Part 13 (1/2)

A hungry Wolf spied a Goat browsing at the top of a steep cliff where he could not possibly get at her.

”That is a very dangerous place for you,” he called out, pretending to be very anxious about the Goat's safety. ”What if you should fall! Please listen to me and come down! Here you can get all you want of the finest, tenderest gra.s.s in the country.”

The Goat looked over the edge of the cliff.

”How very, very anxious you are about me,” she said, ”and how generous you are with your gra.s.s! But I know you! It's your _own_ appet.i.te you are thinking of, not mine!”

_An invitation prompted by selfishness is not to be accepted._

THE a.s.s AND THE GRa.s.sHOPPERS

One day as an a.s.s was walking in the pasture, he found some Gra.s.shoppers chirping merrily in a gra.s.sy corner of the field.

He listened with a great deal of admiration to the song of the Gra.s.shoppers. It was such a joyful song that his pleasure-loving heart was filled with a wish to sing as they did.

”What is it?” he asked very respectfully, ”that has given you such beautiful voices? Is there any special food you eat, or is it some divine nectar that makes you sing so wonderfully?”

”Yes,” said the Gra.s.shoppers, who were very fond of a joke; ”it is the dew we drink! Try some and see.”

So thereafter the a.s.s would eat nothing and drink nothing but dew.

Naturally, the poor foolish a.s.s soon died.

_The laws of nature are unchangeable._

THE MULE

A Mule had had a long rest and much good feeding. He was feeling very vigorous indeed, and pranced around loftily, holding his head high.

”My father certainly was a full-blooded racer,” he said. ”I can feel that distinctly.”

Next day he was put into harness again and that evening he was very downhearted indeed.

”I was mistaken,” he said. ”My father was an a.s.s after all.”

_Be sure of your pedigree before you boast of it._

THE FOX AND THE GOAT