2 Story Short

The Nurse and the Wolf

‘Be quiet now,’ said an old Nurse to a child sitting on her lap.

‘If you make that noise again I will throw you to the Wolf.’

Now it chanced that a Wolf was passing close under the

window as this was said. So he crouched down by the side

of the house and waited. ‘I am in good luck to-day,’ thought

he. ‘It is sure to cry soon, and a daintier morsel I haven’t had

for many a long day.’ So he waited, and he waited, and he

waited, till at last the child began to cry, and the Wolf came

forward before the window, and looked up to the Nurse,

wagging his tail. But all the Nurse did was to shut down the

window and call for help, and the dogs of the house came

rushing out. ‘Ah,’ said the Wolf as he galloped away,

‘Enemies promises were made to be broken.’

The Lion’s Share

The Lion went once a-hunting along with the Fox, the Jackal,

and the Wolf. They hunted and they hunted till at last they

surprised a Stag, and soon took its life. Then came the question

how the spoil should be divided. ‘Quarter me this Stag,’

roared the Lion; so the other animals skinned it and cut it

into four parts. Then the Lion took his stand in front of the

carcass and pronounced judgment: The first quarter is for

me in my capacity as King of Beasts; the second is mine as

arbiter; another share comes to me for my part in the chase;

and as for the fourth quarter, well, as for that, I should like

to see which of you will dare to lay a paw upon it.’

‘Humph,’ grumbled the Fox as he walked away with his

tail between his legs; but he spoke in a low growl .’You may

share the labours of the great, but you will not share the

spoil.’