Aesop's Fables: Townsend (1867)
163. The Hen and the Golden Eggs (Perry
87)
A COTTAGER and his wife had a Hen that laid a golden egg every day. They
supposed that the Hen must contain a great lump of gold in its inside,
and in order to get the gold they killed it. Having done so, they found
to their surprise that the Hen differed in no respect from their other
hens. The foolish pair, thus hoping to become rich all at once, deprived
themselves of the gain of which they were assured day by day.
George Fyler Townsend's translation of the fables, first published in 1867, is
in the public domain and can be found at many websites, including Project
Gutenberg.
Illustrations come from: Aesop's Fables, by George Fyler Townsend, with
illustrations by Harrison Weir, 1867, at Google
Books. |