Category Archives: AESOP TALES
23.The Axe of Gold
A WORKMAN was felling wood by the side of a river when his axe dropped by accident into a deep pool. Through the mishap he had lost the means of his livelihood. He sat down on the bank and lamented his hard fate. An able diver appeared and wanted to know why he wept so loudly. After the man told his misfortune, the diver plunged into the stream. A little while later he brought up a golden axe and asked if that was the one he had lost.
“No it isn’t,” said the man.
The diver disappeared beneath the water a second time and returned with a silver axe.
“Is this your axe?” he asked again.
The workman said it was not. ******
22.The Astronomer
An ASTRONOMER used to go out at night to observe the stars. One evening, as he wandered through the suburbs with his whole attention fixed on the sky, he fell accidentally into a deep well. While he lamented and bewailed his sores and bruises, and cried loudly for help, a neighbor ran to the well, and learning what had happened said:
“Listen, old fellow, why, in striving to pry into what is in heaven, don’t you manage to see what is on earth?”
% See what you can.
21.The Ass’s Brains
The LION and the Fox went hunting together. The Lion, on the advice of the Fox, sent a message to the Ass, proposing to make an alliance between their two families. The Ass came to the place of meeting, overjoyed at the prospect of a royal alliance. But when he came there the Lion simply pounced on the Ass, and said to the Fox: “Here is our dinner for today. Watch you here while I go and have a nap. Woe betides you if you touch my prey.” The Lion went away and the Fox waited; but finding that his master did not return, ventured to take out the brains of the Ass and ate them up. When the Lion came back he soon noticed the absence of the brains, and asked the Fox in a terrible voice: “What have you done with the brains?”
“Brains, your Majesty! It had none, or it would never have fallen into your trap.”
“WIT HAS ALWAYS AN ANSWER READY.”
20.The Ass in the Lion’s Skin
AN ASS once found a Lion’s skin which the hunters had left out in the sun to dry. He put it on and went towards his native village. All fled at his approach, both men and animals, and he was a proud Ass that day. In his delight he lifted up his voice and brayed, but then everyone knew him, and his owner came up and gave him a sound cudgeling for the fright he had caused. And shortly afterwards a Fox came up to him and said: “Ah, I knew you by your voice.”
“FINE CLOTHES MAY DISGUISE, BUT SILLY WORDS WILL DISCLOSE A FOOL.”
