The Talking Beasts: A Book of Fable Wisdom — John Shaqi
The Talking Beasts: A Book of Fable Wisdom
General
The Talking Beasts: A Book of Fable Wisdom
Fables
"May it please Your Honour," said she to the Judge, "before I called in
this Doctor I could see a score of things in my room that now, when he
says I am cured, I cannot see at all."
This opened the eyes of the court to the knavery of the Doctor, who was
forced to give the Old Woman her property back again, and was not
allowed to claim a penny of his fee.
The Boy and the Wolf
A mischievous Lad, who was set to mind some Sheep, often used, in jest,
to cry "Wolf! Wolf!" and when the people at work in the neighbouring
fields came running to the spot he would laugh at them for their pains.
One day the beast came in reality, and the Boy, this time, called
"Wolf! Wolf!" in earnest; but the men, having been so often deceived,
disregarded his cries, and he and his Sheep were left at the mercy of
the Wolf.
The Blackamoor
A certain Man who had bought a Blackamoor said he was convinced that it
was all nonsense about black being the natural colour of his skin. "He
has been dirty in his habits," said he, "and neglected by his former
masters. Bring me some hot water, soap, and scrubbing-brushes, and a
little sand, and we shall soon see what his colour is."
So he scrubbed, and his servants scrubbed till they were all tired.
They made no difference in the colour of the Blackamoor; but the end of
it all was that the poor fellow caught cold and died.
The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
A Wolf, wrapping himself in the skin of a Sheep, by that means got
admission into a sheepfold, where he devoured several of the young
Lambs. The Shepherd, however, soon found him out and hung him up to a
tree, still in his assumed disguise.
Some other Shepherds, passing that way, thought it was a sheep hanging
and cried to their friend: "What, brother! is that the way you serve
Sheep in this part of the country?"
"No, friends," cried he, giving at the same time the carcass a swing
around, so that they might see what it was; "but it is the way to serve
Wolves, even though they be dressed in Sheep's clothing."
The Two Travellers
As two men were travelling through a wood, one of them took up an axe
which he saw lying upon the ground. "Look here," said he to his
companion, "I have found an axe."
"Don't say, 'I have found it,'" said the other, "but 'We have found
it.' As we are companions, we ought to share it between us." The
first would not agree to this idea, however.
They had not gone far when they heard the owner of the axe calling
after them in a great passion. "We are in for it!" cried he who had
the axe.
"Nay," answered the other, "say 'I'm in for it!'--not we. You would
not let me share the prize, and I am not going to share the danger."
The Fox in the Well
An unlucky Fox, having fallen into a well, was able, by dint of great
efforts, just to keep his head above water.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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