'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 Jean de La Fontaine. 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 The Fox and the Stork (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 The Oak and the Reed (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 Aesop 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 The Fox and the Grapes (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 vii THE COMPLETE FABLES 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