upon the woman shrieked and made such a show of
herself that the Young Man would not marry her.

The Farmer and His Sons

A Farmer being about to die, and knowing that during his illness his Sons
had permitted the vineyard to become overgrown with weeds while they
improved the shining hour by gambling with the doctor, said to them:

"My boys, there is a great treasure buried in the vineyard. You dig in
the ground until you find it."

So the Sons dug up all the weeds, and all the vines too, and even
neglected to bury the old man.

Jupiter and the Baby Show

Jupiter held a baby show, open to all animals, and a Monkey entered her
hideous cub for a prize, but Jupiter only laughed at her.

"It is all very well," said the Monkey, "to laugh at my offspring, but
you go into any gallery of antique sculpture and look at the statues and
busts of the fellows that you begot yourself."

"'Sh! don't expose me," said Jupiter, and awarded her the first prize.

The Man and the Dog

A Man who had been bitten by a Dog was told that the wound would heal if
he would dip a piece of bread in the blood and give it to the Dog. He
did so.

"No," said the Dog; "if I were to accept that, it might be thought that
in biting you I was actuated by improper motives."

"And by what motives were you actuated?" asked the Man.

"I desired," replied the Dog, "merely to harmonise myself with the Divine
Scheme of Things. I'm a child of Nature."

The Cat and the Birds

Hearing that the Birds in an aviary were ill, a Cat went to them and said
that he was a physician, and would cure them if they would let him in.

"To what school of medicine do you belong?" asked the Birds.

"I am a Miaulopathist," said the Cat.

"Did you ever practise Gohomoeopathy?" the Birds inquired, winking
faintly.

The Cat took the hint and his leave.

Mercury and the Woodchopper

A Woodchopper, who had dropped his axe into a deep pool, besought Mercury
to recover it for him. That thoughtless deity immediately plunged into
the pool, which became so salivated that the trees about its margin all
came loose and dropped out.

The Fox and the Grapes

A Fox, seeing some sour grapes hanging within an inch of his nose, and
being unwilling to admit that there was anything he would not eat,
solemnly declared that they were out of his reach.

The Penitent Thief

A Boy who had been taught by his Mother to steal grew to be a