The Fables of Phaedrus Part 18

THE CITY MOUSE AND COUNTRY MOUSE.

A City Mouse being once entertained at the table of a Country one, dined on humble acorns in a hole. Afterwards he prevailed upon the Countryman by his entreaties to enter the city and a cellar that abounded with the choicest things. Here, while they were enjoying remnants of various kinds, the door is thrown open, and in comes the Butler; the Mice, terrified at the noise, fly in different directions, and the City one easily hides himself in his well-known holes; while the unfortunate Rustic, all trepidation in that strange house, and dreading death, runs to-and-fro along the walls. When the Butler had taken what he wanted, and had shut the door, the City Mouse bade the Country one again to take courage. The latter, still in a state of perturbation, replied: "I hardly can take any food for fear. Do you think he will come?"

--"Why are you in such a fright?" said the City one; "come, let us enjoy dainties which you may seek in vain in the country." The Countryman {replied}: "You, who don't know what it is to fear, will enjoy all these things; but, free from care and at liberty, may acorns be my food!"

'Tis better to live secure in poverty, than to be consumed by the cares attendant upon riches.

FABLE X.

THE a.s.s FAWNING UPON HIS MASTER.

An a.s.s, seeing the Dog fawn upon his master, and how he was crammed at his table each day, and had bits thrown to him in abundance by the Servants, thus remarked: "If the Master and the Servants are so very fond of a most filthy Dog, what must it be with me, if I should pay him similar attentions, who am much better than this Dog, and useful and praiseworthy in many respects; who am supported by the pure streams of undefiled water, and never in the habit of feeding upon nasty food?

Surely I am more worthy than a whelp to enjoy a happy life, and to obtain the highest honor." While the a.s.s is thus soliloquising, he sees his Master enter the stable; so running up to him in haste and braying aloud, he leaps upon him, claps both feet on his shoulders, begins to lick his face; and tearing his clothes with his dirty hoofs, he fatigues his Master with his heavy weight, as he stupidly fawns upon him. At their Master's outcry the Servants run to the spot, and seizing everywhere such sticks and stones as come in their way, they punish the braying {beast}, and knocking him off his Master's body, soon send him back, half-dead to the manger, with sore limbs and battered rump.

{This} Fable teaches that a fool is not to thrust himself upon those who do not want him, or affect to perform the part of one superior {to him}.

FABLE XI.

THE CRANE, THE CROW, AND THE COUNTRYMAN.

A Crane and a Crow had made a league on oath, that the Crane should protect the Crow against the Birds, {and} that the Crow should foretell the future, so that the Crane might be on her guard. After this, on their frequently flying into the fields of a certain Countryman, and tearing up by the roots what had been sown, the owner of the field saw it, and being vexed, cried out: "Give me a stone, Boy, that I may hit the Crane." When the Crow heard this, at once she warned the Crane, who took all due precaution. On another day, too, the Crow hearing him ask for a stone, again warned the Crane carefully to avoid the danger. The Countryman, suspecting that the divining Bird heard his commands, said to the Boy: "If I say, give me a cake, do you secretly hand me a stone."

The Crane came {again}; he bade the Boy give him a cake, but the Boy gave him a stone, with which he hit the Crane, and broke her legs. The Crane, on being wounded, said: "Prophetic Crow, where now are your auspices? Why did you not hasten to warn your companion, as you swore you would, that no such evil might befall me?" The Crow made answer: "It is not my art that deserves to be blamed; but the purposes of double-tongued people are so deceiving, who say one thing and do another."

Those who impose upon the inexperienced by deceitful promises, fail not to cajole them by-and-bye with pretended reasons.

FABLE XII.

THE BIRDS AND THE SWALLOW.

The Birds having a.s.sembled in one spot, saw a Man sowing flax in a field. When the Swallow found that they thought nothing at all of this, she is reported to have called them together, and thus addressed them: "Danger awaits us all from this, if the seed should come to maturity."

The Birds laughed {at her}. When the crop, however, sprang up, the Swallow again remarked: "Our destruction is impending; come, let us root up the noxious blades, lest, if they shortly grow up, nets may be made thereof, and we may be taken by the contrivances of man." The Birds persist in laughing at the words of the Swallow, and foolishly despise {this} most prudent advice. But she, in her caution, at once betook herself to Man, that she might suspend her nest in safety under his rafters. The Birds, however, who had disregarded her wholesome advice, being caught in nets made of the flax, came to an untimely end.

FABLE XIII.

THE PARTRIDGE AND THE FOX.

