Minor Latin poets; with introductions and English translations

THE FABLES OF AVIANUScavern, when he discovered a cave which wassafethen occupied by a shaggy goat accustomed to leadthe Cinyphian herd." Thereu})on, when the goatmet him and with sidelong look frightened him outof his intention to lower his head and burst in, hewent off mournfully and in his flight sent a replyfrom the far reaches of the valley (fear forbade himto quarrel over his rebuff). " It's not you I trembleat, you stinking creature, with your bristly hair andtrailing beard ; it's that lion—which is still to comeand which follows in my track. If he abandons thechase, you'll learn, you arrant fool, the differencebetween a bull in his strength and a smelly goat,"XIVThe MonkeyJupiter had once inquired through the wholeworld which animal it was that could present the giftof the finest offspring. In eager rivalry therehastened to the king every sort of creature of thewild, and every beast that has dealings with man wasconstrained to come. Nor did the scale-covered fishfail to contest their claim, or any bird borne on theclearer air. Among this gathering nervous mothersled up their progeny to be inspected at the judgement-seatof the powerful god. Just then, as adwarfish monkey pulled forward her ugly offspring,she forced even Jove himself to laugh. But for all her" The epithet refers to the lonj^-haired goats bred in theMauritanian territory washed by the Cinyps.