The Ant and the Grasshopper
One summer's day, a merry Grasshopper was dancing, singing and
playing his violin with all his heart. He saw an Ant passing by, bearing
along with great toil a wheatear to store for the winter.
“Come and sing with me instead of working so hard”, said the
Grasshopper “Let’s have fun together.”
“I must store food for the winter”, said the Ant, “and I advise you to do the
same.”
“Don’t worry about winter, it’s still very far away”, said the
Grasshopper, laughing at him. But the Ant wouldn’t listen and continued
his toil.
When the winter came, the starving Grasshopper went to the Ant’s
house and humbly begged for something to eat.
“If you had listened to my advice in the summer you would not now be in
need,” said the Ant. “I’m afraid you will have to go supper less to bed,”
and he closed the door.
“It is best to prepare for the days of necessity.”
1
The Ass in the Lion's Skin
One day, an Ass found a Lion's skin left in the forest by a
hunter, and wishing to amuse himself and to feel powerful, put it on,
scaring all the animals he met on his way. He was very proud of
himself and felt like a real king. But in his delight, he opened his
mouth and brayed in triumph.
The moment he heard the Ass’s voice, a Fox who was running
frightened as well, stopped suddenly and began to laugh. Approaching
the Ass, he exclaimed:
“You could have fooled me, too, had I not heard your bray.”
“Fine clothes may disguise a fool, but silly words will give him away.”
2
The Fox and the Crow
A Crow, having stolen a bit of meat, sat in a tree and held it in
her beak. A hungry Fox, seeing this, envied the crow and wished to
have the meat for himself. So he came up with a cunning plan.
“How gracious you are,” he exclaimed, “how beautifully your
feathers shine! Oh, if only your voice were equal to your beauty, you
would deserve to be called the Queen of Birds!”
The Crow was really flattered by these words, so, anxious to be
called the Queen of Birds, she gave a loud caw and dropped the meat.
The Fox quickly picked it up, and thus addressed the Crow: “My dear
Crow, you have a nice voice, indeed, but I’m afraid you have no
wits.”
“Do not trust flatterers.”
3
The Bear and the Two Travellers
Two Friends were travelling together, when a Bear suddenly
appeared before them. One of them, thinking of his own safety
climbed up quickly into a tree, without trying to help his friend do the
same. The other, not having time to hide, fell flat on the ground,
without moving at all, as if he were dead. The Bear came up and
smelled him all over, and after a while, thinking he was dead, walked
away. When the danger was gone, the other Traveller climbed down
from the tree, and, laughing at his friend asked him: “What did the
bear whisper in your ear?” “He gave me this advice," the other
replied. "Never travel with a friend who leaves you in the lurch."
“Misfortune reveals the true nature of friends.”
4
The Stag at the River
A Stag, very thirsty because of the heat, came to a river in a forest to
drink some water. He saw his shadow reflected in the water, and greatly
admired the size of his horns, but felt ashamed of his weak and thin legs.
“I wish my legs were as beautiful as my horns,” he sobbed. While he
was lost in these thoughts, a Lion appeared at the river. The Stag fled from
the river in an instant, but his horns soon became entangled with the
branches and he found himself stuck. The Lion quickly caught up with him
and captured him. “How wrong I was to despise my legs which could have
saved me now, had it not been for my horns which I so admired!” he cried.
“The most valuable things are often disregarded.”
5
The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox
A Lion and a Bear captured a Kid at the same moment, and
began to fight for it. Finally, they were so exhausted that they had to
lie down. A Fox, who had been watching them all this time from a
distance, thought it was the perfect moment to approach.
He seized the Kid in an instant and ran off with it as fast as he
could. The Lion and the Bear saw him, but not being able to get up,
said: “How foolish we proved ourselves to be for not having shared
the prey in a friendly way. Now we have nothing left, while the Fox
will enjoy a great meal.”
“Those who have all the toil do not always get the profit.”
6
The Hare and the Tortoise
A hare, one day, mocked the short feet and slow pace of the
Tortoise, who replied: “As swift as you may be, I will beat you in a
race.” The Hare took this as a joke and agreed with the proposal, just
for fun. On the day appointed for the race the two started together.
