Produced by David Edwards, Jacqueline Jeremy and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1859, by S. A. CHANDLER, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Mass.
A Fox, one day, saw a Cock on the roof of a barn. "Come to me, my dear Master Cock," said he; "I have always heard you are such a clever fellow; and I want to ask you a riddle." Glad to hear himself praised, the foolish Cock came down, and the Fox caught him, and ate him in a moment.
The praise of the wicked is always dangerous.
A Dwarf one day met a Giant. "Let me come with you," said he.
When they met robbers, the Giant beat them with his club; but the Dwarf got beaten. At last he began to cry; but the Giant said, "My little man, if you are not strong you must not go out to battle with a Giant."
We must not set ourselves up as equal to people who are greater and wiser than we.
A Partridge lived in a corn-field. "Mother," said one of her Chicks, "we must run away from this field; for I heard the owner say 'I will ask my neighbors to mow that field to-morrow.'" The Partridge said "Never mind."--"But," said another Chick, "I since heard him say 'I will mow the field myself.'"--"Then," said the Partridge, "we must indeed run away; for this man is going to do his own work."
As a Cock was scratching up the straw, in a farm-yard, in search of food for the hens, he hit upon a Jewel that by some chance had found its way there. "Ho!" said he, "you are a very fine thing, no doubt, to those who prize you; but give me a barley-corn before all the pearls in the world."
The Cock, in this, was sensible; but there are many silly people who despise what is precious only because they cannot understand it.
A Dog was crossing a river, with a piece of meat in his mouth, when he saw his own shadow reflected in the stream below. Thinking that it was another dog, with a piece of meat, he resolved to make himself master of that also; but in snapping at the supposed treasure he dropped the bit he was carrying, and so lost all.
Grasp at the shadow, and lose the substance;--the common fate of those who hazard a real blessing for a visionary good.