As a rule, don't "take sides." Sides of bacon, however, may be
temperately acquired.
LXXXIII.
A man dropping from a balloon struck against a soaring eagle.
"I beg your pardon," said he, continuing his descent; "I never _could_
keep off eagles when in my descending node."
"It is agreeable to meet so pleasing a gentleman, even without
previous appointment," said the bird, looking admiringly down upon the
lessening aeronaut; "he is the very pink of politeness. How extremely
nice his liver must be. I will follow him down and arrange his simple
obsequies."
This fable is narrated for its intrinsic worth.
LXXXIV.
To escape from a peasant who had come suddenly upon him, an opossum
adopted his favourite expedient of counterfeiting death.
"I suppose," said the peasant, "that ninety-nine men in a hundred
would go away and leave this poor creature's body to the beasts of
prey." [It is notorious that man is the only living thing that will
eat the animal.] "But _I_ will give him good burial."
So he dug a hole, and was about tumbling him into it, when a solemn
voice appeared to emanate from the corpse: "Let the dead bury their
dead!"
"Whatever spirit hath wrought this miracle," cried the peasant,
dropping upon his knees, "let him but add the trifling explanation of
_how_ the dead can perform this or any similar rite, and I am
obedience itself.
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