0530

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Today's AESOP's Fables

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The Cat and the Mice 

  A CERTAIN HOUSE was overrun with Mice.  A Cat, discovering this,

made her way into it and began to catch and eat them one by one. 

Fearing for their lives, the Mice kept themselves close in their

holes.  The Cat was no longer able to get at them and perceived

that she must tempt them forth by some device.  For this purpose

she jumped upon a peg, and suspending herself from it, pretended

to be dead.  One of the Mice, peeping stealthily out, saw her and

said, "Ah, my good madam, even though you should turn into a

meal-bag, we will not come near you."

He who is once deceived is doubly cautious

0529

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Today's AESOP's Fables

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The Cat and the Cock 

  A CAT caught a Cock, and pondered how he might find a reasonable

excuse for eating him.  He accused him of being a nuisance to men

by crowing in the nighttime and not permitting them to sleep. 

The Cock defended himself by saying that he did this for the

benefit of men, that they might rise in time for their labors. 

The Cat replied, "Although you abound in specious apologies, I

shall not remain supperless"; and he made a meal of him. 

0528

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Today's AESOP's Fables

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The Cat-Maiden

  The gods were once disputing whether it was possible for a

living being to change its nature.  Jupiter said "Yes," but Venus

said "No."  So, to try the question, Jupiter turned a Cat into a

Maiden, and gave her to a young man for a wife.  The wedding was

duly performed and the young couple sat down to the wedding-feast.

"See," said Jupiter, to Venus, "how becomingly she behaves.  Who

could tell that yesterday she was but a Cat?  Surely her nature is

changed?"

  "Wait a minute," replied Venus, and let loose a mouse into the

room.  No sooner did the bride see this than she jumped up from

her seat and tried to pounce upon the mouse.  "Ah, you see," said

Venus, "Nature will out."

0527

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Today's AESOP's Fables
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The Camel


  WHEN MAN first saw the Camel, he was so frightened at his vast
size that he ran away.  After a time, perceiving the meekness and
gentleness of the beast's temper, he summoned courage enough to
approach him.  Soon afterwards, observing that he was an animal
altogether deficient in spirit, he assumed such boldness as to
put a bridle in his mouth, and to let a child drive him.


Use serves to overcome dread.

0526

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Today's AESOP's Fables
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The Cage Bird and the Bat


  A singing bird was confined in a cage which hung outside a window,
and had a way of singing at night when all other birds were asleep.
One night a Bat came and clung to the bars of the cage, and asked
the Bird why she was silent by day and sang only at night. "I have a
very good reason for doing so," said the Bird. "It was once when I was
singing in the daytime that a fowler was attracted by my voice, and
set his nets for me and caught me. Since then I have never sung except
by night." But the Bat replied, "It is no use your doing that now when
you are a prisoner: if only you had done so before you were caught,
you might still have been free."


"Precautions are useless after the crisis."

0521

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Today's AESOP's Fables
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The Bundle of Sticks


  An old man on the point of death summoned his sons around him
to give them some parting advice.  He ordered his servants to
bring in a faggot of sticks, and said to his eldest son: "Break
it."  The son strained and strained, but with all his efforts was
unable to break the Bundle.  The other sons also tried, but none
of them was successful.  "Untie the faggots," said the father,
"and each of you take a stick."  When they had done so, he called
out to them: "Now, break," and each stick was easily broken.  "You
see my meaning," said their father.


Union gives strength.

0519

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Today's AESOP's Fables
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The Bull and the Goat 


  A BULL, escaping from a Lion, hid in a cave which some shepherds
had recently occupied.  As soon as he entered, a He-Goat left in
the cave sharply attacked him with his horns.  The Bull quietly
addressed him:  "Butt away as much as you will.  I have no fear of
you, but of the Lion.  Let that monster go away and I will soon
let you know what is the respective strength of a Goat and a
Bull."


It shows an evil disposition to take advantage of a friend in
distress.

0516-Alibaba Unveils Data Center in Hong Kong

Just days after filing for an initial public offering in the U.S., Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding is beefing up one of its lesser-known businesses: helping online merchants manage their ever-increasing data.

Alibaba, which runs online marketplaces hosting millions of merchants, said it launched a data center in Hong Kong on Monday as a first major step to expand its fledgling cloud-computing business outside mainland China.

Revenue at its cloud-computing unit is tiny when compared with that of Alibaba’s mainstay e-commerce operations, which generate revenue through advertising and commission fees. However, as transactions on Alibaba’s sites grow rapidly, analysts say that data management services could become a major business for the company going forward.

