fantastic fables-第23章

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afterwards　that　the　Lion　was　caught　by　some　hunters　and　bound　with　



cords。　　The　Mouse；　passing　that　way；　and　seeing　that　his　benefactor　



was　helpless；　gnawed　off　his　tail。















The　Old　Man　and　His　Sons

















AN　Old　Man；　afflicted　with　a　family　of　contentious　Sons；　brought　in　



a　bundle　of　sticks　and　asked　the　young　men　to　break　it。　　After　



repeated　efforts　they　confessed　that　it　could　not　be　done。　　



〃Behold；〃　said　the　Old　Man；　〃the　advantage　of　unity；　as　long　as　



these　sticks　are　in　alliance　they　are　invincible；　but　observe　how　



feeble　they　are　individually。〃







Pulling　a　single　stick　from　the　bundle；　he　broke　it　easily　upon　the　



head　of　the　eldest　Son；　and　this　he　repeated　until　all　had　been　



served。















The　Crab　and　His　Son















A　LOGICAL　Crab　said　to　his　Son；　〃Why　do　you　not　walk　straight　



forward？　　Your　sidelong　gait　is　singularly　ungraceful。〃







〃Why　don't　you　walk　straight　forward　yourself；〃　said　the　Son。







〃Erring　youth；〃　replied　the　Logical　Crab；　〃you　are　introducing　new　



and　irrelevant　matter。〃















The　North　Wind　and　the　Sun















THE　Sun　and　the　North　Wind　disputed　which　was　the　more　powerful；　



and　agreed　that　he　should　be　declared　victor　who　could　the　sooner　



strip　a　traveller　of　his　clothes。　　So　they　waited　until　a　traveller　



came　by。　　But　the　traveller　had　been　indiscreet　enough　to　stay　over　



night　at　a　summer　hotel；　and　had　no　clothes。















The　Mountain　and　the　Mouse















A　MOUNTAIN　was　in　labour；　and　the　people　of　seven　cities　had　



assembled　to　watch　its　movements　and　hear　its　groans。　　While　they　



waited　in　breathless　expectancy　out　came　a　Mouse。







〃Oh；　what　a　baby！〃　they　cried　in　derision。







〃I　may　be　a　baby；〃　said　the　Mouse；　gravely；　as　he　passed　outward　



through　the　forest　of　shins；　〃but　I　know　tolerably　well　how　to　



diagnose　a　volcano。〃















The　Bellamy　and　the　Members















THE　Members　of　a　body　of　Socialists　rose　in　insurrection　against　



their　Bellamy。







〃Why；〃　said　they；　〃should　we　be　all　the　time　tucking　you　out　with　



food　when　you　do　nothing　to　tuck　us　out？〃







So；　resolving　to　take　no　further　action；　they　went　away；　and　



looking　backward　had　the　satisfaction　to　see　the　Bellamy　compelled　



to　sell　his　own　book。



















OLD　SAWS　WITH　NEW　TEETH



CERTAIN　ANCIENT　FABLES　APPLIED　TO



THE　LIFE　OF　OUR　TIMES



















The　Wolf　and　the　Crane















A　RICH　Man　wanted　to　tell　a　certain　lie；　but　the　lie　was　of　such　



monstrous　size　that　it　stuck　in　his　throat；　so　he　employed　an　



Editor　to　write　it　out　and　publish　it　in　his　paper　as　an　editorial。　　



But　when　the　Editor　presented　his　bill；　the　Rich　Man　said：







〃Be　content　…　is　it　nothing　that　I　refrained　from　advising　you　



about　investments？〃















The　Lion　and　the　Mouse















A　JUDGE　was　awakened　by　the　noise　of　a　lawyer　prosecuting　a　Thief。　　



Rising　in　wrath　he　was　about　to　sentence　the　Thief　to　life　



imprisonment　when　the　latter　said：







〃I　beg　that　you　will　set　me　free；　and　I　will　some　day　requite　your　



kindness。〃







Pleased　and　flattered　to　be　bribed；　although　by　nothing　but　an　



empty　promise；　the　Judge　let　him　go。　　Soon　afterward　he　found　that　



it　was　more　than　an　empty　promise；　for；　having　become　a　Thief；　he　



was　himself　set　free　by　the　other；　who　had　become　a　Judge。















The　Hares　and　the　Frogs















THE　Members　of　a　Legislature；　being　told　that　they　were　the　meanest　



thieves　in　the　world；　resolved　to　commit　suicide。　　So　they　bought　



shrouds；　and　laying　them　in　a　convenient　place　prepared　to　cut　



their　throats。　　While　they　were　grinding　their　razors　some　Tramps　



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：