The Wild Ass and the Lion. 285 by Townsend.A WILD ASS and a Lion entered into an alliance so that
they might capture the beasts of the forest with greater
ease. The Lion agreed to assist the Wild Ass with his
strength, while the Wild Ass gave the Lion the benefit of
his greater speed. When they had taken as many beasts as
their necessities required, the Lion undertook to
distribute the prey, and for this purpose divided it into
three shares. "I will take the first share," he
said, "because I am King: and the second share, as a
partner with you in the chase: and the third share
(believe me) will be a source of great evil to you,
unless you willingly resign it to me, and set off as fast
as you can." Babrius67=Pe339=Ch207, (The Lion and the Ass) The Lion, the Fox, and the Ass. 160 by Townsend.THE LION, the Fox and the Ass entered into an
agreement to assist each other in the chase. Having
secured a large booty, the Lion on their return from the
forest asked the Ass to allot his due portion to each of
the three partners in the treaty. The Ass carefully
divided the spoil into three equal shares and modestly
requested the two others to make the first choice. The
Lion, bursting out into a great rage, devoured the Ass.
Then he requested the Fox to do him the favor to make a
division. The Fox accumulated all that they had killed
into one large heap and left to himself the smallest
possible morsel. The Lion said, "Who has taught you,
my very excellent fellow, the art of division? You are
perfect to a fraction." He replied, "I learned
it from the Ass, by witnessing his fate." Pe149=Ch209, TMI J811.1, Type51; (The Lion, the Fox,
and the Ass.) Cf. Deuteronomy 33.20-21 |