The fables of Babrius have been edited, with an interesting and valuable introduction, by W.G.  Rutherford (1883), and by F.G.  Schneidewin (1880).  They have been turned into English metre by James Davies, M.A. (1860).  The reader is also referred to the article ‘Aesop’ in the present work.

     THE NORTH WIND AND THE SUN

     Betwixt the North wind and the Sun arose
     A contest, which would soonest of his clothes
     Strip a wayfaring clown, so runs the tale. 
     First, Boreas blows an almost Thracian gale,
     Thinking, perforce, to steal the man’s capote: 
     He loosed it not; but as the cold wind smote
     More sharply, tighter round him drew the folds,
     And sheltered by a crag his station holds. 
     But now the Sun at first peered gently forth,
     And thawed the chills of the uncanny North;
     Then in their turn his beams more amply plied,
     Till sudden heat the clown’s endurance tried;
     Stripping himself, away his cloak he flung: 
     The Sun from Boreas thus a triumph wrung.

     The fable means, “My son, at mildness aim: 
     Persuasion more results than force may claim.”

     JUPITER AND THE MONKEY

     A baby-show with prizes Jove decreed
     For all the beasts, and gave the choice due heed. 
     A monkey-mother came among the rest;
     A naked, snub-nosed pug upon her breast
     She bore, in mother’s fashion.  At the sight
     Assembled gods were moved to laugh outright. 
     Said she, “Jove knoweth where his prize will fall! 
     I know my child’s the beauty of them all.”

     This fable will a general law attest,
     That each one deems that what’s his own, is best.

     THE MOUSE THAT FELL INTO THE POT

     A mouse into a lidless broth-pot fell;
     Choked with the grease, and bidding life farewell,
     He said, “My fill of meat and drink have I
     And all good things:  ’Tis time that I should die.”

     Thou art that dainty mouse among mankind,
     If hurtful sweets are not by thee declined.

     THE FOX AND THE GRAPES

     There hung some bunches of the purple grape
     On a hillside.  A cunning fox, agape
     For these full clusters, many times essayed
     To cull their dark bloom, many vain leaps made. 
     They were quite ripe, and for the vintage fit;
     But when his leaps did not avail a whit,
     He journeyed on, and thus his grief composed:—­
     “The bunch was sour, not ripe, as I supposed.”

     THE CARTER AND HERCULES

     A carter from the village drove his wain: 
     And when it fell into a rugged lane,
     Inactive stood, nor lent a helping hand;
     But to that god, whom of the heavenly band
     He really honored most, Alcides, prayed: 
     “Push at your wheels,” the god appearing said,
     “And goad your team; but when you pray again,
     Help yourself likewise, or you’ll pray in vain.”