The Charger and the Miller
: Aesop's FablesA CHARGER, feeling the infirmities of age, was sent to work in a
mill instead of going out to battle. But when he was compelled
to grind instead of serving in the wars, he bewailed his change
of fortune and called to mind his former state, saying, "Ah!
Miller, I had indeed to go campaigning before, but I was barbed
from counter to tail, and a man went along to groom me; and now I
cannot understand what ailed me to prefer the mill before the
battle." "Forbear," said the Miller to him, "harping on what was
of yore, for it is the common lot of mortals to sustain the ups
and downs of fortune."
More
-
The Cat And The Monkey
A monkey once found some chestnuts, which he put on the hot coals of a fire to roast. He was puzzled, however, as to how he should get them again without burning himself. Seeing a nice tabby cat in a corner, he thus accosted her: "Please come a... The Cat And The Mouse
The cat and the mouse Played in the malt-house: The cat bit the mouse's tail off. "Pray, puss, give me my tail." "No," says the cat, "I'll not give you your tail, till you go to the cow, and fetch me some milk." First she leaped... The Cat And The Mouse
[This tale has been traced back fifty years, but it is probably considerably older.] The cat and the mouse Play'd in the malt-house: The cat bit the mouse's tail off. Pray, puss, give me my tail. No, says the cat, I'll not give you... The Cat And The Mouse In Partnership
A cat had made acquaintance with a mouse, and had spoken so much of the great love and friendship she felt for her, that at last the Mouse consented to live in the same house with her, and to go shares in the housekeeping. 'But we must provide for ... The Cat and Venus
A CAT fell in love with a handsome young man, and entreated Venus to change her into the form of a woman. Venus consented to her request and transformed her into a beautiful damsel, so that the youth saw her and loved her, and took her home as his ... The Cat On The Dovrefell
Once on a time there was a man up in Finnmark who had caught a great white bear, which he was going to take to the King of Denmark. Now, it so fell out, that he came to the Dovrefell just about Christmas Eve, and there he turned into a cottage whe... The Cat That Walked By Himself
HEAR and attend and listen; for this befell and behappened and became and was, O my Best Beloved, when the Tame animals were wild. The Dog was wild, and the Horse was wild, and the Cow was wild, and the Sheep was wild, and the Pig was wild--as wil... The Cat That Winked
Once there was an old woman who lived on the edge of the Dark Wood in a small cottage all covered with thick thatch and over the thatch grew a honeysuckle vine; but at the gable where the chimneys clustered, the wisteria flung purple flowers in Ma... The Cat The Lizard And The Cricket
Creatures there are, of wondrous skill To rid themselves of every ill, By use of vegetable specific-- Their sound construction organic Preserving by their lore botanic. They know all herbs medicinal--diuretic, Narcotic, pur... The Cat's Elopement
[From the Japanische Marchen und Sagen, von David Brauns (Leipzig: Wilhelm Friedrich).] Once upon a time there lived a cat of marvellous beauty, with a skin as soft and shining as silk, and wise green eyes, that could see even in the dark. His ... The Cat's-eye Toad A Child Of Maka Ina
<p>When you were little, O Guide! didn't you delight in the tales of gnomes or <em>nibelungen</em>, those strange underground creatures that lived hidden from the light, and busied themselves with precious stones and metals? How unwillingly we gave u... The Cathedral Bell And The Little Bell
In a certain cathedral a huge bell there hung, That only on solemn occasions was rung; Its echoes majestic, by strokes three or four, Now and then, in grave cadence, were heard--never more. For this stately reserve and its wonderfu... The Cauld Lad Of Hilton
This fairy or goblin was seldom seen, but his gambols were heard nightly in the hall of the great house. He overturned everything in the kitchen after the servants had gone to bed, and was, in short, one of the most mischievous sprites you could ima... The Cautious Cat
by D.K. Stevens A Cautious Cat And a Reckless Rat Went to sea with an Innocent Lamb. They sailed in a yawl With nothing at all To eat but a Sugar-cured Ham. T... The Champion Stone-cutter
BY HUGH MILLER David Fraser was a famous Scotch hewer. On hearing that it had been remarked among a party of Edinburgh masons that, though regarded as the first of Glasgow stone-cutters, he would find in the eastern capital at least his equals, h... The Charcoal-Burner and the Fuller
A CHARCOAL-BURNER carried on his trade in his own house. One day he met a friend, a Fuller, and entreated him to come and live with him, saying that they should be far better neighbors and that their housekeeping expenses would be lessened. The Fu... The Charge Of The Light Brigade
