fantastic fables-第21节

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passing　that　way　stole　the　shrouds。







〃Let　us　live；　my　friends；〃　said　one　of　the　Legislators　to　the　



others；　〃the　world　is　better　than　we　thought。　　It　contains　meaner　



thieves　than　we。〃















The　Belly　and　the　Members















SOME　Workingmen　employed　in　a　shoe　factory　went　on　a　strike；　



saying：　〃Why　should　we　continue　to　work　to　feed　and　clothe　our　



employer　when　we　have　none　too　much　to　eat　and　wear　ourselves？〃







The　Manufacturer；　seeing　that　he　could　get　no　labour　for　a　long　



time　and　finding　the　times　pretty　hard　anyhow；　burned　down　his　shoe　



factory　for　the　insurance；　and　when　the　strikers　wanted　to　resume　



work　there　was　no　work　to　resume。　　So　they　boycotted　a　tanner。















The　Piping　Fisherman















AN　Editor　who　was　always　vaunting　the　purity；　enterprise；　and　



fearlessness　of　his　paper　was　pained　to　observe　that　he　got　no　



subscribers。　　One　day　it　occurred　to　him　to　stop　saying　that　his　



paper　was　pure　and　enterprising　and　fearless；　and　make　it　so。　　〃If　



these　are　not　good　qualities；〃　he　reasoned；　〃it　is　folly　to　claim　



them。〃







Under　the　new　policy　he　got　so　many　subscribers　that　his　rivals　



endeavoured　to　discover　the　secret　of　his　prosperity；　but　he　kept　



it；　and　when　he　died　it　died　with　him。















The　Ants　and　the　Grasshopper















SOME　Members　of　a　Legislature　were　making　schedules　of　their　wealth　



at　the　end　of　the　session；　when　an　Honest　Miner　came　along　and　



asked　them　to　divide　with　him。　　The　members　of　the　Legislature　



inquired：







〃Why　did　you　not　acquire　property　of　your　own？〃







〃Because；〃　replied　the　Honest　Miner；　〃I　was　so　busy　digging　out　



gold　that　I　had　no　leisure　to　lay　up　something　worth　while。〃







Then　the　Members　of　the　Legislature　derided　him；　saying：







〃If　you　waste　your　time　in　profitless　amusement；　you　cannot；　of　



course；　expect　to　share　the　rewards　of　industry。〃















The　Dog　and　His　Reflection















A　STATE　Official　carrying　off　the　Dome　of　the　Capitol　met　the　Ghost　



of　his　predecessor；　who　had　come　out　of　his　political　grave　to　warn　



him　that　God　saw　him。　　As　the　place　of　meeting　was　lonely　and　the　



time　midnight；　the　State　Official　set　down　the　Dome　of　the　Capitol；　



and　commanded　the　supposed　traveller　to　throw　up　his　hands。　　The　



Ghost　replied　that　he　had　not　eaten　them；　and　while　he　was　



explaining　the　situation　another　State　Official　silently　added　the　



dome　to　his　own　collection。















The　Lion；　the　Bear；　and　the　Fox















Two　Thieves　having　stolen　a　Piano　and　being　unable　to　divide　it　



fairly　without　a　remainder　went　to　law　about　it　and　continued　the　



contest　as　long　as　either　one　could　steal　a　dollar　to　bribe　the　



judge。　　When　they　could　give　no　more　an　Honest　Man　came　along　and　



by　a　single　small　payment　obtained　a　judgment　and　took　the　Piano　



home；　where　his　daughter　used　it　to　develop　her　biceps　muscles；　



becoming　a　famous　pugiliste。















The　Ass　and　the　Lion's　Skin















A　MEMBER　of　the　State　Militia　stood　at　a　street　corner；　scowling　



stormily；　and　the　people　passing　that　way　went　a　long　way　around　



him；　thinking　of　the　horrors　of　war。　　But　presently；　in　order　to　



terrify　them　still　more；　he　strode　toward　them；　when；　his　sword　



entangling　his　legs；　he　fell　upon　the　field　of　glory；　and　the　



people　passed　over　him　singing　their　sweetest　songs。















The　Ass　and　the　Grasshoppers















A　STATESMAN　heard　some　Labourers　singing　at　their　work；　and　wishing　



to　be　happy　too；　asked　them　what　made　them　so。







〃Honesty；〃　replied　the　Labourers。







So　the　Statesman　resolved　that　he　too　would　be　honest；　and　the　



result　was　that　he　died　of　want。















