"YOU BOASTED OF BEING SO SWIFT" Facing page 14 OVER TOPPLED THE MILK " 35 THE GARRET WAS STILL A SIBYL'S DEN " 46 DELIBERATELY SWALLOWED THE OYSTER " 74 "WHY CANNOT YOU BE SILENT ALSO?" " 88 DESCENDED BY HIS GREATER WEIGHT " 98 A GUIDE FOR THE FOOTSTEPS OF LOVE " 111 The poet Jean de la Fontaine was born at Chateau-Thierry on July 8, 1621. He was a kindly, merry, and generous man and much beloved. His fables were written in verse and were published in three collections at different times of his life. Many were new versions of existing fables; but those of his later years were more often original inventions. All in this book are of La Fontaine's own invention, although several have since appeared in collections of AEsop's fables without the acknowledgment that is La Fontaine's due. He died on April 13, 1695, at the age of seventy-three. [Illustration] I THE TWO MULES (BOOK I.--No. 4) There were two heavily-laden mules making a journey together. One was carrying oats and the other bore a parcel of silver money collected from the people as a tax upon salt. This, we learn, was a tax which produced much money for the government, but it bore very hard upon the people, who revolted many times against it. The mule that carried the silver was very proud of his burden, and would not have been relieved of it if he could. As he stepped out he took care that the bells upon his harness should jingle well as became a mule of so much importance. Suddenly a band of robbers burst into the road, pounced upon the treasure mule, seized it by the bridle, and stopped it short. Struggling to defend itself the unhappy creature groaned and sighed as it cried: "Is this then the fate that has been in store for me: that I must fall and perish whilst my fellow traveller escapes free from danger?" "My friend," exclaimed the mule that carried only the oats, and whom the robbers had not troubled about, "it is not always good to have exalted work to do. Had you been like me, a mere slave to a miller, you would not have been in such a bad way now!" [Illustration: You boasted of being so swift.] II THE HARE AND THE PARTRIDGE (BOOK V.--No. 17) Never mock at other people's misfortune; for you cannot tell how soon you yourself may be unhappy. AEsop the sage has given us one or two examples of this truth, and I am going to tell you of a similar one now.