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These are the fables for he "Aesops Classic Gone Viral" OOTM long term project (2015-2016) | |
These were sourced from Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/21/21-h/21-h.htm | |
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The Bear and the Two Travelers | |
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TWO MEN were traveling together, when a Bear suddenly met them on their path. One of them | |
climbed up quickly into a tree and concealed himself in the branches. 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. The Bear soon left him, for it is said he will not touch a dead body. | |
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. "He gave me this advice," his | |
companion replied. "Never travel with a friend who deserts you at the approach of danger." | |
Misfortune tests the sincerity of friends. | |
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The Mischievous Dog | |
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A DOG used to run up quietly to the heels of everyone he met, and to bite them without | |
notice. His master suspended a bell about his neck so that the Dog might give notice | |
of his presence wherever he went. Thinking it a mark of distinction, the Dog grew proud | |
of his bell and went tinkling it all over the marketplace. One day an old hound said | |
to him: "Why do you make such an exhibition of yourself? That bell that you carry is | |
not, believe me, any order of merit, but on the contrary a mark of disgrace, a public | |
notice to all men to avoid you as an ill mannered dog." | |
Notoriety is often mistaken for fame. | |
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The Donkey and His Purchaser (NB: I replaced "Ass" with "Donkey" but made no other modification) | |
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A MAN wished to purchase an Donkey, and agreed with its owner that he should try out | |
the animal before he bought him. He took the Donkey home and put him in the straw-yard | |
with his other Donkeys, upon which the new animal left all the others and at once | |
joined the one that was most idle and the greatest eater of them all. Seeing this, | |
the man put a halter on him and led him back to his owner. On being asked how, in so | |
short a time, he could have made a trial of him, he answered, "I do not need a trial; | |
I know that he will be just the same as the one he chose for his companion." | |
A man is known by the company he keeps. | |
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The Dog in the Manger | |
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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. "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." | |
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The Hawk, the Kite, and the Pigeons | |
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THE PIGEONS, terrified by the appearance of a Kite, called upon the Hawk to | |
defend them. He at once consented. When they had admitted him into the cote, they | |
found that he made more havoc and slew a larger number of them in one day than | |
the Kite could pounce upon in a whole year. | |
Avoid a remedy that is worse than the disease. | |
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Hercules and the Wagoner | |
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A CARTER was driving a wagon along a country lane, when the wheels sank down deep | |
into a rut. The rustic driver, stupefied and aghast, stood looking at the wagon, | |
and did nothing but utter loud cries to Hercules to come and help him. Hercules, | |
it is said, appeared and thus addressed him: "Put your shoulders to the wheels, | |
my man. Goad on your bullocks, and never more pray to me for help, until you have | |
done your best to help yourself, or depend upon it you will henceforth pray in vain." | |
Self-help is the best help. | |
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The Boy and the Nettles | |
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A BOY was stung by a Nettle. He ran home and told his Mother, saying, "Although | |
it hurts me very much, I only touched it gently." "That was just why it stung you," | |
said his Mother. "The next time you touch a Nettle, grasp it boldly, and it will | |
be soft as silk to your hand, and not in the least hurt you." | |
Whatever you do, do with all your might. | |
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The Fox and the Grapes | |
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A FAMISHED FOX saw some clusters of ripe black grapes hanging from a trellised vine. | |
She resorted to all her tricks to get at them, but wearied herself in vain, for she | |
could not reach them. At last she turned away, hiding her disappointment and saying: | |
"The Grapes are sour, and not ripe as I thought." | |
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The Dogs and the Fox | |
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SOME DOGS, finding the skin of a lion, began to tear it in pieces with their teeth. | |
A Fox, seeing them, said, "If this lion were alive, you would soon find out that his | |
claws were stronger than your teeth." | |
It is easy to kick a man that is down. | |
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The Thief and the Innkeeper | |
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A THIEF hired a room in a tavern and stayed a while in the hope of stealing something | |
which should enable him to pay his reckoning. When he had waited some days in vain, he | |
saw the Innkeeper dressed in a new and handsome coat and sitting before his door. The | |
Thief sat down beside him and talked with him. As the conversation began to flag, the | |
Thief yawned terribly and at the same time howled like a wolf. The Innkeeper said, | |
"Why do you howl so fearfully?" "I will tell you," said the Thief, "but first let me | |
ask you to hold my clothes, or I shall tear them to pieces. I know not, sir, when I | |
got this habit of yawning, nor whether these attacks of howling were inflicted on me | |
as a judgment for my crimes, or for any other cause; but this I do know, that when I | |
yawn for the third time, I actually turn into a wolf and attack men." With this speech | |
he commenced a second fit of yawning and again howled like a wolf, as he had at first. | |
The Innkeeper, hearing his tale and believing what he said, became greatly alarmed | |
and, rising from his seat, attempted to run away. The Thief laid hold of his coat and | |
entreated him to stop, saying, "Pray wait, sir, and hold my clothes, or I shall tear | |
them to pieces in my fury, when I turn into a wolf." At the same moment he yawned the | |
third time and set up a terrible howl. The Innkeeper, frightened lest he should be | |
attacked, left his new coat in the Thief's hand and ran as fast as he could into the | |
inn for safety. The Thief made off with the coat and did not return again to the inn. | |
Every tale is not to be believed. | |
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