The Lion In A Farmyard
A Lion entered a farmyard. The Farmer, wishing to catch him, shut
the gate. When the Lion found that he could not escape, he flew upon
the sheep and killed them, and then attacked the oxen. The Farmer,
beginning to be alarmed for his own safety, opened the gate and released
the Lion. On his departure the Farmer grievously lamented the destruction
of his sheep and oxen, but his wife, who had been a spectator to all
that took place, said, "On my word, you are rightly served, for how
could you for a moment think of shutting up a Lion along with you
in your farmyard when you know that you shake in your shoes if you
only hear his roar at a distance?' Mercury and the Sculptor
Mercury once determined to learn in what esteem he was held among
mortals. For this purpose he assumed the character of a man and visited
in this disguise a Sculptor's studio having looked at various statues,
he demanded the price of two figures of Jupiter and Juno. When the
sum at which they were valued was named, he pointed to a figure of
himself, saying to the Sculptor, "You will certainly want much more
for this, as it is the statue of the Messenger of the Gods, and author
of all your gain." The Sculptor replied, "Well, if you will buy these,
I'll fling you that into the bargain."
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