Dog and a Cock became great friends, and agreed to travel together.
At nightfall the Cock flew up into the branches of a tree to roost,
while the Dog curled himself up inside the trunk, which was hollow. At
break of day the Cock woke up and crew, as usual. A Fox heard, and,
wishing to make a breakfast of him, came and stood under the tree and
begged him to come down. "I should so like," said he, "to make the
acquaintance of one who has such a beautiful voice." The Cock replied,
"Would you just wake my porter who sleeps at the foot of the tree?
He'll open the door and let you in." The Fox accordingly rapped on the
trunk, when out rushed the Dog and tore him in pieces.

THE GNAT AND THE BULL

A Gnat alighted on one of the horns of a Bull, and remained sitting
there for a considerable time. When it had rested sufficiently and was
about to fly away, it said to the Bull, "Do you mind if I go now?" The
Bull merely raised his eyes and remarked, without interest, "It's all
one to me; I didn't notice when you came, and I shan't know when you
go away."

We may often be of more consequence in our own eyes than in the
eyes of our neighbours.

THE BEAR AND THE TRAVELLERS

Two Travellers were on the road together, when a Bear suddenly
appeared on the scene. Before he observed them, one made for a tree at
the side of the road, and climbed up into the branches and hid there.
The other was not so nimble as his companion; and, as he could not
escape, he threw himself on the ground and pretended to be dead. The
Bear came up and sniffed all round him, but he kept perfectly still
and held his breath: for they say that a bear will not touch a dead
body. The Bear took him for a corpse, and went away. When the coast
was clear, the Traveller in the tree came down, and asked the other
what it was the Bear had whispered to him when he put his mouth to
his ear. The other replied, "He told me never again to travel with a
friend who deserts you at the first sign of danger."

Misfortune tests the sincerity of friendship.

THE SLAVE AND THE LION

A Slave ran away from his master, by whom he had been most cruelly
treated, and, in order to avoid capture, betook himself into the
desert. As he wandered about in search of food and shelter, he came to
a cave, which he entered and found to be unoccupied. Really, however,
it was a Lion's den, and almost immediately, to the horror of the
wretched fugitive, the Lio