French Tales

Fables Of La Fontaine

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Children’s books – Fables Of La Fontaine – Contents
< < < The Old Man And His Sons
The Miser Who Had Lost His Treasure > > >

The Oracle And The Atheist

That man his Maker can deceive,
Is monstrous folly to believe.
The labyrinthine mazes of the heart
Are open to His eyes in every part.
Whatever one may do, or think, or feel,
From Him no darkness can the thing conceal.
A pagan once, of graceless heart and hollow,
Whose faith in gods, I’m apprehensive,
Was quite as real as expensive.
Consulted, at his shrine, the god Apollo.
‘Is what I hold alive, or not?’
Said he,–a sparrow having brought,
Prepared to wring its neck, or let it fly,
As need might be, to give the god the lie.
Apollo saw the trick,
And answer’d quick,
‘Dead or alive, show me your sparrow,
And cease to set for me a trap
Which can but cause yourself mishap.
I see afar, and far I shoot my arrow.’

< < < The Old Man And His Sons
The Miser Who Had Lost His Treasure > > >

Children’s books – Fables Of La Fontaine – Contents

Copyright holders –  Public Domain Book

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