promise you he
won't hurt you, and I will be your faithful servant." The Stag was
foolish enough to be persuaded to return, and this time the Lion made
no mistake, but overpowered him, and feasted right royally upon his
carcase. The Fox, meanwhile, watched his chance and, when the Lion
wasn't looking, filched away the brains to reward him for his trouble.
Presently the Lion began searching for them, of course without
success: and the Fox, who was watching him, said, "I don't think it's
much use your looking for the brains: a creature who twice walked into
a Lion's den can't have got any."

THE MAN WHO LOST HIS SPADE

A Man was engaged in digging over his vineyard, and one day on coming
to work he missed his Spade. Thinking it may have been stolen by one
of his labourers, he questioned them closely, but they one and all
denied any knowledge of it. He was not convinced by their denials, and
insisted that they should all go to the town and take oath in a temple
that they were not guilty of the theft. This was because he had no
great opinion of the simple country deities, but thought that the
thief would not pass undetected by the shrewder gods of the town. When
they got inside the gates the first thing they heard was the town
crier proclaiming a reward for information about a thief who had
stolen something from the city temple. "Well," said the Man to
himself, "it strikes me I had better go back home again. If these town
gods can't detect the thieves who steal from their own temples, it's
scarcely likely they can tell me who stole my Spade."

THE PARTRIDGE AND THE FOWLER

A Fowler caught a Partridge in his nets, and was just about to wring
its neck when it made a piteous appeal to him to spare its life and
said, "Do not kill me, but let me live and I will repay you for your
kindness by decoying other partridges into your nets." "No," said the
Fowler, "I will not spare you. I was going to kill you anyhow, and
after that treacherous speech you thoroughly deserve your fate."

THE RUNAWAY SLAVE

A Slave, being discontented with his lot, ran away from his master. He
was soon missed by the latter, who lost no time in mounting his horse
and setting out in pursuit of the fugitive. He presently came up with
him, and the Slave, in the hope of avoiding capture, slipped into a
treadmill and hid himself there. "Aha," said his master, "that's the
very place for you, my man!"

THE HUNTER AND THE WOO