For a time the Dog hung his head; but seeing that his bell and clog brought him into notice, he grew proud of them, and ran about the market place to display them and attract attention to himself. He even went so far as to give himself airs with the other dogs, who had no such mark of distinction. An old Hound, seeing it, said: “Why do you make such an exhibition of yourself, as if your bell and clog were marks of merit? They do indeed bring you into notice; but when their meaning is understood, they are marks of disgrace—a reminder that you are an ill-mannered cur. It is one thing to be renowned when our virtues give occasion for it; it is quite another to become notorious for our faults.” THE DOG AND THE OYSTER A DOG, seeing an Oyster, took it to be an egg and swallowed it. Soon after, suffering great pain, he said, “It was my greedy haste that brought me this torment.” THE FOX AND THE LEOPARD THE Fox and the Leopard once disputed who was the more beautiful. The Leopard exhibited, one by one, the various spots which covered his skin. The Fox, who was even more proud of his wits than of his person, interrupted him at last by saying: “Yet when all is said, how much more beautiful am I, who am decorated not simply in body but in mind. The person should be of more value than his coat.” THE DOGS AND THE HIDES SOME Dogs, famished with hunger, saw cowhides steeping in a river, close by a tannery, and thought they might be eaten. Not being able to reach them, they set to work first to drink up the river, but burst themselves with drinking long before they reached the hides. THE WOODMAN AND THE TREES A WOODMAN came into a forest, and made a petition to the Trees to provide him a handle for his ax. The Trees, honored by his civility, acceded to his request, and held a consultation to decide which of them should be given him. Without a dissenting voice, they chose the Ash, who, it seems, is not a favorite among the Trees. Some of them were bold enough to say that bad luck went with the Ash, and that at heart they were not bound to be in sympathy with woodcutters. The Woodman cut down the Tree, and fitted the handle to his ax; then to the dismay of the Trees, set to work and, with strong strokes, quickly felled all the noblest giants of the forest. Lamenting too late the fate of his companions, an old Oak remarked to a neighboring Cedar: “The first step has lost us all. If we had not so willingly given up the rights of the Ash, we might have stood for ages.” THE MILKMAID AND HER PAIL OF MILK DOLLY the Milkmaid having been a good girl and careful in her work, her mistress gave her a pail of new milk for herself. With the pail upon her head, Dolly tripped gayly along on her way to the town, whither she was going to sell her milk.