Fantastic Fables

Name: Fantastic Fables
Author: Ambrose Bierce

by Ambrose Bierce

Pages: about 18
Category: Literature & Fiction
Language: English
Reading time: 20 min at 250 wpm

Start readingThe whole book, as cards or one word at a time. 11 min at 450 wpm in Read mode.

From the opening

A Cat fell in love with a handsome Young Man, and entreated Venus to change her into a woman.
"I should think," said Venus, "you might make so trifling a change without bothering me. However, be a woman."
Afterward, wishing to see if the change were complete, Venus caused a mouse to approach, whereupon the woman shrieked and made such a show of herself that the Young Man would not marry her.
A Farmer being about to die, and knowing that during his illness his Sons had permitted the vineyard to become overgrown with weeds while they improved the shining hour by gambling with the doctor, said to them:
"My boys, there is a great treasure buried in the vineyard. You dig in the ground until you find it."
So the Sons dug up all the weeds, and all the vines too, and even neglected to bury the old man.
Jupiter held a baby show, open to all animals, and a Monkey entered her hideous cub for a prize, but Jupiter only laughed at her.
"It is all very well," said the Monkey, "to laugh at my offspring, but you go into any gallery of antique sculpture and look at the statues and busts of the fellows that you begot yourself."
"'Sh! don't expose me," said Jupiter, and awarded her the first prize.
A Man who had been bitten by a Dog was told that the wound would heal if he would dip a piece of bread in the blood and give it to the Dog. He did so.
"No," said the Dog; "if I were to accept that, it might be thought that in biting you I was actuated by improper motives."
"I desired," replied the Dog, "merely to harmonise myself with the Divine Scheme of Things. I'm a child of Nature."

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Fantastic Fables

From the opening

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