The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-01-10
-Four Funny Fables.

A cat, waking out of sound sleep.
saw a mouse sitting just out of reach,
observing her. Perceiving that at the
slightest movement of hers the mouse
would recollect an engagement, she put
ON look of extreme amiability, and
said:
"Oh! it's you, is it. Do you know /
thought, at first, you were friendly
great rat and l am so afraid of ratsl
| feel SO much relieved-you don't know.
OF course you have heard that am a
great friend to the dear little mice"
eyes, was the answer, 81 have heard
that you love us indifferently well, and
my mission here was TO bless you while
you slept. But as you will wish TO go
and get your breakfast, / won't bore
you. Fine morning-isn't it? Au
reUOir?"
This fable teaches that it is usually
safe to avoid one who pretends to be a
friend without having any reason TO be.
1t wasn't safe in this instance, however;
for the cat went after that departing ro-
dent, and got away with him.
A hippopotamus, meeting an open al
ligator, said to him:
my forked friend, you may as well
collapse. You are not sufficiently COM
prehensive to embrace me. l am my
self no tyro at smiling, when in the hu-
NOR.
81 really had no expectation of taking
you in, replied the other. 81 have a
habit of extending my hospitality impair
italy to all, and about seven feet wide"
''You remind me, said the hippopota-
mus, "of certain zebra who was not
vicious at all; he merely kicked the
breath out of everything that passed be-
hind him, but did not seek to induce
things to pass behind him. ~
at is quite immaterial what 1 remind
you of, was the reply.
The lesson impaired by this fable is
a very beautiful one.
III.
A sheep making a long Journey found
the heat of his fleece very uncomfort-
able, and, seeing flock of other sheep
in fold, evidently waiting for some one,
leaped over and joined them, in the hope
of being shorn. Perceiving the shep-
herd approaching, and the other sheep
budding into remote corner of the
fold, he shouldered his way forward, and,
SOlHS up W lIlc Slltp ucIO, Sdlu.
did You ever see such lot of fools?
It's lucky | came along to set them an
example of docility. Seeing me operated
upon, they'll be glad to offer them
selves"
Perhaps so" replied the shepherd,
laying hold of the animals horns; but L
never kill more than one sheep at
time: Mutton won't keep in hot
weather"
The chops tasted excellently well with
tomato sauce.
The moral of this fable isn't what you
think it is. 1t is this: The chops of
another mans mutton are always nice
eating.
Two travellers between Teheran and
Bagdad met half way up the vertical
face of a rock, on path only cubit in
width. AS both were in hurry and
etiquette would allow neither to set his
foot upon the other even if dignity had
permitted prostration, they maintained
for some time n stationary condition.
After some reflection they both decided
TO Jump around the other but as ETH
quette did not warrant conversation with
a stranger, neither made known his in
tention. The consequence was they
both met, with considerable emphasis,
about four feet from the edge of the
path, and went through fight of soar
ing eagles, mile out of their way
Translated from the Persian of Tam
bri, the ParSec.