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One day, as a Fowler was sitting down to a scanty supper of herbs

and bread, a friend dropped in unexpectedly. The larder was

empty; so he went out and caught a tame Partridge, which he kept

as a decoy, and was about to wring her neck when she cried,

"Surely you won't kill me? Why, what will you do without me next

time you go fowling? How will you get the birds to come to your

nets?" He let her go at this, and went to his hen-house, where he

had a plump young Cock. When the Cock saw what he was after, he

too pleaded for his life, and said, "If you kill me, how will you

know the time of night? and who will wake you up in the morning

when it is time to get to work?" The Fowler, however, replied,

"You are useful for telling the time, I know; but, for all that,

I can't send my friend supperless to bed." And therewith he

caught him and wrung his neck.

THE GNAT AND THE LION