FABLES. 



21 I 



. THE OLD LION. 



A Lion, that in the prime of his life had been 

 very rapacious and cruel, was reduced by age and 

 infirmities to extreme feebleness. Several of the 

 beasts of the forest, who had been great sufferers 

 by him, now came and revenged themselves upon 

 him. The Boar ripped him with his tusks, the Bull 

 gored him with his horns, and others in various 

 ways had each a stroke at him. When the Ass 

 saw that they might do all this without any dan- 

 ger, he also came and threw his heels in the Lion's 

 face. Upon which, the poor expiring tyrant is said 

 to have groaned out these words : Alas ! how griev- 

 ous is it to suffer insults, even from the brave and 

 valiant; but to be spurned at by so base a creature 

 as this, is worse than dying ten thousand deaths ! 



