"Ah, my son," replied the Old Mouse, "learn while you live to distrust
appearances. The first strange creature was nothing but a Fowl, that
will ere long be killed, and, when put on a dish in the pantry, we may
make a delicious supper of his bones, while the other was a nasty, sly,
and bloodthirsty hypocrite of a Cat, to whom no food is so welcome as a
young and juicy Mouse like yourself."



The Wolf and the Mastiff

A Wolf, who was almost skin and bone, so well did the Dogs of the
neighbourhood keep guard over their masters' property, met, one
moonshiny night, a sleek Mastiff, who was, moreover, as strong as he
was fat. The Wolf would gladly have supped off him, but saw that there
would first be a great fight, for which, in his condition, he was not
prepared; so, bidding the Dog good-evening very humbly, he praised his
prosperous looks.

"It would be easy for you," replied the Mastiff, "to get as fat as I am
if you liked. Quit this forest, where you and your fellows live so
wretchedly, and often die with hunger. Follow me, and you will fare
much better.'

"What shall I have to do?" asked the Wolf.

"Almost nothing," answered the Dog; "only chase away the beggars and
fawn upon the folks of the house. You will, in return, be paid with
all sorts of nice things--bones of fowls and pigeons--to say nothing of
many a friendly pat on the head."