The Tortoise and the Hare

One day a hare was bragging about how fast he could run.
He bragged and bragged and even laughed at the tortoise,
who was so slow. The tortoise stretched out his long neck
and challenged the hare to a race, which, of course, made

The tortoise again repeated in a

abated voice. The hare finally acquiesced to
the challenge.
the hare laugh.

The hare had acrimonious remarks for the

tortoise
Hare was appreciated for accepting the
invitation with alacrity.
"My, my, what a joke!" thought the hare.
"A race, indeed, a race. Oh! what fun! My, my! a race, of
course, Mr. Tortoise, we shall race!" said the hare.
Once the approbation was received from the king of the jungle

the forest animals met and mapped out the course. The king
was ardent in his support for the race. The race begun, and
the hare, being such a swift runner, soon left the tortoise far
behind. About halfway through the course, it occurred to the
hare that he had plenty of time to beat the slow trodden
tortoise.
"Oh, my!" thought the hare, "I have plenty of time to
play in the meadow here."
And so he did.
After the hare finished playing, he decided that he had
time to take a little nap.
"I have plenty of time to beat that tortoise," he thought.
And he cuddle up against a tree and dozed.

The tortoise, in the meantime, continued to plod on,

albeit, it ever so slowly. He never stopped, but took one good
step after another.
The hare finally woke from his nap. "Time to get going,"
he thought. And off he went faster than he had ever run
before! He dashed as quickly as anyone ever could up to the
finish line, where he met the tortoise, who was patiently
awaiting his arrival.
The acuity of tortoise was praised by one and all. Tortoise
was very affable and amiable not worthy to be compared
with hare.
Finally the police apprehended the hare who gave vague
comments to the tortoise.

The Wolf and the Goat

an Aesop Fable

A wolf, who was out searching for a meal, saw a goat

feeding on grass on top of a high cliff. Wishing to get the
goat to climb down from the rock and into his grasp, he
called out to her.
"Excuse me, dear Goat," he said in a friendly voice, "It is
very dangerous for you to be at such a height. Do come
down before you injure yourself. Besides, the grass is
much greener and thicker down here. Take my advice,
and please come down from that high cliff."
But the goat knew too well of the wolf's intent.

"You don't care if I injure myself or not. You don't care if I

eat good grass or bad. What you care about is eating
me."
____________________________________
Beware of friendly advice from an enemy.

The Wolf and the Crane

an Aesop Fable

A wolf ravished his prey one day. He ate so fiercely and

hungrily that a bone got lodged in his throat, causing him
grievous pain. He howled and howled in agony and
offered a rich reward to anyone who could remove the
bone. A crane passing by considered the money, and
after seeing the wolf and hearing him scream in such
pain, took pity upon him. She used her long thin bill to
reach down his throat and remove the bone. And after
removing the bone, she asked the wolf for the promised
reward.
"Reward!" cried the wolf, "You greedy, insolent bird! Why
do you deserve a reward? You're lucky that I didn't bite
your head off when you stuck it in my mouth!"
____________________________________
Do not expect gratitude.

The Wind and The Sun

an Aesop Fable

The wind and the sun argued one day over which one
was the stronger. Spotting a man man traveling on the
road, they sported a challenge to see which one could
remove the coat from the man's back the quickest.
The wind began. He blew strong gusts of air, so strong
that the man could barely walk against them. But the
man clutched his coat tight against him. The wind blew

harder and longer, and the harder the wind blew, the
tighter the man held his coat against him. The wind blew
until he was exhausted, but he could not remove the coat
from the man's back.
It was now the sun's turn. He gently sent his beams
upon the traveler. The sun did very little, but quietly
shone upon his head and back until the man became so
warm that he took off his coat and headed for the
nearest shade tree.
____________________________________
Gentle persuasion is stronger than force.

Two Men and the Bear

an Aesop Fable

Two men were strolling down a forest path when they

came across a bear. One man scampered up a tree and
escaped the bear's claws. The other man knew there was
nothing he could do, so he dropped to the ground and
played dead.

The bear went up to the man and sniffed about his ears.
He pawed at him a few times. Thinking the man was
dead, the bear walked away.
After the bear left, his friend came down from the tree.
"What did the bear say to you, friend, when he
whispered in your ear?" asked his friend.
"Oh," answered his friend, "He just told me that I should
consider about traveling with friends who run out on
their friends in times of trouble."
____________________________________
Friendship is tested in times of trouble.

