and we two ate so heartily this morning that I cannot move, and the hare is gone out for some medicine.  We have lots of more food.”  “Let me in,” says the wolf; “I am a friend.”  The monkey, of course, readily consents, and just as the wolf enters he slips out, and, replacing the stone, imprisons the wolf.  By-and-by the lion and his mate come up.  “We shall have monkey to-day,” says the lion, lifting the stone—­“faith! we shall only have wolf after all!” So the poor wolf is instantly torn into pieces, while the clever monkey once more overhead re-enacts his lion-pantomime.[116]

  [114] Fables de La Fontaine, Livre xi^e, fable v^e:  “Le Loup
        et le Renard.”

  [115] Recueil de Contes Populaires de la Senegambie,
        recueillis par L.-J.-B.-Berenger-Feraud.  Paris, 1885. 
        Page 51.

  [116] I have to thank my friend Dr. David Ross, Principal,
        E. C. Training College, Glasgow, for kindly drawing my
        attention to this diverting tale.

Strange as it may appear, there is a variant of the fable of the Fox and the Bear current among the negroes in the United States, according to Uncle Remus, that most diverting collection.  In No.  XVI, “Brer Rabbit” goes down in a bucket into a well, and “Brer Fox” asks him what he is doing there.  “O I’m des a fishing, Brer Fox,” says he; and Brer Fox goes into the bucket while Brer Rabbit escapes and chaffs his comrade.

THE DESOLATE ISLAND, p. 243.

There is a tale in the Gesta Romanorum (ch. 74 of the text translated by Swan) which seems to have been suggested by the Hebrew parable of the Desolate Island, and which has passed into general currency throughout Europe:  A dying king bequeaths to his son a golden apple, which he is to give to the greatest fool he can find.  The young prince sets out on his travels, and after meeting with many fools, none of whom, however, he deemed worthy of the “prize,” he comes to a country the king of which reigns only one year, and finds him indulging in all kinds of pleasure.  He offers the king the apple, explaining the terms of his father’s bequest, and saying that he considers him the greatest of all fools, in not having made a proper use of his year of sovereignty.—­A common oral form of this story is to the effect that a court jester came to the bedside of his dying master, who told him that he was going on a very long journey, and the jester inquiring whether he had made due preparation was answered in the negative.  “Then,” said the fool, “prithee take my bauble, for thou art truly the greatest of all fools.”

OTHER RABBINICAL LEGENDS AND TALES.