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A Fox who had never seen a lion in his life met one of the greatest size. In his terror and surprise, he thought that his last hour had come. At the second meeting, he was still somewhat alarmed, but less so than at first. At the third sight of the Lion, he felt no fear at all, but walked up to the Lion and began to converse with him.
By force of habit we become enabled to confront, unmoved, things the most terrible and dangerous.
The Farmer and His Hounds
A Farmer who lived remote from the city, was kept at home by the severity of the winter. Soon, his provisions were exhausted, and finally, he was compelled to kill his great black oxen.
On seeing this, his Hounds gathered together.
“If this man,” said they, “butchers such strong oxen as these, the mainstay of his house, do you think he will spare us? Let us make our escape!”
Keep away from the man who without hesitation does injury to everyone else. To avoid him is a matter of haste and necessity.
The Bear and His Mate
A Bear, in struggling with his Mate, used his claws with such violence that he tore her eyes out. He was immediately seized with such sorrow that he bit off his own claws.
A short time afterward, he conversed with her in a friendly manner in his cave.
“My dear,” he remarked to her, “for your sake, I have sacrificed my weapons of war.”
“What good,” said she, “is that to me, now that I am blind, and deprived by you of my precious eyes?”
Repentance cannot repair an injury once inflicted.
The Eel and the Serpent
The Eel and the Serpent were talking together.
“Why is it,” said the Eel, “that I, although I undoubtedly resemble you, in every point, am hunted by men, while they leave you in peace?”
“Because, if they caught me, they would do it to their cost.”
No one attacks the person who always repays an injury.
The Sailors in Distress
A ship at sea was caught in a violent tempest. The crew, seeing her on the point of foundering, began to address their prayers, some to one saint, some to another, imploring them to intercede with the Almighty, that the suppliants might be delivered in their extremity.
While they thus poured out their prayers the Captain remained unmoved. “Fools!” he said at length, “before your patron saints have time to carry their prayers to God, and he has given them a hearing, all of those on board this ship will be drowned. Let us address our prayers directly to the Most High, and implore his help!”
In obedience to the suggestion of their Captain, the Sailors cried out aloud to God himself, and were saved.
When a man of brains and intelligence wishes to ask a favor of the great, he avoids addressing subordinates.
The Father and Son
A certain Father had a Son of extremely bad habits.
“He who abandons himself to vicious irregularities, and wanders from the straight path,” he said to him, “gains nothing but shame and disgrace.”
It was thus he used to speak to him plainly, and give him good counsel and advice.
“These,” answered the Son, “are words empty and irrational!”
“Alas,” cried the Father, “can I listen to such words!”
“When you consider,” went on the Son, “that I have continued deaf to the admonitions of the most famous preachers, who are always talking of virtue to me, do you think I could listen to you?”
He whose natural disposition is coarse and vicious would not give up his criminal and debauched way of life, even if Plato, or the very angels of paradise, appealed to him.
The Poet and the Clown
A certain countryman, who was engaged in sowing his field, saw a man of letters, who was also a Poet, approaching:
“Sir,” said the Clown to him, “how can you study, as you do, in solitude?”
“I am a Poet,” replied the other; “at first I studied in company with others, but now I go on in my education alone.”
The uneducated man who begins by seeking the society of the learned, in this way becomes educated. In time he grows capable of finishing his education, unaided by others.
The Shark
A Shark, taking up his station at the mouth of a river, ruled over all the inhabitants of the waters. As he conducted himself with extreme violence toward them, they showed every sign of submissiveness. He had, in fact, become their King, and they treated him as such.
The Shark was unduly elated by his situation. “Wherefore,” said he to himself, “should I not extend my dominion still farther?”
Taking advantage of a favorable opportunity, he left the river and went out to sea, with a view of expanding his domain. “I must now subjugate the fishes who dwell here,” he remarked.
He was thus dreaming of ocean conquest, when he met the whale. Seized with alarm, and frozen with terror, the would-be conqueror fled, and regained the mouth of the river, feeling quite dejected. Henceforth he was very careful not to leave his lurking-place.
Let us beware of giving up a satisfactory position, in pursuit of vainglory, and for the sake of increasing our power; in all cases let us limit our desires.
The Wolf, the Nurse, and the Child
A certain Wolf was wandering round in search of prey. He entered a village and heard a Child crying.
“What are you crying for?” asked the Child’s old Nurse. “Unless you stop I will give you to the Wolf.”
Some time afterward, when the Child had stopped crying, the old woman began to flatter and humor him. “If the Wolf comes,” said she, “we will tie him fast, then we will give him a beating, and hit him so hard that it will kill him, and after