 Section 172 of fables of Aesop and others. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Fables of Aesop and others by Aesop, the serpent and the man. A child was playing in a meadow and by chance trod upon a serpent. The serpent, in a fury of his passion, turned up and bit the child with his venomous teeth so that he died immediately. The father of the child, inspired with grief and revenge, took a weapon and, pursuing the serpent before he could get into his hole, struck at him and lopped off a piece of his tail. The next day, hoping by stratagem to finish his revenge, he brought to the serpent's hole honey and meal and salt and desired him to come forth, protesting that he only sought reconciliation on both sides. But the serpent answered him with a hiss to this purpose. In vain you attempt a reconciliation. For as long as the memory of the dead child and the mangled tail subsists, it will be impossible for you and I to have any charity for each other. Application When persons have carried their differences to an extreme length, it is in vain for them to think of renewing a cordial friendship. For in the heat of their quarrel, many injuries must have been reciprocally offered and received, which must tear under the strongest bonds of amnesty. The fury of their dissensions may indeed subside, yet neither party can forgive the wrongs which neither can forget. The consciousness of having provoked the resentment of another will dwell so continually upon the mind of the aggressor that he cannot rest until he has finished his work and put it as much as possible out of the enemy's power to make any return upon him and the old proverb will be verified which says, the man who has injured you will never forgive you. Morality bids us forgive our enemies, and a voice of reason confirms the same, but neither reason nor morality bids us enter into a friendship with or oppose a confidence in those who have injured us and of whom we have a bad opinion. We may resolve not to return ill usage, but ought never put ourselves into the power of an enemy. End of section 172, The Serpent and the Man Section 173 of Fables of Aesop and Others This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Raymond Cockle Fables of Aesop and Others by Aesop The Horse and the Overloaded Ass A clownish, stupid fellow in travelling to market with his goods loaded his horse very lightly and put a heavy burden upon his ass and was trudging along the road with them on foot. They had not travelled halfway to their journey's end when the ass felt greatly overpowered with the weight he carried and begged the horse would be so good as to assist him by taking a part of it upon his back and lighten the grievous burden, assuring him that through weakness he was quite exhausted and ready to faint. No, said the horse, keep your burden to yourself. It does not concern me. Upon hearing this cruel reply, the poor ass dropped down and soon expired. The master then ungerded the pack saddle and awkwardly tried several ways to relieve his ass, but all to no purpose. It was too late. When he perceived how matter stood, he took the whole burden and laid it upon the horse, together with the skin of the dead ass and when he felt tired with walking he also mounted himself. The horse is said to have often muttered as he went along. Well, this is my proper punishment for refusing to help my fellow servant in the depth of his distress. Application. He who has no compassion in his breast is unworthy the title of a man and the heart that feels no anguish at the misfortunes of others nor a desire to relieve those who groan under a load of sorrow is destitute of the very grounds and principles of virtue. The eye that has no tear for the griefs of a friend is also blind to its own interest for the burden of human affairs must be borne by some or other of us and the duty as well as the common necessity of helping one another ought not to be shuffled off by the unworthy expression of it is none of my business. For the business of society is more or less the business of every man who lives in it and he who permits his weak brother for want of timely assistance to sink under a greater weight than he is able to sustain deserves to be punished for his cruelty by being obliged to bear the whole of his own distressing burdens himself. The fable also hints at the miseries which poor dumb useful animals undergo from the injudicious management or cruel treatment of those under whose government they have the misfortune to fall. These kind of hogs in armor ought to be taught by their own sufferings the benevolent text that a merciful man will be merciful to his beast. End of section 173. Section 174 of fables of ASOP and others. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Raymond Cockle. Fables of ASOP and others. By ASOP. The Husbandman and the Stork. A husbandman having placed nets in his fields to catch the rooks and the geese which came to feed upon the new sown corn, found among his prisoners a single stork who happened to be in their company. The stork pleaded hard for his life and among other arguments alleged that he was neither goose nor crow, but a poor harmless stork whose attachment to mankind and his services to them in picking up noxious creatures as well as fulfilling his duties to his aged parents he trusted were well known. All this may be true, says the husbandman, for what I know, but as I have taken you in company with thieves and in the same crime you must also share the same fate with them. Application. When we become so abandoned to stupidity and a disregard for our own reputation as to keep bad company, however little we may be criminal in reality, we must expect the same censure and punishment as is due to the most notorious of our companions. The world will always form an idea of the character of every man from