ink it."

"Come, knife, kill the ox."

"I won't kill him."

"Come, blacksmith, break the knife."

"I won't break it."

"Come, strap, bind the blacksmith."

"I won't bind him."

"Come, rat, gnaw the strap."

"I won't gnaw it."

"Come, cat, eat the rat."

"Bring it here."

"Why eat me?" said the rat; "bring the strap and I'll gnaw it."

"Why gnaw me?" said the strap; "bring the blacksmith and I'll bind him."

"Why bind me?" said the blacksmith; "bring the knife and I'll break it."

"Why break me?" said the knife; "bring the ox and I'll kill him."

"Why kill me?" said the ox; "bring the water and I'll drink it."

"Why drink me?" said the water; "bring the fire and I'll quench it."

"Why quench me?" said the fire; "bring the stick and I'll burn it."

"Why burn me?" said the stick; "bring the child and I'll strike him."

"Why strike me?" said the child; "bring me my dinner and I'll eat it."

* * * * *

THE WREN

A wren had built its nest on the side of a road. When the eggs were
hatched, a camel passed that way. The little wrens saw it, and said to
their father when he returned from the fields:

"O papa, a gigantic animal passed by."

The wren stretched out his foot. "As big as this, my children?"

"O papa, much bigger."

He stretched out his foot and his wing. "As big as this?"

"O papa, much bigger."

Finally he stretched out fully his feet and legs. "As big as this, then?"

"Much bigger."

"That is a lie; there is no animal bigger than I am."

"Well, wait," said the little ones, "and you will see." The camel came back
while browsing the grass of the roadside. The wren stretched himself out
near the nest. The camel seized the bird, which passed through its teeth
safe and sound.

"Truly," he said to them, "the camel is a gigantic animal, but I am not
ashamed of myself."

On the earth it generally happens that the vain are as if they did not
exist. But sooner or later a rock falls and crushes them.

* * * * *

THE MULE, THE JACKAL, AND THE LION

The mule, the jackal, and the lion went in company. "We will eat the one
whose race is bad," they said to each other.

"Lion, who is your father?"

"My father is a lion and my mother is a lioness."

"And you, jackal, what is your father?"

"My father is a jackal and my mother, too."

"And you, mule, what is your father?"

"My father is an ass, and my mother is