An outline of humor: Being a true chronicle from prehistoric ages to the twentieth century
History
An outline of humor: Being a true chronicle from prehistoric ages to the twentieth century
Wit and humor
The Cray-fish, on this, went to the fish, and told them what she had
heard: upon which the poor fish, in great perplexity, swam immediately
to the Crane, and addressing themselves to her, told her what they had
heard, and added, “We are now in so great a consternation, that we are
come to desire your protection. Though you are our enemy, yet the wise
tell us, that they who make their enemy their sanctuary, may be assured
of being well received: you know full well that we are your daily food;
and if we are destroyed, you, who are now too old to travel in search
of food, must also perish; we pray you, therefore, for your own sake,
as well as ours, to consider, and tell us what you think is the best
course for us to take.” To which the Crane replied, “That which you
acquaint me with, I heard myself from the mouths of the fishermen; we
have no power sufficient to withstand them; nor do I know any other way
to secure you, but this: it will be many months before they can clear
the other pond they are to go about first: and, in the mean time, I
can at times, and as my strength will permit me, remove you one after
another into a little pond here hard by, where there is very good
water, and where the fishermen can never catch you, by reason of the
extraordinary depth.” The fish approved this counsel, and desired the
Crane to carry them one by one into this pond. Nor did she fail to fish
up three or four every morning, but she carried them no farther than
to the top of a small hill, where she eat them: and thus she feasted
herself for a while.
But one day, the Cray-fish, having a desire to see this delicate pond,
made known her curiosity to the Crane, who, bethinking herself that
the Cray-fish was her most mortal enemy, resolved to get rid of her at
once, and murder her as she had done the rest; with this design she
flung the Cray-fish upon her neck, and flew towards the hill. But when
they came near the place, the Cray-fish, spying at a distance the small
bones of her slaughtered companions, mistrusted the Crane’s intention,
and laying hold of a fair opportunity, got her neck in her claw, and
grasped it so hard, that she fairly saved herself, and strangled the
Crane.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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