Monthly Archives: August 2013
13.Mercury and the Traveler
A man, about to depart upon a long journey, prayed to the god Mercury, who was anciently supposed to speed travelers, to give him good voyage and a safe return. He promised Mercury that if he would grant his request he would give the god half of everything he might find on his road.
Soon after he set forth, he found a bag of dates and almonds which some passerby had lost. He ate all but the stones of the dates and the shells of the almonds at once. These he laid upon a wayside altar to the god, praying to him to take notice that he had kept his promise.
“For,” said he, “here are the insides of the one and the outsides of the other, and that makes up your half of the booty.”
A promise-breaker is never at a loss for an excuse.
12.Mercury and the Sculptor
MERCURY once determined to learn in what esteem he was held among mortals. For this purpose he took on the shape of a man and visited a sculptor’s studio in this disguise. After looking at various statues, he demanded the price of two figures of Mother Mary and a lamb. When the sum at which they were valued was named, he pointed to a figure of himself, saying to the sculptor,
“You’ll certainly want much more for this, as it is the statue of a certain messenger of gains.”
The sculptor replied, “Well, if you’ll buy these, I’ll fling you that into the bargain.”
❖ A sculptor needs to think things through on his own.
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.”
