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CHAPTER V. 



FISHES IN FABLE AND FAIRY-TALE. 



Fishes in Fable — as a rule Foolish Folk — but the Crab wise — the 

 Tortoise not always sagacious — nor the Fiat-Fish — Fishes in Fairy- 

 tale as a rule Benign — also in Folk-tale of all countries — Fishes 

 the Patrons of distressed Heroes and Heroines — Tendency of 

 Fishermen to become Princes — Grateful Fishes — The Jewel- 

 finding Myth — Fish as Guardians of Treasure — Cities of the Plain 

 now Lakes, and their inhabitants Fishes — Some Fish-mysteries. 



In the story of the " Cruel Crane Outwitted," the bird, 

 finding the fish likely to die of drought in a fast-shrinking 

 puddle, offers to carry them across to a large and pleasant 

 lake of which he knows. After much suspicious demurring, 

 the fishes go with the crane one by one, and are, of course, 

 eaten up in succession. Left last of all, however, is an old 

 crab, and the bird proposes to take it over too to join its 

 old comrades. " Very good," says the crafty crustacean, 

 "but as you cannot very well hold me in your beak as you 

 did the fishes, suppose I hold you with my pincers." The 

 crane agrees to this, and having arrived at the shambles, 

 announces to the crab that he is now about to be eaten. 

 " Not a bit of it," is the reply. " On the contrary, if you 

 do not take me to the lake at once, I shall nip your head 

 off your thin neck." So the crane, in great alarm, takes 

 Cancer straight to the lake, but before getting off the bird's 

 back the crab bites its head off. 



This fable illustrates the difference of character in fables 

 between the fish and the crustaceans. The former are 



E 



