What is worth most is often valued least.

THE DOG AND THE SHADOW

A Dog was crossing a plank bridge over a stream with a piece of meat
in his mouth, when he happened to see his own reflection in the water.
He thought it was another dog with a piece of meat twice as big; so
he let go his own, and flew at the other dog to get the larger piece.
But, of course, all that happened was that he got neither; for one was
only a shadow, and the other was carried away by the current.

MERCURY AND THE TRADESMEN

When Jupiter was creating man, he told Mercury to make an infusion of
lies, and to add a little of it to the other ingredients which went to
the making of the Tradesmen. Mercury did so, and introduced an equal
amount into each in turn--the tallow-chandler, and the greengrocer,
and the haberdasher, and all, till he came to the horse-dealer, who
was last on the list, when, finding that he had a quantity of the
infusion still left, he put it all into him. This is why all Tradesmen
lie more or less, but they none of them lie like a horse-dealer.

THE MICE AND THE WEASELS

There was war between the Mice and the Weasels, in which the Mice
always got the worst of it, numbers of them being killed and eaten by
the Weasels. So they called a council of war, in which an old Mouse
got up and said, "It's no wonder we are always beaten, for we have no
generals to plan our battles and direct our movements in the field."
Acting on his advice, they chose the biggest Mice to be their leaders,
and these, in order to be distinguished from the rank and file,
provided themselves with helmets bearing large plumes of straw. They
then led out the Mice to battle, confident of victory: but they were
defeated as usual, and were soon scampering as fast as they could to
their holes. All made their way to safety without difficulty except
the leaders, who were so hampered by the badges of their rank that
they could not get into their holes, and fell easy victims to their
pursuers.

Greatness carries its own penalties.

THE PEACOCK AND JUNO

The Peacock was greatly discontented because he had not a beautiful
voice like the nightingale, and he went and complained to Juno about
it. "The nightingale's song," said he, "is the envy of all the birds;
but whenever I utter a sound I become a laughing-stock." The goddess
tried to console him by saying, "You have not, it is true, the power
of song, but then you far e