The Fisher and the Little Fish

It happened that a Fisher, after fishing all day, caught only
a little fish. "Pray, let me go, master," said the Fish. "I am
much too small for your eating just now. If you put me back into
the river I shall soon grow, then you can make a fine meal off
me."

"Nay, nay, my little Fish," said the Fisher, "I have you now.
I may not catch you hereafter." A little thing in hand is worth more than
a great thing in prospect.- Aesop

[Courtesy of Aesopfables.com]

The Fawn and His Mother

A YOUNG FAWN once said to his Mother, "You are larger than a dog,
and swifter, and more used to running, and you have your horns as
a defense; why, then, O Mother! do the hounds frighten you so?"
She smiled, and said: "I know full well, my son, that all you say
is true. I have the advantages you mention, but when I hear even
the bark of a single dog I feel ready to faint, and fly away as
fast as I can." No arguments will give courage to the coward. - Aesop

[Courtesy of Aesopfables.com]

A Saying Of Socrates

Fables of Jean De La Fontaine

One day Socrates was having a house built,
Each one in turn found fault with the work:
One thought, no fooling, the interior to be,
Unworthy for such a great person;
Another disliked the front, and all agreed
The rooms were far too small.

"Such a house for him! In which one can't turn around."

"Heaven willing that enough true friends,
Might be found, said he, to fill it as it is!"

Wise Socrates was correct
In thinking his house too big for these few.
Each profess to be a friend; but only a fool believes so:
This word so often used yet,
Nothing is more rare!

[Courtesy of Aesopfables.com]

The Wolf, the Nanny-Goat, and The Kid

Fables of Jean De La Fontaine

A Nanny-goat went out to fill her empty milk bag
And graze newly sprung grass,
She fastened the latch tight,
Warned her Kid saying:
"Do not, upon your life,
Open the door unless you are shown
This sign and told this password:
'Plague on the wolf and his breed!' "
As she was saying these words,
The Wolf by chance prowling around,
Overheard the spoken words
And kept them in his memory.
Nanny-Goat, as one can well believe,
Had not seen the glutton beast.
As soon as she departs, he changes his voice
And in a counterfeit tone
He asks to be let in, saying: "Plague on the Wolf,"
Believing he'd go right in.
The canny Kid looks through the crack,
"Show me your white paw, else I'll not open."
He shouted at once. (White paw is a thing
Seldom seen in wolfdom, as everyone knows.)
This Wolf, aghast upon hearing these words,
Went slinking home the same way he had come.

Where would the Kid be now, had he believed
The password, which by chance
Our Wolf had overheard?

Two guarantees are better than one,
Even a third one would not be extreme.

Better be sure than sorry

[Courtesy of Aesopfables.com]

The Donkey And The Lapdog

Fables of Jean De La Fontaine

Let's not force our talent,
As nothing would be performed gracefully:
Never has a dolt, no matter how much he tries,
Could ever be taken for a gentleman.
Few people blessed by the Heavens,
Possess the inborn gift to seduce in life.
'This a matter one has to allow them,
So as not resemble the Donkey in the Fable,
Who in order to ingratiate himself to his master,
Went over to caress him. "How come? in his soul said he,
This pup, because of his cute ways,
Will continue to live as a companion
With Milord and Milady;
And I will get blows with a stick?
What does he do? he gives his paw;
At once he is kissed;
If need be, I'll act the same way to be petted,
It is not difficult at all."
With such a tender thought in mind,
Seeing his master in a jovial mood, he comes up clumsily,
Raises a very battered paw,
Puts it on his master's chin lovingly,
Adding as an extra expression of love,
His most gracious braying to this bold action.
"Oh ! oh ! what a caress ! and what a melody !
Said the Master at once. Hey there, *Martin stick!"
Martin stick comes running; the donkey changes his tune.
Thus ended the little comic drama.

Beware, another's talent may not necessarily be yours.

