I content
to serve either of my former masters, hard as I had to work and badly
as I was treated? for they would have buried me decently, but now I
shall come in the end to the tanning-vat."

Servants don't know a good master till they have served a worse.

THE PACK-ASS, THE WILD ASS, AND THE LION

A Wild Ass saw a Pack-Ass jogging along under a heavy load, and
taunted him with the condition of slavery in which he lived, in these
words: "What a vile lot is yours compared with mine! I am free as the
air, and never do a stroke of work; and, as for fodder, I have only to
go to the hills and there I find far more than enough for my needs.
But you! you depend on your master for food, and he makes you carry
heavy loads every day and beats you unmercifully." At that moment a
Lion appeared on the scene, and made no attempt to molest the Pack-Ass
owing to the presence of the driver; but he fell upon the Wild Ass,
who had no one to protect him, and without more ado made a meal of
him.

It is no use being your own master unless you can stand up for
yourself.

THE ANT

Ants were once men and made their living by tilling the soil. But, not
content with the results of their own work, they were always casting
longing eyes upon the crops and fruits of their neighbours, which they
stole, whenever they got the chance, and added to their own store. At
last their covetousness made Jupiter so angry that he changed them
into Ants. But, though their forms were changed, their nature remained
the same: and so, to this day, they go about among the cornfields and
gather the fruits of others' labour, and store them up for their own
use.

You may punish a thief, but his bent remains.

THE FROGS AND THE WELL

Two Frogs lived together in a marsh. But one hot summer the marsh
dried up, and they left it to look for another place to live in: for
frogs like damp places if they can get them. By and by they came to a
deep well, and one of them looked down into it, and said to the other,
"This looks a nice cool place: let us jump in and settle here." But
the other, who had a wiser head on his shoulders, replied, "Not so
fast, my friend: supposing this well dried up like the marsh, how
should we get out again?"

Think twice before you act.

THE CRAB AND THE FOX

A Crab once left the sea-shore and went and settled in a meadow some
way inland, which looked very nice and green and seemed like