Tiger having eaten professor
Frederick Stuart Church
A tiger, having been met with rational argument by a professor, a most learned man was inspired by his stomach. Tho' reason be the fruit of the mind, he insisted, the mind cannot live without a full stomach.

"How true," the professor agreed fondly remembering his days at High Table.

"Oh I am glad you agree," the tiger answered sincerely.

The professor did not remember High Table very long. For he was at the Tiger's own High Table.

The Land Baby
Hon John Collier
A little girl, playing on the beach discovered a beautiful mermaid.

"Come away, come away with me, my little one," the mermaid sang.

The little girl was so entranced that she did not think to ask her mother if she might go with the mermaid. Instead she took the mermaid by the hand and was pulled beneath the waves where she drowned and was eaten by the fishes.

A mermaid sings for a reason, not just to please you.

The Masked Ball
Georges-Jules-Victor Clairin
A fine lady at a masked ball wore the most beautiful dress and with her mask on, sought her lover. A masked pierrot danced mutely and so divinely that she thought he must definitely be her lover. Removing her mask she revealed her beauty and the pierrot kissed her slowly and lingeringly until all reason had vanished from her. She gave herself up to his kisses and eventually his hands... When she eventually thought to remove his mask, she was confronted with a well known ladies man.

It is always best to have all the facts before you make conclusions.

Girl with Rabbits
Frederick Stuart Church
A girl played upon a flute most beautifully in the meadow. The rabbits beguiled by the sweetness of the sound gathered to listen. The girl played a little softer and the rabbits drew nearer. Suddenly the girl reached out to grab a rabbit and all three whipped around and sped off.

The girl sat down patiently and began to play again. Behind her, in the trees a fox beguiled by the sound approached and sat to listen. When the girl had finished playing and no rabbits had appeared, the fox, hungry having no flute of his own to beguile rabbits with, leapt upon the girl and killed her.

It is never wise to play sweet music in the presence of wild beasts.