An Ant And A Dragonfly

Oh well, you sneaky ant, I’m sure to dance.
Please don’t trouble yourself.
It set in to snow. There is hoarfrost on the panes.
You wretched cad, you monster,
just enjoy looking at my farewell dance.

Sometime at paradise
where the cheerful swarm of shadows dances in height,
you, being thin callous gloomy and bigmouthed,
will creep up to me watching with envy my air jumps.
You will ask: “Dragonfly, let me come into the circle!”
But I’ll say in reply, “My darling! Just try and work!”

A DOG AND A HORSE

Serving some peasant, once a dog and a horse started wrangling.
“As if you were a lord! – said the Dog,
– In my opinion, I would not get upset, even if you got the sack.
Big deal – to carry or to plow! As well known you are not renowned
for any other deeds. How can you be equal in anything with me?
Neither day nor night I know any peace of mind: in the daytime
I am to keep a control of the herd in the meadow,
and at night to guard the house”.
– “Of course, – replied the Horse,
– You’re right; however, if I had not plowed, there would have been nothing for you here to guard”.

AT THE MUSEUM

-“Hello, old fellow! Where have you been?”
-“My dear friend, at the Natural History Museum! There I went about in a circle, say, three good hours; I saw everything, there I have noticed the whole lot; believe it or not, but from surprise I’m not able to retell you what. Well, to be sure, there are many miracles there! Mother Nature is so liberal with inventions! What kind of animals or birds I there only have not seen! What butterflies, small insects, cockroaches, flies and beetles! Some are as emeralds, others are as corals! What the little tiny ladybirds! Why, there is one truly less than a pin head!”
-“And whether you have seen an elephant? What is it like? Perhaps you thought you met a hill!”
-“Is it really there?”
-“Indeed!”
-“I beg your pardon, sir: I have not noticed the elephant at all”.

A COCK AND A PEARL

Poking about in a dunghill, the Cock had found a pearl and spoke: “Why would I want it? What a pointless thing! Isn’t it silly, that it is so high appreciated? I really would be much gladder to have a barley grain: though it is not so showy, but then nourishing”. _______ Ignoramuses judge precisely so: if they do not have a good understanding of something, that is a trifle for them.

A Boy And A Snake

Some boy, thinking to catch an eel,
instead of it grabbed a snake
and the consequence was
that his countenance grew pale
after he had realized his mistake.
The snake said, looking calmly at him:
“I say, if you are not going to become smarter a bit,
then you won’t get away with it.
This time, I forgive your audacity,
but from now mind you
pick and choose better to play a joke on whom”.

The Casket

It happens quite often that we see both hard work and knowledge where one have only to guess so that to take up some challenge. Once upon a time a casket was brought to somebody’s place from the master craftsman. The casket was distinguished by the fineness of its furnish. It was simply impossible not to be lost in admiration for the casket. Here a person versed in Mechanics came into the room. Having taken a glance at the casket he said:
«Sure enough, the casket has a secret; and it’s without the lock; nevertheless I dare to open it, yes, I’m quite sure of it; don’t laugh on the sly! I’ll find the secret and open the casket, after all, I’m of some account in Mechanics.» He set to at once and turned the casket all the ways, racking his brains over it; now he pressed some stud, then another, after that a handle. Seeing his endeavors somebody shook his head; those whispering, and those laughing among themselves. There was nothing to be heard but:
«Not here, not so, not there!»
The mechanic exerted himself even more. Sweating, sweating; yet at last tired, he let the casket alone but how to open it never guessed: whereas the casket easily opened.

A TITMOUSE

A titmouse headed for the sea: the small bird bragged intending to burn the ocean. So it was rumored in the world. The residents of the Neptunian capital were frighten to death; birds flew in flocks; meantime the animals from the forests came running together to look how and whether hotly the ocean will burn. And even they say the desirous ones of hanging out in feasts were among the first to appear at the coast with their spoons so that to taste such rich fish soup to which by any bountiful leaseholder no bureaucrat was regaled. Crowding: everyone kept silence and waited for a miracle beforehand; only somebody occasionally whispered: “Here it’s on the point to boil, there it’s about to burn right away!” It wasn’t to be: the sea wouldn’t burn. Whether it boiled at least? Also it didn’t boil. What did come of this big idea? The titmouse went home with shame; it got all worked up over nothing but never had burnt the sea.

