Aesop's Fables: Townsend (1867)
294. The Hares and the Frogs (Perry
138)
THE HARES, oppressed by their own exceeding timidity and weary of the
perpetual alarm to which they were exposed, with one accord determined
to put an end to themselves and their troubles by jumping from a lofty
precipice into a deep lake below. As they scampered off in large numbers
to carry out their resolve, the Frogs lying on the banks of the lake heard
the noise of their feet and rushed helter-skelter to the deep water for
safety. On seeing the rapid disappearance of the Frogs, one of the Hares
cried out to his companions: 'Stay, my friends, do not do as you intended;
for you now see that there are creatures who are still more timid than
ourselves.'

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. |