[Courtesy of Aesopfables.com]

The Eagle, the Cat, and the Wild Sow

AN EAGLE made her nest at the top of a lofty oak; a Cat, having
found a convenient hole, moved into the middle of the trunk; and
a Wild Sow, with her young, took shelter in a hollow at its foot.
The Cat cunningly resolved to destroy this chance-made colony.
To carry out her design, she climbed to the nest of the Eagle,
and said, "Destruction is preparing for you, and for me too,
unfortunately. The Wild Sow, whom you see daily digging up the
earth, wishes to uproot the oak, so she may on its fall seize our
families as food for her young." Having thus frightened the Eagle
out of her senses, she crept down to the cave of the Sow, and
said, "Your children are in great danger; for as soon as you go
out with your litter to find food, the Eagle is prepared to
pounce upon one of your little pigs." Having instilled these
fears into the Sow, she went and pretended to hide herself in the
hollow of the tree. When night came she went forth with silent
foot and obtained food for herself and her kittens, but feigning
to be afraid, she kept a lookout all through the day. Meanwhile,
the Eagle, full of fear of the Sow, sat still on the branches,
and the Sow, terrified by the Eagle, did not dare to go out from
her cave. And thus they both, along with their families,
perished from hunger, and afforded ample provision for the Cat
and her kittens. Gossips are to be seen and not heard - Aesop

[Courtesy of Aesopfables.com]

The Stag who Admired his Reflection

Fables of Jean De La Fontaine

A vain stag saw himself reflected
While standing in a crystal pool.
His antlers like a thicket spread
But when he looked below he rued
The sight of his narrow limbs
Which thinned to nothing under him.
"My legs do not match my head"
He said in sorrow regarding his form.
"This copse upon my his is merited,
While my feet do not conform."

Now while the stag was speaking thus
A bloodhound came and chased him off.
He tried to save himself as furious,
into the forests he took off.
But his antlers were an impediment
Catching the branches as he ran,
Impeding the service rendered by
His feet on which his life did hang.

And as he ran he cursed the crown
Which now began to drag him down.

We value what is beautiful and scorn the useful.
Yet beauty often destroys us.
The stag despised his feet which gave him life,
While valuing the crown which caused him strife.

[Courtesy of Aesopfables.com]

The Man with No Enemies

AN Inoffensive Person walking in a public place was assaulted by a
Stranger with a Club, and severely beaten.

When the Stranger with a Club was brought to trial, the complainant
said to the Judge:

"I do not know why I was assaulted; I have not an enemy in the
world."

"That," said the defendant, "is why I struck him."

"Let the prisoner be discharged," said the Judge; "a man who has no
enemies has no friends. The courts are not for such." - by Ambrose Bierce

[Courtesy by Aesopfables.com]

The Cat and Venus

A CAT fell in love with a handsome young man, and entreated Venus
to change her into the form of a woman. Venus consented to her
request and transformed her into a beautiful damsel, so that the
youth saw her and loved her, and took her home as his bride.
While the two were reclining in their chamber, Venus wishing to
discover if the Cat in her change of shape had also altered her
habits of life, let down a mouse in the middle of the room. The
Cat, quite forgetting her present condition, started up from the
couch and pursued the mouse, wishing to eat it. Venus was much
disappointed and again caused her to return to her former shape.
Nature exceeds nurture. - Aesop

[Courtesy of Aesopfables.com]

The Two Monkeys

Two monkeys looking down curiously at the two boxes below that were laid on the grass which fell from the sky. One box was neatly wrapped with in glossy printed blue paper with dazzling ornaments all over it. On the other hand, the other box was wrapped in dirty, crumbled plain brown paper.

"Go ahead, go get your box." said the clever money to his dummy friend.
"Ah, you are trying to trick me again huh? Not this time buddy..." replied the dummy monkey.

With a wide grin on his face, he rushed, he slide down from the tree and without hesitation grabbed the the brown box. Then he climbed up back. Full of anticipation, the dummy monkey excitedly opened the box only to find out...it was just a rotten banana inside...

The Charcoal-Burner And The Fuller

A CHARCOAL-BURNER carried on his trade in his own house. One day he met a friend, a Fuller, and entreated him to come and live with him, saying that they should be far better neighbors and that their housekeeping expenses would be lessened. The Fuller replied, "The arrangement is impossible as far as I am concerned, for whatever I should whiten, you would immediately blacken again with your charcoal." Like will draw like. - Aesop

[Courtesy of Aesopfables.com]

