Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-07-25
Three ancient British Fables.

1
BY THE AUTHOR OF "sToNE EDGE.
A curious resemblance has been dis
covered between the fairy tales, popu
lar stories, and beast-speaking fables
of the different European nations and
those of India-another proof Of our
common descent from that far-otf TN
every sense) ancestor. The stores vary,
with local colouring peculiar to Il
particular country in which they are
told, but there is a common ground
work amongst them sufficient to iden-
tify their relationship. For instance,
the story of Llewelyn Staying the faith
full bound Gelert which has Just saved
the life of the princes child from II
wolf, is paralleled in an Indian tale,
where, however, the foe is cobra. Else
where it is a bear. The shot of VII.
liam Tell at IA mark placed on his sons
head and the second arrow which he
has put aside for the tyrant orderino
the deed, in case the boy had been IL
iured, is repeated in Northern Sagas,
in the Rhine Legends, III an old Eng
Gsh ballad, 'Clym of tie Clough,"
&C., &c. The Princess and the Frog
King, and the various transformations
of men into beasts and their restora-
ton to their proper form, are common
to all countries. The play of Punch .
"a word which simply means five, as
used in "Punjaub," five rivers, and
the drink punch, composed of five in
gredients), has found its way every
where. the number of actors the same,
though the parsonage vary; c. g., the
dog IN England is cat in France and
a mongoose in India. The proverb
not to count your chickens before they
are Matched, is illustrated in the Arabian
Nights by the man kicking over his
pots and pans, while a milkmaid up
setting her cans, or a girl with a basket
Of eggs serves the purpose III the north.
The beast-speaking fables, for the
most part, originated in the east, before
Esog and Ph8drus began to tell their
tales. Three very early British speci-
mems of the kind, belonging to differ
emit dates, are here given. Equivalents
of the two first will be recognized i'm
mediately The third l confess to
have embroidered its original thread,
however, belongs to the twelfth cen
fury.
The first is sort of parable or hon.
lily, sad to have been usts by the
Druids to persuade their nation that it
was necessary to seek for better help
against the invading hosts of the bar
barOus SaXons than that of the feeble
and degenerate Armoricans from Brit
tany."
THE FROG AND THE MOUSE.
The frog and the mouse made a lea
que of alliance together. The frog,
with much majesty, promised to help
his friend in all seasons of difficulty
The mouse with equal dignity declared
that lie might be relied on when ever
assistance should be needed They
then set forth on journey together,
and all went on prosperously until they
came to dangerous torrent which
must somehow be crossed. The frog
was accustomed to swim; the mouse
did not much like the water. The frog
therefore proposed to take his friend
upon his back and carry him across.
The mouse gladly consented, he
mounted upon the shoulders of has ally
and they were going mernly on their
way, when tremendous water snake
Suddenly came up out OF the depths,
and greedy devoured the poor little
allies together.
MoRAL.-" To ally oneself with the
brave and powerful is wise, but with
the weak is broken reed.
A very old Welsh fable is upon the
crow and the squirrel where We find
the crow playing the part OF the Gun,
llng, calohng temper, instead OF the
dupe, to which we are accustomed IN
La Funtuine's " .Uuitre COrbGau sli
1t1 ardre perche = his useless prophe.
ueal qualities too are new. The moral,
winch comes first, is the same as that
o. the ant and the grasshopper, and the
extremely pragmGtical squirrel IS AZ
sehtentious and disagreeable as the
frenchman's odtous ant.
THE, CROW AND THE SQUIRREL.
winter snow cnshroud the plain,
.r0ak ng rain,
The fruit Of Incidence is pain.
tine s~4u wIuter morning, when tn,
nils we're covered with thick snow, an,
even the birds of the air found it diff
cut 70 bear the severity OF the cold, Q
had any food, crow sat croaking on
Fse, complaining Of hard tate and tn
bitterness oil the season. Presently b.
~" squirrel who prudcntly put by
store st provisions. enjoying himself
8a. cracking ms nuts and lis Jokes i
aa... yas. lis home