met with a fitting requital, after the
fashion of her own hospitality.
Jupiter, Neptune, Minerva, and Momus
ACCORDING to an ancient legend, the first man was made by Jupiter, the
first bull by Neptune, and the first house by Minerva. On the completion
of their labors, a dispute arose as to which had made the most perfect
work. They agreed to appoint Momus as judge, and to abide by his
decision. Momus, however, being very envious of the handicraft of each,
found fault with all. He first blamed the work of Neptune because he had
not made the horns of the bull below his eyes, so he might better see
where to strike. He then condemned the work of Jupiter, because he had
not placed the heart of man on the outside, that everyone might read the
thoughts of the evil disposed and take precautions against the intended
mischief. And, lastly, he inveighed against Minerva because she had not
contrived iron wheels in the foundation of her house, so its inhabitants
might more easily remove if a neighbor proved unpleasant. Jupiter,
indignant at such inveterate faultfinding, drove him from his office of
judge, and expelled him from the mansions of Olympus.
The Eagle and the Fox
AN EAGLE and a Fox formed an intimate friendship and decided to live
near each other. The Eagle built her nest in the branches of a tall
tree, while the Fox crept into the underwood and there produced her
young. Not long after they had agreed upon this plan, the Eagle, being
in want of provision for her young ones, swooped down while the Fox was
out, seized upon one of the little cubs, and feasted herself and her
brood. The Fox on her return, discovered what had happened, but was
less grieved for the death of her young than for her inability to avenge
them. A just retribution, however, quickly fell upon the Eagle. While
hovering near an altar, on which some villagers were sacrificing a goat,
she suddenly seized a piece of the flesh, and carried it, along with a
burning cinder, to her nest. A strong breeze soon fanned the spark into
a flame, and the eaglets, as yet unfledged and helpless, were roasted
in their nest and dropped down dead at the bottom of the tree. There, in
the sight of the Eagle, the Fox gobbled them up.
The Man and the Satyr
A MAN and a Satyr once drank together in token of a bond of alliance
being formed between them. One very cold wintry day, as they talked, the
Man put his fingers to his mouth and blew on them. Whe
|