King M

by Crispin Oduobuk

Hey friend, I tell you a story. A good story. With a moral in it.
I tell you about a king. I tell you about King Mmefiokmma. See, King M, he living long time ago with big kingdom. Lots of land and people. Just not enough water on one part of his kingdom. So he has like a desert, see?
King M; he a good king. So one day, God says to him: "Mmefiokmma, you're a good king, so I’ll give you the one thing you really need. I'll give you a river so you won’t lack water so much. Good, eh?"
King M says, "It's good," and, "thank you, God," then he sits back and waits for the river.
Soon enough the river comes flowing though. But it’s flowing on the side of the kingdom that don't need it so much.
So King M figures to himself, maybe God forgot which side of the kingdom really needed the river. So he puts up army of workers and they spend a lifetime diverting the river to the side of the kingdom that really needs it.
Problem is, not long after they finish this tedious work, the whole river dries up.
So King M, now wasted by age and disappointment, cries up to God. "God, why have you taken back the river?"
"I didn't." Says God.
"So where's it gone to?" King wants to know.
God chuckles and says, "My son Mmefiokmma, you gave it to the desert, didn't you? That desert been thirsty long before your time. I knew that, but you didn't."
Again King M cries up to God sadly: "God, since you knew the desert was going to drink up the river, why didn't you warn me when I was diverting it there? And since you can do everything, why didn't you just sate the desert so it wouldn't drink up all the river?"
God sighs heavily and King M's whole kingdom trembles. Then God says, "Mmefiokmma, that's the problem with you humans: you just don't get it."
Now, friend, you know the story; you can figure out the moral -- I'm not sure what it is so I can’t tell you. I can tell you though that I like this story and I'd like to try and dramatize it. You think maybe you can play King M and I play God?

[courtesy of eastoftheweb.com]

The Crab and the Fox

A CRAB, forsaking the seashore, chose a neighboring green meadow
as its feeding ground. A Fox came across him, and being very
hungry ate him up. Just as he was on the point of being eaten,
the Crab said, "I well deserve my fate, for what business had I
on the land, when by my nature and habits I am only adapted for
the sea?'Contentment with our lot is an element of happiness. - Aesop

[courtesy of Aesopfables.com]

The Fox Who Had Lost His Tail

A FOX caught in a trap escaped, but in so doing lost his tail.
Thereafter, feeling his life a burden from the shame and ridicule
to which he was exposed, he schemed to convince all the other
Foxes that being tailless was much more attractive, thus making
up for his own deprivation. He assembled a good many Foxes and
publicly advised them to cut off their tails, saying that they
would not only look much better without them, but that they would
get rid of the weight of the brush, which was a very great
inconvenience. One of them interrupting him said, "If you had
not yourself lost your tail, my friend, you would not thus
counsel us." Misery loves company. - Aesop

[courtesy by Aesopfables.com]

The Bowman and Lion

A VERY SKILLFUL BOWMAN went to the mountains in search of game, but all the beasts of the forest fled at his approach. The Lion
alone challenged him to combat. The Bowman immediately shot out
an arrow and said to the Lion: "I send thee my messenger, that
from him thou mayest learn what I myself shall be when I assail
thee." The wounded Lion rushed away in great fear, and when a Fox
who had seen it all happen told him to be of good courage and not
to back off at the first attack he replied: "You counsel me in
vain; for if he sends so fearful a messenger, how shall I abide
the attack of the man himself?' Be on guard against men who can strike from a distance. - Aesop

[courtesy of Aesopfables.com]

The Ass Carrying the Image

AN ASS once carried through the streets of a city a famous wooden
Image, to be placed in one of its Temples. As he passed along,
the crowd made lowly prostration before the Image. The Ass,
thinking that they bowed their heads in token of respect for
himself, bristled up with pride, gave himself airs, and refused
to move another step. The driver, seeing him thus stop, laid his
whip lustily about his shoulders and said, "O you perverse
dull-head! it is not yet come to this, that men pay worship to an
Ass." They are not wise who give to themselves the credit due to
others. - Aesop

[Source: Aesopfables.com]

The Boasting Traveler

A MAN who had traveled in foreign lands boasted very much, on
returning to his own country, of the many wonderful and heroic
feats he had performed in the different places he had visited.
Among other things, he said that when he was at Rhodes he had
leaped to such a distance that no man of his day could leap
anywhere near him as to that, there were in Rhodes many persons
who saw him do it and whom he could call as witnesses. One of
the bystanders interrupted him, saying: "Now, my good man, if
this be all true there is no need of witnesses. Suppose this
to be Rhodes, and leap for us." He who does a thing well does not need to boast - Aesop

[Courtesy of Aesopfables.com]

