Category Archives: AESOP TALES
11.Jupiter and the Monkey
Jupiter issued a proclamation to all the beasts, and offered a prize to the one who, in his judgment, produced the most beautiful offspring. Among the rest came the monkey, carrying a baby monkey in her arms, a hairless, flat-nosed little fright. When they saw it, the gods all burst into peal on peal of laughter. But the monkey hugged her little one to her, and said, “Jupiter may give the prize to whomsoever he likes. But I shall always think my baby the most beautiful of them all.”
# The Monkey thinks her baby is the most beautiful of all others.
10.Hercules and the Waggoner
A WAGGONER was once driving a heavy load along a very muddy way. At last he came to a part of the road where the wheels sank half-way into the mire, and the more the horses pulled, the deeper sank the wheels. So the Waggoner threw down his whip, and knelt down and prayed to Hercules the Strong. He cried, “O Hercules, help me in this my hour of distress.” But Hercules appeared to him, and said:
“Look, man, don’t sprawl there. Get up and put your shoulder to the wheel.”
$ “THE GODS HELP THEM THAT HELP THEMSELVES.”
9.Father and Sons
A certain man had several sons who were always quarreling with one another, and, try as he might, he could not get them to live together in harmony. So he determined to convince them of their folly by the following means. Bidding them fetch a bundle of sticks, he invited each in turn to break it across his knee. All tried and all failed. And then he undid the bundle, and handed them the sticks one by one, when they had no difficulty at all in breaking them.
“There, my boys,” said he, “united you will be more than a match for your enemies. But if you quarrel and separate, your weakness will put you at the mercy of those who attack you.”
# Union is strength.
8.Death and Cupid
Cupid, one sultry summer’s noon, tired with play and faint with heat, went into a cool grotto to repose himself. This happened to be the cave of Death. He threw himself carelessly down upon the floor, and his quiver turning upside down, all the arrows fell out and mingled with those of Death, which lay scattered about the place. When he awoke he gathered them up as well as he could; but they were so intermingled that although he knew the proper number to take, he could not rightly distinguish his own. Hence he took up some of the arrows which belonged to Death, and left some of his. This is the reason why that we now and then see the hearts of the old and decrepit transfixed with the bolts of Love; and with great grief and surprise sometimes sees youth and beauty smitten with the darts of Death.
# Death and Love strike unexpectedly.