Forward the Light! Such was the order given during a great battle to the leader of a band of six hundred British soldiers. Forward! And there in front was a line of cannon ready to shoot them down as they came, while on the hills on either side... The Charger and the Miller
A CHARGER, feeling the infirmities of age, was sent to work in a mill instead of going out to battle. But when he was compelled to grind instead of serving in the wars, he bewailed his change of fortune and called to mind his former state, saying, ... The Chase
Henry was within a half-hour's walk of the summit of the mountain when he reached a pit so wide that he could not possibly jump to the other side and so deep that it seemed bottomless. Henry did not lose courage, however. He followed the borders o... The Chief's Daughter
Raven's wife had died, and as he felt very lonely he soon determined to marry a second, but it was not very easy to find a girl to suit him, for she was obliged to be of noble birth as the other had been. And to add to the difficulties, a mischief... The Child And The World
I see a nest in a green elm-tree With little brown sparrows--one, two, three! The elm-tree stretches its branches wide, And the nest is soft and warm inside. At morn the sun, so golden bright, Climbs up to fill the wo... The Child Who Came From An Egg
Once upon a time there lived a queen whose heart was sore because she had no children. She was sad enough when her husband was at home with her, but when he was away she would see nobody, but sat and wept all day long. Now it happened that a war... The Children With One Eye
Two little children, a boy and a girl, lived long ago with their widowed mother in the Canadian forest. The woman was very poor, for her husband had long been dead and she had to work very hard to provide food for herself and her children... The Children's Fairy
FROM THE FRENCH of SAINT-JUIRS. IT was a dull, heavy afternoon, and the long, dusty road looked quite deserted, not a horse or even a foot-passenger in sight. The birds were taking their afternoon siesta, and the leaves were hanging down langui... The Chinese Empire
A treatise on the marriage and divorce laws of the world would be incomplete without a chapter dealing with the law of the most compact nationality in history. Chinese law is the growth of many centuries and is based on immemorial custom, but w... The Choice Of Hercules
BY XENOPHON (ADAPTED) Long, long ago, when the world was young, there were many deeds waiting to be wrought by daring heroes. It was then that the mighty Hercules, who was yet a lad, felt an exceeding great and strong desire to go out into the wi... The Christmas Cuckoo
BY FRANCES BROWNE (ADAPTED) Once upon a time there stood in the midst of a bleak moor, in the North Country, a certain village. All its inhabitants were poor, for their fields were barren, and they had little trade; but the poorest of them all we... The Christmas Fairy Of Strasburg
A GERMAN FOLK-TALE BY J. STIRLING COYNE (ADAPTED) Once, long ago, there lived near the ancient city of Strasburg, on the river Rhine, a young and handsome count, whose name was Otto. As the years flew by he remained unwed, and never so much as ... The Christmas Rose
AN OLD LEGEND BY LIZZIE DEAS (ADAPTED) When the Magi laid their rich offerings of myrrh, frankincense, and gold, by the bed of the sleeping Christ Child, legend says that a shepherd maiden stood outside the door quietly weeping. She, too, ha... The Christmas Thorn Of Glastonbury
A LEGEND OF ANCIENT BRITAIN ADAPTED FROM WILLIAM OF MALMESBURY AND OTHER SOURCES There is a golden Christmas legend and it relates how Joseph of Arimathea--that good man and just, who laid our Lord in his own sepulcher, was persecuted by Pontiu... The Cicada And The Katydid
<p>Once upon a time, long, long ago, the birds whose job it was to make the woods merry with their songs, decided to go on strike. They said, "We have sung all day, all springtime, and half way through the summer, but now we are moulting, the we... The Cinder-maid
Once upon a time, though it was not in my time or in your time, or in anybody else's time, there was a great King who had an only son, the Prince and Heir who was about to come of age. So the King sent round a herald who should blow his trumpet at... The City Under The Sea
[Illustration: A black ship in the background, persuded by another ship in the foreground.] Once upon a time, in a country of mountains which bordered upon the sea, dwelt a rich merchant who had three sons. The eldest and the second-born were h... The Clever Cat
Once upon a time there lived an old man who dwelt with his son in a small hut on the edge of the plain. He was very old, and had worked very hard, and when at last he was struck down by illness he felt that he should never rise from his bed ...