The Stag at the Pool. 257 by TownsendA STAG overpowered by heat came to a spring to drink.
Seeing his own shadow reflected in the water, he greatly
admired the size and variety of his horns, but felt angry
with himself for having such slender and weak feet. While
he was thus contemplating himself, a Lion appeared at the
pool and crouched to spring upon him. The Stag
immediately took to flight, and exerting his utmost
speed, as long as the plain was smooth and open kept
himself easily at a safe distance from the Lion. But
entering a wood he became entangled by his horns, and the
Lion quickly came up to him and caught him. When too
late, he thus reproached himself: "Woe is me! How I
have deceived myself! These feet which would have saved
me I despised, and I gloried in these antlers which have
proved my destruction." Pe74=Ch102, Ba43, Ph1.12, Cax3.7, Laf6.9, Jacobs25, CS21, TMI L461, Type77 The mirror makes a person conceited. Caxton, The vi fable is of the hegoote and of the wulfThe feble ought not to arme hym ageynst the stronge/ As recyteth this present fable of a wulf/ which somtyme ranne after a hegoot/ and the hegoot for to saue hym lept upon a roche/ and the wulf besyeged hym/ And after whan they had duellid there two or thre dayes/ the wulf beganne to wexe hongry/ and the hegoote to haue thurst/ And thus the wulf went for to ete/ and the hegoot went for to drynke/ And as the hegoot dranke he sawe his shadowe in the water/ and speculynge and beholdynge his shadowe profered and sayd suche wordes within hym self/ Thou hast so fayre legges/ so fayr a berd/ and so fayre hornes/ and hast fere of the wulf/ yf hit happed that he come ageyne/ I shalle corryge hym wel/ and shalle kepe hym wel/ that he shalle haue no myght ouer me/ And the wulf whiche held hys peas/ and herkened what he sayd/ toke hym by the one legge thus sayenge/ what wordes ben these whiche thow proferest & sayst broder Hegoote/ And whanne the hegote sawe that he was taken/ he beganne to saye to the wulf/ Ha my lord/ I saye no thynge/ and haue pyte of me/ I knowe wel/ that it is my coulpe/ And the wulf toke hym by the neck and strangled hym/ And therfore it is grete folye whan the feble maketh werre ageynst the puyssaunt and stronge English Fairy Tales
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