A man caught an eagle, clipped its wings, and turned it loose in his poultry yard to live among the hens; the bird hung its head and would not eat, like a king in captivity. Another man bought it, coaxed its flight feathers to grow back by anointing them, and the eagle, soaring once more, caught a hare and brought it to him as a gift. A fox, seeing this, said, "Don't give it to him, give it to your first master; the second is kind by nature anyway. Win over the first, so that he never catches you and clips your wings again."
Repay a benefactor generously, and keep the dangerous at a careful distance.
Nº 82The Ploughman and the Frozen SerpentA ploughman found, in the winter season, a serpent stiff with cold. He took pity on it, picked it up, and put it in his bosom. Warmed, the serpent…Read the fable →
Nº 190The Hares and the FoxesThe hares one day, being at war with the eagles, called on the foxes for help. The foxes replied, "We would have come to your aid, if we did not know…Read the fable →
Nº 40The Fox and the GoatA fox fell into a well and found herself stuck there. A goat, driven by thirst, came to the same well and, spotting the fox, asked whether the water…Read the fable →