Part 2 (1/2)

XI.

A fox and a duck having quarrelled about the owners.h.i.+p of a frog, agreed to refer the dispute to a lion. After hearing a great deal of argument, the lion opened his mouth to speak.

”I am very well aware,” interrupted the duck, ”what your decision is.

It is that by our own showing the frog belongs to neither of us, and you will eat him yourself. But please remember that lions do not like frogs.”

”To me,” exclaimed the fox, ”it is perfectly clear that you will give the frog to the duck, the duck to me, and take me yourself. Allow me to state certain objections to--”

”I was about to remark,” said the lion, ”that while you were disputing, the cause of contention had hopped away. Perhaps you can procure another frog.”

To point out the moral of this fable would be to offer a gratuitous insult to the acuteness of the reader.

XII.

An a.s.s meeting a pair of horses, late one evening, said to them:

”It is time all honest horses were in bed. Why are you driving out at this time of day?”

”Ah!” returned they, ”if it is so very late, why are you out riding?”

”I never in my life,” retorted the a.s.s angrily, ”knew a horse to return a direct answer to a civil question.”

This tale shows that this a.s.s did not know everything.

[The implication that horses do not answer questions seems to have irritated the worthy fabulist.--TRANSLATOR.]

XIII.

A stone being cast by the plough against a lump of earth, hastened to open the conversation as follows:

”Virtue, which is the opposite of vice, is best fostered by the absence of temptation!”

The lump of earth, being taken somewhat by surprise, was not prepared with an apophthegm, and said nothing.

Since that time it has been customary to call a stupid person a ”clod.”

XIV.

A river seeing a zephyr carrying off an anchor, asked him, ”What are you going to do with it?”