The Hares once took serious counsel among themselves whether death itself
would not be preferable to their miserable condition. "What a sad state is ours,"
they said, "never to eat in comfort, to sleep ever in fear, to be startled by a
shadow, and to fly with beating heart at the rustling of the leaves. Better death
by far," and off they went accordingly to drown themselves in a neighbouring
lake.
Some scores of Frogs, who were enjoying the moonlight on the bank, scared at
the approach of the Hares, jumped into the water. The splash awoke fresh fears
in the breasts of the timid Hares, and they came to a full stop in their flight.
Seeing this, one wise old fellow among them cried: "Hold, brothers! It seems
that, weak and fearful as we are, beings exist that are more weak and fearful still.
Why, then, should we seek to die? Let us rather make the best of our ills and
learn to bear them as we should."
The Invalid Lion
A Lion, who had grown too old and feeble to go out and hunt for prey, could
hardly find enough food to keep him from starving. But at last he thought of a
plan for bringing the game within his reach.
He kept quite still in his den and made believe that he was very ill. When the
other animals heard of his distress, they came, one by one, to look at him and ask
him how he felt. No sooner were they within his reach, however, than he seized
upon them and ate them up.
After a good many beasts had lost their lives in this way a Fox came along.
"How do you feel to-day, friend Lion?" he asked, taking care to stand at a safe
distance from the den.
"I am very ill," answered the Lion. "Won't you come inside a little while? It does
me a great deal of good to see my kind friends."
"Thank you," said the Fox; "but I notice that all the tracks point toward your den
and none point away from it," and so saying, he trotted merrily away.