THE DOG, THE COCK, AND THE FOX A Dog and a Cock went to travel together. At night the Cock fell asleep in a tree, and the Dog fixed a place for himself between the roots of that tree. When the time came, the Cock began to crow. A Fox heard the Cock, ran up to the tree, and began to beg the Cock to come down, as she wanted to give him her respects for such a fine voice. The Cock said: "You must first wake up the janitor,--he is sleeping between the roots. Let him open up, and I will come down." The Fox began to look for the janitor, and started yelping. The Dog sprang out at once and killed the Fox. THE HORSE AND THE GROOM A Groom stole the Horse's oats, and sold them, but he cleaned the Horse each day. Said the Horse: "If you really wish me to be in good condition, do not sell my oats." THE FROG AND THE LION A Lion heard a Frog croaking, and thought it was a large beast that was calling so loud. He walked up, and saw a Frog coming out of the swamp. The Lion crushed her with his paw and said: "There is nothing to look at, and yet I was frightened." THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANTS In the fall the wheat of the Ants got wet; they were drying it. A hungry Grasshopper asked them for something to eat. The Ants said: "Why did you not gather food during the summer?" She said: "I had no time: I sang songs." They laughed, and said: "If you sang in the summer, dance in the winter!" THE HEN AND THE GOLDEN EGGS A master had a Hen which laid golden eggs. He wanted more gold at once, and so killed the Hen (he thought that inside of her there was a large lump of gold), but she was just like any other hen. THE ASS IN THE LION'S SKIN An Ass put on a lion's skin, and all thought it was a lion. Men and animals ran away from him. A wind sprang up, and the skin was blown aside, and the Ass could be seen. People ran up and beat the Ass. THE HEN AND THE SWALLOW A Hen found some snake's eggs and began to sit on them. A Swallow saw it and said: "Stupid one! You will hatch them out, and, when they grow up, you will be the first one to suffer from them." THE STAG AND THE FAWN A Fawn once said to a Stag: "Father, you are larger and fleeter than the dogs, and, besides, you have huge antlers for defence; why, then, are you so afraid of the dogs?" The Stag laughed, and said: "You speak the truth, my child. The trouble is,--the moment I hear the dogs bark, I run before I have time to think." THE FOX AND THE GRAPES A Fox saw some ripe bunches of grapes hanging high, and tried to get at them, in order to eat them. She tried hard, but could not get them. To drown her annoyance she said: "They are still sour." THE MAIDS AND THE COCK