uld do should he see a Wolf, he thought of a
plan to amuse himself.

His Master had told him to call for help should a Wolf attack the
flock, and the Villagers would drive it away. So now, though he
had not seen anything that even looked like a Wolf, he ran toward
the village shouting at the top of his voice, "Wolf! Wolf!"

As he expected, the Villagers who heard the cry dropped their
work and ran in great excitement to the pasture. But when they
got there they found the Boy doubled up with laughter at the
trick he had played on them.

A few days later the Shepherd Boy again shouted, "Wolf! Wolf!"
Again the Villagers ran to help him, only to be laughed at again.

Then one evening as the sun was setting behind the forest and the
shadows were creeping out over the pasture, a Wolf really did
spring from the underbrush and fall upon the Sheep.

In terror the Boy ran toward the village shouting "Wolf! Wolf!"
But though the Villagers heard the cry, they did not run to help
him as they had before. "He cannot fool us again," they said.

The Wolf killed a great many of the Boy's sheep and then slipped
away into the forest.

_Liars are not believed even when they speak the truth._

THE GNAT AND THE BULL

A Gnat flew over the meadow with much buzzing for so small a
creature and settled on the tip of one of the horns of a Bull.
After he had rested a short time, he made ready to fly away. But
before he left he begged the Bull's pardon for having used his
horn for a resting place.

"You must be very glad to have me go now," he said.

"It's all the same to me," replied the Bull. "I did not even know
you were there."

_We are often of greater importance in our own eyes than in the
eyes of our neighbor._

_The smaller the mind the greater the conceit._

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

THE PLANE TREE

Two Travellers, walking in the noonday sun, sought the shade of a
widespreading tree to rest. As they lay looking up among the
pleasant leaves, they saw that it was a Plane Tree.

"How useless is the Plane!" said one of them. "It bears no fruit
whatever, and only serves to litter the ground with leaves."

"Ungrateful creatures!" said a voice from the Plane Tree. "You
lie here in my cooling shade, and yet you say I am useless! Thus
ungratefully, O Jupiter, do men receive their blessings!"

_Our best blessings are often the least appreciated._

[Illustration]

THE FARMER AND THE STORK