'A sage old thrush was once discipling His grandson thrush, a hair-brained stripling, In the purveying art. He knew, He said, where vines in plenty grew, Whose fruit delicious when he'd come He might attack _ad libitum_. "Ha!" said the young one, "where's this vine? Let's see this fruit you think so fine." "Come then, my child, your fortune's great; you Can't conceive what feasts await you!" He said, and gliding through the air They reached a vine, and halted there. Soon as the grapes the youngster spied, "Is this the fruit you praise?" he cried; "Why, an old bird, sir, as you are, Should judge, I think, more wisely far Than to admire, or hold as good, Such half-grown, small, and worthless food. Come, see a fruit which I possess In yonder garden; you'll confess, When you behold it, that it is Bigger and better far than this." "I'll go," he said; "but ere I see This fruit of yours, whate'er it be, I'm sure it is not worth a stone Or grape-skin from my vines alone." They reached the spot the thrushlet named, And he triumphantly exclaimed: "Show me the fruit to equal mine! A size so great, a shape so fine; What luxury, however rare, Can e'en your grapes with this compare?" The old bird stared, as well he might, For lo! a pumpkin met his sight. Now, that a thrush should take this fancy Without much marvelling I can see; But it is truly monstrous when Men, who are held as learned men, All books, whatever they be, despise Unless of largest bulk and size. A book is great, if good at all; If bad, it cannot be too small.' Ivan Andreivitch Krilof, or Krilov, the Russian, who was born in Moscow, February 2, 1768, O.S., and died in St. Petersburg on November 9, 1844, aged seventy-six years, was one of the greatest original fabulists of modern times. One writer (an Englishman) goes so far as to claim for him the position of 'the crowned King of the fabulists of all languages.' His published fables amount altogether to two hundred and two, of which thirty-five only are borrowed, the rest being original. They are in rhymed verse in the Russian, and an English translation, also in verse, and with a close adherence to the text in the original, has been made by Mr. J. Henry Harrison.[63] An excellent prose translation, with a life of Krilof, by the late Mr. W. R. S. Ralston, M.A., was published in 1868.[64] Krilof is characterized by rich common sense and sound judgment, a rare vein of satire and an excellent humour. He indeed brims over with sarcastic humour. A kind of rugged directness of language, well calculated to undermine the shams and abuses at which he aimed, also distinguishes his apologues. He deserves to be better known in this country.