his associates, nor is this rule founded on wrong principles. For generally speaking, those who are constant companions are either drawn together by a similitude of manners and principles or form such a similitude by daily commerce and conversation. If therefore we are tender of our reputation we should be particularly delicate in the choice of our company, since some portion of their fame or infamy must unavoidably be reflected upon us. It is not enough to be virtuous ourselves, but we must be cautious not to associate with those who are devoted to vice, for though we cannot confer any degree of our own credit upon them, we may suffer much discredit and incur much damage from mixing with such bad companions. End of section 174 Section 175 of Fables of EZAP and Others This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Kudino Fables of EZAP and Others by EZAP The Travelers and the Bear Two men, being to travel through a forest together, mutually engaged to stand by each other in any danger they might encounter on the way. They had not gone far before a bear rushed towards them out of a ticket, upon which one of them, being a light nimble fellow, would up the branches of a tree and kept out of sight. The other, falling flat upon his face and holding his breath, lay still while the bear came up and smelled at him, but not discovering any marks of life, he walked widely away again to the place of his retreat, without doing the man the least harm. When I was over, the spark who had climbed the tree came down to his companion and asked him what the bear said to him. Or, says he, I took notice that he climbed his mouth very close to your ear. Why? said the other. He advised me for the future never to place any confidence in such a faithless poultryman as you. Application There is nothing in this world that can lie on our burdens, and passing through it or contribute more to our happiness than our knowing we have a true friend, who will commiserate with and help us in our misfortunes and on whom we can rely in times of difficulty and distress. There are many, indeed, who with fair words pretended that character and are ever ready to offer their services when there is no occasion for their help. But a real friend, like gold from the furnace, shines forth in his true lustre and with hard on hand is ever ready to sucker us in times of tribulation and peril. It is on such only we ought to place a confidence in any undertaking of importance, for the man who is wholly actuated by the selfish and social principle with caring only for himself is not fit to be associated with others of a more generous character, and he who will desert them in adversity or not to be made a partaker of the prosperity of others. It therefore behoves us diligently to examine into the fragility of those we have to deal with, before we embark with them in any enterprise in which our lives and fortunes may be put to hazard by their breach of faith. End of section 175 After a fierce battle between two cocks with the sovereignty of the Dunghill, one of them having beaten his antagonist, he that was vanquished, slunk away and crept into a corner, where he for some time hid himself. But the conqueror flew up to a high place and clapped his wings, crowing and proclaiming his victory. An eagle who was watching for his prey saw him from afar off, and in the midst of his exultation darted down upon him, thrust him up and bore him away. The vanquished cog perceiving this quitted the place of his retreat and shaking his feathers, throwing off all remembrance of his late disgrace, returned to the Dunghill and gallanted the hens, as if nothing had happened. Application This fable shows us the impropriety and inconvenience of running into extremes and teaches us that under all the various sudden vicissitudes of human life we ought to bear success with moderation and misfortune with fortitude and equanimity to repress immoderate exultation and unmanly despair. Much of our happiness depends upon keeping an even balance in our words and actions and in not suffering circumstances to mount us too high in time of prosperity or to sink us too low with the weight of adverse fortune. A wise man will not place too high a value on lessons which he knows to be no more than temporary, nor will he repine at evils whose duration may perhaps be that short and cannot be eternal. He will submit himself with humility and resignation due to the decrees of providence and the will of heaven. In prosperity the fear of evil will check the insolence of triumph and in adversity the hope of good will sustain his spirit and teach him to endure his misfortunes with constancy and fortitude. End of Section 176 Section 177 of Fables of Esop and Others This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org recording by Kessie. Fables of Esop and Others by Esop The Wild and the Tame Geese A flock of wild geese and a parcel of tame ones used often to feed together in a cornfield. At last the owner of the corn, with his servants coming upon them of a sudden, surprised them in the very fact and the tame geese being heavy and fat full-bodied creatures were most often of them sufferers, but the wild ones being thin and light easily flew away. Application When the enemy comes to make a seizure they are sure to suffer most whose circumstances are the richest and fattest. In any case of persecution money hangs like a dead weight about a man and we never feel gold so heavy as when we are endeavoring to make off with it. Great wealth has many cares annexed to it with which the poor and needy are not afflicted. A competency to supply the necessities of nature and the wants of old age is indeed to be desired but we should rather endeavor to contract our wants than to multiply them and not too eagerly grasp at the augmentation of our possessions which will