Chapter III: Part 3

_Fox._--Well, the birds and the beasts have met, and have sworn a truce. We are now quite safe by night and day. The wolf will no more tear the lamb, nor the fox kill the kid; the cat will not catch the mice, nor the dog bark at the sheep; and from this time all will live in peace: so come down, that I may wish you joy on this new state of things.

The cock did not say much, but gave his neck a stretch, and made a feint that he saw some foe at hand.

_Fox._--What is it you see?

_Cock._--Why, I think I see a pack of hounds. No doubt they come this way to tell the good news.

_Fox._--Oh, then, I must be gone!

_Cock._--No; pray, sir, do not go; I am just on the point of a flight down to you. You can have no fear of dogs in this time of peace.

_Fox._--Why, no--no--but--ten to one they have not heard the news.

_Cock._--If the sky falls, we shall catch larks. You might as well try to make me think the moon is made of green cheese!

THE WOLF AND THE STORK.

A wolf had a bone that stuck in his throat, and gave him so much pain, that he ran with a howl, up and down, to ask all whom he met to lend him a kind hand, and said he would give a large sum to bird or beast who would take it out. At last a crane, who heard of the bribe, came up, put her long bill down the wolf’s throat, and drew out the bone. The crane then said, “Now, where is the fee which you spoke of?” “Wretch that you are!” said the wolf, “to ask for more than this--that you should put your head in a wolf’s mouth, and bring it safe out!”

A bribe walks in, and gives no knock.

THE JAY AND THE OWL.

One day an old owl, who sat in a dark barn, had a call from a jay. The owl sat quite still in his nook, save when he saw a mouse, and did not speak a word, so that the jay had all the talk. When he had thus spent an hour or so, he took his leave, full of glee, with a heart as gay as his plumes, and said as he went that he must love that dear old owl, and that he did not know when he had had a chat to cheer him up so much.

If you wish to please your friend, sit still, and let him talk.

THE NURSE AND THE SNAKE.

A child that was at play in a field, by chance trod on a snake which stung him to death. The nurse, in a great rage, hit the snake a blow which struck off his tail. The next day she came to the snake’s hole to coax him with some salt and meal, that she might kill him. “I pray thee come forth,” said the nurse, “and let us make it up on both sides”; but she could in no way get the snake to leave his hole. All he would do was to give a hiss, and tell her that as long as she thought of the dead child, and he thought of the tail, they could not be friends.

He who does you a wrong is sure not to love you.

THE LARK AND THE FINCH.

A poor lark was kept in a cage that hung on a wall, in a town that was full of dust and dirt. One day, as he stood on his piece of dead turf, to trill out his sweet song, a finch, who by chance flew that way, said, “How canst thou sing so blithe a strain, shut up in that vile cage?” “Finch, finch,” rang out the lark, in his clear tones, “know you not that if I did not sing while I am shut up here, I should fail to call to mind my song, when the time came for me to mount up to the sky?”

It is meet for us to sing hymns of praise while we are on earth, to fit us for our flight to realms of bliss.

THE DOVE AND THE ANT.

A hot day in June drove a poor ant to take a sip from a clear brook, when she fell in, and went down with the stream. A dove that sat in a tree close by saw the ant fall, so she threw a leaf down to her in the brook, which the ant clung to, and so was brought safe to land. In a few days from this time, the ant saw a man take aim with his bow to shoot the dove, and, just in the nick of time, she stung him on the heel. This made him give a start, and spoilt his aim, so that the dove flew off safe and sound.

Live, and let live.

THE MAID AND HER MILK PAIL.

One day, as a young maid went down the road with her pail of milk on her head, she was heard to say, “This pail of milk will fetch me so much, which sum I will lay out in eggs; these eggs will bring a score of chicks, and they will be fit to sell just at the time when fowls bear a good price; so that on May day I shall have a new gown. Let me see,--yes, green will suit me best, and green it shall be. In this dress I will go to the fair, and all who are there will pay their court to me; but with a proud look I shall turn from them.”

Wrapt in this dream of joy, she gave a toss of the head to suit the words, when down came the pail of milk, and with it the eggs, the chicks, the green gown, and all the bright thoughts of what she would do at the fair.

Count not your chicks till they are out of the shell. Each “may be” hath a “may not be.”

THE HARE AND HER FRIENDS.

A hare that was known to be good and kind was a friend to all the beasts of the field. One day the hounds caught sight of her, and gave her such a hard chase that at last she lay quite faint by the side of the road. To her great joy a horse came by. “Let me mount you,” said she, “and the hounds will then be thrown off the scent.” “Poor Puss,” said the horse, with a sigh, “it makes me sad to see you thus; but look up--all your friends are near.” She next sought aid from the bull. “I would lend you help, and be sure I wish you well,” said he; “but I am the head of the herd, and I must now join it.” The goat, who came next, said, “I fear my coat is too rough for you; there’s the sheep with his soft wool.” But the sheep told her that she was too weak to bear her weight, and that hounds eat sheep as well as hares. A young calf was the poor hare’s last chance, and he said, “If those who have gone by, who are grown up, did not help you, what good can I do, who am but young and weak?” Just then the hounds came in sight, and the calf ran off, and left the poor hare to her fate. “Ah!” said she, “friends are like bees: on bright days they swarm, but when clouds shut out the sun they are not to be found, though sought.”

When your friend is in want, lose no time, but help him.

THE ASS AND THE LAP DOG.

Once on a time there was a man who had a pet dog, of which he was so fond that he let him eat from his own plate, and sit on his knee. The same man kept an ass that drew wood all day, and had to take his turn at the mill at night. “What a hard fate is mine!” said he; “I work night and day, while the lap dog leads a life of ease. No doubt my lord would get as fond of his ass as he is of his dog, if I could but win him by the same tricks.”

At this thought he broke from the stall, set off to the room where the man was, sprang to his face to lick it, and gave a loud bray in his ear. But now the ass had gone too far with his rough play; for the men of the farm came in with clubs, sticks, and staves to beat him.

THE END.

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