52.The Brother and the Sister
A FATHER had one son and one daughter, the former remarkable for his good looks, the latter for her extraordinary ugliness. While they were playing one day as children, they happened by chance to look together into a mirror that was placed on their mother’s chair. The boy congratulated himself on his good looks; the girl grew angry, and could not bear the self-praises of her brother, interpreting all he said (and how could she do otherwise?) into reflection on herself.
She ran off to her father to be avenged on her brother, and spitefully accused him of having, as a boy, made use of that which belonged only to girls. The father embraced them both, and bestowing his kisses and affection impartially on each, said,
“I wish you both would look into the mirror every day: you, my son, that you may not spoil your beauty by evil conduct; and you, my daughter, that you may make up for your lack of beauty by your virtues.”
❖ An ugly woman dreads the mirror.
51.The Brazier and His Dog
A BRAZIER had a little dog, which was a great favorite with his master, and his constant companion. While he hammered away at his metals the dog slept; but when, on the other hand, he went to dinner and began to eat, the dog woke up and wagged his tail, as if he would ask for a share of his meal. His master one day, pretending to be angry and shaking his stick at him, said,
“You wretched little sluggard! What shall I do to you? While I am hammering on the anvil, you sleep on the mat; and when I begin to eat after my toil, you wake up and wag your tail for food. Don’t you know that labor is the source of every blessing, and that none but those who work are entitled to eat?”
❖ False accusations are not a slight matter.
❖ Sometimes false accusations don’t matter.
50.The Boys and the Frogs
SOME BOYS, playing near a pond, saw a number of frogs in the water and began to pelt them with stones. They killed several of them, when one of the frogs, lifting his head out of the water, cried out,
“Pray stop, my boys: what is sport to you, is death to us.”
49.The Boy Hunting Locusts
A BOY was hunting for locusts. He had caught a goodly number, when he saw a scorpion, and mistaking him for a locust, reached out his hand to take him.
The scorpion, showing his sting, said,
“If you had but touched me, my friend, you would have lost me, and all your locusts too!”
❖ It is better to have luck with you than to lose everything.
