An Old Woman found an empty cask that had once contained a fine old wine and that still retained the fragrant smell of it’s former contents. She greedily placed it several times under her nose and, drawing it backwards and forwards, said, “Delicious! How nice the Wine must have been when it leaves behind so sweet a perfume?”
The memory of a good deed lives on.
A Lion demanded the daughter of a Wood Cutter in marriage. The father, unwilling to grant the request but afraid to refuse, decided on a plan. He expressed his willingness to accept the Lion as the suitor of his daughter if the beast would allow the man to extract his teeth and cut off his claws, as the daughter was afraid of both. The Lion cheerfully assented to the proposal and, returning with teeth and claws gone, he called upon the father to accept him as a son-in-law. The Wood Cutter, no longer afraid, set upon the Lion with a club and drove him away into the forest.
The Frogs petitioned Jupiter to appoint them a King to keep them organized and make them lead more honest lives. Jupiter, who felt they needed no King, tried to appease them by casting down a huge log into the lake and declaring it their King. The frogs, terrified by the splash the log made, hid themselves in the depths of the pool. After a while, however, they noticed that their new ruler remained motionless, and they soon became brave enough to climb up and squat upon it. After some time they began to think themselves ill served by the appointment of so tame a King, and they sent a second delegation to Jupiter, asking him to send another sovereign. He then appointed an eel to govern them. When the frogs discovered their second King’s easy good nature, they went a third time to Jupiter to beg that he choose a more suitable leader. Jupiter displeased by their complaints, sent a heron, who devoured the frogs one by one. The few who escaped asked Mercury to take a note to Jupiter asking for help; but Jupiter replied that they were being punished for their folly and that they should learn to leave well enough alone.
A Tortoise, basking lazily in the sun, complained to the sea-birds how hard her life was because she could not fly. An Eagle hovering nearby heard her grumbling and asked what reward she would give if he would take her aloft and float her in the air. ”I will give you,” the Tortoise said, ” all the riches of the Red Sea.” “Then I will teach you to fly,” said the Eagle; and, taking the Tortoise up in his claws he carried her almost to the clouds. Suddenly he cried, “Now, then,” and ler her go, and the Tortoise fell onto a rock, smashing her shell to pieces.
Pride shall have a fall.
A Farmer who was close to death wanted to share his knowledge with his sons on the best way to keep up the farm. He called them to his bedside and said, “My children, all that I have to leave you can be found in the vineyards.” The sons, thinking their father was referring to a hidden treasure, set to work with their spades and ploughs and overturned the soil again and again. They found no treasure, but the vines, strengthened by the thorough tillage, repaid their labor with an extraordinarily abundant crop.
Industry in itself is a treasure.
A dispute once arose between the North Wind and the Sun over who was stronger, and they agreed that whoever could first make a Traveler remove his coat should be declared the victor. The North Wind tried first and blew with all his might, but the stronger he blew, the closer the Traveler wrapped his cloak around him. At last the North Wind called upon the Sun to see what he could do. The Sun broke out of the clouds and dispersed the cold and wind, and the Traveler, feeling the genial warmth as the Sun became hotter and hotter, sat down and cast his coat upon the ground.
Persuasion is better than force. The sunshine of a kind and gentle manner will sooner lay upon a poor man’s heart than all the threats of blustering authority.
