'The Vicious Dog'

'The Vicious Dog', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 

in Aesop's Fables, Jonathan Cape, 1989, page 75

The Text:

332

The Vicious Dog with a Bell hung round his Neck

A CERTAIN man had a Dog, who was so fierce and full of mischief, that he was forced to put a heavy bell round his neck, to keep him running after people, and biting them as they passed by the yard. The sulky cur took this for a badge of honour; and as he was as proud as he was spiteful, he would not take the least civil notice of any other dog that came his way. 

But one day an honest old Mastiff, who knew how the whole affair stood, went up to him boldly, and told him that which he did not like to hear. “Bow, wow, wow!” said he, “Mr Ball: what, you are grown so proud, since you have had that bell dangling about. Poor dog as I am I may scarcely speak to you: but you need not be so vain I can tell you; for this clumsy bell was tied to your neck, not to do you any honour, but only to put a stop to your spiteful tricks, and teach you better manners.”

Moral: It is not easy to tame the habits of those who are naturally vain and pompous.

Text: adapted from Mrs Trimmer (2/30, 15th edition, 1837).

Selected Parallels: Babrius 104. Avianus 7. Caxton, Avianus 6. L’Estrange 226. Chambry 186. Perry 332.. TMI J953.1.

'Two Bald Men with a Comb'

'Two Bald Men with a Comb', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 

in Aesop's Fables, Joimntahan Cape, 1989, page 73.

The Text:

The Two Bald Men

As on his way a Bald-pate went,

He found a comb by accident;

Another, with a head as bare,

Pursued, and hollow’d for a share.

The first produced the prize, and cried,

“Good Providence was on our side;

But by the same caprice of Fate,

We’re to no purpose fortunate;

And, as the proverb says, have found

A hobnail, for a hundred pound.”

They by this tale may be relieved

Whose sanguine hopes have been deceived.

Moral: We may be fooled by hope when we come across chance discoveries.

Text: Christopher Smart (Phaedrus 5/6, 1761).

Selected Parallels: Perry 528. TMI K1061.2.

"The Falklands thing was a fight between two bald men over a comb," 
said the Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges after the South Atlantic conflict was over.

'The Hare and the Tortoise',

'The Hare and the Tortoise', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 

in Aesop's Fables, Jonathan Cape, 1989, page 69.

The Text:

The Hare and the Tortoise

A HARE one day ridiculed the short feet and slow pace of the Tortoise. The latter, laughing said:  “Though you be swift as the wind, I will beat you in a race.”  The Hare, deeming her assertion to be simply impossible, assented to the proposal; and they agreed that the Fox should choose the course and fix the goal.  On the day appointed for the race they started together.  The Tortoise never for a moment stopped, but went on with a slow but steady pace straight to the end of the course. The Hare, trusting top his native swiftness cared little about the race, and lying down by the wayside, fell fast asleep.  At last waking up, and moving as fast as he could, he saw the Tortoise had reached the goal, and was comfortably dozing after her fatigue.

Text: George Fyler Townsend (p9, 1868).

  

Selected  parallels: La Fontaine 6/10. L’Estrange 1/133. Chambry 352. Perry 226. Daly 226. TMI K11.3.

Moral: It is always possible for hard-working, less gifted people to overtake those who are more naturally talented  but smug and lazy at the same time.

'Big Drawing Weekend' at Ditching Museum of Art and Craft

'Big Drawing Weekend' at Ditching Museum of Art and Craft.

Spent a delightful day today helping to run a 'Big Draw' day at the museum.

19 October 2014.

This is a big drawing that everybody got involved in.

During the day about 150 people(mainly children) got involved.

The Shard, in between the drawbridges of the tower of London

The Shard, in between the raised drawbridges of the tower of London, 

photograph by John Vernon Lord, taken from a Thames boat on Thursday the 2nd of October 2014.

'The Old Person of Sark'

'The Old Person of Sark', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 

from The Nonsense Verse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984, page 67.

'The Old Person of Stroud',

'The Old Person of Stroud', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 

in The Nonsense Verse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 and republished in 2012, Page 67.

'The Old Person of Minety'

'The Old Person of Minety', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 

in The Nonsense Verse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 and republished in 2012, Page 65.

'The Old Man with a poker'

'The Old Man with a poker', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 

in The Nonsense Verse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 and republished in 2012, Page 65.

'The Old Lady of Prague'

'The Old Lady of Prague', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 

in The Nonsense Verse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 and republished in 2012, Page 63.

'The Old Person of Sestri'

'The Old Person of Sestri', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 

in The Nonsense Verse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 and republished in 2012, Page 63.

'The Old Person of Rimini'

'The Old Person of Rimini', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 

in The Nonsense Verse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 and republished in 2012, Page 61.

'The Old Man of Cashmere'

'The Old Man of Cashmere', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 

in The Nonsense Verse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 and republished in 2012, Page 59.

'The Old Man of Peru'

'The Old Man of Peru', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 

in The Nonsense Verse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 and republished in 2012, Page 57.

'The Old Person of Ems'

'The Old Person of Ems', an illustration by John Vernon Lord 

in The Nonsense Verse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 and republished in 2012, Page 55.