Aesop's Fables by Aesop, Arthur Rackham, V. S. Vernon Jones, D. L. Ashliman

of war, and tended him with the utmost care, for he wished . him to be strong to endure the hardships of the field, and swift to bear his master, when need arose, out of the reach of danger. But when the war was over he employed him on all sorts of drudgery, bestowing but little attention upon him, and giving him, moreover, nothing but chaff to eat. The time came when war broke out again, and the soldier saddled and bridled his horse, and, having put on his heavy coat of mail, mounted him to ride off and take the field. But the poor half-starved beast sank down under his weight, and said to his rider, “You will have to go into battle on foot this time. Thanks to hard work and bad food you have turned me from a horse into an ass; and you cannot in a moment turn me back again into a horse.”

119. THE OXEN AND THE BUTCHERS
    O nce upon a time the oxen determined to be revenged upon the butchers for the havoc they wrought in their ranks, and plotted to put them to death on a given day. They were all gathered together discussing how best to carry out the plan, and the more violent of them were engaged in sharpening their horns for the fray, when an old ox got up upon his feet and said, “My brothers, you have good reason, I know, to hate these butchers, but, at any rate, they understand their trade and do what they have to do without causing unnecessary pain. But if we kill them, others, who have no experience, will be set to slaughter us, and will by their bungling inflict great sufferings upon us. For you may be sure that even though all the butchers perish, mankind will never go without their beef.”

120. THE WOLF AND THE LION
    A wolf stole a lamb from the flock, and was carrying it off to devour it at his leisure when he met a lion, who took his prey away from him and walked off with it. He dared not resist, but when the lion had gone some distance he said, “It is most unjust of you to take what is mine away from me like that.” The lion laughed and called out in reply, “It was justly yours, no doubt! The gift of a friend, perhaps, eh?”

121. THE SHEEP, THE WOLF, AND THE STAG
    A stag once asked a sheep to lend him a measure of wheat, saying that his friend the wolf would be his surety. The sheep, however, was afraid that they meant to cheat her; so she excused herself, saying, “The wolf is in the habit of seizing what he wants and running off with it without paying, and you, too, can run much faster than I. So how shall I be able to come up with either of you when the debt falls due?”
     
    Two blacks do not make a white.

122. THE LION AND THE THREE BULLS
    T hree bulls were grazing in a meadow, and were watched by a lion, who longed to capture and devour them, but who felt that he was no match for the three so long as they kept together. So he began by false whispers and malicious hints to foment jealousies and distrust among them. This stratagem succeeded so well that ere long the bulls grew cold and unfriendly, and finally avoided each other and fed each one by himself apart. No sooner did the lion see this than he fell upon them one by one and killed them in turn.
     
    The quarrels of friends are the opportunities of foes.

123. THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER
    A young man, who fancied himself something of a horseman, mounted a horse which had not been properly broken in and was exceedingly difficult to control. No sooner did the horse feel his weight in the saddle than he bolted, and nothing would stop him. A friend of the rider’s met him in the road in his headlong career, and called out, “Where are you off to in such a hurry?” To which he, pointing to the horse, replied, “I’ve no idea. Ask him.”

124. THE GOAT AND THE VINE
    A goat was straying in a vineyard, and began to browse on the tender shoots of a vine which bore several fine bunches of grapes. “What have I done to you,” said the vine, “that you should harm me thus? Isn’t there grass enough for you to feed on? All the same, even if you