The Ant and the Chrysalis

An Ant nimbly running about in the sunshine in search of food came
across a Chrysalis that was very near its time of change. The
Chrysalis moved its tail, and thus attracted the attention of the Ant,
who then saw for the first time that it was alive. "Poor, pitiable
animal!" cried the Ant disdainfully. "What a sad fate is yours!
While I can run hither and thither, at my pleasure, and, if I wish,
ascend the tallest tree, you lie imprisoned here in your shell, with
power only to move a joint or two of your scaly tail." The Chrysalis
heard all this, but did not try to make any reply. A few days after,
when the Ant passed that way again, nothing but the shell remained.
Wondering what had become of its contents, he felt himself suddenly
shaded and fanned by the gorgeous wings of a beautiful Butterfly.
"Behold in me," said the Butterfly, "your much-pitied friend! Boast
now of your powers to run and climb as long as you can get me to
listen." So saying, the Butterfly rose in the air, and, borne along
and aloft on the summer breeze, was soon lost to the sight of the
Ant forever. "Appearances are deceptive."

[courtesy of Aesopfables.com]

The Ingenious Patriot

by Ambrose Bierce

Having obtained an audience of the King an Ingenious Patriot pulled a paper from his pocket, saying:
"May it please your Majesty, I have here a formula for constructing armour-plating which no gun can pierce. If these plates are adopted in the Royal Navy our warships will be invulnerable, and therefore invincible. Here, also, are reports of your Majesty's Ministers, attesting the value of the invention. I will part with my right in it for a million tumtums."
After examining the papers, the King put them away and promised him an order on the Lord High Treasurer of the Extortion Department for a million tumtums.
"And here," said the Ingenious Patriot, pulling another paper from another pocket, "are the working plans of a gun that I have invented, which will pierce that armour. Your Majesty's Royal Brother, the Emperor of Bang, is anxious to purchase it, but loyalty to your Majesty's throne and person constrains me to offer it first to your Majesty. The price is one million tumtums."
Having received the promise of another check, he thrust his hand into still another pocket, remarking:
"The price of the irresistible gun would have been much greater, your Majesty, but for the fact that its missiles can be so effectively averted by my peculiar method of treating the armour plates with a new -"
The King signed to the Great Head Factotum to approach.
"Search this man," he said, "and report how many pockets he has."
"Forty-three, Sire," said the Great Head Factotum, completing the scrutiny.
"May it please your Majesty," cried the Ingenious Patriot, in terror, "one of them contains tobacco."
"Hold him up by the ankles and shake him," said the King; "then give him a check for forty-two million tumtums and put him to death. Let a decree issue declaring ingenuity a capital offence."

[courtesy of eastoftheweb.com]

The Bear and the Two Travelers

TWO MEN were traveling together, when a Bear suddenly met them on their path. One of them climbed up quickly into a tree and
concealed himself in the branches. The other, seeing that he
must be attacked, fell flat on the ground, and when the Bear came
up and felt him with his snout, and smelt him all over, he held
his breath, and feigned the appearance of death as much as he
could. The Bear soon left him, for it is said he will not touch
a dead body. When he was quite gone, the other Traveler
descended from the tree, and jocularly inquired of his friend
what it was the Bear had whispered in his ear. "He gave me this
advice," his companion replied. "Never travel with a friend who
deserts you at the approach of danger." Misfortune tests the sincerity of friends. -Aesop

[courtesy of aesopfables.com]

The Crimson Candle

A man lying at the point of death called his wife to his bedside and said: "I am about to leave you forever; give me, therefore, one last proof of your affection and fidelity, for, according to our holy religion, a married man seeking admittance at the gate of Heaven is required to swear that he has never defiled himself with an unworthy woman. In my desk you will find a crimson candle, which has been blessed by the High Priest and has a peculiar mystical significance. Swear to me that while it is in existence you will not remarry."

