Fables of La Fontaine Part 26

Their tracks I keep, though either tale may grow A little in its features as I go.

The one which Aesop tells is nearly this:-- A shepherd from his flock began to miss, And long'd to catch the stealer of, his sheep.

Before a cavern, dark and deep, Where wolves retired by day to sleep, Which he suspected as the thieves, He set his trap among the leaves; And, ere he left the place, He thus invoked celestial grace:-- 'O king of all the powers divine, Against the rogue but grant me this delight, That this my trap may catch him in my sight, And I, from twenty calves of mine, Will make the fattest thine.'

But while the words were on his tongue, Forth came a lion great and strong.

Down crouch'd the man of sheep, and said, With s.h.i.+vering fright half dead, 'Alas! that man should never be aware Of what may be the meaning of his prayer!

To catch the robber of my flocks, O king of G.o.ds, I pledged a calf to thee: If from his clutches thou wilt rescue me, I'll raise my offering to an ox.'

'Tis thus the master-author[3] tells the story: Now hear the rival of his glory.

[1] Aesop.

[2] _A certain Greek_.--Gabrias.--La Fontaine. This is Babrias, the Greek fabulist, to whom La Fontaine gives the older form of his name.

La Fontaine's strictures on this "rival" of Aesop proceed from the fact that he read the author in the corrupted form of the edition by Ignatius Magister (ninth century). It was not till a century after La Fontaine wrote, that the fame of Babrias was cleared by Bentley and Tyrwhitt, who brought his Fables to light in their original form.

[3] _Master-author, &c._--The "master-author" is Aesop; the rival, Gabrias, or Babrias. The last line refers the reader to the following fable for comparison. In the original editions of La Fontaine, the two fables appear together with the heading "Fables I. et II."

II.--THE LION AND THE HUNTER.[4]

A braggart, lover of the chase, Had lost a dog of valued race, And thought him in a lion's maw.

He ask'd a shepherd whom he saw, 'Pray show me, man, the robber's place, And I'll have justice in the case.'

''Tis on this mountain side,'

The shepherd man replied.

'The tribute of a sheep I pay, Each month, and where I please I stray.'

Out leap'd the lion as he spake, And came that way, with agile feet.

The braggart, prompt his flight to take, Cried, 'Jove, O grant a safe retreat!'

A danger close at hand Of courage is the test.

It shows us who will stand-- Whose legs will run their best.

[4] Gabrias, or Babrias; and Aesop. See note to preceding fable.

III.--PHOEBUS AND BOREAS.[5]

Old Boreas and the sun, one day Espied a traveller on his way, Whose dress did happily provide Against whatever might betide.

The time was autumn, when, indeed, All prudent travellers take heed.

The rains that then the suns.h.i.+ne dash, And Iris with her splendid sash, Warn one who does not like to soak To wear abroad a good thick cloak.

Our man was therefore well bedight With double mantle, strong and tight.

'This fellow,' said the wind, 'has meant To guard from every ill event; But little does he wot that I Can blow him such a blast That, not a b.u.t.ton fast, His cloak shall cleave the sky.

Come, here's a pleasant game, Sir Sun!

Wilt play?' Said Phoebus, 'Done!

We'll bet between us here Which first will take the gear From off this cavalier.

Begin, and shut away.

The brightness of my ray.'

'Enough.' Our blower, on the bet, Swell'd out his pursy form With all the stuff for storm-- The thunder, hail, and drenching wet, And all the fury he could muster; Then, with a very demon's bl.u.s.ter, He whistled, whirl'd, and splash'd, And down the torrents dash'd, Full many a roof uptearing He never did before, Full many a vessel bearing To wreck upon the sh.o.r.e,-- And all to doff a single cloak.

But vain the furious stroke; The traveller was stout, And kept the tempest out, Defied the hurricane, Defied the pelting rain; And as the fiercer roar'd the blast, His cloak the tighter held he fast.

The sun broke out, to win the bet; He caused the clouds to disappear, Refresh'd and warm'd the cavalier, And through his mantle made him sweat, Till off it came, of course, In less than half an hour; And yet the sun saved half his power.-- So much doth mildness more than force.

[5] Aesop and Lokman; also P. Hegemon.

IV.--JUPITER AND THE FARMER.[6]

Of yore, a farm had Jupiter to rent; To advertise it, Mercury was sent.

The farmers, far and near, Flock'd round, the terms to hear; And, calling to their aid The various tricks of trade, One said 'twas rash a farm to hire Which would so much expense require; Another, that, do what you would, The farm would still be far from good.

While thus, in market style, its faults were told, One of the crowd, less wise than bold, Would give so much, on this condition, That Jove would yield him altogether The choice and making of his weather,-- That, instantly on his decision, His various crops should feel the power Of heat or cold, of sun or shower.

Jove yields. The bargain closed, our man Rains, blows, and takes the care Of all the changes of the air, On his peculiar, private plan.

His nearest neighbours felt it not, And all the better was their lot.

Their year was good, by grace divine; The grain was rich, and full the vine.

The renter, failing altogether, The next year made quite different weather; And yet the fruit of all his labours Was far inferior to his neighbours'.

What better could he do? To Heaven He owns at last his want of sense, And so is graciously forgiven.

Hence we conclude that Providence Knows better what we need Than we ourselves, indeed.

[6] Aesop; and Faerno.

V.--THE c.o.c.kEREL, THE CAT, AND THE YOUNG MOUSE.[7]

A youthful mouse, not up to trap, Had almost met a sad mishap.

The story hear him thus relate, With great importance, to his mother:-- 'I pa.s.s'd the mountain bounds of this estate, And off was trotting on another, Like some young rat with nought to do But see things wonderful and new, When two strange creatures came in view.

The one was mild, benign, and gracious; The other, turbulent, rapacious, With voice terrific, shrill, and rough, And on his head a bit of stuff That look'd like raw and b.l.o.o.d.y meat, Raised up a sort of arms, and beat The air, as if he meant to fly, And bore his plumy tail on high.'

A c.o.c.k, that just began to crow, As if some nondescript, From far New Holland s.h.i.+pp'd, Was what our mousling pictured so.

'He beat his arms,' said he, 'and raised his voice, And made so terrible a noise, That I, who, thanks to Heaven, may justly boast Myself as bold as any mouse, Scud off, (his voice would even scare a ghost!) And cursed himself and all his house; For, but for him, I should have staid, And doubtless an acquaintance made With her who seem'd so mild and good.

Like us, in velvet cloak and hood, She wears a tail that's full of grace, A very sweet and humble face,-- No mouse more kindness could desire,-- And yet her eye is full of fire.

I do believe the lovely creature A friend of rats and mice by nature.

Her ears, though, like herself, they're bigger, Are just like ours in form and figure.

To her I was approaching, when, Aloft on what appear'd his den, The other scream'd,--and off I fled.'

'My son,' his cautious mother said, 'That sweet one was the cat, The mortal foe of mouse and rat, Who seeks by smooth deceit, Her appet.i.te to treat.

So far the other is from that, We yet may eat His dainty meat; Whereas the cruel cat, Whene'er she can, devours No other meat than ours.'

Remember while you live, It is by looks that men deceive.

[7] Abstemius.

VI.--THE FOX, THE MONKEY, AND THE ANIMALS.[8]

Left kingless by the lion's death, The beasts once met, our story saith, Some fit successor to install.