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Aesop's Fables, Volume 11 (Fables 251-275)
Aesop
librivox; audiobook; literature; fables; aesop
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- Hercules and Minerva
ESOP'S FABLES HERCULES AND MINERVA Hercules was once travelling along a narrow road, when he saw lying on the ground in front of him what appeared to be an apple, and as he passed he stamped upon it with his heel. To his astonishment, instead of being crushed, it doubled in size, and on his attacking it again and smiting it with his club, it swelled up to an enormous size and blocked up the
whole road. Upon this he dropped his club and stood looking at it in amazement. Just then Minerva appeared and said to him, "'Leave it alone, my friend. That which you see before you is the apple of discord.
If you do not meddle with it, it remains small as it was at first. But if you resort to violence, it swells into the thing you see.' End of HERCULES AND MINERVA
- Hercules and Plutus
ESOP'S FABLES HERCULES AND PLUTUS When Hercules was received among the gods, and was entertained at a banquet by Jupiter, he responded courteously to the greetings of all, with the exception of Plutus, the god of wealth. When Plutus approached him, he cast his eyes upon the ground, and turned away, and pretended
not to see him. Jupiter was surprised at this conduct on his part, and asked why, after having been so cordial with all the other gods, he had behaved like that to Plutus. Sire, said Hercules, I do not like Plutus, and I will tell you why. When we were on earth together, I always noticed that he was to be found in the company of
scoundrels. The end of Hercules and Plutus.
- The Butcher and his Customers
ESOP'S FABLES The butcher and his customers. Two men were buying meat at a butcher's stall in the market-place, and while the butcher's back was turned for a moment, one of them snatched up a joint and hastily thrust it under the other's cloak where it could not be seen. When the butcher turned round, he missed the meat at once, and charged them with having stolen it. But
the one who'd taken it said he hadn't got it, and the one who had got it said he hadn't taken it. The butcher felt sure they were deceiving him, but he only said, You may cheat me with your lying, but you can't cheat the gods, and they won't let you off so lightly. Prevarication often amounts to perjury. The end of the butcher and his customers.
- The Crow and the Raven
ESOP'S FABLES—THE CROW AND THE RAVEN A crow became very jealous of a raven, because the latter was regarded by men as a bird of omen which foretold the future, and was accordingly held in great respect by them. She was very anxious to get the same sort of reputation herself, and one day, seeing some travellers approaching, she flew on to a branch of a tree at the roadside, and cored as loud as
she could. The travellers were in some dismay at the sound, for they feared it might be a bad omen. Till one of them, spying the crow, said to his companions, It's all right, my friends, we can go on without fear, for it's only a crow, and that means nothing. Those who pretend to be something they are not, only make themselves ridiculous. End of The Crow and the Raven
- The Dog Chasing a Wolf
ASAP'S FABLES THE DOG CHASING A WOLF A dog was chasing a wolf, and as he ran he thought what a fine fellow he was, and what strong legs he had, and how quickly they covered the ground. Now there's this wolf, he said to himself. What a poor creature he is!
He's no match for me. And he knows it, and so he runs away. But the wolf looked round just then and said, Don't you imagine I'm running away from you, my friend? It's your master I'm afraid of.
End of THE DOG CHASING A WOLF Read by Michelle Crandall April 2006, Fremont, California
- The Fox and the Bramble
A ESOP'S FABLES The Fox and the Bramble In making his way through a hedge a fox missed his footing and caught at a bramble to save himself from falling.
Eventually he got badly scratched, and in disgust he cried to the bramble, "'It was your help I wanted, and see how you have treated me! I'd sooner have fallen outright!' The bramble, interrupting him, replied, "'You must have lost your wits, my friend, to catch at me, who am myself always catching at others.'
