THE HUNTER AND THE WOODMAN


271. THE HUNTER AND THE WOODMAN A hunter was searching in the forest for the tracks of a lion, and, catching sight presently of a woodman engaged in felling a tree, he went up to him and asked him if he had noticed a lion’s footprints anywhere about, or if he knew where his den was. The woodman answered, “If you will come with me, I will show you the lion himself.” The hunter turned pale with fear, and his teeth chattered as he replied, “Oh, I’m not looking for the lion, thanks, but only for his tracks.”


272. THE SERPENT AND THE EAGLE An eagle swooped down upon a serpent and seized it in his talons with the intention of carrying it off and devouring it. But the serpent was too quick for him and had its coils round him in a moment; and then there ensued a life-anddeath struggle between the two. A countryman, who was a witness of the encounter, came to the assistance of the eagle, and succeeded in freeing him from the serpent and enabling him to escape. In revenge the serpent spat some of his poison into the man’s drinking horn. Heated with his exertions, the man was about to slake his thirst with a draft from the horn, when the eagle knocked it out of his hand and spilled its contents upon the ground. One good turn deserves another.


273.THE ROGUE AND THE ORACLE A rogue laid a wager that he would prove the Oracle at Delphi to be untrustworthy by procuring from it a false reply to an inquiry by himself. So he went to the temple on the appointed day with a small bird in his hand, which he concealed under the folds of his cloak, and asked whether what he held in his hand were alive or dead. If the Oracle said “dead,” he meant to produce the bird alive. If the reply was “alive,” he intended to wring its neck and show it to be dead. But the Oracle was one too many for him, for the answer he got was this: “Stranger, whether the thing that you hold in your hand be alive or dead is a matter that depends entirely on your own will.”


274. THE HORSE AND THE ASS A horse, proud of his fine harness, met an ass on the high road. As the ass with his heavy burden moved slowly out of the . way to let him pass, the horse cried out impatiently that he could hardly resist kicking him to make him move faster. The ass held his peace, but did not forget the other’s insolence. Not long afterwards the horse became broken-winded and was sold by his owner to a farmer. One day, as he was drawing a dung cart, he met the ass again, who in turn derided him and said, “Aha! You never thought to come to this, did you, you who were so proud! Where are all your gay trappings now?”


275. THE DOG CHASING A WOLF A dog was chasing a wolf, and as he ran he thought what a fine fellow he was, and what strong legs he had, and how quickly they covered the ground. “Now, there’s this wolf,” he said to himself. “What a poor creature he is. He’s no match for me, and he knows it and so he runs away.” But the wolf looked round just then and said, “Don’t you imagine I’m running away from you, my friend. It’s your master I’m afraid of.”

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