ored to carry him on their shoulders over
a bridge. The sight brought the people in crowds to laugh at it; till
the ass broke the cords that held him and fell into the river. Upon
this, the old man, vexed and ashamed, made his way home.

_In trying to please everybody one is quite likely to please nobody._

THE TORTOISE AND THE EAGLE

A Tortoise, lazily basking in the sun, complained to the sea-birds of
her hard fate, that no one would teach her to fly. An Eagle hovering
near, heard her lamentation, and demanded what reward she would give
him, if he would take her aloft, and float her in the air. "I will give
you," she said, "all the riches of the Red Sea." "I will teach you to
fly then," said the Eagle; and taking her up in his talons, he carried
her almost to the clouds,--when suddenly letting her go, she fell on a
lofty mountain, and dashed her shell to pieces. The Tortoise exclaimed
in the moment of death: "I have deserved my present fate; for what had I
to do with wings and clouds, who can with difficulty move about on the
earth?"

_If men had all they wished, they would be often ruined._

THE PEACOCK AND JUNO

The Peacock made complaint to Juno that, while the small nightingale
pleased every ear with his song, he no sooner opened his mouth than he
became a laughing-stock of all who heard him. The Goddess, to console
him, said, "But you far excel in beauty and in size. The splendor of the
emerald shines in your neck, and you unfold a tail gorgeous with painted
plumage." "But for what purpose have I," said the bird, "this dumb
beauty so long as I am surpassed in song?" "The lot of each," replied
Juno, "has been assigned by the will of the Fates--to thee, beauty; to
the eagle, strength; to the nightingale, song; to the raven, favorable,
and to the crow, unfavorable auguries. These are all contented with the
endowments allotted to them."

_Contentment is happiness._

THE LION, THE FOX, AND THE ASS

The Lion, the Fox, and the Ass entered into an agreement to assist each
other in the chase. Having secured a large booty, the Lion, on their
return from the forest, asked the Ass to allot his due portion to each
of the three partners in the treaty. The Ass carefully divided the spoil
into three equal shares, and modestly requested the two others to make
the first choice. The Lion, bursting into a great rage, devoured the
Ass. Then he requested the Fox to do him the favor to make a division.