One day Aesop the fable-teller, being at leisure, wandered into a shipyard. The workers jeered at him and dared him to answer back. So Aesop said: "Long ago there was only chaos and water. Then Zeus, wishing to bring forth another element, the earth, told it to swallow the sea three times. The earth set to work: the first time it laid bare the mountains; the second time it uncovered the plains; and if it makes up its mind to drink the water a third time, your trade will be good for nothing."
Mock someone cleverer than yourself, and you invite a retort all the sharper for it.
Nº 4The Eagle and the BeetleAn eagle was chasing a hare, who in his terror begged a lowly dung beetle for protection. The beetle pleaded for the hare's life, but the eagle,…Read the fable →
Nº 15The Goat and the GoatherdA goatherd was calling his goats back to the fold. One of them had lingered over some tempting pasture, so he threw a stone at her, and aimed so well…Read the fable →
Nº 18The Ugly Slave and AphroditeAn ugly, ill-natured slave was loved by her master. With the money he gave her she decked herself in glittering finery and set herself up as a rival…Read the fable →