A DRAGONFLY AND AN ANT

The featherbrained Dragonfly had spent all the kindly summer season by singing; before it knew it the bleak winter was imminent. The fields were lifeless; there were not the long light days any more, when under every blade of grass it could find for itself both food and refuge. All was in the past. Now the cold winter promised it only both want and famine; the Dragonfly had already stopped singing: to sing on an empty stomach? The very idea! Being in low spirits it went crawling to see the Ant:
-“Please do not leave me, dear, allow me to gather with strength, support and warm me only until spring!”
-“My precious, I wonder, whether did you work at summer?”
-“I was in no working mood! There in the green grass there were songs or frolic games time and again, it turned my head”.
-“And so you…”
-“Losing myself I have been singing the whole summer”.
-“You have been singing? Oh well, good business: there now, just try and dance!”

A FOX AND A MARMOT

«Where, my dear, do you so run without looking back?» Fox was asked by Marmot.

«Oh, my sport!
I suffer from slander and is banished for bribes.
You know, I was a judge at some poultry-yard,
there I have lost my health and my rest in the affairs,
so much taking trouble and pains I did not eat or sleep
and as ill luck would have it despite this fact
I have fallen out of favor; it is all owing of slander.
Well, judge for yourself:
who in the world will be right if listening to slander?
Do I take bribes? Do you mean to say I am mad?
Well, for example, have you ever seen
so that I was engaged in this sin?
Just think of it, recollect thoroughly».

«No, my dear; but I quite often saw
that your snout was covered in down».

A FOX AND GRAPES

The hungry rogue of a Fox had got into an orchard; there were glowed the bunches of grapes. My dear Fox had flown into a passion; while the juicy berries as some precious jewels were shined; only what was a nuisance, they hung high up: eyes see, but teeth do not feel the taste. Having struggled in vain the whole hour, the Fox went away and with disappointment said:
«Never mind! At a sight the grapes are good, but most likely they are sour – there is no ripe berry: at once you will set your teeth on edge».

A FROG AND AN OX

Having seen some Ox in the meadow a Frog had contrived a thought to match in portliness with the Ox; because the Frog was envious. It suddenly started to make great efforts, to puff and to inflate.
“Just look at me, croaky! Am I as big as that Ox?” – it asked its friend.
“No, dear, far from it!”
-“Look on, how widely I’m going to swell. Well, what? Have I filled out yet?”
-“Next to nothing”
-“Well, and how now?”
-“It is precisely as it was”.
The Frog kept on puffing. In the end, out of much effort even without having become equal to the Ox in size my whimsical frog was dead.

There is more than one such example in our life: is not it strange when a petty bourgeois wishes to live as an eminent citizen, or a small fry as a noble lord?

A HUNTSMAN AND A WOLF

Thinking to get into the sheepfold instead of it at night a wolf had got into the kennels, but seeing that its end was imminent my dodger started to negotiate,
“Friends, what’s all the fuss about? We are kith and kin, I’m going to make up a quarrel; let’s forget the past and come to an agreement!”
A huntsman had interrupted it,
“You are actually greedy and cruel, though you’re trying to dress up in sheep’s clothing for achieving your hideous purpose, however, my chap, I am a grey-bearded man and for a long time I know your wolf’s habits; therefore my custom is: not to come in terms with wolves, unless having already taken off their skins.”
There and then he played off a pack of hounds against the wolf.

A MONKEY AND THE MIRROR

Having seen its own image in the mirror a monkey gently nudged a bear:
“My dear fellow, just look at it! What there a revolting phyz! What grimaces and what ill manners! Even if I bore only a remote resemblance to it, I would hang myself out of melancholy. And would you please admit to me that among my friends there are five or six such poseurs. I’m afraid, I can easily recount them.”
– “Instead of reckoning your friends, you’d better turn your attention to yourself” said to it the bear. But its opinion went down the drain.

A MONKEY AND SPECTACLES

A monkey’s sight had begun to fail in old age, but it heard from some people that: it is not yet the end of world, one only have to lay one’s hands on spectacles. So it had got itself a dozen of them. It fiddled with the spectacles in one and other way. Now it pressed them to its crown, now it hung them on its tail, now it smelt them, now licked. But no chance! – “Deuce take it!” – said it, – “that is a fool who listens to the people’s idle talk. They told me lies about spectacles. But these ones of no use to me at all”. Then the monkey out of disappointment and in grief so had beaten them against a boulder that mere slivers splashed.

