FABLES. 



21 



THE LEOPARD AND THE FOX. 



THE Leopard, one day, took it into his head to 

 value himself upon the great variety a.nd beauty of 

 his spots, and truly he saw no reason why even the 

 Lion should take place of him, since he could not 

 shew so beautiful a skin. As for the rest of the 

 wild beasts of the forest, he treated them all with- 

 out distinction in the most haughty and disdainful 

 manner. But the I 7 ox being among them, went up 

 to him with a great deal of spirit and resolution, 

 and told him that he was mistaken in the value he 

 was pleased to set upon himself, since people of 

 judgment were not used to form their opinion of 

 merit from an outside appearance, but by consider- 

 ing the good qualities and endowments with which 

 the mind was stored within. 