End of The Fox and the Bramble
- The Fox and the Hedgehog
A fox, in swimming across a rapid river, was swept away by the current, and carried a long way downstream in spite of his struggles, until at last, bruised and exhausted, he managed to scramble on to dry ground from a backwater. As he lay there, unable to move, a swarm of horse-flies settled on him and sucked his blood undisturbed, for he was too weak even to shake them off. A hedgehog saw him, and asked if he should brush away the flies that
were tormenting him. But the fox replied, Oh, please, no, not on any account, for these flies have sucked their fill and are taking very little from me now. But if you drive them off, another swarm of hungry ones will come and suck all the blood I have left, and leave me without a drop in my veins. End of THE FOX AND THE HEDGEHOG
- The Fox and the Leopard
A fox and a leopard were disputing about their looks, and each claimed to be the more handsome of the two. The leopard said, Look at my smart coat, you have nothing to match that. But the fox replied, Your coat may be smart, but my wits are smarter still. The end of The Fox and the Leopard.
- The Fox and the Snake
A snake, in crossing a river, was carried away by the current, but managed to wriggle onto a bundle of thorns which was floating by, and was thus carried at a great rate downstream. A fox caught sight of it from the bank as it went whirling along, and called out, GAD, the passenger, fits the ship. End of The Fox and the Snake
- The Fox Who Served A Lion
ASAPS FABLES by Aesop The Fox Who Served a Lion A lion had a fox to attend on him, and whenever they went hunting, the fox found the prey, and the lion fell upon it and killed it, and then they divided it between them in certain proportions.
But the lion always got a very large share, and the fox a very small one, which didn't please the latter at all. So he determined to set up his own account. He began by trying to steal a lamb from a flock of sheep, but the shepherd saw him and set his dogs on him.
The hunter was now the hunted, and was very soon caught and dispatched by the dogs. Better servitude with safety than freedom with danger.
- The Foxes and the River
ESOP'S FABLES THE FOXES AND THE RIVER A number of foxes assembled on the bank of a river, and wanted to drink. But the current was so strong, and the water looked so deep and dangerous, that they didn't dare to do so. But stood near the edge, encouraging one another not to be afraid. At last one of them,
And, show how brave he was, said, I am not a bit frightened. See? I'll step right into the water. He had no sooner done so than the current swept him off his feet. When the other saw him being carried downstream, they cried, Don't go and leave us. Come back and show us where we too can drink with safety. But he replied, I'm afraid I can't yet. I want to go to the seaside, and this current will take me there nicely. When I come back I'll show you with pleasure.
End of THE FOXES AND THE RIVER
- The Horse and the Ass
A horse, proud of his fine harness, met an ass on the high road. As the ass, with his heavy burden, moved slowly out of the way, to let him pass, the horse cried out impatiently that he could hardly resist kicking him to make him move faster. The ass held his peace, but did not forget the other's insolence.
Not long afterwards the horse became broken-winded, and was sold by his owner to a farmer. One day, as he was drawing a dung-cart, he met the ass again, who in turn derided him and said, Aha! you never thought to come to this, did you? You who were so proud! Where are all your gay trappings now?
- The Horse and the Stag
ESOP'S FABLES THE HORSE AND THE STAG There was once a horse who used to graze in a meadow, but one day a stag came into the meadow and said he had as good a right to feed there as the horse, and moreover chose all the best places for himself. The horse, wishing to be revenged upon his unwelcome visitor, went to a man and asked if he would help him to turn out the stag.
Yes, said the man, I will by all means, but I can only do so if you let me put a bridle in your mouth and mount on your back. The horse agreed to do this, and the two together very soon turned the stag out of the pasture, but when that was done the horse found to his dismay, that in the man he had got a master for good. End of The Horse and the Stag
- The Hunter and the Woodman
A hunter was searching in the forest for the tracks of a lion, and, catching sight presently of a woodman engaged in felling a tree, he went up to him and asked him if he had noticed a lion's footprints anywhere about, or if he knew where his den was. The woodman answered, If you will come with me, I will show you the lion himself. The hunter turned pale with fear, and his teeth chattered as he replied, Oh, I'm not looking for the lion, thanks,
but only for his tracks.
- The Lion, the Fox and the Stag
A lion lay sick in his den, unable to provide himself with food. So he said to his friend the fox, who came to ask how he did, My good friend, I wish you would go to yonder wood, and beguile the big stag who lives there to come to my den. I have a fancy to make my dinner off a stag's heart and brains.
The fox went to the wood, and found the stag, and said to him, My dear sir, you're in luck. You know the lion, our king. Well he's at the point of death, and has appointed you, his successor, to rule over the beasts. I hope you won't forget that I was the first to bring you the good news.
