cury with the fellow's truth and honesty that he at once made him a
present of the other two.

The Man goes to his companions, and giving them an account of what had
happened to him, one of them determined to try whether he might not have
the like good fortune. So repairing to the same place, as if for the
purpose of cutting wood, he let slip his axe on purpose into the river
and then sat down on the bank and made a great show of weeping. Mercury
appeared as before, and hearing from him that his tears were caused by
the loss of his axe, dived once more into the stream; and bringing up a
golden axe, asked him if that was the axe he had lost.

"Aye, surely," said the Man, eagerly; and he was about to grasp the
treasure, when Mercury, to punish his impudence and lying, not only
refused to give him that, but would not so much as restore him his own
axe again.

_Honesty is the best policy._

231

THE MICE IN COUNCIL

Once upon a time the Mice being sadly distressed by the persecution of
the Cat, resolved to call a meeting to decide upon the best means of
getting rid of this continual annoyance. Many plans were discussed and
rejected.

At last a young Mouse got up and proposed that a Bell should be hung
round the Cat's neck, that they might for the future always have notice
of her coming and so be able to escape. This proposition was hailed with
the greatest applause, and was agreed to at once unanimously. Upon this,
an old Mouse, who had sat silent all the while, got up and said that he
considered the contrivance most ingenious, and that it would, no doubt,
be quite successful; but he had only one short question to put; namely,
which of them it was who would Bell the Cat?

_It is one thing to propose, another to execute._

232

THE MOUNTEBANK AND THE COUNTRYMAN

A certain wealthy patrician, intending to treat the Roman people with
some theatrical entertainment, publicly offered a reward to any one who
would produce a novel spectacle. Incited by emulation, artists arrived
from all parts to contest the prize, among whom a well-known witty
Mountebank gave out that he had a new kind of entertainment that had
never yet been produced on any stage. This report, being spread abroad,
brought the whole city together. The theater could hardly contain the
number of spectators. And when the artist appeared alone upon the stage,
without any apparatus or any assistants, curiosity and suspense kept
the spectators