Unfortunately, it so happens sometimes with people: no matter how much a thing can be of use, however, some unenlightened man without knowing its real value disapproves of it completely. If an ignoramus turns out to be the VIP, to cap it all he drives it off.

A MOUSE AND A RAT

-“My neighbor, have you heard that a rumor has it?” – having run hasty in the Mouse had asked the Rat.
-“Well, they say that the Cat has been caught into the Lion’s claws. At last it has come time for us to have a rest!”
-“Don’t get delighted, old chap!” – the Rat said in reply.
– “If they end into a fight, then the Lion is sure to be dead; there is no beast stronger than the Cat!”
How many times I have seen, let me bring it to your notice, that: when a coward is afraid of whom, then he thinks that the whole world stares with his own eyes at that one.

A PIG UNDER AN OAK

Near by an ancient Oak some Pig had gorged itself on of acorns to satiety; having done it, it had slept under the tree; then having rubbed the sleep out of its eyes it got up and started to sap the Oak’s roots with its snout.

” It’s hurting the tree ” – said a Raven from the Oak.
– “If you dig up its roots, it can wither”.
– “Let it wither, – the Pig spoke, – I don’t care of it an acorn; My foot! To my mind, it’s of a little use. If only there were acorns: after all, I grow fat thanks to them”.
– “Ungrateful! – there and then said the Oak to it.
– If you could turn up your snout, you would see it’s namely me that yields these acorns.”

In the same way some ignoramus scolds both education and science, and all scientific works in blinding, without being aware of that he enjoys their fruits.

A SISKIN AND A PIGEON

The Siskin fell into a vile trap: the poor thing striving to escape both wriggled and rushed about, while the young Pigeon scoffed at it.
“For shame, you has been caught in broad daylight! It is safe to say I would not be taken in”.
However, lo and behold, then and there it itself was snared.
It serves it right! Next time, my dove, do not laugh at another’s trouble.

A SNAKE AND A LAMB

Lying under the log a snake was angry with the whole world; it has no another feeling if only just malice: so heck it was created by the nature.

In vicinity a lamb was frolicking and skipping, it did not know anything about the snake. All of a sudden having crept out, the vermin deceitfully stung it: there and then it had been dimmed before the eyes of the poor thing: its blood was as though on fire.

“Why?”- it asked the snake.
-“Who knows? Perhaps, you was about to trample on me”, – said hissing the snake.
-“You are punished by me just in case”.
“Oh, no!” – exclaimed the lamb and died.

Whose heart feels neither friendship nor love, that one hates all and everything taking each as a villain.

A SQUIRREL

On holiday in village under a window of the landowner’s mansion were crowded common people. They glared and marveled at the Squirrel in a wheel. Nearby from a birch the Ouzel wondered at it, too: so the Squirrel was running that only its pads flashed and its bushy tail was flown.

“Old top, – the Ouzel asked it, – tell me please, what are you doing here?”
-“Oh, my dear fellow, I work hard all day long: I serve honestly his honor as a messenger; why, there’s no time neither to eat, nor to drink, nor even to take a breath”.
-“Indeed, – flying away the Ouzel said: – that is clear to me, however fast you run, still you are there at the same window”.

When you look at some businessman: to your surprise he takes trouble and makes a fuss, apparently, he would sweat blood, but his business does not make progress or move as if that Squirrel in a wheel.

A SWAN, A CRAYFISH, AND A PIKE

When there is no agreement between partners their business will not thrive. It will be only taking pains without any profit.

Once upon a time a Swan, a Crayfish and a Pike undertook to carry a cart with load and harnessed themselves in it; they sweated blood, but the cart did not move! It would be seemed for them the load was quite light, but the Swan strove for the sky, the Crayfish moved backwards and the Pike pulled towards water.

Who of them was wrong and who was right – it’s not to us to judge; however up till now the loaded cart is right where it was then.

A TREE

Having seen some peasant with an axe, “My dear fellow”, said the young little tree: “Would you mind cutting down the woods round me, I need badly in the open space: no sunlight for my leaves, no room for my roots, no expanse for
the wind near me in the shade of big trees! If not for that, I would have grown by a mile in height”. The peasant efficiently got down to the job and soon did the tree a good turn: the vast open space had been cleared round it.
But the tree’s triumph was short-lived! Sometimes it was scorched in the sun, sometimes it was lashed by the rain and the hail, at last it was broken by the wind. “Are you crazy!” a snake said to it : “You have only yourself to blame!
If you grew being nestled in the woods, neither the heat nor the wind could not give you any harm, the old big trees would protect you; and if sometime those trees were gone, you would be already strong enough so that to sustain a storm!”

