A land rat, to his misfortune, struck up a friendship with a frog. Now the frog, who had wicked designs, tied the rat's foot to her own. And first they went on land to eat wheat; then they approached the edge of the pond. Then the frog dragged the rat down to the bottom, while she frolicked in the water with her croaking. And the wretched rat, swollen with water, was drowned; but he floated, tied to the frog's foot. A kite, on spotting him, carried him off in its talons, and the chained frog followed and served, she too, as the kite's dinner.
Even the dead may be avenged, for divine justice weighs punishment against wrongdoing.
Nº 3The Eagle and the FoxAn eagle and a fox became friends and chose to live near one another. But the eagle, from her high nest, swooped down, carried off the fox's cubs,…Read the fable →
Nº 300The Partridge and the ManA man, having caught a partridge in the hunt, was about to kill it. It begged him in these terms: "Let me live; in my place I'll get you many…Read the fable →
Nº 28The HalcyonThe halcyon is a bird that loves solitude and lives always on the sea. To keep clear of the men who hunt it, they say, it nests in the cliffs along…Read the fable →