Aesop's Fables (Penguin Classics) - Aesop [9]
“Thank you,” said the hen. “Just be good enough to leave me, and I’m sure that I’ll soon get well again.”
Uninvited guests are often most welcome when they leave.
XXXVIII
The Old Woman and the Wine Bottle
An old woman found an empty wine bottle that had once been filled with choice wine and still retained the fragrant smell of its former contents. Though not a drop of the choice wine remained, the old woman pressed her nose to the top of the bottle as close as she could, and after sniffing with all her might, she exclaimed, “Sweet creature! How good your contents must have been when the dregs are still so delicious!”
XXXIX
The Hare and the Tortoise
A hare once ridiculed the short feet and slow pace of the tortoise. But the tortoise laughed and replied, “Though you may be as swift as the wind, I’ll beat you in a race.”
“All right,” said the hare, “you’ll soon live to regret those words.”
So they agreed that the fox would choose the course and fix the goal. On the day appointed for the race, the tortoise started crawling at his usual steady pace without stopping a solitary moment. Of course, the hare soon left the tortoise far behind. Once he reached the midway mark, he began to nibble some juicy grass and amuse himself in different ways. Since the day was warm, he thought he would take a little nap in a shady spot. Even if the tortoise might pass him while he slept, he was confident that he could easily overtake him again before he reached the goal. Meanwhile, the unwavering tortoise plodded on straight toward the goal. When the hare finally awoke, he was surprised to find that the tortoise was nowhere to be seen, and headed for the finish line as fast as he could. However, he dashed across the line only to see that the tortoise had crossed it before him and was comfortably resting and waiting for his arrival.
Slow and steady wins the race.
XL
The Ass and the Grasshopper
After hearing some grasshoppers chirping, an ass was enchanted by their music and wanted to acquire the same melodic charms. When he asked them what they ate to sing so sweetly, they told him that they dined on nothing but dew. Consequently, the ass followed the same diet, but he soon died of hunger.
One man’s meat is another man’s poison.
XLI
The Lamb and the Wolf
Pursued by a wolf, a lamb took refuge in a temple. When the wolf cried out to the lamb that the priest would slay him if he caught him, the lamb responded, “So be it. I’d rather be sacrificed in the temple than be devoured by you!”
XLII
The Crab and Its Mother
“Why do you walk so crooked, child?” said an old crab to her young one. “Walk straight!”
“Mother,” the young crab replied, “show me the way, and when I see you moving straight ahead, I’ll try to follow.”
Actions speak louder than words.
XLIII
Jupiter and the Camel
Hundreds of years ago, the camel asked Jupiter to grant him horns because he felt deprived and defenseless when he regarded other animals.
“The bull,” said he, “has horns, the boar, tusks, and the lion and tiger, sharp claws and fangs that make them feared and respected everywhere. On the other hand, I have to put up with the abuse of all those who insult me.”
Jupiter angrily responded that, if he would take the trouble to think, he would see that he was endowed with his own unique qualities. So, not only did Jupiter refuse to give the camel horns, but he also cropped his ears short for being to impudent.
By asking for too much, we may lose the little that we once had.
XLIV
The Mouse and the Frog
On an ill-fated day a mouse made the acquaintance of a frog, and they set off on their travels together. The frog pretended to be very fond of the mouse and invited him to visit the pond in which he lived. To keep his companion out of harm’s way, the frog tied the mouse’s front foot to his own hind leg, and thus they