Aesop's Fables: Sir Roger L'Estrange (1692)
99. A BOY AND HIS MOTHER. (Perry 200)
A School-Boy brought his Mother a Book that he had stollen from one of
his Fellows. She was so far from correcting him for’t, that she rather
encourag’d him. As he grew bigger, he would be still keeping his hand
in ure with somewhat greater Value, and brought to Justice for’t. His
Mother went along with him to the Place of Execution, where he got leave
of the Officers, to have a Word or two in private with her. He put his
Mouth to her Ear, and under pretext of a Whisper, bit it clear off. This
impious unnatural Villany turn’d every Body’s Heart against him more and
more. [Well, good People (says the Boy) here you see me an Example, both
upon the Matter of Shame and of Punishment; and it is this Mother of mine
that has brought me to’t; for if she had but whipt me soundly for the
Book I stole when I was a Boy, I should have never come to the Gallows
for pilfering now I’m a Man.]
THE MORAL. We are either made or marr’d in our Education; and Governments,
as well as private Families, are concern’d in the Consequences of it.
 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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