Two friends, one truthful and one a liar, wandered into the Kingdom of the Monkeys.
Monkeys captured them and brought them to the Monkey-King.
"Behold my court!" said the Monkey-King. "Aren't we a magnificent sight?"
"The splendor of your court is dazzling," said the liar. "I've never seen anything so magnificent."
The Monkey-King beamed with pleasure.
"And what do you say?" he inquired, turning to the other man.
"Why, you're nothing but a monkey, and so are all your courtiers," he replied.
The Monkey-King shrieked with rage. "Kill him!" shouted the king.
Telling the truth isn't always the safest strategy.
Inspired by: Fables of Aesop and Other Eminent Mythologists by Roger L'Estrange, 413.
Notes: This is Perry 569.
Here is an illustration from Steinhowel's Aesop:
No comments:
Post a Comment