The Tortoise didn’t stop or even slow down once, but went on with a
steady pace straight to the end of the course. The Hare, thinking he
had time enough, took a nap under a tree. At last, waking up and
running as fast as he could, he tried to catch up with the tortoise, but it
was too late. The tortoise had already won the race!
“Slow but steady wins the race.”
7
The Fox and the Grapes
One hot summer's day a hungry Fox saw some clusters of ripe
grapes hanging from a vine. But the vine on which the grapes hung
was too high for him to reach.
Drawing back a few steps, he took a running leap at it, but he
missed the bunch. Again and again he tried, but in vain. At last, he
had to give it up, and walked away with his nose in the air, saying,
"They must be sour."
“It is easy to despise what you cannot get.”
8
The Shepherd’s Boy and the Wolf
There was once a shepherd boy who tended his sheep at the foot
of a mountain near a forest. His life was pretty boring, so he thought
of a plan to amuse himself and have a little fun. He ran towards the
village calling out "Wolf! Wolf!" and the villagers came out to help
him, only to find him laughing like a hyena.
The boy enjoyed his trick very much, so the next day he tried it
again, and fooled the villagers for the second time. But shortly after
this a wolf actually did come out from the forest and began to chase
the sheep, and the boy of course cried out again, "Wolf! Wolf!." But
this time the villagers didn’t pay attention to him, thinking the boy
was playing again with them. So the Wolf made a good meal of the
boy's flock and then went back into the forest.
“No one will believe a liar, even when he speaks the truth.”
9
The Ant and the Dove
An Ant went to the river to quench his thirst, but the rush of the
water carried him away and the Ant was now struggling to save his
life. A Dove sitting on a tree overhanging the water, seeing him,
immediately took a bough, and let it fall close to the Ant, so that he
could climb on it. The Ant was thus saved from drowning.
A few days later, a hunter came and pointed the gun at the Dove
who was sitting in the same tree. The Ant happened to be nearby and,
perceiving the hunter’s intentions, stung him in the foot. The pain
made the hunter miss his aim, while the shot startled the Dove and
made her fly away.
“One good turn deserves another.”
10
The Dog and His Reflection
A Dog, crossing a bridge over a stream with a piece of meat in
his mouth, saw his own reflection in the water. Thinking it was
another dog with a bigger piece of meat; he growled and frowned at
it, wishing to have that morsel, too.
He, then, opened his mouth to get the other piece of meat, but at
that moment, his own fell into the water with a splash and the stream
swept it away. He thus lost both.
“Greed can make you lose everything you have.”
11
The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
A Town Mouse was invited by his cousin who lived in the
countryside to spend a few days in her company. They had a very modest
dinner, with wheat stalks, roots, acorns, and fresh water. After the meal,
the Town Mouse began to describe the throbbing and charming life of the
town, with all the luxuries and delights that anyone could desire. So, the
next day when the Town Mouse asked the Country Mouse to go home
with her to the city, she accepted.
When they reached the Town Mouse’s home, they found the most
tempting food the Country Mouse could have imagined. But, no sooner
had they started to eat, than a fierce Cat attacked them. They managed to
hide, but soon after, a Man with a Dog came in and they had to hide again.
The scared Country Mouse decided to return home immediately.
“You may have luxuries that I have not,” she said as she hurried
away,” but I prefer my plain food and simple but peaceful life.”
“Poverty with security is better than luxury in the midst of danger.”
12
The Peacock and the Crane
There was once a very conceited Peacock who had a gorgeous
tail like no other bird. So, when he met a Crane one day, the Peacock
scoffed at the Crane’s colorless and dull feathers, and immediately
spread his own colorful tail for the Crane to see and admire.
“Look at my feathers,” he boasted, how they shine in all the
colors of the rainbow, while yours are so pale! I am dressed like a
king!” “That’s true,” the Crane answered, “but I can fly high above,
among the clouds and the stars and I can see all the beauty of the earth
in all its glory, while you live down here just like any other cock.”
“Fine feathers don’t make fine birds.”
