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river and soon drew it forth filled with fish. Then he took his
bagpipes again, and, as he played, the fish leapt up in the net.
"Ah, you dance now when I play," said he.

"Yes," said an old Fish:

"When you are in a man's power you must do as he bids you."



The Shepherd's Boy


There was once a young Shepherd Boy who tended his sheep at
the foot of a mountain near a dark forest. It was rather lonely
for him all day, so he thought upon a plan by which he could get a
little company and some excitement. He rushed down towards the
village calling out "Wolf, Wolf," and the villagers came out to
meet him, and some of them stopped with him for a considerable
time. This pleased the boy so much that a few days afterwards he
tried the same trick, and again the villagers came to his help.
But shortly after this a Wolf actually did come out from the
forest, and began to worry the sheep, and the boy of course cried
out "Wolf, Wolf," still louder than before. But this time the
villagers, who had been fooled twice before, thought the boy was
again deceiving them, and nobody stirred to come to his help. So
the Wolf made a good meal off the boy's flock, and when the boy
complained, the wise man of the village said:

"A liar will not be believed, even when he speaks the truth."



The Young Thief and His Mother


A young Man had been caught in a daring act of theft and had
been condemned to be executed for it. He expressed his desire to
see his Mother, and to speak with her before he was led to
execution, and of course this was granted. When his Mother came
to him he said: "I want to whisper to you," and when she brought
her ear near him, he nearly bit it off. All the bystanders were
horrified, and asked him what he could mean by such brutal and
inhuman conduct. "It is to punish her," he said. "When I was
young I began with stealing little things, and brought them home
to Mother. Instead of rebuking and punishing me, she laughed and
said: "It will not be noticed." It is because of her that I am
here to-day."

"He is right, woman," said the Priest; "the Lord hath said:

"Train up a child in the way he should go; and
when he is old he will not depart therefrom."



The Man and His Two Wives


In the old days, when men were allowed to have many wives, a
middle-aged Man had one wife that was old and one that was young;
each loved him very much, and desired to see him like herself.
Now the Man's hair was turning grey, which the young Wife did not
like, as it made him look too old for her husband. So every night
she used to comb his hair and pick out the white ones.

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