Category Archives: AESOP TALES
67.The Charger and the Miller
A CHARGER, feeling the infirmities of age, was sent to work in a mill instead of going out to battle. But when he was compelled to grind instead of serving in the wars, he bewailed his change of fortune and called to mind his former state, saying,
“Ah, miller, I had indeed to go campaigning before, but I was barbed from counter to tail, and a man went along to groom me; and now I cannot understand what ailed me to prefer the mill before the battle.”
“Forbear,” said the miller to him, “harping on what was of yore, for it is the common lot of mortals to sustain the ups and downs of fortune.”
66.The Charcoal-Burner and the Fuller
A CHARCOAL-BURNER carried on his trade in his own house. One day he met a friend, a fuller, and begged him to come and live with him, saying that they should be far better neighbors and that their housekeeping expenses would be lessened.
The fuller replied, “The arrangement is impossible as far as I am concerned, for whatever I should whiten, you would at once blacken again with your charcoal.”
❖ Like may draw like.
65.The Cat-Maiden
THE GODS were once disputing whether it was possible for a living being to change its nature. Jupiter said “Yes,” but Venus said “No.” So, to try the question, Jupiter turned a Cat into a Maiden, and gave her to a young man for a wife. The wedding was duly performed and the young couple sat down to the wedding feast. “See,” said Jupiter, to Venus, “how becomingly she behaves. Who could tell that yesterday she was but a Cat? Surely her nature is changed?” 1
“Wait a minute,” replied Venus, and let loose a mouse into the room. No sooner did the bride see this than she jumped up from her seat and tried to pounce upon the mouse. “Ah, you see,” said Venus,
“NATURE WILL OUT.”
64.The Cat and the Mice
There was once a house that was overrun with mice. A cat heard of this, and said to herself, “That’s the place for me,” and off she went and took up her quarters in the house, and caught the mice one by one and ate them.
At last the mice could stand it n longer, and they determined to take to their holes and stay there.
“That’s awkward,” said the cat to herself. “The only thing to do is to coax them out by a trick.” So she considered a while, and then climbed up the wall and let herself hang down by her hind legs from a peg, and pretended to be dead.
By and by a mouse peeped out and saw the cat hanging there. “Aha!” it cried, “You’re very clever, madam, no doubt. But you may turn yourself into a bag of meal hanging there, if you like, yet you won’t catch us coming anywhere near you.”
# If you are wise you won’t be deceived by the innocent airs of those whom you have once found to be dangerous.
# Old birds are not to be caught with chaff.