13
The Hares and the Frogs
The Hares, persecuted by the other beasts and afraid even of
their own shadows, had a council to decide what to do. The
conclusion they came to was to die rather than live on with this
shame. So, they went to a pond, determined to drown themselves. But
when they were just about to jump, some Frogs who had been sitting
on a water lily, startled by the noise they made, rushed to the deep
water for safety.
“Look,” cried a Hare, “there are creatures who are even afraid of us,
so things are not so bad, after all. We don’t need to die anymore.”
“However unfortunate we may think we are, there is always someone worse off
than ourselves.
14
The Lion and the Mouse
Once when a Lion was asleep a little Mouse began running up and
down upon him; this soon wakened the Lion, who placed his huge paw
upon him, and opened his big jaws to swallow him. "Pardon, O King,"
cried the little Mouse: "forgive me this time, I shall never forget it: who
knows but what I may be able to do you a turn some of these days?" The
Lion was so tickled at the idea of the Mouse being able to help himthat he
lifted up his paw and let him go. Sometime after the Lion was caught in a
trap, and the hunters who desired to carry him alive to the King, tied him
to a tree while they went in search of a waggon to carry him on. Just then
the little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight in which
the Lion was, went up to him and soon gnawed away the ropes that bound
the King of the Beasts. "Was I not right?" said the little Mouse.
“Little friends may prove great friends.”
15
The Wind and the Sun
The Wind and the Sun were disputing which was the stronger.
Suddenly they saw a traveller coming down the road, and the Sun
said: "I see a way to decide our dispute. Whichever of us can cause
that traveller to take off his cloak shall be regarded as the stronger.
You begin." So the Sun retired behind a cloud, and the Wind began to
blow as hard as it could upon the traveller. But the harder he blew the
more closely did the traveller wrap his cloak round him, till at last the
Wind had to give up in despair. Then the Sun came out and shone in
all his glory upon the traveller, who soon found it too hot to walk with
his cloak on.
“Kindness effects more than severity.”
16
The Fox and the Goat
By an unlucky chance a Fox fell into a deep well from which he
could not get out. A Goat passed by shortly afterwards, and asked the
Fox what he was doing down there. "Oh, have you not heard?" said
the Fox; "there is going to be a great drought, so I jumped down here
in order to be sure to have water by me. Why don't you come down
too?" The Goat thought well of this advice, and jumped down into the
well. But the Fox immediately jumped on her back, and by putting his
foot on her long horns managed to jump up to the edge of the well.
"Good-bye, friend," said the Fox, "remember next time, "Never trust
the advice of a man in difficulties."
"Never trust the advice of a man in difficulties."
17
The Miser and His Gold
Once upon a time there was a Miser who used to hide his gold at
the foot of a tree in his garden; but every week he used to go and dig
it up and gloat over his gains. A robber, who had noticed this, went
and dug up the gold and decamped with it. When the Miser next came
to gloat over his treasures, he found nothing but the empty hole. He
tore his hair, and raised such an outcry that all the neighbours came
around him, and he told them how he used to come and visit his gold.
"Did you ever take any of it out?" asked one of them. "Nay," said he,
"I only came to look at it." "Then come again and look at the hole,"
said a neighbour; "it will do you just as much good."
“Wealth unused might as well not exist.”
18
The Fox, the Cock, and the Dog
One moonlight night a Fox was prowling about a farmer's hen-
coop, and saw a Cock roosting high up beyond his reach. "Good
news, good news!" he cried. "Why, what is that?" said the Cock.
"King Lion has declared a universal truce. No beast may hurt a bird
henceforth, but all shall dwell together in brotherly friendship." "Why,
that is good news," said the Cock; "and there I see someone coming,
with whom we can share the good tidings." And so saying he craned
his neck forward and looked afar off. "What is it you see?" said the
Fox. "It is only my master's Dog that is coming towards us. What,
going so soon?" he continued, as the Fox began to turn away as soon
as he had heard the news. "Will you not stop and congratulate the Dog
on the reign of universal peace?" "I would gladly do so," said the Fox,
"but I fear he may not have heard of King Lion's decree."
“Cunning often outwits itself.”
