Aesop's Fables (Penguin Classics) - Aesop [8]
“This fine mode of living may be all right for those who like it,” he said. “But I’d rather have a crust in peace and safety than all your fine things in the midst of such alarm and terror.”
XXXI
The Dog and the Shadow
A dog had stolen a piece of meat out of a butcher shop and was crossing a river on his way home when he saw his own shadow reflected in the water below. Thinking that it was another dog with another piece of meat, he became intent on capturing the other piece as well. Once he snapped at the treasure below, however, he dropped the prize that he was carrying and thus lost everything he had.
Grasp at the shadow and you will lose the substance.
XXXII
The Moon and Her Mother
The moon once asked her mother to make her a little cloak that would fit her well.
“How can I make a cloak to fit you?” her mother asked. “Right now you’re a new moon, but soon you’ll turn into a full moon, and later you’ll become neither one nor the other.”
XXXIII
The Fighting Cocks and the Eagle
Two young cocks were fighting fiercely for the right to. rule a dunghill. At last, the one who was beaten crept into the corner of the hen house, covered with wounds. The victor flew straight to the top of an outhouse, clapped his wings, and crowed loudly to announce his victory. Just then an eagle swooped down from the sky, grabbed him with his talons, and carried him away. After watching all this from his hiding place, the defeated rival came out, took possession of the dunghill, and strutted about among his hens with all the dignity of a majestic king.
Pride goes before defeat.
XXXIV
The Man and the Satyr
After a man and a satyr became friends, they began talking together. Since it was a cold wintry day, the man put his fingers to his mouth and blew on them.
“Why are you doing that, my friend?” the satyr asked.
“To warm my hands,” said the man. “They’re nearly frozen.”
Later on in the day, they sat down to eat. Some hot food was placed before them, and the man raised the dish to his mouth and blew on it.
“And what’s that for?” asked the satyr.
“Oh,” replied the man, “my porridge is so hot that I need to cool it off.”
“Well, then,” said the satyr, “from this moment on, you can consider our friendship terminated. I could never trust anyone who blows hot one moment and cold the next.”
XXXV
The Tortoise and the Eagle
A tortoise was dissatisfied with his lowly life and with crawling about on the ground at a snail’s pace. He envied the birds, who could soar high into the clouds whenever they desired. He thought that, if he could but once get up into the air, he would be able to fly with the best of them. So, one day he offered an eagle all the treasures in the ocean if he would only teach him how to fly. The eagle declined and assured him that the tortoise’s desire to fly was not only absurd but impossible. However, the tortoise kept insisting and pleading so that the eagle eventually agreed to do the best he could for him. Therefore, he carried the tortoise high up in the air, and as he let go of him, he said, “Now, spread your legs!” But before the tortoise could say one word to him in response, he plunged straight down, hit a rock, and was dashed to pieces.
Demand your own way, demand your own ruin.
XXXVI
The Mule
A mule had grown fat and wanton from his huge daily rations of corn, and one day, as he was jumping, kicking, and gamboling about the fields, he thought to himself, “My mother must surely have been a thoroughbred racer, and I’m quite as good as she ever was!”
But he was soon exhausted from the galloping and frisking, and all at once he remembered that his sire had been nothing but an ass.
Every truth has two sides. It is best to look at both before we declare where we stand.
XXXVII
The Hen and the Cat
Hearing that a hen was laid up sick in her nest, a cat paid a visit out of sympathy. After creeping up to her, he said,