the cat. "What are you going to do?"

The fox thought first of one way, then of another, and while he was
debating, the hounds came nearer, and at last the fox in his confusion
was caught up by the hounds and soon killed by the huntsmen.

_Better one carefully thought out plan of action than a hundred untried
ideas._

[Illustration: THE FOX AND THE GRAPES]

[Illustration: THE FOX AND THE CAT]

[Illustration: THE FOX AND THE RAVEN]

[Illustration: THE FOX AND THE CRANE]

FROM DRAWINGS BY BESS BRUCE CLEVELAND

[Illustration: THE HERON WHO WAS HARD TO PLEASE]

[Illustration: THE ANTS AND THE GRASSHOPPER]

[Illustration: THE EAGLE AND THE JACKDAW]

[Illustration: THE DOVE AND THE ANT]

FROM DRAWINGS BY BESS BRUCE CLEVELAND

[Illustration]

THE ANTS AND THE GRASSHOPPER

The ants were employing a fine winter's day in drying grain collected in
the summer-time. A grasshopper, perishing from famine, passed by and
earnestly begged for a little food. The ants inquired of him: "Why did
you not treasure up food during the summer?" He replied: "I had not
leisure enough. I passed the days in singing." They then said in
derision: "If you were foolish enough to sing all the summer you must
dance supperless to bed in the winter."

_In living, be guided much by the laws of nature, and not by the hope of
mercy._

FABLES FROM INDIA

ADAPTED BY RAMASWAMI RAJU

THE GLOW-WORM AND THE DAW

A Jackdaw once ran up to a Glow-Worm and was about to seize him. "Wait a
moment, good friend," said the Worm; "and you shall hear something to
your advantage."

"Ah! what is it?" said the Daw.

"I am but one of the many Glow-Worms that live in this forest. If you
wish to have them all, follow me," said the Glow-Worm.

"Certainly!" said the Daw.

Then the Glow-Worm led him to a place in the wood where a fire had been
kindled by some woodmen, and pointing to the sparks flying about, said,
"There you find the Glow-Worms warming themselves round a fire. When you
have done with them, I shall show you some more, at a distance from this
place."

The Daw darted at the sparks, and tried to swallow some of them; but his
mouth being burned by the attempt, he ran away exclaiming, "Ah, the
Glow-Worm is a dangerous little creature!"

Said the Glow-Worm with pride, "_Wickedness yields to wisdom!_"

THE FOX AND THE VILLAGERS

A Fox that had long been the dread of the village poultry yar