An athlete, whom his fellow citizens were forever reproaching for his lack of strength, went off one day abroad. After a time he came back, boasting that he had performed many a feat in various countries, but above all that at Rhodes he had made such a leap as no athlete crowned at the Olympic games could match; and he added that he would produce as witnesses of his exploit those who had been there, if they ever came to his country. Then one of the bystanders spoke up and said, "But, my friend, if it's true, you don't need witnesses; here is Rhodes, right here: make the leap."
When a thing can be proved by deeds, all that we can say about it is superfluous.
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 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 →
Nº 19Aesop in the ShipyardOne 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:…Read the fable →