The laughable stories collected by Mâr Gregory John Bar Hebræ

94 THE LAUGHABLE STORIES OF BAR-HEBR^US.
"to be begotten, and they feed thee, and they prepare
"hens to be thy wives, and they do all manner of good
"unto thee. Yet when they leave thee by thyself a little
"time thou takest to flight, and thou flauntest about,
"and thou goest up upon the walls,
and thou crowest
"loudly, and thou wilt not return to the house wherein
"thou hast been reared. But as for me, having taken
"me from my native rock they starve me, and when
"they have trained me for a short time, they turn me
"loose and I must go off by myself, and get quarry, and
"bring it to them, although if I wished I need not come
"back." The cock said unto him, "Thou dost not
"understand the matter clearly. If thou didst see as
"many hawks spitted on short skewers roasting before
"the fire as I see chickens, thou wouldst never come back
"when once thou hadst
escaped."
CCCLXXXIV. Another fox taught its young, saying,
"When ye see the vines loaded with grapes, and the
"keeper asleep, and the river full of water with waves
"thereon, and the moon shining, rejoice and be glad,
"for your luck hath arisen, and ye may feed yourselves."
CCCLXXXV. Another fox said, "If the fox-grapes
"were sweet they would not be left out in the open,
"without keepers,
by mankind."