ined bitterly
to Jupiter for making him like that; but Jupiter said it wasn't his
fault: he had done the best he could for him, and, considering this
was his only failing, he ought to be well content. The Lion, however,
wouldn't be comforted, and was so ashamed of his timidity that he
wished he might die. In this state of mind, he met the Elephant and
had a talk with him. He noticed that the great beast cocked up his
ears all the time, as if he were listening for something, and he asked
him why he did so. Just then a gnat came humming by, and the Elephant
said, "Do you see that wretched little buzzing insect? I'm terribly
afraid of its getting into my ear: if it once gets in, I'm dead and
done for." The Lion's spirits rose at once when he heard this: "For,"
he said to himself, "if the Elephant, huge as he is, is afraid of a
gnat, I needn't be so much ashamed of being afraid of a cock, who is
ten thousand times bigger than a gnat."

THE PIG AND THE SHEEP

A Pig found his way into a meadow where a flock of Sheep were grazing.
The shepherd caught him, and was proceeding to carry him off to the
butcher's when he set up a loud squealing and struggled to get free.
The Sheep rebuked him for making such a to-do, and said to him, "The
shepherd catches us regularly and drags us off just like that, and we
don't make any fuss." "No, I dare say not," replied the Pig, "but my
case and yours are altogether different: he only wants you for wool,
but he wants me for bacon."

THE GARDENER AND HIS DOG

A Gardner's Dog fell into a deep well, from which his master used to
draw water for the plants in his garden with a rope and a bucket.
Failing to get the Dog out by means of these, the Gardener went down
into the well himself in order to fetch him up. But the Dog thought he
had come to make sure of drowning him; so he bit his master as soon as
he came within reach, and hurt him a good deal, with the result that
he left the Dog to his fate and climbed out of the well, remarking,
"It serves me quite right for trying to save so determined a suicide."

THE RIVERS AND THE SEA

Once upon a time all the Rivers combined to protest against the action
of the Sea in making their waters salt. "When we come to you," said
they to the Sea, "we are sweet and drinkable: but when once we have
mingled with you, our waters become as briny and unpalatable as your
own." The Sea replied shortly, "Keep away from me and you'll remain