"Aesop - Fables 2" - читать интересную книгу автора (Aesop)

One day the Countrymen noticed that the Mountains were in
labour; smoke came out of their summits, the earth was quaking at
their feet, trees were crashing, and huge rocks were tumbling.
They felt sure that something horrible was going to happen. They
all gathered together in one place to see what terrible thing this
could be. They waited and they waited, but nothing came. At last
there was a still more violent earthquake, and a huge gap appeared
in the side of the Mountains. They all fell down upon their knees
and waited. At last, and at last, a teeny, tiny mouse poked its
little head and bristles out of the gap and came running down
towards them, and ever after they used to say:

"Much outcry, little outcome."



The Hares and the Frogs



The Hares were so persecuted by the other beasts, they did not
know where to go. As soon as they saw a single animal approach
them, off they used to run. One day they saw a troop of wild
Horses stampeding about, and in quite a panic all the Hares
scuttled off to a lake hard by, determined to drown themselves
rather than live in such a continual state of fear. But just as
they got near the bank of the lake, a troop of Frogs, frightened
in their turn by the approach of the Hares scuttled off, and
jumped into the water. "Truly," said one of the Hares, "things
are not so bad as they seem:

"There is always someone worse off than yourself."



The Wolf and the Kid


A Kid was perched up on the top of a house, and looking down
saw a Wolf passing under him. Immediately he began to revile and
attack his enemy. "Murderer and thief," he cried, "what do you
here near honest folks' houses? How dare you make an appearance
where your vile deeds are known?"

"Curse away, my young friend," said the Wolf.

"It is easy to be brave from a safe distance."