Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-07-24
Three Ancient British Fables.

every sense) ancestor. The stores vary
with local colouring peculiar to ;
particular country in which they are
told, but there is common ground
work amongst them sufficient to iden
tify their relationship. For instance
the story of Llewelyn shaving the faith.
ful bound Gelert, which has Just saved
the life of the princes child from ;
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 mark placed on his sons
head, and the second arrow which ht
has put aside for the tyrant ORDERING
the deed, IN case the boy had been in
Jtred, is repeated in Northern Saeas
III the Rhine Legends, in an old Eng
hsh ballad, "CIym of tie Clough.
&c, &c. The Princess and the Eros
hing, and the various transformation
Of men into beasts and their restora
ton to their proper form, are common
TO all countries. The play of g Punch
IA word which simply means five, a.
used IN ''Punjaub," five rivers. ant
the drink punch, composed of five in
has found its way every
where, the number of actors the same,
though the parsonage vary; G. g., the
dog IN England is a cat in France and
a mOngoOse in India. The provert
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 q girl with basket
Of eggs serves the purpose IN the north
The beast-speaking fables, for the
most part, originated in the east, before
Hsog and Ph@drus began to tell their
tales. Three very early British speci-
mems ofthe kind, belonging to differ
ent dates, are here given. Equivalents
OF the two first will be recognized i'm
mediately. The third [ confess to
have embroidered It's original thread,
however, belongs to the twelfth cen
fury.
The first is a sort of parable or hon.
lily, said TO have been used 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.n
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 he might be relied on when ever
assistance should be needed. They
then set forth on a journey together,
and all went on prosperously until they
came to a 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 his ally
and they were going merrily on their
way, when tremendous water snake
came up out of the depths,
and greedy devoured the poor little
allies together.
MoRAL.-'FTo ally oneself with the
brave and powerful is wise, but with
the weak IS broken reed.
: very old Welsh fable is upon the
crow and the squirrel, where we find
the crow playing the part of the cum
1lng, calohng temper, instead of the
lupe, to which we are accustomed III
la Fontaine's g Moitre Corbeau sa,'
IN ar6re perche;" his useless prophe-
acal qualities too are new. The moral.
winch comes first, is the same as that
OF the ant and the grasshopper, and the
extremely pragm&tical squirrel is as
contentious and disagreeable as the
trenchman's odious ant
THE CROW AND THE SQUIRREL.
winter snow enshroud the plain.
crows ever prove a croaking train
Inc fruit Of Incidence is pain
One hard winters morning, when the
hills We're covered with thick snow. and
even the birds of the air found it diff
cult to bear the severity of the cold, or
md any food, crow sat croaking on a
tree, complaining of hard fate and the
OF the season. Presently he
saw squirrel who prudently put bv a
store of provisions, enjoying himself.
md cracking his nuts and his Jokes in
| hollow oak, his home.
: am almost dying of cold and
lunger, said the crow, evil you not
aVor me with some of your kernels 90
" How did you employ yourself dur
ng the summer, that you were forced
20 play begger in winter?" asked the
squirrel '-1
amused myself by cuItivating the
of song, foreboding evils to
come, and entertaining you and others
with the manly melody of my voice. ,
laid the crow
I know chat [ have often heard
your note, but as to your melody. in
spite OF the practice you have had. 7
Nouidn give nut shell for the best
song you can sing, summer or winter
one OF the chief points in music is to
Keep tIme-ln which he is vretcbedIv
Wanting who wastes his precious honrs
u attempting rude song before he
las stored his nest with the necessaries
IF life "
The feathered pretender to melody
hiding he could get nothing out of the
of his neighbor. hoped to
aake something out of his inexperi-
nee or his folly. - [ am surprised, :"
aid the crow, I" that anybody whose
is so full should tire him
elf and risk his neck by skipping in
hat way from tree to tree III the cold,
nd not rather lie down at his ease like
gentleman, and take a refreshing
zap /"
Jumping from tree to tree is good
or my health, replied the squirrel,
and 1t IS not only good exercise, but
keeps robbers away from my little
lome; And as to my want of sleep, if
) was busy IN summer gathering togeth-
! nay nuts, L mean you always TO find
- = , ,Isl.t IN winter to keep them for
! ~ ! " :. to be caught mapping. / should
oon lind some artful neighbor clever
.a8 to tlnd out and plumber my
loafd And if | ever we're to die Of
'o'eFey' l am afraid, in spite of your