Aesop’s Fables, part 2 Aesop’s Fables, part 2 of «Three hundred Aesop’s fables» by Aesop: the whole text, 143 sentences and 2592 words. Every sentence has its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself.
1 One story is good, till another is told. 2 The Pomegranate, Apple-Tree, and Bramble 3 THE POMEGRANATE and Apple-Tree disputed as to which was the most beautiful. 4 When their strife was at its height, a Bramble from the neighboring hedge lifted up its voice, and said in a boastful tone: “Pray, my dear friends, in my presence at least cease from such vain disputings.” 5 The Farmer and the Stork 6 A FARMER placed nets on his newly-sown plowlands and caught a number of Cranes, which came to pick up his seed. 7 With them he trapped a Stork that had fractured his leg in the net and was earnestly beseeching the Farmer to spare his life. 8 “Pray save me, Master,” he said, “and let me go free this once. 9 My broken limb should excite your pity. 10 Besides, I am no Crane, I am a Stork, a bird of excellent character; and see how I love and slave for my father and mother. 11 Look too, at my feathers—they are not the least like those of a Crane.” 12 The Farmer laughed aloud and said, “It may be all as you say, I only know this: I have taken you with these robbers, the Cranes, and you must die in their company.” 13 Birds of a feather flock together. 14 The Mountain in Labor 15 A MOUNTAIN was once greatly agitated. 16 Loud groans and noises were heard, and crowds of people came from all parts to see what was the matter. 17 While they were assembled in anxious expectation of some terrible calamity, out came a Mouse. 18 Don’t make much ado about nothing. 19 The Bear and the Fox 20 A BEAR boasted very much of his philanthropy, saying that of all animals he was the most tender in his regard for man, for he had such respect for him that he would not even touch his dead body. 21 A Fox hearing these words said with a smile to the Bear, “Oh! that you would eat the dead and not the living.” 22 The Tortoise and the Eagle 23 A TORTOISE, lazily basking in the sun, complained to the sea-birds of her hard fate, that no one would teach her to fly. 24 An Eagle, hovering near, heard her lamentation and demanded what reward she would give him if he would take her aloft and float her in the air. 25 “I will give you,” she said, “all the riches of the Red Sea.” 26 “I will teach you to fly then,” said the Eagle; and taking her up in his talons he carried her almost to the clouds suddenly he let her go, and she fell on a lofty mountain, dashing her shell to pieces. 27 The Tortoise exclaimed in the moment of death: “I have deserved my present fate; for what had I to do with wings and clouds, who can with difficulty move about on the earth?” 28 If men had all they wished, they would be often ruined. 29 The Fox and the Goat 30 A FOX one day fell into a deep well and could find no means of escape. 31 A Goat, overcome with thirst, came to the same well, and seeing the Fox, inquired if the water was good. 32 Concealing his sad plight under a merry guise, the Fox indulged in a lavish praise of the water, saying it was excellent beyond measure, and encouraging him to descend. 33 The Goat, mindful only of his thirst, thoughtlessly jumped down, but just as he drank, the Fox informed him of the difficulty they were both in and suggested a scheme for their common escape. 34 “If,” said he, “you will place your forefeet upon the wall and bend your head, I will run up your back and escape, and will help you out afterwards.” 35 The Goat readily assented and the Fox leaped upon his back. 36 Steadying himself with the Goat’s horns, he safely reached the mouth of the well and made off as fast as he could. 37 When the Goat upbraided him for breaking his promise, he turned around and cried out, “You foolish old fellow! 38 If you had as many brains in your head as you have hairs in your beard, you would never have gone down before you had inspected the way up, nor have exposed yourself to dangers from which you had no means of escape.” 39 Look before you leap. 40 The Raven and the Swan 41 A RAVEN saw a Swan and desired to secure for himself the same beautiful plumage. 42 Supposing that the Swan’s splendid white color arose from his washing in the water in which he swam, the Raven left the altars in the neighborhood where he picked up his living, and took up residence in the lakes and pools. 43 But cleansing his feathers as often as he would, he could not change their color, while through want of food he perished. 44 Change of habit cannot alter Nature. 45 The Thirsty Pigeon 46 A PIGEON, oppressed by excessive thirst, saw a goblet of water painted on a signboard. 47 Not supposing it to be only a picture, she flew towards it with a loud whir and unwittingly dashed against the signboard, jarring herself terribly. 48 Having broken her wings by the blow, she fell to the ground, and was caught by one of the bystanders. 49 Zeal should not outrun discretion. 