A WOLF AND A LAMB

For a strong one the powerless are always guilty:
There are plenty of such examples in History,
But we do not write History at all;
And there how in fables they tell about it.

Once in the hot day longing for drinking a Lamb had come to some rill;
Unfortunately the hungry Wolf ran about those areas.
The Wolf had seen the Lamb, it hungered after prey;
But desiring to give the superficial legality to the case it shouted:
“How you dare, impudent fellow, with your dirty snout to stir up my drink with sand and silt ?
For such your insolence I will behead you”.
-“If you will, I beg to inform you that I drink down-stream a hundred steps from Your Grace and I cannot stir up your drink in any way”.
-“Am I a liar, in your opinion? Oh, you rascal!
Whoever heard of such a thing?
I remember that you insulted me here yet the summer before last: old bean, I have not forgotten it!”
-“You can’t be serious! I am not even one year old”, said the Lamb.
-“So it was your brother”.
-“I have no brother”.
-“Well, then it was your godfather or your matchmaker,
Say, somebody of your kith and kin.
You, your dogs and your shepherds, all of you wish harm to me
And if you can, you always do me a mischief:
But I will get even with you for their sins”.
-“Ah, what is my fault?”
-“Be silent! I have got tired to listen to your reasons,
I have no time, whippersnapper, to assort the faults of yours,
You are guilty because I am hungry”.
The Wolf had said and started to drag the Lamb towards the dense woods.

A WOODCUTTER AND AN OAK

Once some zealous woodcutter who was so to speak a master of his craft made up his mind to cut down an ancient oak so that a mistletoe wouldn’t grow in it. In consequence of it now the bleak winds blow there where sometime was the tree. Well, certainly you may fight with an evil in the world but please let life alone.

AN ELEPHANT AND PUG

Once upon a time they led an elephant on the streets, apparently for show – it is generally known that elephants are all too new for these areas – and so the crowd of gapers followed hot on its heels. Like a bolt from the blue Pug ran towards them. Having beheld the elephant it began suddenly to rush about, both to bark, and to squeal and to tear. As if it were ready to get into a fight. “Shame on you, neighbor”, said to Pug a small dog: “You are no match for an elephant! I say, you have already become hoarse, yet it without more ado proceeds to go ahead and doesn’t notice your barking at all”. “My gosh!” Pug said in reply: “It is in this there is the charm of it that without any fight I can pass for a very tough guy. Let they, the bastards, say: “Good for Pug! It is probably rather strong, if it barks at the elephant!”

PASSERS-BY AND DOGS

Once in the evening two friends walked along and talked shop as all of a sudden a mongrel had given a yelp at them from under the gate; followed by another, then by two or three and in a moment from all households about fifty dogs had run together. One of the passers-by was about to take a stone. “Never mind! – there and then another told him, – You won’t appease the dogs from barking, only will tease them even more; let’s go ahead: I know their nature better.” Really and truly, they had passed, say, five dozen steps and the dogs had already started to calm down step by step. At last they absolutely was not heard. As soon as envious persons take a look at something, right then they start slagging it off.

A Lion And A Leopard

Once, in old times, a lion and a leopard waged a very long war against each other for both the contested forests, and for glens, and for dens. They had not that temper so that to have legal proceedings under the law; after all, the powers that be are often blind concerning the rights. They have their own custom: who will prevail, that one will be right. However, one cannot fight endlessly, after all, so claws can become blunt: at last our heroes decided to discuss the affair in accordance with the law; they determined to put an end to the military action and to end all contentions, then, as usual, to enter into an everlasting peace until the first quarrel will occur.

“Let’s appoint our secretaries as soon as possible,– the lion was offered by the leopard, – and how their wits will judge, let it be so. I, for example, shall send a cat for this purpose. Although the animal is unsightly and puny, but it has a clear conscience; and you set an ass: because it has a noble rank, and, by the way, it is a rather enviable livestock! Believe me, as to your friend: both your counsil and your court are hardly worth of its single hoof. We shall rely on that how your ass will come to terms with my cat”.

And the lion approved the leopard’s thought without dispute; nevertheless it appointed not the ass, but a fox to try the case, saying to itself (apparently, it knew the world):

“Who is praised by the enemy, that one is truly pointless”.