snapped up by Master Fox. "That will do," said he. "That was all I
wanted. In exchange for your cheese I will give you a piece of advice
for the future--Do not trust flatterers!"

The Dog and His Shadow

A Dog, bearing in his mouth a piece of meat that he had stolen, was
once crossing a smooth stream by means of a plank. Looking into the
still, clear water, he saw what he took to be another dog as big as
himself, carrying another piece of meat.

Snapping greedily to get this as well, he let go the meat that he
already had, and it fell to the bottom of the stream.

The Ass and His Master

A Diligent Ass, already loaded beyond his strength by a severe Master
whom he had long served, and who kept him on very short commons,
happened one day in his old age to be oppressed with a more than
ordinary burden of earthenware. His strength being much impaired, and
the road steep and uneven, he unfortunately made a misstep, and, unable
to recover himself, fell down and broke all the vessels to pieces. His
Master, transported with rage, began to beat him most unmercifully,
against whom the poor Ass, lifting up his head as he lay on the ground,
thus strongly remonstrated:

"Unfeeling wretch! To thine own avaricious cruelty in first pinching
me on food, and then loading me beyond my strength, thou owest the
misfortune which thou so unjustly imputest to me."

The Wolf and the Crane

A Wolf once devoured his prey so ravenously that a bone stuck in his
throat, giving him great pain. He ran howling up and down in his
suffering and offered to reward handsomely any one who would pull the
bone out.

A Crane, moved by pity as well as by the prospect of the money,
undertook the dangerous task, and having removed the bone, asked for
the promised reward.

"Reward!" cried the Wolf; "pray, you greedy fellow, what greater reward
can you possibly require? You have had your head in my mouth, and
instead of biting it off I have let you pull it out unharmed. Get away
with you, and don't come again within reach of my paw."

The Hares and the Frogs

The Hares once took serious counsel among themselves whether death
itself would not be preferable to their miserable condition. "What a
sad state is ours," they said, "never to eat in comfort, to sleep ever
in fear, to be startled by a shadow, and to fly with beating heart at
the rustling of the leaves. Better death by far," and off they went
accordingly to drown t