increase our cares by adding to our danger. Persons of small fortune have as much reason to be contented as the rich. Their situation is full as happy consider it altogether for if they are deprived of some of the gratifications which the rich enjoy they are also exempted for many troubles and uneasinesses necessarily cleaving to riches. Recording by Thay-e-screws Fables of Issa and Others by Issa The Frogs and the Mice The Frogs and the Mice who inhabited part of a most extensive fan of which they remained unoccupied sufficient room to hold many whole nations of both could not agree with each other so as to live in peace. Many bitter disputes arose between them about the ride to particular pools and their top cover margins. At length, national jealousies and animosities arose to such a height that each claimed sovereignty of the whole fan and the most rancorous war was waged between them in order to settle, by force of arms their respective pretensions. While their hostile armies were drawn up in battle array a plane of several square yards in extent protected on both flanks and rear by dark pools and gloomy forests of sieges, reeds and bow rushes their two chieftains advanced to meet each other and to it they fell as fierceless spigars. All these two combatants were thus engaged a kite sailing in the air beheld them from a great distance and from upon them instantly bore them off in his towns while the feud of battle presented a delicious repast to some ravens who had chance to spy the movements of these hostile armies. Application The leading feature in the character of man in all ages of the world has ever been self-interest and when this is not kept within due bounds without a sense of morality and honor their bad passions are let loose and money, power or dominion are the chief objects they keep in view. When men thus depraved have long sword above restraint and their numbers and powers become predominant in a nation the accumulation of their wickedness hurries them blindly on to break out into offensive wars with other nations frivolous pretenses and repent, plunder and innumerable murders succeed by which humanity is outraged and the fair face of nature is deluged with blood. Peace is the natural happy state of a man and war is his disgrace. The mighty among the frogs and mice attend not to this they strut and exalt for a time the pride, tyranny and injustice will have an end for opposed to these vices are the attributes of omnipotence and they are eternal. It often happens, as in the case of the combatants in the fable that when national depravity has attained its height the kites and ravens of other regions are invited forth and made the instruments of a just retribution. End of section 178 section 179 of fables of Esop and others this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Kessie fables of Esop and others by Esop The Fowler and the Lark a fowler set his snares to catch birds in the open field a lark was caught and finding herself entangled could not forbear lamenting her hard fate ah woe is me she says she what crime have I committed that man should be plotting my destruction I have not taken either his silver or gold or anything of value to him and while other rapacious birds deal about destruction and go unpunished I must die for only picking up a single grain of corn application the irregular administration of justice in the world is indeed a melancholy subject to think of a poor fellow shall be hanged for stealing a sheep perhaps to keep his family from starving while one who is already great and opulent will not scruple to add to his overflowing wealth by the most bare-faced speculation upon the public and yet shall escape punishment and even censure through powerful interest with those who ought to be his judges but allow themselves to be swayed by the splendor of his connections or corrupted by his money when justice is entrusted in such hands then shall we see the description given by one of our satirical poets of a corrupt court of law realized he calls it a place where little villains must submit to fate that great ones may enjoy the world in state however let no one who violates the law rest his defense on this plea for though crimes committed by his superiors ought not to escape with impunity yet his own nevertheless deserve punishment hence we may also draw a hint not unworthy of our attention to endeavor to preserve our own integrity unshaken in the midst of iniquity and to show ourselves unstained by the corruption even of the worst of times End of Section 179 Section 180 of Fables of Esop and Others This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Kessie Fables of Esop and Others by Esop The Shepherd Turned Merchant A shepherd was feeding his flock on a very fine day near the seaside the beauty of the weather the smoothness of the water and the ships with spreading sails floating along its surface formed together altogether so charming a scene that he lost all relish for a pastoral life and lured also by the prospect of gain he determined to quit an employment which he now despised as yielding neither honor nor profit he quickly sold off his flocks and commenced merchant adventurer and ere long he embarked with his whole property on the ocean the ship had not long been at sea before a dreadful tempest arose which wrecked her and all her cargo and our merchant ship and the crew were fortunate enough to escape with their lives the adventurer having thus lost his all returned to his former farm and was glad to hire himself to the man who had bought his stock to attend the sheep which were once his own one day as he sat meditating upon the change that had happened and viewing the sea calm and unruffled as before ah says he thou deceitful tempting element experience has made me so wise that if I should again acquire a property I will