▁motiv ation , ▁never ▁explained ▁in ▁any ▁earlier ▁account . ▁Be hind ▁his ▁behaviour ▁is ▁the ▁situation ▁at ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁ancient ▁mock ▁ep ic ▁Bat rach omy om ach ia ▁in ▁which ▁a ▁f rog ▁carrying ▁a ▁mouse ▁on ▁its ▁back ▁had ▁sub mer ged ▁from ▁fear ▁of ▁a ▁s nake ▁and ▁in ad vert ently ▁d rown ed ▁his ▁r ider . ▁In ▁reven ge , ▁the ▁m ice ▁declared ▁war ▁on ▁the ▁fro gs ▁and ▁ever ▁after ▁the ▁two ▁had ▁been ▁enemies . ▁▁ ▁In ▁a ▁translation ▁of ▁another ▁Latin ▁ret elling ▁towards ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century , ▁Arthur ▁Gold ing ▁drew ▁a ▁parallel ▁with ▁this ▁old ▁en m ity ▁in ▁the ▁manuscript ▁of ▁his ▁" A ▁Mor al ▁F able t alk ". ▁ ▁The ▁mer ging ▁of ▁the ▁different ▁batt les ▁into ▁an ▁extended ▁f able ▁was ▁carried ▁forward ▁by ▁John ▁Og il by ▁in ▁ 1 6 6 8 , ▁soon ▁to ▁be ▁followed ▁by ▁accounts ▁of ▁their ▁mar sh land ▁battle ▁with ▁re eds ▁and ▁bul r ush es ▁for ▁weapons ▁in ▁the ▁f able ▁collections ▁of ▁Francis ▁Bar low ▁( 1 6 8 7 ), ▁Roger ▁L ' Est range ▁( 1 6 9 2 ) ▁and ▁Samuel ▁Cro x all ▁( 1 7 2 2 ). ▁In ▁the ▁after math ▁of ▁civil ▁str ife ▁and ▁revolution , ▁it ▁was ▁an ▁apt ▁opportunity ▁to ▁pre ach ▁civil ▁conc ord , ▁but ▁the ▁f able ▁had ▁by ▁now ▁w ander