50 The Dog in the Manger 51 A DOG lay in a manger, and by his growling and snapping prevented the oxen from eating the hay which had been placed for them. 52 “What a selfish Dog!” said one of them to his companions; “he cannot eat the hay himself, and yet refuses to allow those to eat who can.” 53 The Oxen and the Axle-Trees 54 A HEAVY WAGON was being dragged along a country lane by a team of Oxen. 55 The Axle-trees groaned and creaked terribly; whereupon the Oxen, turning round, thus addressed the wheels: “Hullo there! why do you make so much noise? 56 We bear all the labor, and we, not you, ought to cry out.” 57 Those who suffer most cry out the least. 58 The Farmer and the Cranes 59 SOME CRANES made their feeding grounds on some plowlands newly sown with wheat. 60 For a long time the Farmer, brandishing an empty sling, chased them away by the terror he inspired; but when the birds found that the sling was only swung in the air, they ceased to take any notice of it and would not move. 61 The Farmer, on seeing this, charged his sling with stones, and killed a great number. 62 The remaining birds at once forsook his fields, crying to each other, “It is time for us to be off to Liliput: for this man is no longer content to scare us, but begins to show us in earnest what he can do.” 63 If words suffice not, blows must follow. 64 The Sick Lion 65 A LION, unable from old age and infirmities to provide himself with food by force, resolved to do so by artifice. 66 He returned to his den, and lying down there, pretended to be sick, taking care that his sickness should be publicly known. 67 The beasts expressed their sorrow, and came one by one to his den, where the Lion devoured them. 68 After many of the beasts had thus disappeared, the Fox discovered the trick and presenting himself to the Lion, stood on the outside of the cave, at a respectful distance, and asked him how he was. 69 “I am very middling,” replied the Lion, “but why do you stand without? 70 Pray enter within to talk with me.” 71 “No, thank you,” said the Fox. 72 “I notice that there are many prints of feet entering your cave, but I see no trace of any returning.” 73 He is wise who is warned by the misfortunes of others. 74 The Bear and the Two Travelers 75 TWO MEN were traveling together, when a Bear suddenly met them on their path. 76 One of them climbed up quickly into a tree and concealed himself in the branches. 77 The other, seeing that he must be attacked, fell flat on the ground, and when the Bear came up and felt him with his snout, and smelt him all over, he held his breath, and feigned the appearance of death as much as he could. 78 The Bear soon left him, for it is said he will not touch a dead body. 79 When he was quite gone, the other Traveler descended from the tree, and jocularly inquired of his friend what it was the Bear had whispered in his ear. 80 “He gave me this advice,” his companion replied. 81 “Never travel with a friend who deserts you at the approach of danger.” 82 Misfortune tests the sincerity of friends. 83 The Fox Who Had Lost His Tail 84 A FOX caught in a trap escaped, but in so doing lost his tail. 85 Thereafter, feeling his life a burden from the shame and ridicule to which he was exposed, he schemed to convince all the other Foxes that being tailless was much more attractive, thus making up for his own deprivation. 86 He assembled a good many Foxes and publicly advised them to cut off their tails, saying that they would not only look much better without them, but that they would get rid of the weight of the brush, which was a very great inconvenience. 87 One of them interrupting him said, “If you had not yourself lost your tail, my friend, you would not thus counsel us.” 88 The Cat and the Cock 89 A CAT caught a Cock, and pondered how he might find a reasonable excuse for eating him. 90 He accused him of being a nuisance to men by crowing in the nighttime and not permitting them to sleep. 91 The Cock defended himself by saying that he did this for the benefit of men, that they might rise in time for their labours. 92 The Cat replied, “Although you abound in specious apologies, I shall not remain supperless;” and he made a meal of him. 93 The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing 94 ONCE UPON A TIME a Wolf resolved to disguise his appearance in order to secure food more easily. 95 Encased in the skin of a sheep, he pastured with the flock deceiving the shepherd by his costume. 96 In the evening he was shut up by the shepherd in the fold; the gate was closed, and the entrance made thoroughly secure. 97 But the shepherd, returning to the fold during the night to obtain meat for the next day, mistakenly caught up the Wolf instead of a sheep, and killed him instantly. 98 Harm seek, harm find. 99 The Goat and the Goatherd 100 A GOATHERD had sought to bring back a stray goat to his flock. ← previous Aesop’s Fables, part 1next → Aesop’s Fables, part 3↑ back to Three hundred Aesop’s fables This page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg21/4/