Complete Aesop’s Fables

Chapter 178 A man who had been bitten by a dog went searching for someone who could cure him. At one point he met a stranger who said, “Sir, if you want to be cured, take a piece of bread and dip it into the blood of the wound. Then give it to the dog […]

Chapter 177 “Mother, I can see,” said a young mole to her mother. In response, the mother put a lump of frankincense* before her and asked her what it was.“A stone,” the young one said.“Oh, my child,” said the mother, “not only can’t you see, but you can’t even smell!”Brag about one defect and you’ll

Chapter 176 A farmer, who was on the verge of death, wanted to make sure that his sons would overcome their personal quarrels and maintain the farm in a successful way. So, he called them together and said, “My sons, I’m about to depart from this life, and you will find all that I have

Chapter 175 A pigeon was desperate with thirst, and when she saw a glass of water painted on a sign, she thought it was real. So she swept down upon it with all her might and crashed into the board, breaking her wing. As a result, she fell helpless to the ground where a bystander

Chapter 174 After being attacked by some dogs, a wolf was maimed and could not move. Therefore, when a sheep passed by, he asked her to fetch him some water from a nearby stream. “If you bring me something to drink,” he said, “I’ll soon be able to find meat for myself.”“Yes,” said the sheep.

Chapter 173 A fox had stolen into the house of an actor, and when he was rummaging among the various possessions, he came upon a remarkable mask that was a fine imitation of a human head.“What a fine looking head!” he cried. “Pity that it lacks brains!”Handsome looks are of little worth without sense.

Chapter 172 A one-eyed doe used to graze near the sea, and in order to protect herself from attack, she kept her eye focused on the land in case hunters might approach, while her blind side was turned toward the sea because she did not expect a threat from that direction. But some sailors came

Chapter 171 A lion was sleeping in his lair when a mouse mistakenly ran over the mighty beast’s nose and awakened him. The lion grabbed the frightened little creature with his paw and was just about to crush him when the mouse began pleading for mercy and declared that he had not consciously intended to

Chapter 170 A crow, on the verge of dying with thirst, spied a pitcher in the distance and flew to it with joy. But when he arrived, he discovered to his grief it the narrow-necked pitcher contained so little water that he could not possibly get at it, despite all his efforts. At one point

Chapter 169 The swallow and the crow had an argument as to which was the finer bird. The crow ended the dispute by saying, “Your feathers may be beautiful and fine during the summer, but mine will protect me and last for many winters.”Fine-weather friends are not worth much.

Chapter 168 A hound scared a hare from a bush and chased him for some distance, but the hare was faster and got away. A goatherd, who happened to pass by at the time, mocked the hound for letting a scrawny hare outrun him.“You forget,” replied the hound, adding that:“It’s one thing to run for

Chapter 167 The peach and the apple decided to have a contest to determine which one was more beautiful than the other. However, when tempers flared and the competition appeared to be getting out of hand, a blackberry thrust his head from a nearby bush and cried out, “This dispute’s gone on long enough. Let’s

Chapter 166 Once the wolves sent an emissary to the sheep to make a peace treaty between them for the future.“Why should we continue such deadly strife?” the wolves asked. “The dogs are the cause of it all. They’re constantly barking at us and provoking us. Send them away, and there will no longer be

Chapter 165 Hard pressed by the hounds, a stag was driven out of his cover and bolted in terror over the fields. Blind through fear, he took refuge in a farmyard and hid himself in an ox stall, which happened to be open. As he was trying to conceal himself under some straw, an ox

Chapter 164 A sea gull, who was more at home swimming on the sea than walking on land, liked to catch live fish for its food. One day the gull pounced upon a fish, and as he tried to swallow it, he choked, burst a gullet, and lay down on the shore to die. A