Page:An argosy of fables.djvu/479

 Rh "Stop your noise. Puppy," advised a shaggy old Mastiff, "You are making yourself ridiculous! Do you think you can fight an Elephant? You have already barked yourself hoarse; yet the Elephant keeps right on, and does not pay the slightest attention to you."

"Yes, yes," said the Pug, "that is what makes me so brave. Without having to fight at all, I can make people think that I am a very savage animal. 'Look at Puggy!' the other dogs will all say, 'what courage he must have, or he would never dare to bark at an Elephant!'"

(Krilov, Fables. Adapted from the translation by William R. S. Ralston.)

THE BOASTFUL GEESE

FARMER with a long rod in his hands was driving some Geese to town, to sell them, and hoping to make a good bargain, he was hurrying them on rather urgently. Consequently, the Geese complained loudly to every passer-by.

"Were ever Geese more unfortunate than we? This farmer drives us along as roughly as though we were common, ordinary Geese. He is such an ignorant fellow himself that he does not know that he ought to pay us great honour, because we are the noble sons of those famous Geese that once saved Rome from destruction."

"And is that your reason for expecting people to honour you today?" one of the passers-by asked them.

"Why, yes, our fathers, the Geese of Rome—"

"I know, I have read all about that. But what I am asking you, is of what use have you yourselves ever been? What have you done?"

"We? Why, nothing!"