The Tiger and the Crane

an Aesop Fable

An old crane had adopted an orphaned tiger cub and

raised the little animal along with his own baby. The two
infants grew up side by side and became to be good
friends and playmates. They never quarreled and played
happily together.

One day another larger crane came along and treated the
young one harshly. He bullied the little crane so badly
that the young one cried out for help. Up rushed the tiger
and without any thought, he gobbled up the bully crane.
Now having the taste of flesh in his mouth, he realized
how good the bird taste. He turned to his little playmate.
"How much I love you, little crane!" exclaimed the tiger,
and he had the bird for dessert.
____________________________________
That which is inbred inside will reveal itself outwardly.

Sour Grapes
an Aesop Fable

A very hungry fox walked into a vineyard where there

was an ample supply of luscious looking grapes. Grapes
had never looked so good, and the fox was famished.
However, the grapes hung higher than the fox could
reach. He jumped and stretched and hopped and reached
and jumped some more trying to get those yummy
grapes, but to no avail. No matter what he tried, he could
not reach the grapes. He wore himself out jumping and
jumping to get the grapes.

"Those grapes surely must be sour," he said as he

walked away, "I wouldn't eat them if they were served to
me on a silver platter."
____________________________________
It is easy to hate what you cannot have.

The Rooster and the Jewel

an Aesop Fable

A very hungry rooster was scratching and digging in

the dirt looking for food. He scratched and dug and
finally found a beautiful jewel. He was amazed at how
the gem shone glittered.

"This is a very fine and beautiful thing," he thought, "but

I would rather have one tasty kernel of corn instead."
____________________________________
What is a treasure to one may be worthless to another.

The Rooster and the Fox

an Aesop Fable

A rooster was perched on a branch of a very high tree,

crowing loudly. His powerful exclamations were heard
throughout the forest and caught the attention of a
hungry fox who was out and about looking for a prey.

The fox saw how high the bird was positioned and
thought of a sly way to bring the rooster down for his
meal.
"Excuse me, my dear proud Rooster," he gently spoke,
"Have you not heard of the universal treaty and
proclamation of harmony that is now set before all
beasts and birds and every creature in our forest. We are
no longer to hunt or prey nor ravish one another, but we
are to live together in peace, harmony, and love. Do
come down, Rooster, and we shall speak more on this
matter of such great importance."
Now, the rooster, who knew that the fox was known for
his sly wit, said nothing, but looked out in the distance,
as if he were seeing something.
"At what are you looking so intently?" asked the fox.
"I see a pack of wild dogs," said the rooster, "I do
believe they're coming our way, Mr. Fox."
"Oh, I must go," said the fox.
"Please do not go yet, Mr. Fox," said the rooster, "I
was just on my way down. We will wait on the dogs and
discuss this new time of peace with all."
"No, no," said the fox, "I must go. The dogs have not
heard of this treaty of peace yet."
____________________________________
Beware of the sudden offers of friendship.

The Peacock's Complaint

an Aesop Fable

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 it's 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 a eloquent voice, you would still complain about
another thing."
____________________________________
Do not envy the gifts of others. Make the most of your own.

The Man and His Two Wives

an Aesop Fable

A man whose hair was turning gray had two wives. One
wife was much younger than the man, and the other wife
was much older. The older wife was embarrassed at
being married to man much younger than herself. At
night, whenever he was with her, she would pluck out all
of his hairs that were not gray. The younger woman was
equally embarrassed at being married to a man so much
older than herself. At night, whenever he was with her,
she would pluck out all of hairs that were gray. Between
the two wives, the man was soon left without a hair on
his head.
____________________________________
It is impossible to outwit time.

The Lion's Share

an Aesop Fable

The lion went hunting one day with three other beasts.
Together, they surrounded and caught a deer. With the
consent of the other three, the lion divided the prey into

four equal shares, but just when each animal was about
to take his portion, the lion stopped them.

"Wait," said the lion, "Since I am a member of the

hunting party, I am to receive one of these portions.
Since I am considered to rank so high among the beasts
of the forest, I am to receive the second share. Since I
am known for my courage and strength, I am to receive
the third share. As for the fourth share, if you wish to
argue with me about its ownership, let's begin, and we
will see who will get it."
____________________________________
Always agree on the share of the profits before going into business with
others.

The Lion and the Mouse

an Aesop Fable

One day a lion was waken from his afternoon nap by a

group of mice scurrying all about him. Swat! went his
huge paw upon one the little creatures. The mouse
pleaded for mercy from the stately beast. The lion took
compassion upon the tiny mouse and released him.

