION sleeping in his lair, when a Mouse, not knowing where he was going, ran over the mighty beast’s nose and awakened him. The Lion clapped his paw upon the frightened little creature, and was about to make an end of him in a moment, when the Mouse, in pitiable tones, besought him to spare one who had so unconsciously offended, and not stain his honorable paws with so insignificant a prey. The Lion, smiling at his little prisoner’s fright, generously let him go. Now it happened no long time after, that the Lion, while ranging the woods for his prey, fell into the toils of the hunters, and finding himself entangled without hope of escape, set up a roar that filled the whole forest with its echo. The Mouse, recognizing the voice of his former preserver, ran to the spot, and without more ado set to work to nibble the knot in the cord that bound the Lion, and in a short time set the noble beast at lib­ erty; thus convincing him that kindness is seldom thrown away, and that there is no creature so much below an­ other but that he may have it in his power to return a good office. 3