Fables of La Fontaine Part 47

With that, she climb'd a lofty pine.

The fox his hundred ruses tried, And yet no safety found.

A hundred times he falsified The nose of every hound.-- Was here, and there, and everywhere, Above, and under ground; But yet to stop he did not dare, Pent in a hole, it was no joke, To meet the terriers or the smoke.

So, leaping into upper air, He met two dogs, that choked him there.

Expedients may be too many, Consuming time to choose and try.

On one, but that as good as any, 'Tis best in danger to rely.

XV.--THE HUSBAND, THE WIFE, AND THE THIEF.[18]

A man that loved,--and loved his wife,-- Still led an almost joyless life.

No tender look, nor gracious word, Nor smile, that, coming from a bride, Its object would have deified, E'er told her doting lord The love with which he burn'd Was in its kind return'd.

Still unrepining at his lot, This man, thus tied in Hymen's knot, Thank'd G.o.d for all the good he got.

But why? If love doth fail to season Whatever pleasures Hymen gives, I'm sure I cannot see the reason Why one for him the happier lives.

However, since his wife Had ne'er caress'd him in her life, He made complaint of it one night.

The entrance of a thief Cut short his tale of grief, And gave the lady such a fright, She shrunk from dreaded harms Within her husband's arms.

'Good thief,' cried he, 'This joy so sweet, I owe to thee: Now take, as thy reward, Of all that owns me lord, Whatever suits thee save my spouse; Ay, if thou pleasest, take the house.'

As thieves are not remarkably O'erstock'd with modesty, This fellow made quite free.

From this account it doth appear, The pa.s.sions all are ruled by fear.

Aversion may be conquer'd by it, And even love may not defy it.

But still some cases there have been Where love hath ruled the roast, I ween.

That lover, witness, highly bred, Who burnt his house above his head, And all to clasp a certain dame, And bear her harmless through the flame.

This transport through the fire, I own, I much admire; And for a Spanish soul, reputed coolish, I think it grander even than 'twas foolish.[19]

[18] Bidpaii.

[19] _'Twas foolish._--La Fontaine here refers to the adventure of the Spanish Count Villa Medina with Elizabeth of France, wife of Philip IV. of Spain. The former, having invited the Spanish court to a splendid entertainment in his palace, had it set on fire, that he might personally rescue the said lady from its flames.--Translator.

XVI.--THE TREASURE AND THE TWO MEN.[20]

A man whose credit fail'd, and what was worse, Who lodged the devil in his purse,-- That is to say, lodged nothing there,-- By self-suspension in the air Concluded his accounts to square, Since, should he not, he understood, From various tokens, famine would-- A death for which no mortal wight Had ever any appet.i.te.

A ruin, crown'd with ivy green, Was of his tragedy the scene.

His hangman's noose he duly tied, And then to drive a nail he tried;-- But by his blows the wall gave way, Now tremulous and old, Disclosing to the light of day A sum of hidden gold.

He clutch'd it up, and left Despair To struggle with his halter there.

Nor did the much delighted man E'en stop to count it as he ran.

But, while he went, the owner came, Who loved it with a secret flame, Too much indeed for kissing,-- And found his money--missing!

'O Heavens!' he cried, 'shall I Such riches lose, and still not die?

Shall I not hang?--as I, in fact, Might justly do if cord I lack'd; But now, without expense, I can; This cord here only lacks a man.'

The saving was no saving clause; It suffer'd not his heart to falter, Until it reach'd his final pause As full possessor of the halter,-- 'Tis thus the miser often grieves: Whoe'er the benefit receives Of what he owns, he never must-- Mere treasurer for thieves, Or relatives, or dust.

But what say we about the trade In this affair by Fortune made?

Why, what but that it was just like her!

In freaks like this delighteth she.

The shorter any turn may be, The better it is sure to strike her.

It fills that G.o.ddess full of glee A self-suspended man to see; And that it does especially, When made so unexpectedly.

[20] The story of this fable has been traced to the Epigrams of Ausonius who was born at Bordeaux, and lived in the fourth century.

XVII.--THE MONKEY AND THE CAT.

Sly Bertrand and Ratto in company sat, (The one was a monkey, the other a cat,) Co-servants and lodgers: More mischievous codgers Ne'er mess'd from a platter, since platters were flat.

Was anything wrong in the house or about it, The neighbours were blameless,--no mortal could doubt it; For Bertrand was thievish, and Ratto so nice, More attentive to cheese than he was to the mice.

One day the two plunderers sat by the fire, Where chestnuts were roasting, with looks of desire.

To steal them would be a right n.o.ble affair.

A double inducement our heroes drew there-- 'Twould benefit them, could they swallow their fill, And then 'twould occasion to somebody ill.

Said Bertrand to Ratto, 'My brother, to-day Exhibit your powers in a masterly way, And take me these chestnuts, I pray.

Which were I but otherwise fitted (As I am ingeniously witted) For pulling things out of the flame, Would stand but a pitiful game.'

''Tis done,' replied Ratto, all prompt to obey; And thrust out his paw in a delicate way.

First giving the ashes a scratch, He open'd the coveted batch; Then lightly and quickly impinging, He drew out, in spite of the singeing, One after another, the chestnuts at last,-- While Bertrand contrived to devour them as fast.

A servant girl enters. Adieu to the fun.

Our Ratto was hardly contented, says one.--

No more are the princes, by flattery paid For furnis.h.i.+ng help in a different trade, And burning their fingers to bring More power to some mightier king.[21]

[21] For Madame de Sevigne's opinion of this fable, see the Translator's Preface.

XVIII.--THE KITE AND THE NIGHTINGALE.[22]

A noted thief, the kite, Had set a neighbourhood in fright, And raised the clamorous noise Of all the village boys, When, by misfortune,--sad to say,-- A nightingale fell in his way.

Spring's herald begg'd him not to eat A bird for music--not for meat.

'O spare!' cried she, 'and I'll relate 'The crime of Tereus and his fate.'-- 'What's Tereus?[23] Is it food for kites?'-- 'No, but a king, of female rights The villain spoiler, whom I taught A lesson with repentance fraught; And, should it please you not to kill, My song about his fall Your very heart shall thrill, As it, indeed, does all.'-- Replied the kite, a 'pretty thing!

When I am faint and famis.h.i.+ng, To let you go, and hear you sing?'-- 'Ah, but I entertain the king!'-- 'Well, when he takes you, let him hear Your tale, full wonderful, no doubt; For me, a kite, I'll go without.'

An empty stomach hath no ear.[24]

[22] Abstemius; also Aesop.

[23] _What's Tereus?_--See story of Tereus Philomela and Progne, in Ovid's _Metamorphoses_.--See also Fable XV., Book III., and Note.

[24] _An empty stomach hath no ear_.--Cato the Censor said in one of his speeches to the Romans, who were clamouring for a distribution of corn, "It is a difficult task, my fellow-citizens, to speak to the belly, because it hath no ears."--Plutarch's _Life of Cato_ (Langhorne's ed.). "The belly has no ears, nor is it to be filled with fair words."--Rabelais, Book IV., ch. 63.

XIX.--THE SHEPHERD AND HIS FLOCK.[25]

'What! shall I lose them one by one, This stupid coward throng?

And never shall the wolf have done?

They were at least a thousand strong, But still they've let poor Robin[26] fall a prey!

Ah, woe's the day!

Poor Robin Wether lying dead!

He follow'd for a bit of bread His master through the crowded city, And would have follow'd, had he led, Around the world. O! what a pity!