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第19节

fantastic fables-第19节

小说: fantastic fables 字数: 每页4000字

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then perhaps I can grab a vulture。  I like chicken better than 



pork; anyhow。〃















The Grasshopper and the Ant















ONE day in winter a hungry Grasshopper applied to an Ant for some 



of the food which they had stored。







〃Why;〃 said the Ant; 〃did you not store up some food for yourself; 



instead of singing all the time?〃







〃So I did;〃 said the Grasshopper; 〃so I did; but you fellows broke 



in and carried it all away。〃















The Fisher and the Fished















A FISHERMAN who had caught a very small Fish was putting it in his 



basket when it said:







〃I pray you put me back into the stream; for I can be of no use to 



you; the gods do not eat fish。〃







〃But I am no god;〃 said the Fisherman。







〃True;〃 said the Fish; 〃but as soon as Jupiter has heard of your 



exploit; he will elevate you to the deitage。  You are the only man 



that ever caught a small fish。〃















The Farmer and the Fox















A FARMER who had a deadly and implacable hatred against a certain 



Fox; caught him and tied some tow to his tail; then carrying him to 



the centre of his own grain…field; set the tow on fire and let the 



animal go。







〃Alas!〃 said the Farmer; seeing the result; 〃if that grain had not 



been heavily insured; I might have had to dissemble my hatred of 



the Fox。〃















Dame Fortune and the Traveller















A WEARY Traveller who had lain down and fallen asleep on the brink 



of a deep well was discovered by Dame Fortune。







〃If this fool;〃 she said; 〃should have an uneasy dream and roll 



into the well men would say that I did it。  It is painful to me to 



be unjustly accused; and I shall see that I am not。〃







So saying she rolled the man into the well。















The Victor and the Victim















TWO Game Cocks; having fought a battle; the defeated one skulked 



away and hid; but the victor mounted a wall and crowed lustily。  



This attracted the attention of a hawk; who said:







〃Behold! how pride goeth before a fall。〃







So he swooped down upon the boasting bird and was about to destroy 



him; when the vanquished Cock came out of his hiding…place; and 



between the two the Hawk was calamitously defeated。















The Wolf and the Shepherds















A WOLF passing a Shepherd's hut looked in and saw the shepherds 



dining。







〃Come in;〃 said one of them; ironically; 〃and partake of your 



favourite dish; a haunch of mutton。〃







〃Thank you;〃 said the Wolf; moving away; 〃but you must excuse me; I 



have just had a saddle of shepherd。〃















The Goose and the Swan















A CERTAIN rich man reared a Goose and a Swan; the one for his 



table; the other because she was reputed a good singer。  One night 



when the Cook went to kill the Goose he got hold of the Swan 



instead。  Thereupon the Swan; to induce him to spare her life; 



began to sing; but she saved him nothing but the trouble of killing 



her; for she died of the song。















The Lion; the Cock; and the Ass















A LION was about to attack a braying Ass; when a Cock near by 



crowed shrilly; and the Lion ran away。  〃What frightened him?〃 the 



Ass asked。







〃Lions have a superstitious terror of my voice;〃 answered the Cock; 



proudly。







〃Well; well; well;〃 said the Ass; shaking his head; 〃I should think 



that any animal that is afraid of your voice and doesn't mind mine 



must have an uncommon kind of ear。〃















The Snake and the Swallow















A SWALLOW who had built her nest in a court of justice reared a 



fine family of young birds。  One day a Snake came out of a chink in 



the wall and was about to eat them。  The Just Judge at once issued 



an injunction; and making an order for their removal to his own 



house; ate them himself。















The Wolves and the Dogs















〃WHY should there be strife between us?〃 said the Wolves to the 



Sheep。  〃It is all owing to those quarrelsome dogs。  Dismiss them; 



