Aesop’s Fables (see cover)

A Woman and a Fat Hen

A good woman had a hen that laid an egg every day. Now the woman fancied to herself that, given a larger allowance of corn, her hen might lay twice a day. She tried the experiment, but the hen only grew fat and quit laying.

Moral: He that has a great deal already and still wants more may risk losing all.

A Boy’s False Alarms

A shepherd boy had a roguish trick of crying “A wolf! A wolf!” to fool the other shepherds. He had been at this sport so many times in jest that they would not believe him when at last he did tell the truth. So the wolves set upon a flock and seized the helpless sheep.

Moral: A truly wise person will never lie even in jest.