Aesop’s Fables, part 2 · page 21 2101He whistled and sounded his horn in vain; the straggler paid no attention to the summons.102At last the Goatherd threw a stone, and breaking its horn, begged the Goat not to tell his master.103The Goat replied, “Why, you silly fellow, the horn will speak though I be silent.”104Do not attempt to hide things which cannot be hid.105The Boasting Traveler106A MAN who had traveled in foreign lands boasted very much, on returning to his own country, of the many wonderful and heroic feats he had performed in the different places he had visited.107Among other things, he said that when he was at Rhodes he had leaped to such a distance that no man of his day could leap anywhere near him as to that, there were in Rhodes many persons who saw him do it and whom he could call as witnesses.108One of the bystanders interrupted him, saying: “Now, my good man, if this be all true there is no need of witnesses.109Suppose this to be Rhodes, and leap for us.”110The Lion in Love111A LION demanded the daughter of a woodcutter in marriage.112The Father, unwilling to grant, and yet afraid to refuse his request, hit upon this expedient to rid himself of his importunities.113He expressed his willingness to accept the Lion as the suitor of his daughter on one condition: that he should allow him to extract his teeth, and cut off his claws, as his daughter was fearfully afraid of both.114The Lion cheerfully assented to the proposal.115But when the toothless, clawless Lion returned to repeat his request, the Woodman, no longer afraid, set upon him with his club, and drove him away into the forest.116The Miser117A MISER sold all that he had and bought a lump of gold, which he buried in a hole in the ground by the side of an old wall and went to look at daily.118One of his workmen observed his frequent visits to the spot and decided to watch his movements.119He soon discovered the secret of the hidden treasure, and digging down, came to the lump of gold, and stole it.120The Miser, on his next visit, found the hole empty and began to tear his hair and to make loud lamentations.121A neighbor, seeing him overcome with grief and learning the cause, said, “Pray do not grieve so; but go and take a stone, and place it in the hole, and fancy that the gold is still lying there.122It will do you quite the same service; for when the gold was there, you had it not, as you did not make the slightest use of it.”123The Porker, the Sheep, and the Goat124A young Pig was shut up in a fold-yard with a Goat and a Sheep.125On one occasion the shepherd laid hold of him, when he grunted, and squeaked, and resisted violently.126The Sheep and the Goat complained of his distressing cries, and said, “He often handles us, and we do not cry out.”127To this he replied, “Your handling and mine are very different things.128He catches you only for your wool, or your milk, but he lays hold on me for my very life.”129The Boy and the Filberts130A BOY put his hand into a pitcher full of filberts.131He grasped as many as he could possibly hold, but when he tried to pull out his hand, he was prevented from doing so by the neck of the pitcher.132Unwilling to lose his filberts, and yet unable to withdraw his hand, he burst into tears and bitterly lamented his disappointment.133A bystander said to him, “Be satisfied with half the quantity, and you will readily draw out your hand.”134Do not attempt too much at once.135The Frogs Asking for a King136THE FROGS, grieved at having no established Ruler, sent ambassadors to Jupiter entreating for a King.137Perceiving their simplicity, he cast down a huge log into the lake.138The Frogs were terrified at the splash occasioned by its fall and hid themselves in the depths of the pool.139But as soon as they realized that the huge log was motionless, they swam again to the top of the water, dismissed their fears, climbed up, and began squatting on it in contempt.140After some time they began to think themselves ill-treated in the appointment of so inert a Ruler, and sent a second deputation to Jupiter to pray that he would set over them another sovereign.141He then gave them an Eel to govern them.142When the Frogs discovered his easy good nature, they sent yet a third time to Jupiter to beg him to choose for them still another King.143Jupiter, displeased with all their complaints, sent a Heron, who preyed upon the Frogs day by day till there were none left to croak upon the lake.1 2← previousAesop’s Fables, part 1next →Aesop’s Fables, part 3↑ back to Three hundred Aesop’s fablesThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg21/4/page/2/