a piece of tinsel on a rock once said to a pebble: "you see how bright

i am! i am by birth related to the lightning."

"indeed!" said the pebble; "then accept my humble respects."

some time after, a flash of lightning struck the rock, and the tinsel lost all its brilliancy by the scorching effects of the flash.

"where is your brilliancy now?" said the pebble.

"oh, it is gone to the skies," said the tinsel, "for i have lent it to the lightning that came down a moment ago to borrow it of me."

"dear me!" said the pebble; "how many fibs doth good bragging need!"

the glow-worm and the daw

a jackdaw once ran up to a glow-worm and was about to seize him. "wait a moment, good friend," said the worm; "and you shall hear of something to your advantage."

"ah! what is it?" said the daw.

"i am but one of the many glow-worms that live in this forest. if you wish to have them all, follow me," said the glow-worm.

"certainly!" said the daw.

then the glow-worm led him to a place in the wood where a fire had been kindled by some woodmen, and pointing to the sparks flying about, said: "there you find the glow-worms warming themselves around a fire. when you have done with them, i will show you some more, at a distance from this place."

the daw darted at the sparks, and tried to swallow some of them; but his mouth being burnt by the attempt, he ran away exclaiming, "ah, the glow-worm is a dangerous little creature!"

said the glow-worm with pride: "wickedness yields to wisdom!"