Aesop's Fables: Sir Roger L'Estrange (1692)
128. MERCURY AND A CARPENTER (Perry
173)
A Carpenter dropt his Ax into a River, and put up a Prayer to Mercury
to help him to’t again. Mercury div’d for’t, and brought him up a golden
one; but that was not it, the Fellow said: And so he plung’d a second
Time, and fetch’d up another of silver. He said that it was not it neither.
He try’d once again, and then up comes an Ax with a wooden Handle, which
the Carpenter said, was the very Tool that he had lost. Well! (says Mercury)
thou art so such a poor Wretch, that I’ll give thee all three now for
thy Honesty. This Story got into everybody’s Mouth, and the Rumour being
spread, it came into a Knave’s Head to try the same Experiment over again.
And so away goes he, and down he sits, sniv’ling and yelping upon the
Bank of a River, that he had dropt his Ax into the Water there. Mercury
that was at hand it seems, heard his Lamentation, and dipping once again
for his Ax, as he had done for the other; and up he brings him a golden
Ax, and asks the Fellow if that were it: Yes, yes, says he, this is it.
O thou impudent Sot, cries Mercury; to think of putting Tricks upon him
that sees through the very Heart of thee.
THE MORAL. The great Searcher of out Hearts is not to be impos’d upon,
but he will take his own time either to reward or punish.
L'Estrange originally published his version of the fables in 1692. There is a
very nice illustrated edition in the Children's Classics series by Knopf: Sir
Roger L'Estrange. Aesop
- Fables which is available at amazon.com.
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