Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1874-02-26
Fables.

A caterpillar had crawled painfully
to the top ofa hop-pole, aud not find
ing anything there to interest him, be-
gan to think of descending.
Now soliloquized he, IF only had
a pair of wings, / should be able to
manage it very nicely
So saving, he turned himself about to
go down; but the heat of his previous
exertion and that of the sun, had by
this time matured him into a butterfly.
Just my luck! he growled. Il new
er wish for anything without getting
it. 1 did not expect this when l came
out this morning, and have nothing
prepared. But / suppose shall have
to stand it,
50 he spread his pinions, and made
for the first open flower he saw.
But y spider happened to be spending
the summer in that plant and it was
not long before Mr.. Butterfly was wish
ing himself back atop of that pole, a
simple caterpillar. He had at least the
pleasure of being denied desire.
1t is related of a certain Tartar priest
that. being about to sacrifice a pig, he
observed tears in the victims eyes,
Il
the matter with yOu?' ne asked.
Sir replied the pig, If your pene-
tration were equal to that of the knife
you hold, you would know without in
quIring! But / don't mind telling
you; weep because know shall be
so badly roasted
sAh,' returned the priest, medita-
tively-having first killed the pig
I'VE are pretty much alike 1t Is the
bad roasting that frightens US! Mere
death has no terrOrs.'
A dog, being very much ann Dyed by
bees, ran accidentally into an empty
barrel lying on the ground, and look
ing out at the bung-hole, addressed his
tormentors thus.
Had you been temperate, singing
me only one at time, you might have
had a good deal of fun out of me. As
it is, you have driven me into secure
reatreat, for can snap you up as fast
as you come in through the bung-hoie.
Learn from this the folly of intemper-
ale zeal.'
When he had concluded, he awaited
a reply. There wasn't any reply, for
the bees had never gone near the bung-
hole. They went in the same way that
he did, and made it very warm for
him.
A fox end a duck, having qusrreled
about the ownership Of a frog, agreed
to refer the dispute to q lion. After
hearing u great deal of argument, the
lion opened his mouth to speak.
Lam very well aware Interrupted
the duck, what your decision is. 1t is
that, by our own showing, the frog be-
longs to neither OF us, and that you
will eat him yourself. But please re-
member that lions do not like frogs
e ITO me, exclaimed the fox, it is per-
fectly clear that you will give the frog
to the duck, the duck to me, and take
me Yourself. Allow me to state GER
lain objections to-
Il was about to remark said the Ii
IN, that while you were disputing, the
tause of your contention hoped away.
Perhaps you can procure another frog.
While man was trying @ith all his
might to cross fence, bull ran to his
assistance, and taking him upon his
horns. tossed him over. Seeing the
man walking away without making
any remark, the bull said:
You are quite welcome, / am sure.
I did no more than my duty
Il take different view of il, very
naturally replied the man, and you
may keep your polite acknowledge
ments of my gratitude until you re-
ceive it. did not require your SER
vices.'
You don't mean to say answered
the bull, that you did not wish to
cross that fence?
= i mean to say was the rejoinder,
'that wished to cross it by a method
solely to avoid crossing it by yours
A stone being cast by the plow
against lump of earth, hastensd to
open the conversation rs follows:
q Virtue, which is the opposite of
vice, is best tostered by the absence
Of temptatson.'
The lump of earth, being somewhat
taken by surprise, was not prepared
withan apothhegm, ,fand said nothing.
ASince that time it has been customa-
ry to call stupid person "a clod.'