MODERN FABLES.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5492, 25 October 1929, Page 4

MODERN FABLES.

In the “Passing Notes” column in the Ngaruawahia Advocate “ Chiel ” has some rather pertinent remarks to make on present-day affairs. “ Chiel ” writes as follows : — Fable Up-to-date. Reflecting at by and large on life and its changes, my mind wandered, as minds at loose ends do, to the fables of Aesop which we used to read in the second and third standards for the purpose of giving us some moral ideas, and some worldly wisdom. These fables are really excellent, but modern education, in New Zealand, anyway, has thrown them out on the scrap heap, together with the Scriptures, and other gems of literature. They evidently want bringing up to date. I shall endeavour to do so with a few, and in order to give an air of verisimilitude to a bald and inconvincing narrative., I shall attach to each the person by whom it could have been written. Now, after this imposing portico of introduction we shall enter the gaudy palace of narrative. ANDROCLES AND THE LION. By a Successful Business Man. Once a slave belonging to the estate of a Roman senator, situated near Utica, ran away from the cruel bailiff of the estate into the desert. As he was wandering there, he came upon a lion that was lame, owing to a thorn in its foot. The lion hobbled up to Androcles, looking at him wistfully, as if beseeching his help. Filled with compassion, Androcles approached the lion, lifted up the foot, extracted the thorn, and pressed the matter out of the wound. The lion placed the sore foot on the ground and found that it bore its weight comfortably. As Androcles bent down to look at the foot again, the lion clouted him on the side of the head with his sound paw, and dined sumptuously on the remains. Moral: Never miss a deal.

THE DOG AND THE BONE. By a Company Promoter.

As a wise dog was travelling homewards with a fine meaty bone in his mouth, he had to cross a stream on a narrow plank. Looking downwards he saw in the stream the reflection of his bone, much magnified by the water. At this stage of the story, Aesop’s dog let go the bone in his mouth to grab at the one in the water. Our dog was a wise dog. Laying down his bone so that part of it overhung* and produced a splendid image in the water, he sat back on his haunches, and sent forth the hunting call to his friends, the fox and the jackal. Upon their arrival, he showed them the reflection of the bone, and they immediately formed a small company by means of which a huge company, “Bones Unlimited,” was floated, capital, 50,000 meaty bones, half of which went to the promoters, and the three frierids lived luxuriously ever after. Moral: If people want to buy shadows, supply the market.

THE DAW IN BORROWED FEATHERS. By Any Woman.

Once there was a hendaw that was very much dissatisfied with the suit of dull feathers that Nature had given her. Flying about one day, she saw some gaudy feathers discarded by a moulting peacock. “Paris frocks for me,” she exclaimed, swooped down upon them, and carried them off to her nest for trimming up. When the next monthly meeting of hen’birds came on, she arrayed herself gorgeously in these gay feathers, swept into the meeting as haughty as a queen, and was immediately elected president of the Piunket Society. Moral : Appearances count.