Aesop's Fables; Signed limited edition with superb illustrations by E. J. Detmold.

Number 238 of a limited edition of only 750 copies signed and numbered by Edward J. Detmold. 

Published by Hodder & Stoughton in 1909.

The vain jackdaw

Jupiter determined, it is said, to create a sovereign over the birds, and made proclamation that, on a certain day, they should all present themselves before him, when he would himself choose the most beautiful among them to be king. The Jackdaw, knowing his own ugliness, searched through the woods and fields, and collected the feathers which had fallen from the wings of his companions, and stuck them in all parts of his body. When the appointed day arrived, and the birds had assembled before Jupiter, the Jackdaw also made his appearance in his many-feathered finery. On Jupiter proposing to make him king, on account of the beauty of his plumage, the birds indignantly protested, and each plucking from him his own feathers, the Jackdaw was again nothing but a Jackdaw.

The ants and the grasshopper

The Ants were employing a fine winter's day in drying grain collected in the summer time. A Grasshopper, perishing with famine, passed by and earnestly begged for a little food. The Ants inquired of him: "Why did you not treasure up food during the summer?" He replied: "I had not leisure; I passed the days in singing." They then said: "If you were foolish enough to sing all the summer, you must dance supperless to bed in the winter.

The she-goats and their beards

The she-goats having obtained by request from Jupiter the favour of a beard, the He-goats sorely displeased, made complaint that the females equalled them in dignity.  “Suffer them,” said Jupiter, “to enjoy an empty honour, and to assume the badge of your nobler sex, so long as they are not your equals in strength or courage.” It matters little if those who are inferior to us in merit should be like us in outside appearances.

The grasshopper and the owl

An owl, accustomed to feed at night and to sleep during the day, was greatly disturbed by the noise of a Grasshopper and earnestly besought her to stop chirping. The Grasshopper refused to desist, and chirped louder and louder the more the Owl entreated.

The hare and the tortoise

A hare one day ridiculed the short feet and slow pace of the Tortoise. The latter, laughing, said: Though you be swift as the wind, I will beat you in a race. The Hare, deeming her assertion to be simply impossible, assented to the proposal; and they agreed that the Fox should choose the course, and fix the goal. On the day appointed for the race, they started together. The Tortoise never for a moment stopped, but went on with a slow but steady pace straight to the end of the course. The Hare, trusting to his native swiftness, cared little about the race, and lying down by the wayside, fell fast asleep. At last waking up, and moving as fast as he could, he saw the Tortoise had reached the goal, and was comfortably dozing after her fatigue.

The oxen and the axle-trees

A heavy wagon was being dragged along a country lane by a team of Oxen. The Axle-trees groaned and creaked terribly; whereupon the Oxen, turning round, thus addressed the wheels: "Hullo there! Why do you make so much noise? We bear all the labour, and we, not you, ought to cry out."

The town mouse and the country mouse

Now you must know that a town mouse once upon a time went on a visit to his cousin in the country. He was rough and ready, this cousin, but he loved his town friend and made him heartily welcome. Beans and bacon, cheese and bread, were all he had to offer, but he offered them freely. The town mouse rather turned up his long nose at this country fare, and said, "I cannot understand, cousin, how you can put up with such poor food as this, but of course you cannot expect anything better in the country; come you with me and I will show you how to live. When you have been in town a week you will wonder how you could ever have stood a country life."

The goat and the ass

A man once kept a Goat and an Ass. The Goat, envying the Ass on account of his greater abundance of food, said, "How shamefully you are treated: at one time grinding in the mill, and at another carrying heavy burdens"; and he further advised him that he should pretend to be epileptic and fall into a ditch and so obtain rest. The Ass gave credence to his words, and falling into a ditch, was very much bruised. His master, sending for a leech, asked his advice. He bade him pour upon the wounds the lights of a Goat. They at once killed the Goat, and so healed the Ass.

The Fables of Aesop is now sold, thank you for your interest.

Number 238 of a limited edition of only 750 copies signed and numbered by Edward J. Detmold. 

Published by Hodder & Stoughton in 1909.

Update July 2016: March House books closed on my retirement in 2015, but I am still happily blogging here at March of Time Books. Your visits are always appreciated.