146 FAVOURITE FABLES.

vindicate your injured reputation. If, therefore, you will
promise never to be so hasty again in killing any beast, I
vote for your absolution.”” This the Fox readily did; and ~
the Ass joined in opinion with the Wolf, who then thus
began his confession :— |
‘“‘ As I was one day walking along, I saw a Sow trampling
down the corn of.a poor peasant, and tearing it up by the
roots, while her hungry Pigs were strayed far from her, and
could not get themselves out of the mire; so that I, grow-
ing very angry at the great mischief she did the peasant,
and at her neglect of motherly duty, killed and ate her up.
Three days after, chancing to go again the same way, I
observed that those Pigs were grown very lean; and reflect-
ing that, through want of their mother’s milk, they would
certainly die a languishing death, I put an end to their
miseries, and ate them up too. This I have to confess.”
The Fox instantly argued in this manner :—‘‘ Though you
confess to having killed both mother and children; and though
it seems, at first sight, that you have heinously offended
against the law of our king; yet I see, nevertheless, that
your intentions were good: to prevent mischief from falling
upon men, to stir up a mother to her duty, and to show com-
passion to her miserable children, are virtues that no law can
forbid or punish. I, therefore, declare you absolved.’’ To
which the Ass agreed,