Rock A Bye Library: A Book of Fables: Amusement for Good Little Children

In Short

This mid-nineteenth-century American compilation presents a series of very brief, didactic fables designed to instruct young readers in proper conduct and social wisdom. Through concise interactions between talking animals—such as foxes, cocks, lions, and straying fawns—alongside brief vignettes of human children sharing fruit or squabbling over games, the narrative outlines clear boundaries between prudence and folly. Each tale concludes with an explicit moral lesson warning against flattery, vanity, idleness, and bad company. It has endured as an authentic artifact of Victorian juvenile literature that values practical virtue, self-restraint, and basic common sense.

The Story

The book moves rapidly through a series of self-contained moral anecdotes, opening with traditional animal confrontations before shifting toward human households and farmyard observations. In the initial sequence, a cunning Fox uses flattery to trick a vain Cock into descending from a barn roof, devouring the bird the moment it touches the ground. Soon after, an eager Dwarf aligns himself with a powerful Giant to fight off highway robbers, only to find himself severely beaten while the Giant easily repels the attackers.

Shifted context brings the reader to a grain field where a Partridge watches over her nest; she ignores rumors that the landowner will ask neighbors to mow his field, but she instantly commands her chicks to flee the moment she hears the owner resolve to cut the crop himself. In a nearby farmyard, a Cock scratches up a brilliant jewel amidst the straw but rejects it immediately, preferring a single grain of barley over an ornamental gem that offers no nourishment. Along a riverbank, a Dog carrying a piece of meat snaps at his own reflection in the water, mistaking it for another dog carrying food, and consequently drops his actual meal into the river. Nearby, a Dog catches a small Rat that begs for its life by promising to grow larger by next year, but the Dog refuses the plea, noting that a present opportunity should never be sacrificed for an uncertain future.

Work ethic and practical benevolence dominate the central passages. A industrious Beaver spends months building a sturdy lodge by the water, dismissing a lazy Fly who mocks his effort, only for the Beaver to point out that idle insects perish when winter arrives. In a domestic setting, a Farmer returns from town and divides five peaches among his family; his sons report their uses, ranging from immediate consumption to selling the fruit or planting the stone, but the most praised child quietly gives his peach to a sick neighbor. A Wasp complains to a Canary that humans cage and feed the bird while driving away the wasp, but the Canary reminds him that beauty without sweet behavior means nothing if one carries a painful sting.

The narrative darkens briefly as a little Fawn ignores a Fox's advice and steps into the middle of a ferocious battle between a Lion and a Tiger, taking a fatal blow intended for the Tiger. A loyal Dog tasked with carrying his master's lunch basket is ambushed by a pack of thief dogs; when defense fails, he joins the thieves in eating the meal, leaving his working master hungry. Finally, a young Pig boasts of his high status because a farm boy tends to him daily, only for a wise old Hog to reveal the grim truth of the winter slaughter.

How It Unflows

The traps of flattery and pride A foolish Cock leaps from his safe perch on a barn roof after a deceitful Fox praises his cleverness, resulting in his immediate death. A tiny Dwarf joins a Giant to battle robbers, only to suffer a beating because he mistook another person's strength for his own.

Prudence and tangible value A wise Partridge waits to evacuate her brood until a farmer decides to mow his own field rather than rely on neighbors. A farmyard Cock uncovers a precious gem in the dirt but rightly prioritizes a single grain of barley, recognizing that utility matters more than unneeded luxury.

The hazard of greed and hesitation A Dog loses his real piece of meat in a river after snapping at his own reflection to acquire a second portion. A hunting Dog refuses to grant a captured Rat a year to grow larger, choosing to deal with a small fault immediately rather than risk losing his prize later.

Industry, kindness, and temper A Beaver builds a winter home despite the taunts of a lazy Fly, while a young boy earns praise by giving his fresh market peach to a bedridden neighbor. A Wasp complains that humans favor the Canary, but the songbird explains that pleasant behavior brings rewards while stings bring hostility.

