was pursued by a
Wolf. He turned round, and said to the Wolf: "I know, friend Wolf, that
I must be your prey; but before I die, I would ask of you one favor,
that you will play me a tune, to which I may dance." The Wolf complied,
and while he was piping, and the Kid was dancing, the hounds, hearing
the sound, came up and gave chase to the Wolf. The Wolf, turning to the
Kid, said: "It is just what I deserve; for I, who am only a butcher,
should not have turned piper to please you."

Every one should keep his own colors.

The Blind Man and the Whelp.

[Illustration]

A Blind Man was accustomed to distinguish different animals by touching
them with his hands. The whelp of a Wolf was brought him, with a
request that he would feel it, and say what it was. He felt it, and
being in doubt, said: "I do not quite know whether it is the cub of a
Fox, or the whelp of a Wolf; but this I know full well, that it would
not be safe to admit him to the sheepfold."

Evil tendencies are shown early in life.

The Geese and the Cranes.

[Illustration]

The Geese and the Cranes fed in the same meadow. A bird-catcher came to
ensnare them in his nets. The Cranes, being light of wing, fled away at
his approach; while the Geese, being slower of flight and heavier in
their bodies, were captured.

Those who are caught are not always the most guilty.

The North Wind and the Sun.

[Illustration]

The North Wind and the Sun disputed which was the more powerful, and
agreed that he should be declared the victor who could first strip a
wayfaring man of his clothes. The North Wind first tried his power, and
blew with all his might; but the keener became his blasts, the closer
the Traveler wrapped his cloak around him, till at last, resigning all
hope of victory, he called upon the Sun to see what he could do. The Sun
suddenly shone out with all his warmth. The Traveler no sooner felt his
genial rays than he took off one garment after another, and at last,
fairly overcome with heat, undressed, and bathed in a stream that lay in
his path.

Persuasion is better than Force.

[Illustration]

The Laborer and the Snake.

[Illustration]

A Snake, having made his hole close to the porch of a cottage, inflicted
a severe bite on the Cottager's infant son, of which he died, to the
great grief of his parents. The father resolved to kill the Snake, and
the next day, on its coming out of its hole for food, took up