Go to the ant, you lazybones; consider its ways, and be wise.

Of all the creatures that breathe and creep on the surface of the earth, none is more to be pitied than man.

Every ass thinks himself worthy to stand with the king’s horses.

There are some who, if a cat accidentally comes into the room, though they neither see it nor are told of it, will presently be in a sweat and ready to die away.

Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It’s what separates us from the animals—except the weasel.

When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber.

The elephant, although a gross beast, is yet the most decent and most sensible of any other upon earth. Although he never changes his female, and hath so tender a love for her whom he hath chosen, yet he never couples with her but at the end of every three years, and then only for the space of five days.

A bull contents himself with one meadow, and one forest is enough for a thousand elephants; but the little body of a man devours more than all other living creatures.

I do not mean to call an elephant a vulgar animal, but if you think about him carefully, you will find that his nonvulgarity consists in such gentleness as is possible to elephantine nature—not in his insensitive hide, nor in his clumsy foot, but in the way he will lift his foot if a child lies in his way; and in his sensitive trunk, and still more sensitive mind, and capability of pique on points of honor.

Men, my dear, are very queer animals—a mixture of horse nervousness, ass stubbornness, and camel malice.

A good dog, sir, deserves a good bone.

Who sleepeth with dogs shall rise with fleas.

A dog starved at his master’s gate / Predicts the ruin of the state.