A few days later, the lion became trapped in a hunter's

net. His roars made the whole forest tremble. The little
mouse whose life was spared approached the lion in the
snare and used his sharp little teeth to gnaw the strong
ropes until the lion was free.

The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg

an Aesop Fable

A man and his wife owned a very special goose. Every

day the goose would lay a golden egg, which made the
couple very rich.
"Just think," said the man's wife, "If we could have
all the golden eggs that are inside the goose, we could be
richer much faster."
"You're right," said her husband, "We wouldn't have to
wait for the goose to lay her egg every day."
So, the couple killed the goose and cut her open, only
to find that she was just like every other goose. She had
no golden eggs inside of her at all, and they had no more
golden eggs.
____________________________________
Too much greed results in nothing.

The Frog and the Ox

an Aesop Fable

One afternoon a grand and wonderful ox was on his

daily stroll, when he was noticed by a small haggardly
frog. The frog was too impressed with the great ox,
impressed to the point of envy.

"Look at this magnificent ox!" he called to all his friends,

"He's such a grand size for an animal, but he's no greater
than I am if I tried."
The frog started puffing and swelled from his normal
size.
"Am I as large as the wonderful ox?" he asked his
friends.
"No, no, not near as grand as the ox," they replied.
So, the frog puffed himself up more and more, trying to
reach the state of the ox.
"Now? now?" asked the frog.
"No, no. But please, don't try anymore," pleaded his
friends.
But the frog continue to puff and swell, larger and larger
until he finally burst.
____________________________________
Be true to your own character.

The Fox and The Mask

an Aesop Fable

One day a fox went rummaging in the house of an

actor. He came across a pile of the actor's stage
accessories and noticed a mask in the midst of the pile.
He swatted and played with the mask for a few
moments before saying, "What a handsome face this
person has. It's a pity he has no brains."

____________________________________
A fine outward appearance is empty without a worthwhile inner self.

The Fox and the Lion

an Aesop Fable

A young fox saw a lion for the very first time. He was
so frightened by the appearance of the great beast that
he ran away as fast as he could. The second time he saw
the lion, he hid behind a large rock and peeped out to see
the lion. The third time he saw the lion, he went straight
up to him, and said, "Hello, Mr. Lion."

____________________________________
Familiarity breeds contempt.

The Fox and the Crow

an Aesop Fable

A fox was walking through the forest when he saw a

crow sitting on a tree branch with a fine piece of cheese in
her beak. The fox wanted the cheese and decided he would
be clever enough to outwit the bird.
"What a noble and gracious bird I see in the tree!"
proclaimed the fox, "What exquisite beauty! What fair
plumage! If her voice is as lovely as her beauty, she would
no doubt be the jewel of all birds."

The crow was so flattered by all this talk that she

opened her beak and gave a cry to show the fox her voice.
"Caw! Caw!" she cried, as the cheese dropped to the
ground for the fox to grab.

____________________________________
Beware of flattery.

The Donkey and His Master

an Aesop Fable

A man was leading his donkey down a road, when the

donkey got free and ran to the edge of high cliff. The man
ran as fast as he could to the donkey and grabbed his tail to
stop the donkey from going off the edge of the cliff. But the
donkey was stubborn; the more the man tried to stop him,
the more the donkey pulled the other way.
"Oh well," said the man, "if you are determined to go your
own way, I cannot stop you."

____________________________________
A strong-willed beast will go his own way even to destruction.

The Dog and His Reflection

an Aesop Fable

A dog was walking home with his dinner, a large slab of

meat, in his mouth. On his way home, he walked by a river.
Looking in the river, he saw another dog with a handsome
chunk of meat in his mouth.
"I want that meat, too," thought the dog, and he snapped
at the dog to grab his meat which caused him to drop his
dinner in the river.
____________________________________
Too much greed results in nothing.

A Council of Mice
an Aesop Fable

The mice, frustrated by the constant dangers of the cat, met in

council to determine a solution to their tiring challenge. They
discussed, and equally rejected, plan after plan. Eventually, a very
young mouse raised up on his hind legs, and proposed that a bell
should be hung around the cat's neck.
"What a splendid idea!" they cried.
"Excellent suggestion!"
"Oh yes, that would very well warn of the cat's presence in time
to escape!"
They were accepting the proposal with great enthusiasm and
applause, until a quiet old mouse stood up to speak.
"This is, indeed, a very good suggestion and would no doubt solve

our problems," he said, "Now, which one of us will put the bell
around the cat's neck?"
____________________________________
It's one thing to propose. It's something else to carry it out

