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tail. But the head, that he had in his tail, was blind, the head, that was inthe usual place, was furnished with eyes. And there was a quarrel between them, each saying that it was the principal head. Now the serpent usually roamed about with his real head foremost. But once on a time the head in the tail caught hold of a piece of wood, and fastening firmly round it, prevented that snake from going on. The consequence was that the snake considered this head very powerful, as it had vanquished the head in front. And so the snake roamed about with his blind head foremost, and in a hole he fell into fire, owing to his not being able to see the way, and so he was burnt.*[1]
Story of the fool who was nearly choked with rice.:—" So those foolish people, many in number, who are quite at home in a small accomplishment, through their attachment to this unimportant accomplishment, are brought to ruin."
" Hear now about the fool who ate the grains of rice,"
A certain foolish person came for the first time to his father-in-law's house, and there he saw some white grains of rice, which his mother-in-law had put down to be cooked, and he put a handful of them into his mouth, meaning to eat them. And his mother-in-law came in that very moment. Then the foolish man was so ashamed, that he could not swallow the grains of rice, nor bring them up. And his mother-in law, seeing that his throat was swollen and distended, and that he was speechless, was afraid that he was ill, and summoned her husband. And he, when he saw his state, quickly brought the physician, and the physician, fearing that there was an internal tumour, seized the head of that fool and opened his jaw.†[2] Then the grains of rice came out, and all those present laughed.
" Thus a fool does an unseemly act, and does not know how to conceal it."
Story of the boys that milked the donkey.‡[3]- Certain foolish boys, having observed the process of milking in the case of cows, got a donkey, and having surrounded it, proceeded to milk it vigorously. One milked and another held the milk-pail, and there was great emulation among them, as to who should first drink the milk. And yet they did not obtain milk, though they laboured hard.
- ↑ * This story is No. LIX in Sir G. Cornewall Lewis's edition of the Fables of Babrius, Part II. The only difference is that the tail, when in difficulties, entreats the head to deliver it.
- ↑ † I read hanum, the conjecture of Dr. Kern.
- ↑ ‡ This story appears to have been known to Lucian. In his Demonax (28) he compares two unskilful disputants to a couple, one of whom is milking a gout, the other holding a sieve. So Aristophanes speaks of ivou ir6Kai and opvleuy yda. It must be admitted that some critics doubt Lucian's authorship of the Demonax.
