for me and my stalwart sons," she said, "come ahead and put us out!"
A smooth tongue often covers a false heart.
(Phædrus, Fables, Vol. I, No. 19.)
THE OLD LION
A LION worn out with years lay stretched upon the ground, utterly helpless, and drawing his last breath. A Boar came up, and to satisfy an ancient grudge, drove at him with his tusks. Next a Bull, determined to be revenged on an old enemy, gored him with his horns. Upon this an Ass, seeing that the old Lion could thus be treated with impunity, thought that he would show his spite also, and came and threw his heels in the Lion's face. Whereupon the dying beast exclaimed: "The insults of the powerful were bad enough, but those I could have managed to bear; but to be spurned by so base a creature as thou—the disgrace of nature, is to die a double death."
(Phædrus, Fables, Vol. I, No. 21; Thomas James' translation.)
THE FAITHFUL DOG
A THIEF in the night threw a piece of bread to a Dog, hoping to make friends with him by this offer of food. "Listen, stranger," said the Dog, "if you think you can silence my tongue and keep me from barking to warn my Master, you are much mistaken. This sudden friendliness on your part warns me to keep my eyes wide open so that you shall not be the richer through any fault of mine."
Sudden generosity may please the foolish, but it sets its traps in vain for the wary.
(Phædrus, Fables, Vol. I, No. 23.)
