said to the Belly, "live in luxury and sloth, and never do a stroke of
work; while we not only have to do all the hard work there is to be
done, but are actually your slaves and have to minister to all your
wants. Now, we will do so no longer, and you can shift for yourself
for the future." They were as good as their word, and left the Belly
to starve. The result was just what might have been expected: the
whole Body soon began to fail, and the Members and all shared in the
general collapse. And then they saw too late how foolish they had
been.

THE BALD MAN AND THE FLY

A Fly settled on the head of a Bald Man and bit him. In his eagerness
to kill it, he hit himself a smart slap. But the Fly escaped, and said
to him in derision, "You tried to kill me for just one little bite;
what will you do to yourself now, for the heavy smack you have just
given yourself?" "Oh, for that blow I bear no grudge," he replied,
"for I never intended myself any harm; but as for you, you
contemptible insect, who live by sucking human blood, I'd have borne a
good deal more than that for the satisfaction of dashing the life out
of you!"

THE ASS AND THE WOLF

An Ass was feeding in a meadow, and, catching sight of his enemy the
Wolf in the distance, pretended to be very lame and hobbled painfully
along. When the Wolf came up, he asked the Ass how he came to be so
lame, and the Ass replied that in going through a hedge he had trodden
on a thorn, and he begged the Wolf to pull it out with his teeth, "In
case," he said, "when you eat me, it should stick in your throat and
hurt you very much." The Wolf said he would, and told the Ass to lift
up his foot, and gave his whole mind to getting out the thorn. But the
Ass suddenly let out with his heels and fetched the Wolf a fearful
kick in the mouth, breaking his teeth; and then he galloped off at
full speed. As soon as he could speak the Wolf growled to himself,
"It serves me right: my father taught me to kill, and I ought to have
stuck to that trade instead of attempting to cure."

THE MONKEY AND THE CAMEL

At a gathering of all the beasts the Monkey gave an exhibition of
dancing and entertained the company vastly. There was great applause
at the finish, which excited the envy of the Camel and made him desire
to win the favour of the assembly by the same means. So he got up from
his place and began dancing, but he cut such a ridiculous figure as he
plunged about, and