БАЙКИ ЕЗОПА АНГЛІЙСЬКОЮ
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
A shepherd-boy, who
watched a flock of sheep near a village, brought out the villagers three or
four times by crying out, "Wolf! Wolf!" and when his neighbors came
to help him, laughed at them for their pains.
The Wolf, however, did
truly come at last. The Shepherd-boy, now really alarmed, shouted in an agony
of terror: "Pray, do come and help me; the Wolf is killing the
sheep"; but no one paid any heed to his cries, nor rendered any
assistance. The Wolf, having no cause of fear, at his leisure lacerated or
destroyed the whole flock.
There is no believing a
liar, even when he speaks the truth.
The
Bundle of Sticks
An old
man on the point of death summoned his sons around him to give them some
parting advice. He ordered his servants to bring in a faggot of sticks, and
said to his eldest son, "Break it." The son strained and strained,
but with all his efforts was unable to break the Bundle. The other sons also
tried, but none of them was successful. "Untie the faggots," said the
father, "and each of you take a stick." When they had done so, he
called out to them, "Now, break," and each stick was easily broken.
"You see my meaning," said their father.
The
Fox and the Crow
A Fox once saw a Crow
fly off with a piece of cheese in its beak and settle on a branch of a tree.
"That's for me, as
I am a Fox," said Master Reynard, and he walked up to the foot of the
tree.
"Good day,
Mistress Crow," he cried. "How well you are looking today: how glossy
your feathers; how bright your eye. I feel sure your voice must surpass that of
other birds, just as your figure does; let me hear but one song from you that I
may greet you as the Queen of Birds."
The Crow lifted up her
head and began to caw her best, but the moment she opened her mouth the piece
of cheese fell to the ground, only to be snapped up by Master Fox.
"That will
do," said he. "That was all I wanted. In exchange for your cheese I
will give you a piece of advice for the future: "Do not trust
flatterers."
The
Lion and the Mouse
Once when a Lion was
asleep a little Mouse began running up and down upon him; this soon wakened the
Lion, who placed his huge paw upon him, and opened his big jaws to swallow him.
"Pardon, O King," cried the little Mouse: "forgive me this time,
I shall never forget it: who knows but what I may be able to do you a turn some
of these days?" The Lion was so tickled at the idea of the Mouse being
able to help him, that he lifted up his paw and let him go.
Some time after the
Lion was caught in a trap, and the hunters who desired to carry him alive to
the King, tied him to a tree while they went in search of a waggon to carry him
on. Just then the little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight
in which the Lion was, went up to him and soon gnawed away the ropes that bound
the King of the Beasts. "Was I not right?" said the little Mouse.