And now I must be going back to him, and if you take my advice you'll come too, and be with him at the last. The stag was highly flattered, and followed the fox to the lion's den, suspecting nothing. No sooner had he got inside than the lion sprang upon him, but he misjudged his spring, and the stag got away with only his ears torn, and returned as fast as he could to the shelter
of the wood. The fox was mortified, and the lion too was dreadfully disappointed, for he was getting very hungry in spite of his illness. So he begged the fox to have another try at coaxing the stag to his den. It'll be almost impossible this time, said the fox, but I'll try.
And off he went to the wood a second time, and found the stag resting, and trying to recover from his fright. As soon as he saw the fox he cried, "'You scoundrel! What do you mean by trying to lure me to my death like that?
Take yourself off, or I'll do you to death with my horns!' But the fox was entirely shameless. "'What a coward you are,' said he. Surely you don't think the lion meant any harm? Why, he was only going to whisper some royal secrets into your ear when you went off like
a scared rabbit. You have rather disgusted him, and I'm not sure he won't make the wolf king instead, unless you come back at once and show you've got some spirit. I promise you he won't hurt you, and I will be your faithful servant.' The stag was foolish enough to be persuaded to return, and this time the lion made no
mistake, but overpowered him, and feasted right royally upon his carcass. The fox, meanwhile, watched his chance, and, when the lion wasn't looking, filched away the brains to reward him for his trouble. Presently the lion began searching for them, of course without success, and the fox, who was watching him, said,
"'I don't think it's much use your looking for the brains. A creature who twice walked into a lion's den can't have had any.' The end of The Lion, The Fox, and The Stag.
- The Lion, the Wolf and the Fox
A lion, infirm with age, lay sick in his den, and all the beasts of the forest came to inquire after his health, with the exception of the fox. The wolf thought this was a good opportunity for paying off old scores against the fox, so he called the attention of the lion to his absence, and said, "'You see, sire, that we have all come to see how you are, except the fox, who hasn't
come near you and doesn't care whether you are well or ill.' Just then the fox came and heard the last words of the wolf. The lion roared at him in deep displeasure, but he begged to be allowed to explain his absence, and said, "'Not one of them cares for you so much as I, sire, for all the time I have been going round to the doctors and trying to find a cure for your illness.'
"'And may I ask if you have found one?' said the lion. "'I have, sire,' said the fox, and it is this, you must flay a wolf and wrap yourself in his skin while it is still warm.' The lion accordingly turned to the wolf and struck him dead with one blow of his paw, in order to try the fox's prescription. But the fox laughed and said to himself,
"'That's what comes from stirring up ill-will.' The end of The Lion, the Wolf, and the Fox.
- The Man Who Lost His Spade
A man was engaged in digging over his vineyard, and one day, on coming to work, he missed his spade. Thinking it may have been stolen by one of his labourers, he questioned them closely. But they, one and all, denied any knowledge of it. He was not convinced by their denials, and insisted that they should all go to the town
and take oath in a temple that they were not guilty of the theft. This was because he had no great opinion of the simple country deities, but thought that the thief would not pass undetected by the shrewder gods of the town. When they got inside the gates, the first thing they heard was the town crier, proclaiming a reward for information about a thief who had stolen something from the city temple.
Well, said the man to himself, it strikes me I had better go back home again. If these town gods can't detect the thieves who steal from their own temples, it's scarcely likely they can tell me who stole my spade. of the man who lost his spade.
