AN Ass finding the skin of a Lion, put it on; and, going in this disguise into the woods and pastures, threw all the flocks and herds into a terrible consternation. At last, meeting his owner, he would have frightened him also; but the good man seeing his long ears stick out, at once knew him, and with a good cudgel made him sensible that, notwithstanding his being dressed in a Lion's Skin, he was really no more than an Ass.

MORAL. Men should be what they seem to be.

APPLICATION. This fable is designed to describe those who are guilty of vain pretensions, give themselves hectoring airs, and assume to be wiser, richer, more learned, of higher rank, and of more social importance, than they really are. Such persons are ever in danger of being discovered, when they will in a greater or lesser degree be exposed to the ridicule and humiliation incurred by the Ass in the Lion's Skin. The really honest man will in all conditions of life show himself in his true colours, and in his own character. He will not, for the sake of any temporary gain, pretend to be better than he is, and still less for the sake of conciliating evil companions will he condescend to do anything that shall make him appear worse than he is. He will act in the

spirit of the homely advice of the Scotch proverb,— "Be the same thing that ye wad be ca'd."

Not every one that goes in red,
And wears a feather in his head,
Must straight a man of war be said.

Each might his several province well command,
Would all but stoop to what they understand.

IN a certain district the Mountains reëchoed with

strange and unaccountable noises. The country people, much alarmed, came from all parts to see what the cause could be. After they had waited a considerable time in anxious expectation, out crept a Mouse.

MORAL. Do not make much ado about nothing.

APPLICATION. This story is so well known, and so frequently used, that it rises out of the category of a fable, and approaches the intimate familiarity of

a proverb. It exposes the conduct of those who promise something exceedingly great, and accompany it with a performance ridiculously little. Such persons are continually met with. All those who in their words are loud in offers of help, and never carry them into practical effect; who, with mighty protestations and loud sounding of trumpets, announce and magnify some new invention which, on being tested, is found of no importance; or who unduly raise the expectations of friends and neighbours, only to hurt and disappoint them by impotent conclusions, -are lashed and satirized in this fable. So frequent is its application, that the mere suspicion of a man being likely to promise more than he can perform, causes him to be likened to the mountain in labour for the production of a mouse.

Oh, thoughtless mortals, ever blind to fate!

Too soon dejected, and too soon elate.

A SATYR, as he was ranging the forest in an exceeding cold, snowy season, met with a Traveller half starved with the extremity of the weather. He took compassion on him, and kindly invited him home to a warm, comfortable cave he had in the hollow of a rock. As soon as they had entered and sat down, the chilly Traveller, notwithstanding there was a good fire in the place, could not forbear blowing his fingers' ends. Upon the Satyr's asking why he did so, he answered, that he did it to warm his hands. On this his host spread the table before him with dried fruits of several sorts; and having mulled some wine over