thick fleece, that was matted by his lying till it was like woolen felt.
As soon as the Sparrow pounced upon the sheep's back he flopped his
wings to fly away, but his feet became tangled in the wool, and, however
hard he tried, he could not set himself free.

While all this was passing, the shepherd was looking on, having seen
what happened first with the Eagle and afterward with the Sparrow. So in
a great rage he came up to the wee birdie and seized him. He plucked out
his wing feathers and carried him to his children.

"What is this?" asked one of them.

"This," he answered, "is he that aped a greater than himself and came to
grief."

The Old Man and Death

A poor and toil-worn peasant, bent with years and groaning beneath the
weight of a heavy fagot of firewood which he carried, sought, weary and
sore-footed, to gain his distant cottage. Unable to bear the weight of
his burden longer, he let it fall by the roadside, and lamented his hard
fate.

"What pleasure have I known since I first drew breath in this sad world?
From dawn to dusk it has been hard work and little pay! At home is an
empty cupboard, a discontented wife, and lazy and disobedient children!
O Death! O Death! come and free me from my troubles!"

At once the ghostly King of Terrors stood before him and asked, "What do
you want with me?"