The Cricket: the Burrow 

 The Cricket answers : 



" Comes celaf Vous me prenez pour 



cruchef 

 " Ce sont oreilles que Dieu fit" 



The Hare insists : 

 " On les fera passer pour comes." 1 



And that is all. What a pity that La Fon- 

 taine did not make the insect hold forth at 

 greater length! The good-natured Cricket 

 is depicted for us in a couple of lines 

 which already show the master's touch. No, 

 indeed, he is no fool : his big head might 

 have found some capital things to say. And 

 yet the Hare was perhaps not wrong to take 

 his departure in a hurry. When slander is 

 at your heels, the best thing is to fly. 



1 "Fare thee well, good neighbour Cricket; from thy 



presence I must flee; 

 "Mine ears also will be taken for a pair of horns," 



said he. 

 " Horns, i' faith ! " the Cricket answered. " Is thy 



servant mad or blind? 

 " Those are ears which thy Creator with His own 



hand hath designed! " 

 " Yet the world will one day call them horns," his 



fellow made reply, 

 " And ere that day dawn, my neighbour, I will bid 



this place good-bye." 



301 



