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ox-stall, and buried itself in a truss of hay, leaving nothing to
be seen but the tips of his horns. Soon after the Hunters came up
and asked if any one had seen the Hart. The stable boys, who had
been resting after their dinner, looked round, but could see
nothing, and the Hunters went away. Shortly afterwards the master
came in, and looking round, saw that something unusual had taken
place. He pointed to the truss of hay and said: "What are those
two curious things sticking out of the hay?" And when the stable
boys came to look they discovered the Hart, and soon made an end
of him. He thus learnt that
Nothing escapes the master's eye.



The Fox and the Grapes


One hot summer's day a Fox was strolling through an orchard
till he came to a bunch of Grapes just ripening on a vine which
had been trained over a lofty branch. "Just the thing to quench
my thirst," quoth he. Drawing back a few paces, he took a run and
a jump, and just missed the bunch. Turning round again with a
One, Two, Three, he jumped up, but with no greater success. Again
and again he tried after the tempting morsel, but at last had to
give it up, and walked away with his nose in the air, saying: "I
am sure they are sour."

It is easy to despise what you cannot get.



The Horse, Hunter, and Stag


A quarrel had arisen between the Horse and the Stag, so the
Horse came to a Hunter to ask his help to take revenge on the
Stag. The Hunter agreed, but said: "If you desire to conquer the
Stag, you must permit me to place this piece of iron between your
jaws, so that I may guide you with these reins, and allow this
saddle to be placed upon your back so that I may keep steady upon
you as we follow after the enemy." The Horse agreed to the
conditions, and the Hunter soon saddled and bridled him. Then
with the aid of the Hunter the Horse soon overcame the Stag, and
said to the Hunter: "Now, get off, and remove those things from my
mouth and back."

"Not so fast, friend," said the Hunter. "I have now got you
under bit and spur, and prefer to keep you as you are at present."

If you allow men to use you for your own purposes,
they will use you for theirs.



The Peacock and Juno


A Peacock once placed a petition before Juno desiring to have
the voice of a nightingale in addition to his other attractions;
but Juno refused his request. When he persisted, and pointed out
that he was her favourite bird, she said:

"Be content with your lot;
one cannot be first in everything."



The Fox and the Lion


When first the Fox saw the Lion he was terribly frightened,
and ran away and hid himself in the wood.

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