The fatal peril of interference A young Fawn tries to intervene in a vicious duel between a Lion and a Tiger, ignoring a Fox's warning and perishing instantly from a stray blow. A trusted dog defends his master's lunch basket against a pack of stray dogs, but ultimately gives in to bad example and joins the feast.

The People

• The Fox: A shrewd, opportunistic figure who uses sweet words to exploit the vanity of others and carefully avoids danger when larger beasts fight.
• The Partridge: A cautious and practical mother who understands human nature, knowing a job is only done when the owner does it himself.
• The Cock: A farmyard bird who, in one tale, succumbs to empty flattery, but in another demonstrates sound practical judgment by preferring food to useless jewels.
• The Dog with the Meat: An overly ambitious animal whose unthinking greed causes him to lose a real, tangible meal for an illusion.
• The Beaver: A methodical and diligent worker who builds shelter for the cold season while quietly dismissing the mockery of idle creatures.
• The Third Son: A selfless child who rejects immediate gratification or financial profit, choosing instead to bring comfort to a sick neighbor by giving away his peach.
• The Canary: A gentle, cheerful bird who earns shelter, sweet green food, and care from humans by offering a sweet song rather than a sharp sting.
• The Fawn: An overly confident, naive creature who ignores good counsel and meddles in violent conflicts far beyond his strength, paying with his life.
• The Honest Dog: A loyal pet trained to carry his master's basket, whose moral resolve crumbles under peer pressure when surrounded by aggressive thieves.
• The Shrewd Old Hog: A clear-eyed veteran of the farmyard who dispels the young pigs' illusions regarding their true place in human agriculture.

In Its Own Voice

"Grasp at the shadow, and lose the substance;--the common fate of those who hazard a real blessing for a visionary good."

A Dog drops his dinner into the river after mistaking his own reflection for a rival carrying a larger piece of meat.

"I took mine to poor George, our neighbor, who is ill," said the third son. "He cannot eat much, and I thought he would like it."

A father asks his four sons to account for how they used the fresh market peaches he gave them the previous evening.

"That is quite true," answered the Canary; "but when men come to see me I treat them to a merry song, while you attack them with your sting."

A Wasp complains to a caged songbird that humans constantly try to strike and kill him despite his bright yellow body.

What It's Really About

This text is fundamentally about the necessity of self-governance, honest labor, and realistic self-assessment in a competitive world. Beneath its simple fables lies a strict moral framework that warns children against the twin dangers of vanity and naive ambition. The stories repeatedly contrast substance with illusion—whether it is food versus jewels, a real meal versus a reflection, or short-term comfort versus winter survival. The text argues that true safety comes from knowing one's personal limits, attending to one's own duties, and avoiding unnecessary conflicts. It portrays society as a place where bad actors use flattery to exploit weakness, making discernment, quiet generosity, and steady self-reliance essential survival skills for the young.

Why Read It Today

Modern readers interested in historical children's literature will find this collection a fascinating, unvarnished window into mid-nineteenth-century moral education. Unlike contemporary stories that soft-pedal consequences, these fables deliver their lessons with direct, unsentimental clarity: characters who make foolish choices are eaten, beaten, or left hungry without apology. The prose is brisk, accessible, and entirely free of modern fluff, making it a quick read that showcases how early publishers used animal behavior to teach children basic ethics.

Readers should be prepared for the stern tone and blunt outcomes typical of Victorian moral primers, including explicit reminders of mortality and slaughter, as seen in the farmyard dialogue between the young pig and the old hog. The structure relies heavily on direct moral summations attached to each scene, which can feel heavy-handed to those used to subtle storytelling. Nevertheless, the classic simplicity of the narratives, combined with their timeless observations on human nature and vanity, gives the book a durable, vintage charm that appeals to historians, educators, and literary archivists alike.