- The Miser
A miser sold everything he had, and melted down his horde of gold into a single lump, which he buried secretly in a field. Every day he went to look at it, and would sometimes spend long hours gloating over his treasure. One of his men noticed his frequent visits to the spot, and one day watched him and discovered
his secret. Waiting his opportunity, he went one night and dug up the gold and stole it. Next day the miser visited the place as usual, and finding his treasure gone, fell to tearing his hair and groaning over his loss. In this condition he was seen by one of his neighbours, who asked him what his trouble
was. The miser told of his misfortune, but the other replied, "'Don't take it so much to heart, my friend. Put a brick into the hole, and take a look at it every day. You won't be any worse off than before, for even when you had your gold it was of no earthly
use to you." End of The Miser
- The Old Man and Death
ESOP'S FABLES THE OLD MAN AND DEATH An old man cut himself a bundle of faggots in a wood, and started to carry them home. He had a long way to go, and was tired out before he had got much more than half way. Casting his burden on the ground, he called upon Death to come and release him from his
life of toil. The words were scarcely out of his mouth when, much to his dismay, Death stood before him and professed his readiness to serve him. He was almost frightened out of his wits. But he had enough presence of mind to stammer out,
Good sir, if you'd be so kind, pray help me up with my burden again. End of The Old Man and Death
- The Partridge and the Fowler
A fowler caught a partridge in his nets, and was just about to ring its neck when it made a piteous appeal to him to spare its life, and said, "'Do not kill me, but let me live, and I will repay you for your kindness by decoying other partridges into your nets.' "'No,' said the fowler, "'I will not spare you.
I was going to kill you anyhow, and after that treacherous speech you thoroughly deserve your fate.' End of The Partridge and the Fowler
- The Quack Doctor
A certain man fell sick and took to his bed. He consulted a number of doctors from time to time, and they all, with one exception, told him that his life was in no immediate danger, but that his illness would probably last a considerable time. The one who took a different view of his case, who was also the last to be consulted,
bade him to prepare for the worst. "'You have not twenty-four hours to live,' he said, and, "'I fear I can do nothing.' As it turned out, however, he was quite wrong, for at the end of the first few days the sick quitted his bed and took a walk abroad, looking, it is true, as pale as a ghost.
In the course of his walk he met the doctor who had prophesied his death. "'Dear me,' said the latter, "'how do you do? You are fresh from the other world, no doubt. Pray, how are our departed friends getting on there?' "'Most comfortably,' replied the other, "'for they have drunk the water of oblivion and
have forgotten all the troubles of life.' By the way, just before I left, the authorities were making arrangements to prosecute all the doctors, because they won't let sick men die in the course of nature, but use their arts to keep them alive. They were going to charge you, along with the rest, till I assured them that you were
no doctor but a mere imposter." The End of the Quacked Doctor by Aesop
- The Rogue and the Oracle
A rogue laid a wager that he would prove the oracle Adelphi to be untrustworthy, by procuring from it a false reply to an inquiry by himself. So he went to the temple, on the appointed day with a small bird in his hand, which he concealed under the folds of his cloak, and asked whether what he held in his hand were alive or dead.
If the oracle said dead, he meant to produce the bird alive. If the reply was alive, he intended to bring its neck and show it to be dead. But the oracle was one too many for him, for the answer he got was this. Stranger, whether the thing that you hold in your hand be alive or dead is a matter that depends entirely on your own will.
- The Runaway Slave
A slave, being discontented with his lot, ran away from his master. He was soon missed by the latter, who lost no time in mounting his horse and setting out in pursuit of the fugitive. He presently came up with him, and the slave, in the hope of avoiding capture, slipped into a treadmill and hid himself there. Aha! said the master, that's the very place for you, my man.
End of THE RUNAWAY SLAVE
- The Serpent and the Eagle
ASAP'S FABLES THE SERPENT AND THE EAGLE An eagle swooped down upon a serpent, and seized it in his talons with the intention of carrying it off and devouring it. But the serpent was too quick for him, and had its coils round him in a moment, and then
there ensued a life-and-death struggle between the two. A countryman, who was a witness of the encounter, came to the assistance of the eagle, and succeeded in freeing him from the serpent and enabling him to escape. In revenge the serpent spat some of his poison into the man's drinking-horn. Heated with his exertions, the man was about to slake his thirst with a draught from the
horn, when the eagle knocked it out of his hand, and spilled its contents upon the ground. One good turn deserves another.
- The Witch
A witch professed to be able to avert the anger of the gods by means of charms, of which she alone possessed the secret, and she drove a brisk trade and made a fat livelihood out of it. But certain persons accused her of black magic, and carried her before the judges, and demanded that she should be put to death for dealings with the devil.
She was found guilty, and condemned to death, and one of the judges said to her as she was leaving the dock, You say you can avert the anger of the gods. How comes it then that you have failed to disarm the enmity of men? End of THE WITCH
