By and by the flax sprang up, and the Swallow tried again to persuade the Birds to pull the young flax before it grew large. But they all made fun of her caution and let the flax keep growing. When she saw how heedless all the Birds were, the Swallow would have nothing more to do with them, but left the woods where they lived and came among men, building her nests in barns and along the eaves of houses. THE FARMER AND THE SNAKE ONE wintry day a Farmer found a Snake lying on the frozen ground, quite stiff and nearly dead with cold. In a fit of compassion the Farmer brought him carefully to his house, and laid him near the fire. But as soon as the Snake began to feel the pleasant warmth, he raised his head and tried to bite his kind friend. “Oh!” said the Farmer, “is that the way you repay me for my trouble? You are a venomous creature, I am sure, and the sooner you die the better.” And he killed him with one blow of his stick. THE RAVEN AND THE SWAN A RAVEN saw a snowy Swan floating on the lake. “No wonder the Swan is so white,” thought the Raven, as he looked at his own black feathers. “I dare say _I_ should be, if I were all the time washing myself. I believe I’ll try it.” Then he left his home, where he always found plenty to eat, and came and lived by the lake. He washed himself from morning till night, but he grew no whiter; and, as he found nothing to eat, he came near dying for want of food. THE BIRDS, THE BEASTS, AND THE BAT THERE was once a big battle between the Birds and the Beasts. Hesitating as to which to join, the Bat kept away from the contest and looked on till he thought the Beasts would win the day. Then he went among them. When they saw him, they said, “But you are a Bird.” “No, indeed,” said the Bat. “Look at my body covered with hair and at my mouth with its sharp teeth.” After a while, as the fight went on, the Birds began to have the best of it, and then away flew the Bat to their side. “What Beast comes here?” said the Birds. “I am not a Beast,” said the Bat; “I am a Bird. Look at my wings. This is my battle as truly as it is yours.” But the Birds would have nothing to do with him. And to this day the Bat seems ashamed to show himself in the daytime but hides in lonely places, away from all other creatures, and only flits about noiselessly in the dark, when both Birds and Beasts are asleep. THE MAN, HIS SON, AND HIS DONKEY A MAN and his Son were once driving their Donkey along a country road, to sell him at the fair. They soon passed some girls, who were drawing water at a well. “Look,” said one of the girls; “see those silly people trudging along in the dust, while their Donkey walks at his ease.” The Man heard what they said, and put his boy on the Donkey’s back. They had not gone far before they came to some old men.