Among other reasons why he should not be put to death, the Stork urged that he was neither goose nor crane but a poor, harmless Stork, who performed his duty to his parents as well as ever he could, feeding them when they were old, and carrying them, when required, from place to place upon his back. “All this may be true,” replied the Husbandman; “but, as I have taken you in bad company, and in the same crime, you must expect to suffer the same punishment.” THE SATYR AND THE TRAVELER A SATYR, ranging in the forest in winter, once came across a Traveler who was half starved and nearly frozen. He took pity upon him and invited him to come to his cave for food and shelter. On their way, the Man kept blowing upon his fingers. “Why do you do that?” said the Satyr, who had seen but little of the world of men. “To warm my hands,” replied the Man; “they are nearly frozen.” Arriving at the cave, the Satyr poured out a smoking mess of pottage and set it before the Traveler, who eagerly seized it and began to blow upon it with all his might. “What, blowing again!” exclaimed the Satyr. “Is it not hot enough?” “It is, indeed,” answered the Man; “that is the very reason why I am blowing it. I want to cool it enough to be able to eat it.” Upon this the Satyr exclaimed in alarm, “Be off with you! I will have no part with a Man who can blow hot and cold from the same mouth.” [Illustration] THE STAG AT THE LAKE A STAG, one hot day, came to drink from a clear lake, and stopped to look at his own image in the water. “How beautiful are my fine spreading horns!” said he. “How strong and graceful they are, branching from each side of my head! What a pity it is that my legs should be so thin and ugly!” Just at this moment a lion came crashing through the forest and made ready to spring upon him. Away went the stag! and the legs that he had despised would soon have carried him out of danger; but when he came to the thick woods, his beautiful antlers, of which he had been so vain, caught in the branches and held him fast until the lion came up and seized him. THE PEASANT AND THE APPLE TREE A PEASANT had in his garden an Apple Tree which for year after year had borne no fruit, but served only as a harbor for sparrows and grasshoppers. Seeing no good to himself in the tree, he resolved to cut it down, and, taking his ax in his hand, he made a bold stroke at its roots. Each in his own way, the grasshoppers and sparrows entreated him not to cut down the tree that sheltered them. “We will do our best to make up to you the worth of the wood, if you will spare it,” they said, “lightening your labor by our cheering songs.” But he paid no heed to them and gave a second and a third blow with his ax.