,
began to think himself a very fine fellow indeed, and frisked about
saying, "My father was undoubtedly a high-spirited horse and I take
after him entirely." But very soon afterwards he was put into the
harness and compelled to go a very long way with a heavy load behind
him. At the end of the day, exhausted by his unusual exertions, he
said dejectedly to himself, "I must have been mistaken about my
father; he can only have been an ass after all."

THE HOUND AND THE FOX

A Hound, roaming in the forest, spied a lion, and being well used
to lesser game, gave chase, thinking he would make a fine quarry.
Presently the lion perceived that he was being pursued; so, stopping
short, he rounded on his pursuer and gave a loud roar. The Hound
immediately turned tail and fled. A Fox, seeing him running away,
jeered at him and said, "Ho! ho! There goes the coward who chased a
lion and ran away the moment he roared!"

THE FATHER AND HIS DAUGHTERS

A Man had two Daughters, one of whom he gave in marriage to a
gardener, and the other to a potter. After a time he thought he
would go and see how they were getting on; and first he went to the
gardener's wife. He asked her how she was, and how things were going
with herself and her husband. She replied that on the whole they were
doing very well: "But," she continued, "I do wish we could have some
good heavy rain: the garden wants it badly." Then he went on to the
potter's wife and made the same inquiries of her. She replied that she
and her husband had nothing to complain of: "But," she went on, "I do
wish we could have some nice dry weather, to dry the pottery." Her
Father looked at her with a humorous expression on his face. "You want
dry weather," he said, "and your sister wants rain. I was going to ask
in my prayers that your wishes should be granted; but now it strikes
me I had better not refer to the subject."

THE THIEF AND THE INNKEEPER

A Thief hired a room at an inn, and stayed there some days on the
look-out for something to steal. No opportunity, however, presented
itself, till one day, when there was a festival to be celebrated, the
Innkeeper appeared in a fine new coat and sat down before the door of
the inn for an airing. The Thief no sooner set eyes upon the coat than
he longed to get possession of it. There was no business doing, so he
went and took a seat by the side of the Innkeeper, and began talking
to him. They conversed together for