Aesop's Fables, translated by Laura Gibbs (2002)
71. THE ANT, THE PIGEON AND THE BIRD-CATCHER
Perry 235 (Chambry
242 *)
An ant was thirsty and went down to a spring expecting to take a drink
of water, but instead he found himself in danger of drowning. A pigeon
snapped off a leaf from a nearby tree and threw it to the ant so that
he could save himself by climbing up onto the leaf. Meanwhile, a bird
catcher showed up and prepared his limed reeds, intending to capture the
pigeon. The ant then bit the bird catcher on the foot which caused the
bird catcher to shake his limed reeds, warning the pigeon who flew off
to safety.
The story shows that even dumb beasts experience fellow feeling and
come to one another's aid.
Note: For a more detailed description of the bird catcher's use of
a snare made of extensible reeds coated with viscous birdlime, see Fable
138.
Source:
Aesop's Fables. A new translation by Laura
Gibbs.
Oxford University Press (World's Classics): Oxford, 2002.
NOTE: New
cover, with new ISBN, published in 2008; contents of book unchanged.
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