a porcupine was looking for a good home. at last he found a little sheltered cave, where lived a family of snakes. he asked them to let him share the cave with them, and the snakes kindly consented.
the snakes soon wished they had not given him permission to stay. his sharp quills pricked them at every turn, and at last they politely asked him to leave.
"i am very well satisfied, thank you," said the porcupine. "i intend to stay right here." and with that, he politely escorted the snakes out of doors. and to save their skins, the snakes had to look for another home.
give a finger and lose a hand.
at a great meeting of the animals, who had gathered to elect a new ruler, the monkey was asked to dance. this he did so well, with a thousand funny capers and grimaces, that the animals were carried entirely off their feet with enthusiasm, and then and there, elected him their king.
the fox did not vote for the monkey and was much disgusted with the animals for electing so unworthy a ruler.
one day he found a trap with a bit of meat in it. hurrying to king monkey, he told him he had found a rich treasure, which he had not touched because it belonged by right to his majesty the monkey.
the greedy monkey followed the fox to the trap. as soon as he saw the meat he grasped eagerly for it, only to find himself held fast in the trap. the fox stood off and laughed.
"you pretend to be our king," he said, "and cannot even take care of yourself!"
shortly after that, another election among the animals was held.
the true leader proves himself by his qualities.
early one morning a hungry wolf was prowling around a cottage at the edge of a village, when he heard a child crying in the house. then he heard the mother's voice say:
"hush, child, hush! stop your crying, or i will give you to the wolf!"
surprised but delighted at the prospect of so delicious a meal, the wolf settled down under an open window, expecting every moment to have the child handed out to him. but though the little one continued to fret, the wolf waited all day in vain. then, toward nightfall, he heard the mother's voice again as she sat down near the window to sing and rock her baby to sleep.
"there, child, there! the wolf shall not get you. no, no! daddy is watching and daddy will kill him if he should come near!"
just then the father came within sight of the home, and the wolf was barely able to save himself from the dogs by a clever bit of running.
do not believe everything you hear.
