The Horse and the Stag.


[Illustration]

The Horse had the plain entirely to himself. A Stag intruded into his
domain and shared his pasture. The Horse, desiring to revenge himself
on the stranger, requested a man, if he were willing, to help him in
punishing the Stag. The man replied, that if the Horse would receive a
bit in his mouth, and agree to carry him, he would contrive very
effectual weapons against the Stag. The Horse consented, and allowed the
man to mount him. From that hour he found that, instead of obtaining
revenge on the Stag, he had enslaved himself to the service of man.

He who seeks to injure others often injures only himself.




The Lion and the Dolphin.

A Lion, roaming by the sea-shore, saw a Dolphin lift up its head out of
the waves, and asked him to contract an alliance with him; saying that
of all the animals, they ought to be the best friends, since the one was
the king of beasts on the earth, and the other was the sovereign ruler
of all the inhabitants of the ocean. The Dolphin gladly consented to
this request. Not long afterwards the Lion had a combat with a wild