trod on a brood of young frogs and crushed one
of them to death. The Mother coming up, and missing one of her sons,
inquired of his brothers what had become of him. "He is dead, dear
Mother; for just now a very huge beast with four great feet came to the
pool and crushed him to death with his cloven heel." The Frog, puffing
herself out, inquired, "if the beast was as big as that in size."
"Cease, Mother, to puff yourself out," said her son, "and do not be
angry; for you would, I assure you, sooner burst than successfully
imitate the hugeness of that monster."

The Shepherd and the Wolf

A SHEPHERD once found the whelp of a Wolf and brought it up, and
after a while taught it to steal lambs from the neighboring flocks. The
Wolf, having shown himself an apt pupil, said to the Shepherd, "Since
you have taught me to steal, you must keep a sharp lookout, or you will
lose some of your own flock."

The Father and His Two Daughters

A MAN had two daughters, the one married to a gardener, and the other to
a tile-maker. After a time he went to the daughter who had married the
gardener, and inquired how she was and how all things went with her. She
said, "All things are prospering with me, and I have only one wish, that
there may be a heavy fall of rain, in order that the plants may be well
watered." Not long after, he went to the daughter who had married the
tilemaker, and likewise inquired of her how she fared; she replied,
"I want for nothing, and have only one wish, that the dry weather may
continue, and the sun shine hot and bright, so that the bricks might be
dried." He said to her, "If your sister wishes for rain, and you for dry
weather, with which of the two am I to join my wishes?"

The Farmer and His Sons

A FATHER, being on the point of death, wished to be sure that his sons
would give the same attention to his farm as he himself had given it. He
called them to his bedside and said, "My sons, there is a great treasure
hid in one of my vineyards." The sons, after his death, took their
spades and mattocks and carefully dug over every portion of their
land. They found no treasure, but the vines repaid their labor by an
extraordinary and superabundant crop.

The Crab and Its Mother

A CRAB said to her son, "Why do you walk so one-sided, my child? It
is far more becoming to go straight forward." The young Crab replied:
"Quite true, dear Mother; and if you will show me the straight way, I
w