roposal; into a clover field they went, and
the Fox thus confessed himself first:--"It happened, as I was
going one night through a village, a Cock, by his loud crowing,
disturbed all the people that were asleep; at which I grew very
angry, and bit off his head; then, fearing that the stench of his
dead body might be offensive to the Hens, I ate him up.
Nevertheless, it happened, three days after, as I was going by
the same village, those very Hens spied me; and, instead of
thanking me for the great kindness I had done them, cried out,
'Murderer, murderer!' Then I, in defence of my honour, killed
three of them; and, lest they should have stunk and offended the
neighbourhood, ate them up too. This is all I have done; for
which I now await your sentence."

The Wolf thereupon expressed himself thus:--"You have, indeed,
offended against the letter of our monarch's law, but not against
the meaning of it; since your intentions were honourable, to take
care of the quiet of men, and to vindicate your injured
reputation. If, therefore, you will promise never to be so hasty
again in killing any beast, I vote for your absolution." This the
Fox readily did; and the Ass joined in opinion with the Wolf, who
then thus began his confession:--

"As I was one day walking along, I saw a Sow trampling down the
corn of a poor peasant, and tearing it up by the roots, while her
hungry Pigs were strayed far from her, and could not get
themselves out of the mire; so that I, growing very angry at the
great mischief she did the peasant, and at her neglect of
motherly duty, killed and ate her up. Three days after, chancing
to go again the same way, I observed that those Pigs were grown
very lean; and reflecting that, through want of their mother's
milk, they would certainly die a languishing death, I put an end
to their miseries, and ate them up too. This I have to confess."

The Fox instantly argued in this manner:--"Though you confess to
having killed both mother and children; and though it seems, at
first sight, that you have heinously offended against the law of
our king; yet I see, nevertheless, that your intentions were
good: to prevent mischief from falling upon men, to stir up a
mother to her duty, and to show compassion to her miserable
children, are virtues that no law can forbid or punish. I,
therefore, declare you absolved." To which the Ass agreed.

The Ass then made his confession:--"You both know," said he,
"that it is not in