The Ass, The Lion, and the Cock


122. THE ASS, THE LION, AND THE COCK. An ass and a cock happened to be feeding together in the same place, when on a sudden they spied a lion approaching them. This beast is reported, above all things, to have an aversion, or rather antipathy, to the crowing of a cock; so that he no sooner heard the voice of that bird, but he betook him to his heels, and ran away as fast as he could.
The ass, fancying he fled for fear of him, in the bravery of his heart pursued him, and followed him so far, that they were quite out of the hearing of the cock; which the lion no sooner perceived, but he turned about and seized the ass; and just as he was ready to tear him in pieces, the sluggish creature is said to have expressed himself thus: “Alas! Fool that I was, knowing the cowardice of my own nature, thus by an affected courage to throw myself into the jaws of death, when I might have remained secure and unmolested!” [more info]

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