A man, having bought a parrot, let it loose in his house. The parrot, which was tame, hopped up and perched on the hearth, and from there began to chatter in a pleasing way. A cat, on seeing it, asked it who it was and where it came from. It replied, "The master has just bought me." "And you dare, most brazen of all creatures," retorted the cat, "you dare, a mere newcomer, to make such cries, while I, born in the house, am forbidden by the masters to cry out! And if it sometimes happens, they get angry and throw me out." "Be off, my fine lady; there is no comparison to be made between us; my voice does not grate on the masters as yours does."
*Malicious critics condemn in others what they excuse in themselves.
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 →