never more trusted upon thy faithless bosom application this fable is intended to put men of fickle unsettled minds upon their guard against that propensity which often inclines them so strongly as shifting and changing and leads them to imagine that they would be happier in any profession than the one to which they have been brought up by this disposition they are led away from an honest competency to adventure their all upon untried schemes in the hope of bettering their condition but men of this wavering temper who are comfortably settled in the world are well to reflect before they change their situation and rashly venture perhaps the acquisitions of their whole life on projects the failure of which may subject them to great calamities which will be the more intolerable to bear as they will not have adverse fortune to blame but merely their own folly of this truth the experience will convince them when it is too late End of Section 179 Section 181 of Fables of Aesop and Others This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Chad Horner from Balli Clare in County Antrim Northern Ireland situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland in the south-east of Aesop and others by Aesop the cock and the fox A fox, in one of his early visits to the farm-yard happened to be caught in a spring which had been set for that very purpose and while he was struggling to escape he was observed by the cock who, with his hands, was feeding near the place The cock, dreading so dangerous a foe approached him with the utmost caution Reynard no sooner cast his eye upon him with his youth and designing artifice imaginable thus addressed him My dear friend says he you see what an unfortunate accident has befallen me here and all upon your account for not having heard you through for a long time past I was resolved on my way homeward to pay you a friendly visit I therefore beg you will bring me something to cut this tormenting wire or at least be so good as to conceal my misfortune Yes, said the cock I can guess what kind of a visit you intended to pay me and will fetch you the proper assistance immediately He then hastened and told the farmer who instantly went to the place and knocked the fox on the head application When the innocent fall into misfortune it is the part of a generous and brave spirit to contribute as far as possible to their relief and there is no quality of mind to enable that of tenderly feeling for the distressed But we ought not to let our compassion flow out upon improper objects lest we may by saving a villain be doing an act of injustice to the community When wicked men are entrapped in their own pernicious schemes and laid hold of by the arm of justice it is a misplaced lenity to endeavor to screen or protect them from it as by letting them to continue their decreditions we become the advocates for their crimes and in some degree partakers of their enormities End of section 181 Section 182 of fables of Isop and others This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Fables of Isop and others by Isop The young man and his cat A certain young man used to play with a beautiful cat of which he grew so fond that at last he fell in love with it to such a degree that he could rest neither night nor day with the excess of his passion In this condition he prayed to Venus the goddess of beauty to pity and relieve his pain The good-natured goddess was propituous and heard his prayers and the cat which he held in his arms transformed into a beautiful young woman The youth was transported with joy and married her that very day At night when they were in bed the bride unfortunately heard a mouse behind the hangs and sprang for the arms of her lover to pursue it The youth was ashamed and Venus offended to see her sacred rites thus profane by such unbecoming behavior and perceiving that her new convert, though a woman of appearance was a cat in her heart she caused her to return to her old form again that her manners in person might be suitable to each other Application This fable however extravagant in unnatural in its composition is intended to depicture and check the blind instinctive art of the passion of love the transports of which cover all imperfections so that its devotees consider their own beauty nor merit it is like an idol of our own creating which we fashion into whatever figure or shape we please and then run mad for it The fable also shows that no charm can raise from dirt a groveling mind and that people of a low turn of spirit and mean education cannot change their principles by changing their situation for in the midst of splendor and magnificence they still retain in seldom failed to portray by some dirty action their original baseness which no embroidery can conceal and though fortune has been pleased to lift them out of the mire we still see the silly awkward blockheads displaying their lack of mind and education through all their incidences of dignity if anything more need be at it it can only be with a view of more plainly putting inexperienced youth on their guard making inconsiderate connections lest they take a cat into their bosom instead of an amial consort and companion for life End of section 182 40 Fables of Esop and others by Esop the Fowler and the Partridge A Fowler having taken a Partridge in his nets the bird begged hard for a reprieve and promised the man if he would let him go to decoy the other Partridges into his snares No, replies the Fowler If I had before been undetermined what to do with you now you have condemned yourself by your own words for he who is such a scoundrel as to offer to betray his friends to save himself deserves if possible worse than death application To betray our friends is one of the blackest of crimes and however much traders may suppose they recommend themselves by their successful acts of