ied the horse, "but you are very stupid to
work so hard."

"You do not know what it is to be goaded with a spear and howled at,
or you would not accuse me of being stupid to work so hard," replied
the ox.

"Then why don't you feign sickness," continued the horse.

On the following day the ox determined to try this deceit, but he was
stung with remorse when he saw the horse led out to take his place at
the plough. In the evening, when the horse was brought to the stable
very tired, the ox sympathized with him, and regretted his being the
cause, but at the same time expressed astonishment at his working so
hard.

"Ah, my friend, I had to work hard; I can't bear the whip; the thought
of the hideous crack! crack! makes me shiver even now," answered the
horse.

"But leaving that aside, my poor horned friend," proceeded the horse,
"I am now most anxious for you. I heard the master say to-night that
if you were not well in the morning, the butcher was to come and
slaughter you."

"You need not worry about me, friend horse," said the ox, "as I much
prefer the yoke to chewing the cud of self-reproach."

At this point the farmer left the animals and entered his home,
smiling at his own wily craft in re-establishing, if not
contentedness, at least resignation to their fate, in the stable.
Meeting his wife, she at once inquired as to the cause of his happy
smile. He put her off, first with one excuse then with another, but to
no avail; the more he protested, the stronger her inquisitiveness
grew. Her unsatisfied curiosity at length made her ill. The endeavors
of the numerous doctors brought to her assistance were as futile as
the incantations of the sages from far and near, and as powerless to
remove the spell as were the amulets, the charms, and the abracadabras
conceived and written by holy men. The evil prompting gnawed her, and
she visibly pined away. The poor farmer was distracted. Rather than
see her die, he at last decided to tell her, and forfeit his own life
to save hers. Deeply dejected, for no man quits this planet without a
pang, he sat at the window gazing, as he thought, for the last time on
the familiar surroundings. Of a sudden he noticed his favorite
chanticleer, followed by his numerous harem, sadly strutting about,
only allowing his favorites to eat the morsels he discovered, and
ruthlessly driving the others away. To one he said: "I am not like our
poor master, to be ruled by one or a score of you. He,