Babrius (9)

Here are some more fables by Babrius, translated into English verse by James Davies: The Fables of Babrius, and you can click here for all the Babrius fables at this blog.

The Wolf and the Nurse

A country nurse, to fright her babe to peace,

Said, "Wolf shall have thee, or thy cries must cease."

The wolf o'erheard, believed the scolding crone,

And stay'd in hopes to find the feast his own.

But evening came; the babe was hush'd to rest;

The wolf still gaped, with rav'ning hunger prest.

At last his hopes to utter dulness grew;

Then to his anxious helpmate he withdrew.

"How cam'st thou empty?" said she. He replied,

"Because upon a female I relied."

illustration by Grandville

The Flea and the Ox

Once of an ox a flea this question ask'd:

"Why do you bear by mortals to be task'd,

And daily toil for them, since surely you

Are a courageous brute, a fine one too?

Whereas I bite their flesh, though small to see,

And fearless drink their red blood greedily."

The ox replied, "To men I know my debt.

From them I ever care and kindness met.

My forehead and my shoulders oft they stroke,

And scratch and rub me, pleasure to provoke."

To the strong ox the flea then answer made,

"Ah! but to luckless me this rubbing trade,

You talk of, would result in death outright,

Whene'er upon me men's nails chanced to light."

We ever love the hand that doth us good.

But requite hurt with hurt, in vengeful mood.

The Heifer and the Bull

A heifer yet unbroken, roaming free,

A bull hard-work'd in ploughing chanced to see;

And said, "Poor wretch, how grievous is thy toil!"

Nought said the bull, but still upturn'd the soil.

Soon, when the rustics held their solemn feast,

The aged bull to pasture went released;

But ropes that bound its horns the heifer drew,

That it with blood the altar might bedew.

To whom this sentence then the elder spoke:

"'Twas for this end they kept thee from the yoke.

Young before old, thou dost the altar deck;

The axe, and not the yoke, will bruise thy neck."

illustration by Tenniel

The Dragon and the Eagle

A dragon and an eagle fiercely met,

Contending, which should which as captive get.

The dragon got the eagle 'neath his yoke,

And bound him fast, so as almost to choke.

A farmer saw, and loosed the dragon-chain,

And bade the eagle roam at large again.

At this the dragon deep resentment bore,

And in the farmer's cup did venom pour.

So when he was about to lift it up,

Not knowing its contents, and drain the cup,

On this the eagle pounced with flapping wings,

And from the farmer's grasp the vessel flings.

Thus him that saved him did the eagle save,

Thus to his champion grateful succour gave.

The Fir-Tree and the Bramble

A fir-tree and a bramble disagreed,

For the fir alway paid to self the meed

Of praise. "I'm fine, well-grown in point of size,

And my straight top is neighbour to the skies.

'Tis I, am roof of mansions, keel of ships:
So much my comeliness all trees outstrips."

To whom the bramble said, "Keep well in view

The axe, whose business is thy trunk to hew,

And saws, that cut thee: haply thou'lt prefer

To be the bramble, rather than the fir."

All men of mark more rank and credit gain

Than meaner folks, but still more risks sustain.

illustration from Steinhowel's Aesop