treachery they will find that those who employ them as useful instruments in any dirty business or faction or party are shocked at the baseness of their minds and however convenient it may be to like the treason the traitor will be despised history furnishes us with many instances of kings and great men who have punished the actors of treachery with death though the part they acted had been so conducive to their interests as to give them a victory or perhaps the quiet possession of a throne nor can princes pursue a more just maxim than this for a traitor is a villain and sticks at nothing to promote his own selfish ends he that will betray one master for a bribe will betray another on the same account it is therefore in politic in any state to suffer such wretches to live under its protection since then this maxim is so good and likely at all times to be acted upon what stupid rogues must they be who undertake such precarious dirty work end of section 183 section 184 of fables of esop and others this is a Librivox recording all Librivox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit Librivox.org recording by Richard Orte fables of esop and others by esop the blind man and the lame a blind man and a lame man happening to come at the same time to a piece of very bad road the former begged of the latter that he would be so kind as to guide him through the difficulty how can I do that said the lame man since I am scarcely able to drag myself along but as you appear to be very strong if you will carry me we will seek our fortunes together it will then be my interest to warn you against anything that may obstruct your way your feet shall be my feet and my eyes yours and my heart replied the blind man let us mutually serve each other so taking his lame companion on his back they by means of this union travelled on with safety and pleasure application there is no such thing as absolute independence in a state of society and the defects and weaknesses of individuals form the cement it is bound together all men have their imperfections at once and must help each other as a matter of expediency as well as virtue for providence has so ordered things in this life that like the blind man and the lame in the fable we may be serviceable to each other in almost every instance what one man wants another supplies without these failings there would be neither friendship nor company so that it is our interest to be both charitable and sociable when our very wants and necessities are converted by providence into blessings the whole race of mankind ought indeed to be but so many members of the same body and in contributing to the ease and convenience of each other we are not only serviceable to the whole but kind to ourselves and the section 184 section 185 of fables of eSOP and others this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by this name fables of eSOP and others of eSOP the lion, the wolf and the dog a lion having seized upon a doe while he was standing over his pride a wolf stepped up to him and impudently claimed to go halves no said the lion you are too apt to take orders not your due I therefore shall never have anything to do with you and I preemptorily insist on your immediate departure out of my sight a poor, honest dog who happened to be passing and heard what was going on modestly withdrew intending to go and about another way upon which the lion kindly invited him to come forward and partake with him of the feast to which his modesty had given him so good a title application there is something in modesty which ought ever strongly to pre-possess us in favour of those persons in whose nature it is interwoven and men of discerning and generous minds have a pleasure in discovering it and in bringing to notice the worthy man who is diffident of his merit and cannot prevail upon himself to challenge the praise or tribute he deserves it is however to be lamented that such patrons are not very numerous and that the assuming arrogance and teasing importunities of the greedy forward man should so commonly succeed in attaining his ends while modesty in silence starves unnoticed and is forever poor were men in exalted stations of life to pay more attention to the importance of this and endeavour to discover modest worth to draw merit from the shade and virtue from obscurity and distribute their patronage and their favours to such only their own affairs as well as those of the public would be better managed and the difference between conduct of the upstart pride and sensible plain honesty would soon shoe itself in its true unvarnished colours End of Section 185 Section 186 of fables of ESOP and others This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information please visit LibriVox.org recording by this name Fables of ESOP and others by ESOP The Ass Eating Thistle An ass was loaded with provisions of several sorts which he was carrying home for a grand entertainment By the way, he met with a fine large thistle and being very hungry immediately ate it up which while he was doing he entered into this reflection How many greedy epicures would think themselves happy amid such a variety of delicate vines as I now carry But to me, this bitter prickly thistle is more savoury and vellishing than the most exquisite and sumptuous banquet Application Temperance and exercise may be regarded as the constituents of natural luxury It is not in the power of cookery to give such an exquisite relish and seasoning to a dish as these two will conform the plainest fare Indolent epicures have no true taste. They subsist entirely by wets and provocatives of appetite But he, whose stomach is braced and strengthened by exercise has a wet within himself which adds poignancy to every morsel that he eats Providence seems to have carved out its blessings with an equal hand and what it has denied