Once on a time a Partridge was sitting in a lofty tree. A Fox came up, and began {thus} to speak: "O Partridge, how beautiful is your aspect!

Your beak transcends the coral; your thighs the brightness of purple.

And then, if you were to sleep, how much more beauteous you would be."

As soon as the silly Bird had closed her eyes, that instant the Fox seized the credulous thing. Suppliantly she uttered these words, mingled with loud cries: "O Fox, I beseech you, by the graceful dexterity of your exquisite skill, utter my name as before, and then you shall devour me." The Fox, willing to speak, opened his mouth, and so the Partridge escaped destruction. Then said the deluded Fox: "What need was there for me to speak?" The Partridge retorted: "And what necessity was there for me to sleep, when my hour for sleep had not come?"

This is for those who speak when there is no occasion, and who sleep when it is requisite to be on the watch.

FABLE XIV.

THE a.s.s, THE OX, AND THE BIRDS.

An a.s.s and an Ox, fastened to the same yoke, were drawing a waggon.

While the Ox was pulling with all his might he broke his horn. The a.s.s swears that he experiences no help whatever from his weak companion.

Exerting himself in the labour, the Ox breaks his other horn, and at length falls dead upon the ground. Presently, the Herdsman loads the a.s.s with the flesh of the Ox, and he breaks down amid a thousand blows, and stretched in the middle of the road, expires. The Birds flying to the prey, exclaim: "If you had shown yourself compa.s.sionate to the Ox when he entreated you, you would not have been food for us through your untimely death."

FABLE XV.

THE LION AND THE SHEPHERD.

A Lion,[3] while wandering in a wood, trod on a thorn, and soon after came up, wagging his tail, to a Shepherd: "Don't be alarmed," {said he}, "I suppliantly entreat your aid; I am not in search for prey." Lifting up the {wounded} foot, the Man places it in his lap, and, taking out the thorn, relieves {the patient's} severe pain: whereupon the Lion returns to the woods. Some time after, the Shepherd (being accused on a false charge) is condemned, and is ordered to be exposed to ravening Beasts at the ensuing games. While the Beasts, on being let out,[4] are roaming to-and-fro, the Lion recognizes the Man who effected the cure, and again raising his foot, places it in the Shepherd's lap. The King, as soon as he aware of this, immediately restored the Lion to the woods, and the Shepherd to his friends.

[Footnote AF.3: _A Lion_)--Ver. 1. This story is also told by Seneca--De Beneficiis, B. II. c. 19, and by Aulus Gellius, B. III.

c. 14.]

[Footnote AF.4: _The Beasts, on being let out_)--Ver. 10. The beasts were sent forth from "caveae," or "cages," into the area of the Circus or Amphitheatre.]

FABLE XVI.

THE GNAT AND THE BULL.

A Gnat having challenged a Bull to a trial of strength, all the People came to see the combat. Then {said} the Gnat: "'Tis enough that you have come to meet me in combat; for {though} little in my own idea, I am great in your judgment," {and so saying}, he took himself off on light wing through the air, and duped the mult.i.tude, and eluded the threats of the Bull. {Now} if the Bull had kept in mind his strength of neck, and had contemned an ign.o.ble foe, the vapouring of the trifler would have been all in vain.

He loses character who puts himself on a level with the undeserving.

FABLE XVII.

THE HORSE AND THE a.s.s.

A Steed, swelling {with pride} beneath his trappings, met an a.s.s, and because the latter, wearied with his load, made room very slowly: "Hardly," said {the Horse}, "can I restrain myself from kicking you severely." The a.s.s held his peace, only appealing with his groans to the G.o.ds. The Horse in a short s.p.a.ce of time, broken-winded with running, is sent to the farm. There the a.s.s espying him laden with dung, thus jeered him: "Where are your former trappings, vain boaster, who have now fallen into the misery which you treated with such contempt?"

Let not the fortunate man, unmindful of the uncertainty of fortune, despise the lowly one, seeing that he knows not what he may come to himself.

FABLE XVIII.

THE BIRDS, THE BEASTS, AND THE BAT.

The Birds were at war with the Beasts, and the conquerors were defeated in their turn; but the Bat, fearing the doubtful issue of {the strife}, always betook himself to those whom he saw victorious. When they had returned to their former state of peace, the fraud was apparent to both sides; convicted therefore of a crime so disgraceful, {and} flying from the light, he thenceforth hid himself in deep darkness, always flying alone by night.

Whoever offers himself for sale to both sides, will live a life of disgrace, hateful to them both.

FABLE XIX.

THE NIGHTINGALE, THE HAWK, AND THE FOWLER.