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    A Hundred Fables of La Fontaine
    A Hundred Fables of La Fontaine
    A Hundred Fables of La Fontaine
    Ebook295 pages1 hour

    A Hundred Fables of La Fontaine

    By Percy J. Billinghurst and Jean de La Fontaine

    ()

    Read preview
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArchive Classics
    Release dateNov 25, 2013
    A Hundred Fables of La Fontaine

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      Book preview

      A Hundred Fables of La Fontaine - Percy J. Billinghurst

      Project Gutenberg's A Hundred Fables of La Fontaine, by Jean de La Fontaine

      This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with

      almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or

      re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included

      with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

      Title: A Hundred Fables of La Fontaine

      Author: Jean de La Fontaine

      Illustrator: Percy J. Billinghurst

      Release Date: May 6, 2008 [EBook #25357]

      Language: English

      *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A HUNDRED FABLES OF LA FONTAINE ***

      Produced by David Edwards, Josephine Paolucci and the

      Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net.

      (This file was produced from images generously made

      available by The Internet Archive.)

      A HUNDRED FABLES

      OF

      LA FONTAINE

      WITH PICTURES BY PERCY J. BILLINGHURST

      LONDON JOHN LANE THE BODLEY HEAD NEW YORK JOHN LANE COMPANY

      SECOND EDITION

      Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson & Co.

      At the Ballantyne Press, Edinburgh

      CONTENTS

      A HUNDRED FABLES OF

      LA FONTAINE

      The Grasshopper and the Ant.

      A grasshopper gay

      Sang the summer away,

      And found herself poor

      By the winter's first roar.

      Of meat or of bread,

      Not a morsel she had!

      So a-begging she went,

      To her neighbour the ant,

      For the loan of some wheat,

      Which would serve her to eat,

      Till the season came round.

      I will pay you, she saith,

      "On an animal's faith,

      Double weight in the pound

      Ere the harvest be bound."

      The ant is a friend

      (And here she might mend)

      Little given to lend.

      How spent you the summer?

      Quoth she, looking shame

      At the borrowing dame.

      "Night and day to each comer

      I sang, if you please."

      "You sang! I'm at ease;

      For 'tis plain at a glance,

      Now, ma'am, you must dance."

      The Thieves and the Ass.

      Two thieves, pursuing their profession,

      Had of a donkey got possession,

      Whereon a strife arose,

      Which went from words to blows.

      The question was, to sell, or not to sell;

      But while our sturdy champions fought it well,

      Another thief, who chanced to pass,

      With ready wit rode off the ass.

      This ass is, by interpretation,

      Some province poor, or prostrate nation.

      The thieves are princes this and that,

      On spoils and plunder prone to fat,—

      As those of Austria, Turkey, Hungary.

      (Instead of two, I've quoted three—

      Enough of such commodity.)

      These powers engaged in war all,

      Some fourth thief stops the quarrel,

      According all to one key,

      By riding off the donkey

      The Wolf Accusing the Fox.

      A wolf, affirming his belief

      That he had suffer'd by a thief,

      Brought up his neighbour fox—

      Of whom it was by all confess'd,

      His character was not the best—

      To fill the prisoner's box.

      As judge between these vermin,

      A monkey graced the ermine;

      And truly other gifts of Themis

      Did scarcely seem his;

      For while each party plead his cause,

      Appealing boldly to the laws,

      And much the question vex'd,

      Our monkey sat perplex'd.

      Their words and wrath expended,

      Their strife at length was ended;

      When, by their malice taught,

      The judge this judgment brought:

      "Your characters, my friends, I long have known,

      As on this trial clearly shown;

      And hence I fine you both—the grounds at large

      To state would little profit—

      You wolf, in short, as bringing groundless charge,

      You fox, as guilty of it."

      Come at it right or wrong, the judge opined

      No other than a villain could be fined

      The Lion and the Ass Hunting.

      The king of animals, with royal grace,

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