to the poor in one way it has amply supplied them with in another If it have withheld riches it has given them a greater store of health and if it have refused them the means of luxury it has at least formed them with the capacity of living as happily without it and it may be further observed that if we accept hereditary diseases almost every other ailment may be late to the account of indolence intemperance or anxiety of the mind End of section 186 Recording by the Sneem Section 187 of fables of ESOP and others this is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by the Sneem Fables of ESOP and others by ESOP The Dog and the Cat Never were two creatures happier together than a dog and a cat Red in the same house from the time of their birth they were so kind so gamesome and diverting that it was half the entertainment of the family to see the gambles and love tricks that passed between them Still it was observed that at meal times when perhaps fell from the table or a tidbit was thrown to them they would be snarling and spitting at one another like the pitterest foes application This fable is too true a picture of the practices and friendships of the world We first enter into agreeable conversations contract likings and form close intimacies and connections which one would think nothing could ever break up the interests at length come in the way and dissolve the charm An unreasonable desire to engross more than we can enjoy is the bone of contention which in greater or less degrees sets mankind together by the years A jealous thought or mistaken word or look is then sufficient to cancel all former bonds The league is broken and the farce concludes like the dog and the cat in the fable and scratching out one another's eyes the same kind of over grasping selfishness which operates so powerfully upon and blinds individuals may with equal truth be charged against all public associations or societies of men from the greatest to the least when they are under the influence of that mistaken patriotism which instead of applying its powers to the improvement of what they already possess seek a grander cement by engrossing the colonies or privileges of their less powerful neighbors end of section 187 recording by this name the trumpeter taken prisoner a trumpeter being taken prisoner in battle begged hard for quarter declaring his innocence in protesting that he had neither killed nor could kill any man bearing no arms but his trumpet which he was obliged to sound at the word of command for that reason replied his enemies we are determined not to spare you for though you yourself never fight yet with that wicked instrument of yours you blow up animosity among other people and so become the cause of much bloodshed application the formenter of mischief is at least as culpable as he who puts it in execution a man may be guilty of murder who has never handled a sword or pulled a trigger or lifted up his arm with any mischievous weapon there is a little incendiary called the tongue which is more venomous than a poisoned arrow and more killing than a two-edged sword the moral of the fable therefore is this that if in any civil insurrection the persons taken in arms against the government deserve to die much more do they whose devilish tongues or pens gave birth to this addition and excited the tumult the fable is also equally applicable to those evil counselors who excite corrupt or wicked governments to sap and undermine and then to overturn the just laws and liberties of a whole people or involve them in cruel offensive wars in which they cause thousands upon thousands of soreness to be drawn and whole armies of men to be cut in pieces while they themselves coolly sit out of danger and calculate the gains they derive from such widespreading desolation wars the most horrid custom that ever resulted from human wickedness and is caused only by the ignorance of the people or the wickedness of governments end of section 188 section 189 the fables of isop and others this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Larry Wilson fables of isop and others by isop the boys and the frogs a company of idle boys used to assemble on the margin of a lake inhabited by a great number of frogs and divert themselves by throwing volleys of stones into the water to the great annoyance and danger of the poor terrified frogs who were thus pelted to death as soon as any of them put up their heads at length one of the boldest of the frogs ventured in behalf of the whole community to coke out their complaints ah my boys said he why will you learn so soon the cruel practices of your race consider I beseech you that though this may be sport to you it is death to us application this fable shows the propensity of unguided youth to do evil and points out the need of inculcating the dignity of conduct upon their minds and giving them a direction towards a manly and generous humanity which in manhood will show itself in actions and habits that cannot fail to do honor to themselves and qualify them for any office in the service of their country the contrary of all this will be found to predominate in society when youth are suffered to go on with impunity in indulging their wicked inclinations for cruelty by which their minds are hardened and debased this hard-heartedness in boys will grow into brutality and tyranny in man and that cruelty which was at first inflicted upon poor dumb animals will start south upon their fellows the great man of this caste will tyrannize over those below him these again will show the same hateful disposition to their dependence and so downwards to the lowest who guided only by ignorance will give vent to their natural baseness by goading and distressing the poor animals which are wretchedly toiling in their service End of section 189 End of fables of Esop and others by Esop