Fables of La Fontaine — Fables CCXIII and CCXIV

FABLE CCXIII.

THE TWO GOATS.

Since goats have ever clambering browsed, By Nature's gentle force aroused, They've wandered far and wandered free, Enjoying sweets of liberty.

Their greatest pleasure is to find Paths all unknown to human kind: A rock, or hanging precipice, Suits these wild animals' caprice: No wall can make their gambols cease.

Two white-foot Goats, then, thus inspired, [Illustration: THE TWO GOATS.

] And with adventurous spirit fired, Deserted pastures too well known, And chose their routes, each one his own.

But though each separate pathways took, It chanced they reached the self-same brook, O'er which, for bridge, a plank was thrown, That scarce would have sufficed for one.

The stream was deep, the flood was wide, And should these dames have terrified;

But, spite of danger, each young lady Advanced upon the plank unsteady.

And now, by aid of history, Louis le Grand I seem to see Philip the Fourth advance to meet Upon the isle of conference.

Well, step by step, with agile feet, Our ramblers, with a proper sense Of what was due to ancestry, Refused to yield; for one Goat, she Could claim that Polyphemus laid Her sire at Galatea's feet;

The other, just as boldly, said Her dam was Amalthæa sweet-- The goat who gave her milk to Jove, Who rules below, and reigns above.

Neither would yield, so both fell down, And there we leave our Goats to drown.

Of moral I've not much to say: But such things happen every day.

FABLE CCXIV.

THE LION, THE APE, AND THE TWO ASSES.

A young King Lion, desirous to shape By morality's laws his government, On one fine morning, prudently sent For that clever old master of arts, the Ape;

And the statesman, consulted, sagely replied, "O King, hold this maxim as your very best guide-- Let your own self-will to the good of the state Be in all cases subordinate;

For 'tis simply neglect of this wholesome rule That so oft makes us animals play the fool.

It is not in one day, or even in two, That this evil self-love you'll contrive to subdue;

But should you succeed, oh, my monarch august, You will never be foolish, and seldom unjust."

"Give me examples," replied the King, "Of both the one and the other thing."

"Each species has its vanity," The Ape said very seriously;

"As, for instance, my own; for the lawyers call All but themselves, mean, base, and small.

But, on the other hand, self-esteem Leads us to laud our deeds to the sky, As, by doing this, we fondly deem That our own position is raised as high.

And now I deduce, from what I have said, That much so-called talent is mere grimace-- A trick which, as wise men know, has led Many an idiot to power and place.

"Whilst following close, but the other day, The steps of two Asses, who foolishly Fed each other with flattery, I heard the one to the other say, Is it not, sir, a shame and disgrace That the tribe of mankind, that perfect race, Should profane our dignified name, by denoting As asses all those that are stupid or doting?

And even has ventured such lengths as to say, That, when mortals speak nonsense, they utter a bray!

'Tis pleasant, forsooth, to perceive how mankind Dream they're above us, and yet are so blind.

No, no, let their orators silent remain, For they are the brayers, and fools in grain;

But with man let us cease one another to bother: 'Tis enough that we quite comprehend one another.

I will only here add that you have but to speak, To make larks seem hoarse, and the blackbird to squeak.'

'These qualities, sir,' then the other replied, 'In yourself, in the fullest perfection, reside.'

And, having thus spattered each other with praise, They trot far and wide to repeat the same craze;

Each fondly in hope, like a couple of crows, That a caw shall come back for the caw he bestows.

But this trait is not asinine only, I own, For I myself many great people have known Who would gladly, instead of my-lording each other, Have said, each to each, 'My Imperial Brother!'

But I've spoken too long, and will only request That this secret be hid in your Majesty's breast: Since your Majesty wished me some trait to divulge, Which would show him how those who in self-love indulge Become objects of scorn; it would take me too long To show also, now, how it leads to worse wrong."

Thus spoke the Monkey false by nature;

But it has still in doubt remained If he the other point explained;

Your Monkey is a knowing creature, And knows it is not fortunate To be too truthful with the great.

FABLE CCXV.