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Aesop's Fables, translated by Laura Gibbs (2002)

551. THE MONKEY AND THE BUTCHER
Perry 496 (Phaedrus 3.4)

A man noticed a monkey hanging in the butcher's shop amidst the other merchandise and foods for sale, and he asked what the monkey tasted like. 'Well,' joked the butcher, 'its taste is a perfect match for its face!'
I think the butcher's remark is more funny than true; I have often met with beautiful people who actually turned out to be complete scoundrels, while having known some ugly people who were truly excellent individuals.


Source: Aesop's Fables. A new translation by Laura Gibbs. Oxford University Press (World's Classics): Oxford, 2002.
NOTE: New cover, with new ISBN, published in 2008; contents of book unchanged.