118 A Lion and Stag.

What's this? A lion attacking a poor stag,
who is caught by his antlers in the branches of
atree. This would do to illustrate a well-known
fable, which tells us that a stag once, looking
at his own reflection in a pool of water, was
delighted with the beauty of his antlers, their
graceful curves, and the dignity they gave to

 

his appearance ; while he found fault with his
legs for being too long and straight. But when
the stag was hunted, and had to run for his life,
the despised legs would have carried him far
away from his enemies, had not the beautiful
outspreading antlers caught in a tree, and so
caused his death. This fable teaches that things
should not be prized only for their beauty, but
for their usefulness and goodness.