his lot
definitely with either party, but when things went well for the Birds
he was found fighting in their ranks; when, on the other hand, the
Beasts got the upper hand, he was to be found among the Beasts. No one
paid any attention to him while the war lasted: but when it was over,
and peace was restored, neither the Birds nor the Beasts would have
anything to do with so double-faced a traitor, and so he remains to
this day a solitary outcast from both.
THE MAN AND HIS TWO SWEETHEARTS
A Man of middle age, whose hair was turning grey, had two Sweethearts,
an old woman and a young one. The elder of the two didn't like having
a lover who looked so much younger than herself; so, whenever he came
to see her, she used to pull the dark hairs out of his head to make
him look old. The younger, on the other hand, didn't like him to look
so much older than herself, and took every opportunity of pulling out
the grey hairs, to make him look young. Between them, they left not a
hair in his head, and he became perfectly bald.
THE EAGLE, THE JACKDAW, AND THE SHEPHERD
One day a Jackdaw saw an Eagle swoop down on a lamb and carry it off
in its talons. "My word," said the Jackdaw, "I'll do that myself." So
it flew high up into the air, and then came shooting down with a
great whirring of wings on to the back of a big ram. It had no sooner
alighted than its claws got caught fast in the wool, and nothing it
could do was of any use: there it stuck, flapping away, and only
making things worse instead of better. By and by up came the Shepherd.
"Oho," he said, "so that's what you'd be doing, is it?" And he
took the Jackdaw, and clipped its wings and carried it home to his
children. It looked so odd that they didn't know what to make of it.
"What sort of bird is it, father?" they asked. "It's a Jackdaw," he
replied, "and nothing but a Jackdaw: but it wants to be taken for an
Eagle."
If you attempt what is beyond your power, your trouble will be
wasted and you court not only misfortune but ridicule.
THE WOLF AND THE BOY
A Wolf, who had just enjoyed a good meal and was in a playful mood,
caught sight of a Boy lying flat upon the ground, and, realising that
he was trying to hide, and that it was fear of himself that made him
do this, he went up to him and said, "Aha, I've found you, you see;
but if you can say three things to me, the truth of which cannot be
disputed, I will spare your life." The
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