lead he's lost;
while the Bat is so afraid of meeting his creditors that he hides away
by day and only comes out at night to feed; and the Bramble catches
hold of the clothes of every one who passes by, hoping some day to
recognise and recover the lost garments.

All men are more concerned to recover what they lose than to
acquire what they lack.

THE DOG AND THE WOLF

A Dog was lying in the sun before a farmyard gate when a Wolf pounced
upon him and was just going to eat him up; but he begged for his life
and said, "You see how thin I am and what a wretched meal I should
make you now: but if you will only wait a few days my master is going
to give a feast. All the rich scraps and pickings will fall to me and
I shall get nice and fat: then will be the time for you to eat me."
The Wolf thought this was a very good plan and went away. Some time
afterwards he came to the farmyard again, and found the Dog lying out
of reach on the stable roof. "Come down," he called, "and be eaten:
you remember our agreement?" But the Dog said coolly, "My friend, if
ever you catch me lying down by the gate there again, don't you wait
for any feast."

Once bitten, twice shy.

THE WASP AND THE SNAKE

A Wasp settled on the head of a Snake, and not only stung him several
times, but clung obstinately to the head of his victim. Maddened with
pain the Snake tried every means he could think of to get rid of
the creature, but without success. At last he became desperate, and
crying, "Kill you I will, even at the cost of my own life," he laid
his head with the Wasp on it under the wheel of a passing waggon, and
they both perished together.

THE EAGLE AND THE BEETLE

An Eagle was chasing a hare, which was running for dear life and was
at her wits' end to know where to turn for help. Presently she espied
a Beetle, and begged it to aid her. So when the Eagle came up
the Beetle warned her not to touch the hare, which was under its
protection. But the Eagle never noticed the Beetle because it was so
small, seized the hare and ate her up. The Beetle never forgot this,
and used to keep an eye on the Eagle's nest, and whenever the Eagle
laid an egg it climbed up and rolled it out of the nest and broke it.
At last the Eagle got so worried over the loss of her eggs that she
went up to Jupiter, who is the special protector of Eagles, and begged
him to give her a safe place to nest in: so he let her lay her eggs in