Page:An argosy of fables.djvu/40

 6 THE KID AND THE WOLF

KID being mounted on the roof of a lofty house and seeing a Wolf pass below, began to revile him. The Wolf merely stopped to reply, "Coward! It is not you who revile me, but the place on which you are standing."

Time and place often give the advantage to the weak over the strong.

(Fable 135 Halm; Thomas James' translation.)

THE TWO WALLETS

VERY man carries Two Wallets, one before and one behind, and both full of faults. But the one before, is full of his neighbour's faults; the one behind, of his own. Thus it happens that men are blind to their own faults, but never lose sight of their neighbour's.

(Fable 359 Halm; Thomas James' translation.)

THE FISHERMAN PIPING

MAN who cared more for his notes than his nets, seeing some fish in the sea, began playing on his pipe, thinking that they would jump out on shore. But finding himself disappointed, he took a casting-net, and inclosing a great multitude of fish, drew them to land. When he saw the fish dancing and flapping about, he smiled and said, "Since you would not dance when I piped, I will have none of your dancing now."

It is a great art to do the right thing at the right season.

(Fable 27 Halm; Thomas James' translation.)