New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-11-14
4 FABLE FOR EERNAYDo WOOD.

Once upon time, there was a little hare who
had strange desire TO be thought lion.
Although he had very large pair of ears, that
warned him Of every sound of danger, two
protruding eyes that were always looking
round the corner, and a bodyland legs formed
expressly for running, he had half persuaded
himself, and was always trying to persuade
others, that he was one OF the most courageous
creatures living. All the respectable animals
the lion himself, the tiger the eagle, and the
horse-laughed at him and despised him, but
he found consolation for the loss of their so
ciety in the company of the fox, the rat, the
skunk, and the hyena. These low creatures,
being always wishing evil to the good and the
brave. were silly enough to think the hare
would be their leader in working mischief
upon those they hated for they took him at
his own valuation, and believed he was brave
because he said So
On one OCCASION when the lower part of
creation felt particularly under foot, in conse-
auence of having been long time ruled over
by their supcriors, and no end in sight to their
abiect condition, they determined to make Il
revolt but could find no one to lead them.
In this emergency, the hare, with his usual
nnpudence, came forward, and. having sum-
moned them to meet him in the hyena's den,
he thus addressed them:
my friends, / hear that you are tired of
the rule of the good and the wise, and that you
propose q revolt This is right, for the good
have no right to rule; but they are many and
strong, and rule us by their might. A revolt,
TO be successful, needs leader, and leader
must be INSCRIPTIONS and brave. No one, it
seems to me, fulflls these conditions so well
as myself No one, certainly, can accuse me
Of honesty, nor indeed of any virtue whatever.
You all know that the earliest public mention
of my name is associated with most inge-
Nous piece of petty swindling. | went into
partnership with my cousin, the rabbit, and
cabbaged a large caulihower from tho nearest
garden, which | ate up alone while he was
asleep When l was summoned before the
courts to answer, l nOnpussed the judge by
admitting that both stole the cauliflower and
cheated my partner, but that / ought to be let
of, for it was long while ago. This was
considered so clever that was put into a
place of great honor among you as reward
for it. and all the best society invited me to
their houses, and wanted me to marry their
daughters. Beside being well known for my
dishonesty, i am equally well known for my
bravery. Nobody worth mentioning ever ac-
cused me of want of courage. When was
in office, | made great many brave speeches
about the resistance / meant to make to the
regular authorities, and, as you all know, I
actually organized company of little puppies
and led them against the royal mastiffs who
watched at the gates of the city. kept well
in the rear, in order that none of them might
run away; and, when they had given the first
threatening yelp, leaped off with the proud
consciousness that had been in at the death,
and was now well out of it. / weep to think
and here this hero of the woods took out his
handkerchief and sopped up the tears that
coursed one another down his innocent nose
weep to think of the fate of my courageous
little army. The dastardly mastifls seized one
after the other of my gang of puppies by the
neck, gave one fatal jerk, and all was over. /,
only, escaped to tell the dreadful tale.
Nor was less courageous in that glorious
time VIXEN, at my instigaton, you rose in riot
against the peaceful city whose brave men had
gone forth to repel foreign foe How urged
you with my eloquent fustian to rise and
throw off your shackles; how put the torch
and the knife into your hands, and cried you
on to burn the homes of the poor and sick, and
those of the absent heroes, and to hunt the
flying through the streets Bravely you obeyed
me, and made this dull wood rs gay as hell.
While you were so Loyalty following my direc
tons, / was unfortunately obliged to go away,
for l needed rest; and beside. / wanted TO be
ready for the next time. Suppose that had
done what my enemies reproach mo for not
doing, and that had shared the danger into
which j had so skillfuly led you. Where
would you get leader now, when you so
much need ono7 Who would talk buncombe
10 you today Who would succeed 80 well as