Alibaba created its cloud-computing business unit in 2009 to respond to demand from sellers using the company’s shopping sites. Alibaba’s IPO filing last week showed that revenue from the cloud business stood at $90 million, accounting for only 1.4% of its total revenue, in the last nine months of 2013.

The launch of the Hong Kong data center also comes as Alibaba’s two main shopping sites–Taobao and Tmall– have been trying to expand outside mainland China, beginning with Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. According to Alibaba’s website, the company has data centers in three mainland Chinese cities: Hangzhou, Qingdao and Beijing.

Investors in the U.S. and globally are watching Alibaba’s every move to decide whether to subscribe for shares in the IPO. Some analysts estimate the listing could value Alibaba between $150 billion and $250 billion, making it one of the most valuable technology companies in the world.

Alibaba said it built the new data center in Hong Kong in cooperation with a unit of Towngas, a Hong Kong gas company. Alibaba didn’t say how much it spent on the facility.

0515

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Today's AESOP's Fables
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The Buffoon and the Countryman


  At a country fair there was a Buffoon who made all the people
laugh by imitating the cries of various animals.  He finished off
by squeaking so like a pig that the spectators thought that he had
a porker concealed about him.  But a Countryman who stood by said:
"Call that a pig s squeak!  Nothing like it.  You give me till
tomorrow and I will show you what it's like."  The audience
laughed, but next day, sure enough, the Countryman appeared on the
stage, and putting his head down squealed so hideously that the
spectators hissed and threw stones at him to make him stop.  "You
fools!" he cried, "see what you have been hissing," and held up a
little pig whose ear he had been pinching to make him utter the
squeals.


Men often applaud an imitation and hiss the real thing.

0514

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Today's AESOP's Fables
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The Brother and the Sister 


  A FATHER had one son and one daughter, the former remarkable for
his good looks, the latter for her extraordinary ugliness.  While
they were playing one day as children, they happened by chance to
look together into a mirror that was placed on their mother's
chair.  The boy congratulated himself on his good looks; the girl
grew angry, and could not bear the self-praises of her Brother,
interpreting all he said (and how could she do otherwise?) into
reflection on herself.  She ran off to her father.  to be avenged
on her Brother, and spitefully accused him of having, as a boy,
made use of that which belonged only to girls.  The father
embraced them both, and bestowing his kisses and affection
impartially on each, said, "I wish you both would look into the
mirror every day:  you, my son, that you may not spoil your beauty
by evil conduct; and you, my daughter, that you may make up for
your lack of beauty by your virtues."

0512

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Today's AESOP's Fables
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The Brazier and His Dog 


  A BRAZIER had a little Dog, which was a great favorite with his
master, and his constant companion.  While he hammered away at
his metals the Dog slept; but when, on the other hand, he went to
dinner and began to eat, the Dog woke up and wagged his tail, as
if he would ask for a share of his meal.  His master one day,
pretending to be angry and shaking his stick at him, said, "You
wretched little sluggard! what shall I do to you? While I am
hammering on the anvil, you sleep on the mat; and when I begin to
eat after my toil, you wake up and wag your tail for food.  Do
you not know that labor is the source of every blessing, and that
none but those who work are entitled to eat?'

0509

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Today's AESOP's Fables
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The Bowman and Lion 


  A VERY SKILLFUL BOWMAN went to the mountains in search of game,
but all the beasts of the forest fled at his approach.  The Lion
alone challenged him to combat.  The Bowman immediately shot out
an arrow and said to the Lion:  "I send thee my messenger, that
from him thou mayest learn what I myself shall be when I assail
thee."  The wounded Lion rushed away in great fear, and when a Fox
who had seen it all happen told him to be of good courage and not
to back off at the first attack he replied:  "You counsel me in
vain; for if he sends so fearful a messenger, how shall I abide
the attack of the man himself?'


Be on guard against men who can strike from a distance.

0508

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Today's AESOP's Fables
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The Boasting Traveler


A MAN who had traveled in foreign lands boasted very much, on
returning to his own country, of the many wonderful and heroic
feats he had performed in the different places he had visited.
Among other things, he said that when he was at Rhodes he had
leaped to such a distance that no man of his day could leap
anywhere near him as to that, there were in Rhodes many persons
who saw him do it and whom he could call as witnesses.  One of
the bystanders interrupted him, saying:  "Now, my good man, if
this be all true there is no need of witnesses.  Suppose this
to be Rhodes, and leap for us."


He who does a thing well does not need to boast