allen
outright." The Bramble, interrupting him, replied, "You must have lost
your wits, my friend, to catch at me, who am myself always catching at
others."

THE FOX AND THE SNAKE

A Snake, in crossing a river, was carried away by the current, but
managed to wriggle on to a bundle of thorns which was floating by, and
was thus carried at a great rate down-stream. A Fox caught sight of
it from the bank as it went whirling along, and called out, "Gad! the
passenger fits the ship!"

THE LION, THE FOX, AND THE STAG

A Lion lay sick in his den, unable to provide himself with food. So
he said to his friend the Fox, who came to ask how he did, "My good
friend, I wish you would go to yonder wood and beguile the big Stag,
who lives there, to come to my den: I have a fancy to make my dinner
off a stag's heart and brains." The Fox went to the wood and found the
Stag and said to him, "My dear sir, you're in luck. You know the Lion,
our King: well, he's at the point of death, and has appointed you his
successor to rule over the beasts. I hope you won't forget that I was
the first to bring you the good news. And now I must be going back to
him; and, if you take my advice, you'll come too and be with him at
the last." The Stag was highly flattered, and followed the Fox to the
Lion's den, suspecting nothing. No sooner had he got inside than the
Lion sprang upon him, but he misjudged his spring, and the Stag got
away with only his ears torn, and returned as fast as he could to the
shelter of the wood. The Fox was much mortified, and the Lion, too,
was dreadfully disappointed, for he was getting very hungry in spite
of his illness. So he begged the Fox to have another try at coaxing
the Stag to his den. "It'll be almost impossible this time," said the
Fox, "but I'll try"; and off he went to the wood a second time, and
found the Stag resting and trying to recover from his fright. As soon
as he saw the Fox he cried, "You scoundrel, what do you mean by trying
to lure me to my death like that? Take yourself off, or I'll do you
to death with my horns." But the Fox was entirely shameless. "What a
coward you were," said he; "surely you didn't think the Lion meant any
harm? Why, he was only going to whisper some royal secrets into your
ear when you went off like a scared rabbit. You have rather disgusted
him, and I'm not sure he won't make the wolf King instead, unless you
come back at once and show you've got some spirit. I