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CHAPTER IV

FABLES

THE FOX AND THE GRAPES

A fox was walking through an orchard. He saw some grapes growing high on a vine. He wanted to eat the grapes. He tried to reach them, but he could not. He jumped and jumped and jumped, but he could not reach the grapes. Then he said as he walked away: "I do not want those grapes. Those grapes are sour."

THE CROW AND THE PITCHER

A thirsty crow flew to a pitcher which had some water in it. He tried to drink the water. He could not reach it with his beak. The water was too low in the pitcher.

A happy thought came to him. He picked up a pebble and dropped it into the pitcher. Then he brought many more pebbles and dropped them into the pitcher, one by one.

The water began to rise. The more pebbles the crow dropped into the pitcher, the higher the water rose. At last the crow was able to drink.

THE LARK AND HER LITTLE ONES

One spring a lark built her nest in a field of grain. She laid five eggs in the nest. Soon she had five little larks. The mother bird fed the little birds well. The little birds grew very fast. The grain grew fast, too.

Soon the grain was ripe. The farmer came with his son to look at the grain. The farmer said to his son: "This grain is ripe. It must be cut to-morrow. We will ask our friends to come and help us."

The little larks heard the farmer's words. The little birds were frightened. The mother lark said: "The farmer's friends will not come to help him. We need not fly away to-day."

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The farmer Our friends

The next day the farmer and his son field, but the farmer's friends did not come. said to his son: "This grain must be cut. have not come to help us. Let us ask our cousins to help us to-morrow."

Again the baby larks were frightened. The mother lark said: "We need not fly away. The grain will not be cut. The farmer's friends did not come to-day. His cousins will not come to-morrow."

The next morning the farmer and his son came to the field, but the cousins did not come. The farmer said: "This grain must be cut. Our cousins have not come to help us. To-morrow we must cut the wheat ourselves."

The mother lark heard the farmer's words. She said: "Now we must fly away. The grain will be cut tomorrow."

The lark and her little ones flew away. The next morning the farmer came to cut the grain. He found the empty nest on the ground.

THE WIND AND THE SUN

The wind and the sun had a quarrel.

"I am stronger than you are," said the cold wind. "Indeed you are not," answered the warm sun.

"Indeed I am," said the cold wind.

"Indeed you are not," said the warm sun.

Just then a man came along the road.

"I can make that man take off his coat," said the cold wind.

"Try it," said the sun.

So the cold wind began to blow very hard. The man was nearly blown down. He held his coat close about him and tried to walk on.

At last the sun said: "Now let me try to make the man take off his coat."

"Well, try," said the wind.

The sun began to shine. It became warmer and

warmer.

"First so cold, and now so warm!" said the man. "I must take off this heavy coat."

The man took off his coat and sat down under a tree to rest.

THE BLIND MAN AND THE LAME MAN

A blind man was making his way along a road with his cane. He came to a ditch in the road. Just then a lame man came hobbling along.

"Good friend," said the blind man, "will you please help me along this road?"

"How can I help you? Don't you see that I am lame? If my legs were as strong as yours, I would not ask for help," said the lame man.

"Yes, I have strong legs," said the blind man, "but I cannot see."

"Oh, then you cannot get along," said the lame man. "Let us help each other. You can carry me on your back and I can see the way for you."

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'Good," said the blind man. The lame man climbed upon the blind man's back, and away they went. They went much faster than either could have gone alone.

THE FOX AND THE CROW

A crow found a big piece of cheese.

"This will make a good dinner for me," said the crow. "I will fly to that tree and eat it."

A wise old fox saw the crow flying to the tree with the cheese in her bill.

"I must have that piece of cheese," said the fox. "How can I get it? I will go and talk to the crow."

The fox sat down under the tree and said: "Good morning, my dear friend. How are you to-day?"

The crow did not answer him.

"How well you look to-day!" said the fox. "You are the most beautiful bird I know."

But the crow did not answer him.

"I should like to hear you sing," said the wise old fox. "You must sing very well. Please sing for me, dear Mrs. Crow."

Then the crow opened her mouth to sing and the cheese fell to the ground.

"Thank you," said the fox, and away he ran with the cheese.

THE SHOEMAKER AND THE RICH MAN

There was once a poor shoemaker. He was poor, but he was very happy. He sang from morning till night. His neighbor was very rich, but he was unhappy. The shoemaker's songs woke the rich man in the morning.

He did not wish to hear the shoemaker sing. One day he called the shoemaker, and gave him some money to stop singing.

The shoemaker took the money and went, but he could not sleep. He was afraid that some one would take the money. He took the money back to his neighbor, saying: "Take back your money, and give me back my song and my sleep."

THE LION AND THE MOUSE

A lion was asleep. The mice were playing near him. One little mouse ran under the lion's paw. The lion awoke with a start and the poor little mouse was under his heavy foot.

"Please do not eat me," said the mouse. "I may help you some time.”

"What can a little mouse do for me?" said the lion, but he let the mouse go.

A long time after, the lion was in a trap. The little mouse came and cut the ropes with her teeth. She set the lion free.

KING SOLOMON AND THE FLOWERS

There is a story told of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, which shows the king's great wisdom. The Queen, in order to test his wisdom, brought him two wreaths, one made of real flowers and the other of imitation flowers. The artificial flowers were so skilfully made that none of the noblemen in the king's court, nor even the king himself, could tell the difference between the natural and the artificial flowers.

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