A man who had been in all parts of the world told his old friends when he came home of the great feats he had done. These tales they at first heard with great glee; but in time they found out that he shot with a long bow, nay, more than this, that he told lies, and when he once did that, he set less and less guard on his tongue, till he made those who heard him stare. “How comes it,” said they, “that this man, who when at home could boast of no great feats, should, when he goes to strange lands, do such great things?” One day he told them that there was no place in the world where men leapt like the men at Rhodes; “but I beat them all,” said he, “for I took a leap there of two score yards.” A grave old man, who sat near him, said with a sneer, “Sir, if your tale be true, think this place to be Rhodes, and, to prove your words, take the leap once more.” The man kept his seat, and had no more to say. THE DOG IN THE OX’S STALL. A dog once made his bed on some hay in a stall, and an ox, who was much in want of food, came near to eat some of it. Up sprang the fierce cur, with a growl and a snarl, and would not let him touch it. At this the ox said, “Fie on thee, thou cur! Thou dost not feed on hay, yet, in thy spite, thou must needs stand in the way of those who do.” With this, a man on the farm took the dog up by the neck, and laid his whip on his back till he ran off in shame. [Illustration] THE NURSE AND THE WOLF. A wolf that was in search of food, was seen to prowl near a house where he heard a child cry, and its nurse chide it in these words--“Now leave off at once, or I will throw you out of doors to the wolf!” So the wolf sat near the house for a long time in the hopes that he should see her words made good. At last the child, worn out by its cries, fell off to sleep. In a short time the wolf heard the nurse say, “There’s a good dear then; if the fierce old wolf comes for my babe, we will beat him to death, we will.” The wolf now thought it high time to be off, and said, as he went, “If folk say that which they do not mean at one hour, and mean that which they do not say the next, what can a child or a wolf think of it?” [Illustration: The Nurse and the Wolf.--Page 60. _Æsop._] THE OLD BLIND DAME.