The　Wolf　and　the　Lion















AN　Indian　who　had　been　driven　out　of　a　fertile　valley　by　a　White　



Settler；　said：







〃Now　that　you　have　robbed　me　of　my　land；　there　is　nothing　for　me　to　



do　but　issue　invitations　to　a　war…dance。〃







〃I　don't　so　much　mind　your　dancing；〃　said　the　White　Settler；　



putting　a　fresh　cartridge　into　his　rifle；　〃but　if　you　attempt　to　



make　me　dance　you　will　become　a　good　Indian　lamented　by　all　who　



didn't　know　you。　　How　did　YOU　get　this　land；　anyhow？〃







The　Indian's　claim　was　compromised　for　a　plug　hat　and　a　tin　horn。















The　Hare　and　the　Tortoise















OF　two　Writers　one　was　brilliant　but　indolent；　the　other　though　



dull；　industrious。　　They　set　out　for　the　goal　of　fame　with　equal　



opportunities。　　Before　they　died　the　brilliant　one　was　detected　in　



seventy　languages　as　the　author　of　but　two　or　three　books　of　



fiction　and　poetry；　while　the　other　was　honoured　in　the　Bureau　of　



Statistics　of　his　native　land　as　the　compiler　of　sixteen　volumes　of　



tabulated　information　relating　to　the　domestic　hog。















The　Milkmaid　and　Her　Bucket















A　SENATOR　fell　to　musing　as　follows：　〃With　the　money　which　I　shall　



get　for　my　vote　in　favour　of　the　bill　to　subsidise　cat…ranches；　I　



can　buy　a　kit　of　burglar's　tools　and　open　a　bank。　　The　profit　of　



that　enterprise　will　enable　me　to　obtain　a　long；　low；　black　



schooner；　raise　a　death's…head　flag　and　engage　in　commerce　on　the　



high　seas。　　From　my　gains　in　that　business　I　can　pay　for　the　



Presidency；　which　at　50；000　a　year　will　give　me　in　four　years　…　〃　



but　it　took　him　so　long　to　make　the　calculation　that　the　bill　to　



subsidise　cat…ranches　passed　without　his　vote；　and　he　was　compelled　



to　return　to　his　constituents　an　honest　man；　tormented　with　a　clean　



conscience。















King　Log　and　King　Stork















THE　People　being　dissatisfied　with　a　Democratic　Legislature；　which　



stole　no　more　than　they　had；　elected　a　Republican　one；　which　not　



only　stole　all　they　had　but　exacted　a　promissory　note　for　the　



balance　due；　secured　by　a　mortgage　upon　their　hope　of　death。















The　Wolf　Who　Would　Be　a　Lion















A　FOOLISH　Fellow　who　had　been　told　that　he　was　a　great　man　believed　



it；　and　got　himself　appointed　a　Commissioner　to　the　Interasylum　



Exposition　of　Preserved　Idiots。　　At　the　first　meeting　of　the　Board　



he　was　mistaken　for　one　of　the　exhibits；　and　the　janitor　was　



ordered　to　remove　him　to　his　appropriate　glass　case。







〃Alas！〃　he　exclaimed　as　he　was　carried　out；　〃why　was　I　not　content　



to　remain　where　the　cut　of　my　forehead　is　so　common　as　to　be　known　



as　the　Pacific　Slope？〃















The　Monkey　and　the　Nuts















A　CERTAIN　City　desiring　to　purchase　a　site　for　a　public　Deformatory　



procured　an　appropriation　from　the　Government　of　the　country。　　



Deeming　this　insufficient　for　purchase　of　the　site　and　payment　of　



reasonable　commissions　to　themselves；　the　men　in　charge　of　the　



matter　asked　for　a　larger　sum；　which　was　readily　given。　　Believing　



that　the　fountain　could　not　be　dipped　dry；　they　applied　for　still　



more　and　more　yet。　　Wearied　at　last　by　their　importunities；　the　



Government　said　it　would　be　damned　if　it　gave　anything。　　So　it　gave　



nothing　and　was　damned　all　the　harder。















The　Boys　and　the　Frogs















SOME　editors　of　newspapers　were　engaged　in　diffusing　general　



intelligence　and　elevating　the　moral　sentiment　of　the　public。　　They　



had　been　doing　this　for　some　time；　when　an　Eminent　Statesman　stuck　



his　head　out　of　the　pool　of　politics；　and；　speaking　for　the　members　



of　his　profession；　said：







〃My　friends；　I　beg　you　will　desist。　　I　know　you　make　a　great　deal　



of　money　by　this　kind　of　thing；　but　consider　the　damage　you　inflict　



upon　the　business　of　others！〃



















End