he entrance of the town. This entertaining sight brought
the people in crowds to laugh at it, till the Ass, not liking the noise
nor the strange handling that he was subject to, broke the cords that
bound him and, tumbling off the pole, fell into the river. Upon this,
the old man, vexed and ashamed, made the best of his way home again,
convinced that by trying to please everybody he had pleased nobody, and
lost his Ass into the bargain.

_He who tries to please everybody pleases nobody._

221

THE TRAVELERS AND THE BEAR

Two Men, about to journey through a forest, agreed to stand by each
other in any dangers that might befall. They had not gone far before a
savage Bear rushed out from a thicket and stood in their path. One of
the Travelers, a light, nimble fellow, got up into a tree. The other,
seeing that there was no chance to defend himself single-handed, fell
flat on his face and held his breath. The Bear came up and smelled at
him, and taking him for dead, went off again into the wood. The Man in
the tree came down and, rejoining his companion, asked him, with a sly
smile, what was the wonderful secret which he had seen the Bear whisper
into his ear.

"Why," replied the other, "he told me to take care for the future and
not to put any confidence in such cowardly rascals as you are."

_Trust not fine promises._

222

THE LARK AND HER YOUNG ONES

A Lark, who had Young Ones in a field of grain which was almost ripe,
was afraid that the reapers would come before her young brood were
fledged. So every day when she flew off to look for food, she charged
them to take note of what they heard in her absence and to tell her of
it when she came home.

One day when she was gone, they heard the owner of the field say to his
son that the grain seemed ripe enough to be cut, and tell him to go
early the next day and ask their friends and neighbors to come and help
reap it.

When the old Lark came home, the Little Ones quivered and chirped round
her and told her what had happened, begging her to take them away as
fast as she could. The mother bade them be easy; "for," said she, "if he
depends on his friends and his neighbors, I am sure the grain will not
be reaped tomorrow."

Next day she went out again and left the same orders as before. The
owner came, and waited. The sun grew hot, but nothing was done, for not
a soul came. "You see," said the owner to his son, "these friends of
ours are not to be dep