DMAN

A Hunter was searching in the forest for the tracks of a lion, and,
catching sight presently of a Woodman engaged in felling a tree, he
went up to him and asked him if he had noticed a lion's footprints
anywhere about, or if he knew where his den was. The Woodman answered,
"If you will come with me, I will show you the lion himself." The
Hunter turned pale with fear, and his teeth chattered as he replied,
"Oh, I'm not looking for the lion, thanks, but only for his tracks."

THE SERPENT AND THE EAGLE

An Eagle swooped down upon a Serpent and seized it in his talons with
the intention of carrying it off and devouring it. But the Serpent was
too quick for him and had its coils round him in a moment; and then
there ensued a life-and-death struggle between the two. A countryman,
who was a witness of the encounter, came to the assistance of the
Eagle, and succeeded in freeing him from the Serpent and enabling him
to escape. In revenge the Serpent spat some of his poison into the
man's drinking-horn. Heated with his exertions, the man was about to
slake his thirst with a draught from the horn, when the Eagle knocked
it out of his hand, and spilled its contents upon the ground.

One good turn deserves another.

THE ROGUE AND THE ORACLE

A Rogue laid a wager that he would prove the Oracle at Delphi to be
untrustworthy by procuring from it a false reply to an inquiry by
himself. So he went to the temple on the appointed day with a small
bird in his hand, which he concealed under the folds of his cloak,
and asked whether what he held in his hand were alive or dead. If the
Oracle said "dead," he meant to produce the bird alive: if the reply
was "alive," he intended to wring its neck and show it to be dead. But
the Oracle was one too many for him, for the answer he got was this:
"Stranger, whether the thing that you hold in your hand be alive
or dead is a matter that depends entirely on your own will."

THE HORSE AND THE ASS

A Horse, proud of his fine harness, met an Ass on the high-road. As
the Ass with his heavy burden moved slowly out of the way to let him
pass, the Horse cried out impatiently that he could hardly resist
kicking him to make him move faster. The Ass held his peace, but did
not forget the other's insolence. Not long afterwards the Horse became
broken-winded, and was sold by his owner to a farmer. One day, as he
was drawing a dung-cart, he met the Ass again, who in turn