Aesop's Fables: Townsend (1867)
231. The Crow and Mercury (Perry 323)
A CROW caught in a snare prayed to Apollo to release him, making a vow
to offer some frankincense at his shrine. But when rescued from his danger,
he forgot his promise. Shortly afterwards, again caught in a snare, he
passed by Apollo and made the same promise to offer frankincense to Mercury.
Mercury soon appeared and said to him, 'O thou most base fellow? how can
I believe thee, who hast disowned and wronged thy former patron?'
George Fyler Townsend's translation of the fables, first published in 1867, is
in the public domain and can be found at many websites, including Project
Gutenberg.
Illustrations come from: Aesop's Fables, by George Fyler Townsend, with
illustrations by Harrison Weir, 1867, at Google
Books. |