The City Mouse and the Country Mouse

an Aesop Fable
A country mouse invited his cousin who lived in the city to
come visit him. The city mouse was so disappointed with the sparse
meal which was nothing more than a few kernels of corn and a
couple of dried berries.
"My poor cousin," said the city mouse, "you hardly have anything
to eat! I do believe that an ant could eat better! Please do come to
the city and visit me, and I will show you such rich feasts, readily
available for the taking."
So the country mouse left with his city cousin who brought him to
a splendid feast in the city's alley. The country mouse could not
believe his eyes. He had never seen so much food in one place. There
was bread, cheese, fruit, cereals, and grains of all sorts scattered
about in a warm cozy portion of the alley.
The two mice settled down to eat their wonderful dinner, but
before they barely took their first bites, a cat approached their
dining area. The two mice scampered away and hid in a small
uncomfortable hole until the cat left. Finally, it was quiet, and the
unwelcome visitor went to prowl somewhere else. The two mice
ventured out of the hole and resumed their abundant feast. Before
they could get a proper taste in their mouth, another visitor intruded
on their dinner, and the two little mice had to scuttle away quickly.
"Goodbye," said the country mouse, "You do, indeed, live in a
plentiful city, but I am going home where I can enjoy my dinner in
peace."

____________________________________
A modest life with peace and quiet is better than a richly one with danger
and strife.

The Cat, the Rooster, and the Young Mouse

an Aesop Fable

A very young mouse made his first trip out of the

hole and into the world. He returned to tell his mother of the
wonderful creatures he saw.
"Oh, Mother," said the mouse, "I saw some curious animals.
There was one beautiful animal with fluffy fur and a long winding
tail. She made such a tender vibrating noise. I saw another animal, a
terrible looking monster. He had raw meat on his head and on his
chin that wiggled and shook as he walked. He spread out his sides
and cried with such a powerful and frightening wail, that I scurried
away in fear, without even talking to the kind beautiful animal.
Mother Mouse smiled, "My dear, that horrible creature was a
harmless bird, but that beautiful animal with the fluffy fur was a
mouse-eating cat. You are lucky she did not have you for dinner."

____________________________________
Do not trust outward appearances.

The Cat and the Rooster

an Aesop Fable
One day a cat happen to grab hold of rooster for its evening
meal. She wanted, however, a good excuse for killing the bird.

"I need to rid the world of you," she told the rooster, "You
constantly make your horrible noises throughout the night,
interfering with men's much needed sleep. The world will be better
off without you."
"No," said the rooster, "I crow for the good of men. I wake them
up each morning when it is time for them to start work for the day,
so that they may earn their living."
"Ridiculous!" said the cat, and she ate him.

_______________________________
______
Evil is determined on doing wrong even when it hides behind the disguise of
fairness.

The Boys and the Frogs

an Aesop Fable

Some boys were playing around a pond when they spotted a

group of frogs hopping and swimming about in the water. The boys
began to throw rocks at the frogs and even competed against each
other as to who could hit the most frogs. Sometimes the rocks hit
the frogs so hard that they died.

Finally one frog hopped upon a lily pad.

"Please stop," he pleaded, "What may seem just fun to you is
death to us."

____________________________________
_

We should not have our pleasures at the expense of others.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

an Aesop Fable

There once was a boy who kept sheep not far from the village.
He would often become bored and to amuse himself he would call
out,
"Wolf! Wolf," although there was no wolf about.
The villagers would stop what they were doing and run to save
the sheep from the wolf's jaw. Once they arrived at the pasture, the
boy just laughed. The naughty boy played this joke over and over
until the villagers tired of him.
One day while the boy was watching the sheep, a wolf did come
into the fold. The boy cried and cried,
"Wolf! Wolf!"
No one came. The wolf had a feast of sheep that day.
_____________________________________
No one will believe a habitual liar even when he is telling the truth.

The Bear and the Bees

an Aesop Fable

A bear came across a log where a swarm of bees had nested to

make their honey. As he snooped around, a single little bee flew out
of the log to protect the swarm. Knowing that the bear would eat all
the honey, the little bee stung him sharply on the nose and flew back
into the log.
This flew the bear into an angry rage. He swatted at the log with
his big claws, determined to destroy the nest of bees inside. This
only alerted the bees and quick as a wink, the entire swarm of bees
flew out of the log and began to sting the bear from head to heel.
The bear saved himself by running to and diving into the nearest
pond.

_____________________________________
It is better to bear a single injury in silence than to bring about a thousand by reacting in
anger.