Clarke: English (22)

Here are some more fables from H. Clarke's Latin textbook Fabulae Aesopi selectae, or, Select fables of Aesop, and you can click here for all the fables reposted from this book at the blog.

106. Of the City Dogs Pursuing the Village One

Many city dogs pursued a certain village one with a hasty course, whom he a long while fled from nor dared to resist. But when, turned to them pursuing, he stopped, and he also began to show his teeth, they all equally stopped, nor any one of the city ones dared to approach him. Then the general of an army, who by chance was there, turned to his soldiers said, "Fellow-soldiers, this sight admonishes us that we do not fly when we see more present dangers to threaten us flying than resisting."

107. Of the Tortoise and the Frogs

The tortoise, having seen the frogs which were fed in the same pool, so light and nimble that easily they leaped anywhere and jumped very far, accused Nature that she had made her a slow animal and hindered with the greatest burden that neither was she able to move herself easily and daily was pressed with a great weight. But, when she saw the frogs become the food of the eels, and obnoxious even to the lightest blow, a little comforted, she said, "By how much is it better to bear a burden by which I am fortified to all blows than to undergo so many dangers of death!"

Moral. This fable shows that we should not bear discontentedly the gifts of Nature, which often are a greater advantage to us than we may be able to understand.

108. Of the Dormice Willing to Overturn the Oak

The dormice had designed to overturn the oak, an acorn-bearing tree, with their teeth that they might have food readier, that they might not be forced so often to ascend and descend for the sake of food. But one of these, who by far excelled the rest in age and experience of things, deterred them, saying, "If now we destroy our nourisher, who will afford nourishments to us and ours for future years?"

Moral. This fable advises that a prudent man ought to look into not only present things but, afar off, to foresee the future.

dormouse photo by Richard White at Flickr

109. Of the Dog and the Master

A certain man having a dog, that he should be beloved by him more, always fed him with his own hands and loosed him bound, but ordered him to be bound and beat by a servant that the benefits should seem to be conferred upon him by himself, but the ill turns by the servant. But the dog, bearing unkindly that he daily was bound and beat, fled away, and, when he was blamed by the master as ungrateful and unmindful of so great benefits, who had fled from him by whom he had been always beloved and fed but never bound and beaten, he answered, "I think that done by thee which a servant doth by thy command."

Moral. The fable shows that those are to be accounted evildoers who have been the cause of evil deeds.

110. Of the Birds Fearing the Beetles

A great fear had seized the birds, lest the beetles should kill them with a crossbow, by whom they had heard a great power of bullets had been forged on a dunghill with very great labor. Then the sparrow said, "Be not willing to fear, for how shall they be able to cast bullets flying through the air upon us, when scarce they can draw them on the ground with great labor?"

Moral. This fable admonishes us that we fear not the riches of enemies to whom we see that wit is wanting.