AESOP

    Follow

General Blog

THREE FABLES OF AESOP (104-106)

THE GOAT AND THE GOATHERD

A Boy, whose business it was to look after some Goats, as night began to fall, gathered them together to lead them home. One of the number, a She-Goat, alone refused to obey his call, and stood on a ledge of a rock, nibbling the herbage that grew there. 
The Boy lost all patience, and taking up a great stone, threw it at the Goat with all his force. The stone struck one of the horns of the Goat, and broke it off at the middle. 
The Boy, terrified at what he had done and fearing his master’s anger, threw himself upon his knees before the Goat, and begged her to say nothing about the mishap, alleging that it was far from his intention to aim the stone so well. 
“Tush!” replied the Goat.” Let my tongue be ever so silent, my horn is sure to tell the tale.”
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO HIDE THINGS WHICH CANNOT BE HIDDEN.

                               *** 
    

ONE who had been abroad, at his return home again, was giving an account of his travels; and, among other places, said he had been at Rhodes where he had so distinguished himself in leaping, an exercise that city was famous for, that no Rhodian could come near him.
 When those who were present did not seem to credit this relation so readily as he intended they should, he took some pains to convince them of it by oaths and protestations; upon which, one of the company rising up, told him, he need not give himself so much trouble about it, since he would put him in a way to demonstrate it in fact: which was, to suppose the place they were in to be Rhodes, and to perform his extraordinary leap over again. 
The Boaster, not liking this proposal, sat down quietly, and had no more to say for himself.

DEEDS COUNT, NOT BOASTING WORDS.
                           *** 

One day a shepherd discovered a fat Pig in the meadow where his Sheep were pastured. 
He very quickly captured the porker, which squealed at the top of its voice the moment the Shepherd laid his hands on it. You would have thought, to hear the loud squealing, that the Pig was being cruelly hurt. But in spite of its squeals and struggles to escape, the Shepherd tucked his prize under his arm and started off to the butcher’s in the market place.
The Sheep in the pasture were much astonished and amused at the Pig’s behavior, and followed the Shepherd and his charge to the pasture gate.
“What makes you squeal like that?” asked one of the Sheep. “The Shepherd often catches and carries off one of us. But we should feel very much ashamed to make such a terrible fuss about it like you do.”
“That is all very well,” replied the Pig, with a squeal and a frantic kick. “When he catches you he is only after your wool. But he wants my bacon! gree-ee-ee!”

IT IS EASY TO BE BRAVE WHEN THERE IS NO DANGER.
                             ***

Comments