網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

STANDARD

THE LION AND THE HUNTSMAN.

A HUNTSMAN, one day meeting with a Lion in the forest, talked with him for some time in a friendly manner. But at last a dispute arose betwixt them; and what should the subject of it be, but which were the bravest, men or lions?

As they came towards the edge of the forest, the man, for want of a better proof, pointed to a statue at a distance of one of the old heroes striding across a lion which he had the good fortune to conquer; "And now, Sir," said he "I hope you will own that I am in the right."

"Indeed, friend," said the Lion (bristling up his shaggy mane, and putting on a look which made the huntsman tremble), " and is this all you have to say! Pray, let us Lions be the carvers, and then where you will find one of our noble race who has been forced to yield to a Man, you will find a thousand men who have been torn to pieces by a lion."

THE LION AND THE FOUR BULLS. FOUR Bulls, who were brothers, kept always near each other, and fed side by side. The Lion often saw them, and would have been glad in his heart to have made one of them at least his prey. But though he would have been an over-match for them one by one, yet he was afraid to attack them in a body. He therefore was content for the present to keep his distance. At last finding it would be all in vain to hope to catch them apart while their love lasted, he changed his plans. By hints and whispers he strove to make them jealous of each other, and so raise a quarrel among them.

This scheme turned out so well, that the bulls soon began to grow cool and shy, which rose, in a

short time, to downright hatred. Accordingly they all parted in good earnest, and kept as far out of each other's sight as they could. But they had instant cause to repent of their folly; for the Lion, finding they no longer fed in a body, fell upon them, one by one. Thus he made a prey of them with the greatest ease in the world.

Where there is no love there is no strength.

THE ROPE.

Two beggar-boys, James and John, found an old rope on the road, and strove and quarrelled for it, till hill and valley echoed with their noise. James held the rope at one end, John pulled at the other, and each sought to draw it by main force out of the other's hands. All of a sudden the rope broke in two, and both the boys rolled over into the mud.

A man, who happened to come up to them, said, "So it is with the quarrelsome! They make a great noise, and quarrel about some trifling matter; and what do both parties gain at last? Nothing-except to cover themselves with ridicule and disgrace, as you two are now bespattered with mire."

"Be peaceable, and strife forego,
Whose end is always full of woe."

THE WILLOW-TWIG AND THE STRAW. A POOR widow and her two boys were returning to the village one evening from a neighbouring willow-bed where they had gathered some twigs. The mother carried a large bundle of willow-twigs on her head, and each of the boys a small one, bound together with a band of straw.

On the way a rich merchant from the town met them, and of him they begged for charity. But the rich man said to the widow, "You need not beg: intrust your two children to me, and I will soon have them taught to make gold out of twigs and straw."

The mother considered this as a joke, but the merchant assured her that he was truly in earnest. So at last she consented, and the merchant had one of the children taught basket-making, and the other straw-platting.

After three years they came back to their mother's little cottage. They made the most beautiful baskets and the finest straw hats, and sold the produce to the merchant.

After a little while the merchant came one day into their room, paid them for their work which he had received in bright sovereigns. Laughing he said to the mother, "Do you not see, now, that I was right, and have kept my word?"

"By honest industry, behold,

The wood and straw are turned to gold!'"*

THE WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING.

THERE are few rogues who do not come to a bad end at last. This was the case with our Wolf; for though he had put off more sly tricks by far than I have told you, yet at last he was caught in the snare. For one day, thought he, if I put on the skin of a sheep, I may then mix with the flock, and suck my fill of their sweet blood, and yet not be found out.

But as the man who took care of the sheep had the luck to find out the trick, he came up to the Wolf and put a strong cord round his neck.

* Schmid.

"What!" said the thief, "will you hang one of your poor sheep who bring forth lambs to feed you, and soft wool to make warm clothes for you ?

[ocr errors]

"No, you rogue," said the man; "but when I catch a Wolf, I spare him not, though like you he may wear the garb of a sheep." With that he hung him up in a trice, and left him to swing on the

next tree.

THE FOX AND THE CROW.

A CROW who had made free with a piece of cheese, which was not her own, flew with it to a high tree. A young Fox who saw this, and had a mind to cheat the thief, went this way to work with her : for though he was but young, he was a sly rogue, and knew more bad tricks than he ought to have done. "My dear, sweet miss," said he, "what a shame it is that folks should tell such lies of you: they say that you are as black as a coal; but now I see with my own eyes, that your soft plumes are as white as snow.

"One would think they were all born blind; and, dear me what a fine shape you have! I think in my heart, that no one can see you but he must fall in love with you. If you had but a clear voice, and could sing a good song, as I make no doubt but you can, there is not a bird which flies in the air, that would dare to vie with you."

The Crow, like a fool, thought that all which the Fox had said was true, and had a mind to try her voice; but as soon as she did so, down dropped the cheese. This the Fox took up in his mouth as fast as he could, and he ran off with it in haste, laughing at the Crow for want of sense.

[ocr errors]

THE FOX AND THE APE.

ONCE on a time, the beasts were so void of sense as to make choice of an ape for their King. But a young Fox who, though he was a rogue at heart, did not want for wit, was so hurt to see the rest of the brutes act so much like fools, that he had a mind to shew them what a bad choice they had made. He wished at the same time to make the Ape smart for his pride, and tire him of a post for which he was in no way fit. The trick he put on

him was this :

:

In a few days he found a trap in a ditch, which had a piece of cheese for a bait. So he went and told the Ape of it, as a thing of great worth, and which, as he had found it in the waste, must of course, he said, be the new King's right.

1

The Ape, who did not dream of the least harm, went to seize it as his own; but as soon as he had laid his paws on the bait, he was caught in the trap. This made him look so much like a fool, that he said he would make the Fox pay dearly for it. Now, as the Fox knew he had no cause to fear his threats, he ran round and round him for a time, and as he went off, "Ah, ah!" said he, "there's a fine King for you! he hath not the wit, you see, to take care of his own legs!"

THE BROTHER AND THE SISTER.

A CERTAIN gentleman had a daughter who was greatly deformed; and he had also a son who was admired for his beauty. While they were playing together, as children do, they saw themselves, by chance, in a looking-glass, which the good lady had left in her chair. The boy boasted that he was very handsome; but the poor little girl fell

A

« 上一頁繼續 »