Better poverty without a care
than wealth with its many
obligations.
Once upon a time the Sun was about to take to himself
a wife. The Frogs in terror all raised their
voices to the skies, and Jupiter, disturbed by the
noise, asked them what they were croaking about.
They replied, “The Sun is bad enough even while
he is single, drying up our marshes with his heat
as he does. But what will become of us if he
marries and begets other Suns?”
A Dog and a Cock became great friends, and agreed
to travel together. At nightfall the Cock flew
up into the branches of a tree to roost, while the
Dog curled himself up inside the trunk, which was hollow.
At break of day the Cock woke up and crew, as usual.
A Fox heard, and, wishing to make a breakfast of him,
came and stood under the tree and begged him to come
down. “I should so like,” said he,
“to make the acquaintance of one who has such
a beautiful voice.” The Cock replied, “Would
you just wake my porter who sleeps at the foot of the
tree? He’ll open the door and let you in.”
The Fox accordingly rapped on the trunk, when out
rushed the Dog and tore him in pieces.
A Gnat alighted on one of the horns of a Bull, and
remained sitting there for a considerable time.
When it had rested sufficiently and was about to fly
away, it said to the Bull, “Do you mind if I
go now?” The Bull merely raised his eyes and
remarked, without interest, “It’s all
one to me; I didn’t notice when you came, and
I shan’t know when you go away.”
We may often be of more consequence
in our own eyes than in the
eyes of our neighbours.
Two Travellers were on the road together, when a Bear
suddenly appeared on the scene. Before he observed
them, one made for a tree at the side of the road,
and climbed up into the branches and hid there.
The other was not so nimble as his companion; and,
as he could not escape, he threw himself on the ground
and pretended to be dead. The Bear came up and
sniffed all round him, but he kept perfectly still
and held his breath: for they say that a bear
will not touch a dead body. The Bear took him
for a corpse, and went away. When the coast was
clear, the Traveller in the tree came down, and asked
the other what it was the Bear had whispered to him
when he put his mouth to his ear. The other replied,
“He told me never again to travel with a friend
who deserts you at the first sign of danger.”
Misfortune tests the sincerity
of friendship.