and we shall have peace。〃







〃You seem to think;〃 replied the Sheep; 〃that it is an easy thing 



to dismiss dogs。  Have you always found it so?〃















The Hen and the Vipers















A HEN who had patiently hatched out a brood of vipers; was accosted 



by a Swallow; who said: 〃What a fool you are to give life to 



creatures who will reward you by destroying you。〃







〃I am a little bit on the destroy myself;〃 said the Hen; tranquilly 



swallowing one of the little reptiles; 〃and it is not an act of 



folly to provide oneself with the delicacies of the season。〃















A Seasonable Joke















A SPENDTHRIFT; seeing a single swallow; pawned his cloak; thinking 



that Summer was at hand。  It was。















The Lion and the Thorn















A LION roaming through the forest; got a thorn in his foot; and; 



meeting a Shepherd; asked him to remove it。  The Shepherd did so; 



and the Lion; having just surfeited himself on another shepherd; 



went away without harming him。  Some time afterward the Shepherd 



was condemned on a false accusation to be cast to the lions in the 



amphitheatre。  When they were about to devour him; one of them 



said:







〃This is the man who removed the thorn from my foot。〃







Hearing this; the others honourably abstained; and the claimant ate 



the Shepherd all himself。















The Fawn and the Buck















A FAWN said to its father: 〃You are larger; stronger; and more 



active than a dog; and you have sharp horns。  Why do you run away 



when you hear one barking?〃







〃Because; my child;〃 replied the Buck; 〃my temper is so uncertain 



that if I permit one of those noisy creatures to come into my 



presence I am likely to forget myself and do him an injury。〃















The Kite; the Pigeons; and the Hawk















SOME Pigeons exposed to the attacks of a Kite asked a Hawk to 



defend them。  He consented; and being admitted into the cote waited 



for the Kite; whom he fell upon and devoured。  When he was so 



surfeited that he could scarcely move; the grateful Pigeons 



scratched out his eyes。















The Wolf and the Babe















A FAMISHING Wolf; passing the door of a cottage in the forest; 



heard a Mother say to her babe:







〃Be quiet; or I will throw you out of the window; and the wolves 



will get you。〃







So he waited all day below the window; growing more hungry all the 



time。  But at night the Old Man; having returned from the village 



club; threw out both Mother and Child。















The Wolf and the Ostrich















A WOLF; who in devouring a man had choked himself with a bunch of 



keys; asked an ostrich to put her head down his throat and pull 



them out; which she did。







〃I suppose;〃 said the Wolf; 〃you expect payment for that service。〃







〃A kind act;〃 replied the Ostrich; 〃is its own reward; I have eaten 



the keys。〃















The Herdsman and the Lion















A HERDSMAN who had lost a bullock entreated the gods to bring him 



the thief; and vowed he would sacrifice a goat to them。  Just then 



a Lion; his jaws dripping with bullock's blood; approached the 



Herdsman。







〃I thank you; good deities;〃 said the Herdsman; continuing his 



prayer; 〃for showing me the thief。  And now if you will take him 



away; I will stand another goat。〃















The Man and the Viper















A MAN finding a frozen Viper put it into his bosom。







〃The coldness of the human heart;〃 he said; with a grin; 〃will keep 



the creature in his present condition until I can reach home and 



revive him on the coals。〃







But the pleasures of hope so fired his heart that the Viper thawed; 



and sliding to the ground thanked the Man civilly for his 



hospitality and glided away。















The Man and the Eagle















AN Eagle was once captured by a Man; who clipped his wings and put 



him in the poultry yard; along with the chickens。  The Eagle was 



much depressed in spirits by the change。







〃Why should you not rather rejoice?〃 said the Man。  〃You were only 



an ordinary fellow as an eagle; but as an old rooster you are a 



fowl of incomparable distinction。















The War…horse and the Miller















HAVING heard that the State was about to be invaded by a hostile 



army; a War…horse belonging to a Colonel of the Militia offered his 



services to a passing Miller。







〃No;〃 said the patriotic Miller; 〃I will employ n

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