The Woman swore and the Man died. At the funeral the Woman stood at the head of the bier, holding a lighted crimson candle till it was wasted entirely away.- Ambrose Bierce

[Source: eastoftheweb.com]

The Crab and Its Mother

A CRAB said to her son, "Why do you walk so one-sided, my child?
It is far more becoming to go straight forward." The young Crab
replied: "Quite true, dear Mother; and if you will show me the
straight way, I will promise to walk in it." The Mother tried in
vain, and submitted without remonstrance to the reproof of her
child. Example is more powerful than precept. - Aesop

[Courtesy of Aesopfables.com]

The Cock and the Jewel

A COCK, scratching for food for himself and his hens, found a
precious stone and exclaimed: "If your owner had found thee, and
not I, he would have taken thee up, and have set thee in thy
first estate; but I have found thee for no purpose. I would
rather have one barleycorn than all the jewels in the world." The ignorant despise what is precious only because they cannot understand it. - Aesop

[Source: Aesopfables.com]

The Boy and the Filberts

A BOY put his hand into a pitcher full of filberts. He grasped
as many as he could possibly hold, but when he tried to pull out
his hand, he was prevented from doing so by the neck of the
pitcher. Unwilling to lose his filberts, and yet unable to
withdraw his hand, he burst into tears and bitterly lamented his
disappointment. A bystander said to him, "Be satisfied with half
the quantity, and you will readily draw out your hand." Do not attempt too much at once. - Aesop

[Courtesy of Aesopfables.com]

The Ass in the Lion's Skin

AN ASS, having put on the Lion's skin, roamed about in the forest
and amused himself by frightening all the foolish animals he met
in his wanderings. At last coming upon a Fox, he tried to
frighten him also, but the Fox no sooner heard the sound of his
voice than he exclaimed, "I might possibly have been frightened
myself, if I had not heard your bray." Clothes may disguise a fool, but his words will give him away. - Aesop

[Courtesy of Aesopfables.com]

The Birdcather, the Partridge, and the Cock

A BIRDCATCHER was about to sit down to a dinner of herbs when a
friend unexpectedly came in. The bird-trap was quite empty, as
he had caught nothing, and he had to kill a pied Partridge, which
he had tamed for a decoy. The bird entreated earnestly for his
life: "What would you do without me when next you spread your
nets? Who would chirp you to sleep, or call for you the covey of
answering birds?' The Birdcatcher spared his life, and determined
to pick out a fine young Cock just attaining to his comb. But
the Cock expostulated in piteous tones from his perch: "If you
kill me, who will announce to you the appearance of the dawn?
Who will wake you to your daily tasks or tell you when it is time
to visit the bird-trap in the morning?' He replied, "What you say
is true. You are a capital bird at telling the time of day. But
my friend and I must have our dinners." Necessity knows no law. - Aesop

[Courtesy of Aesopfables.com]

The Bat, the Birds and the Beasts

A great conflict was about to come off between the Birds and
the Beasts. When the two armies were collected together the Bat
hesitated which to join. The Birds that passed his perch said:
"Come with us"; but he said: "I am a Beast." Later on, some
Beasts who were passing underneath him looked up and said: "Come
with us"; but he said: "I am a Bird." Luckily at the last moment
peace was made, and no battle took place, so the Bat came to the
Birds and wished to join in the rejoicings, but they all turned
against him and he had to fly away. He then went to the Beasts,
but soon had to beat a retreat, or else they would have torn him
to pieces. "Ah," said the Bat, "I see now,

"He that is neither one thing nor the other has no friends."-Aesop

[Source: Aesopfables.com]

Avaricious and Envious

Two neighbours came before Jupiter and prayed him to grant
their hearts' desire. Now the one was full of avarice, and the
other eaten up with envy. So to punish them both, Jupiter granted
that each might have whatever he wished for himself, but only on
condition that his neighbour had twice as much. The Avaricious
man prayed to have a room full of gold. No sooner said than done;
but all his joy was turned to grief when he found that his
neighbour had two rooms full of the precious metal. Then came the
turn of the Envious man, who could not bear to think that his
neighbour had any joy at all. So he prayed that he might have one
of his own eyes put out, by which means his companion would become totally blind. Vices are their own punishment. - Aesop

[Source: Aesopfables.com]

The Ass, the Cock, and the Lion

AN ASS and a Cock were in a straw-yard together when a Lion,
desperate from hunger, approached the spot. He was about to
spring upon the Ass, when the Cock (to the sound of whose voice
the Lion, it is said, has a singular aversion) crowed loudly, and
the Lion fled away as fast as he could. The Ass, observing his
trepidation at the mere crowing of a Cock summoned courage to
attack him, and galloped after him for that purpose. He had run
no long distance, when the Lion, turning about, seized him and
tore him to pieces. False confidence often leads into danger. - Aesop

[Source: Aesopfables.com]