19
The Dog and the Wolf
A gaunt Wolf was almost dead with hunger when he happened
to meet a House-dog who was passing by. "Ah, Cousin," said the
Dog. "I knew how it would be; your irregular life will soon be the ruin
of you. Why do you not work steadily as I do, and get your food
regularly given to you?"
"I would have no objection," said the Wolf, "if I could only get a
place."
"I will easily arrange that for you," said the Dog; "come with me
to my master and you shall share my work."
So the Wolf and the Dog went towards the town together. On
the way there the Wolf noticed that the hair on a certain part of the
Dog's neck was very much worn away, so he asked him how that had
come about.
"Oh, it is nothing," said the Dog. "That is only the place where
the collar is put on at night to keep me chained up; it chafes a bit, but
one soon gets used to it."
"Is that all?" said the Wolf. "Then good-bye to you, Master
Dog."
“Better starve free than be a fat slave.”
20
The Fox and the Stork
At one time the Fox and the Stork were on visiting terms and
seemed very good friends. So the Fox invited the Stork to dinner, and for a
joke put nothing before her but some soup in a very shallow dish. This the
Fox could easily lap up, but the Stork could only wet the end of her long
bill in it, and left the meal as hungry as when she began. "I am sorry," said
the Fox, "the soup is not to your liking."
"Pray do not apologise," said the Stork. "I hope you will return this
visit, and come and dine with me soon." So a day was appointed when the
Fox should visit the Stork; but when they were seated at table all that was
for their dinner was contained in a very long-necked jar with a narrow
mouth, in which the Fox could not insert his snout, so all he could manage
to do was to lick the outside of the jar. "I will not apologise for the dinner,"
said the Stork:
"One bad turn deserves another."
21
The Milkmaid and Her Pail
Patty the Milkmaid was going to market carrying her milk in a
Pail on her head. As she went along she began calculating what she
would do with the money she would get for the milk. "I'll buy some
fowls from Farmer Brown," said she, "and they will lay eggs each
morning, which I will sell to the parson's wife. With the money that I
get from the sale of these eggs I'll buy myself a new dimity frock and
a chip hat; and when I go to market, won't all the young men come up
and speak to me! Polly Shaw will be that jealous; but I don't care. I
shall just look at her and toss my head like this. As she spoke she
tossed her head back, the Pail fell off it, and all the milk was spilt. So
she had to go home and tell her mother what had occurred.
"Ah, my child," said the mother,
"Do not count your chickens before they are hatched."
22
The Goose with the Golden Eggs
One day a countryman going to the nest of his Goose found
there an egg all yellow and glittering. When he took it up it was as
heavy as lead and he was going to throw it away, because he thought
a trick had been played upon him. But he took it home on second
thoughts, and soon found to his delight that it was an egg of pure
gold. Every morning the same thing occurred, and he soon became
rich by selling his eggs. As he grew rich he grew greedy; and thinking
to get at once all the gold the Goose could give, he killed it and
opened it only to find nothing.
“Greed oft o'er reaches itself.”
23
The Crow and the Pitcher
A Crow, half-dead with thirst, came upon a Pitcher which had once
been full of water; but when the Crow put its beak into the mouth of the
Pitcher he found that only very little water was left in it, and that he could
not reach far enough down to get at it. He tried, and he tried, but at last had
to give up in despair. Then a thought came to him, and he took a pebble
and dropped it into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped
it into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into the
Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into the Pitcher.
Then he took another pebble and dropped that into the Pitcher. Then he
took another pebble and dropped that into the Pitcher. At last, at last, he
saw the water mount up near him, and after casting in a few more pebbles
he was able to quench his thirst and save his life.
24
The Peacock's Complaint
A peacock was very unhappy with his ugly voice, and he spent
most of his days complaining about it.
"It is true that you cannot sing," said the fox, "But look how beautiful
you are!"
"Oh, but what good is all this beauty," moaned the dishearten
bird, "with such an unpleasant voice!"
"Oh hear," said the fox, "Each one has its special gift. You have
such beauty, the nightingale has his song, the owl has his eyes and the
eagle his strength. Even if you had an eloquent voice, you would still
complain about another thing."
“Do not envy the gifts of others. Make the most of your own.”
25
