Chapter 96 A wolf saw a goat grazing on the top of a high cliff where he could not get at her. Pretending to be concerned for her safety, the wolf advised her to move down. “You might lose your footing at that dizzy height,” he said. “Besides, the grass is much sweeter and more […]
Chapter 95 “Why do you walk so crooked, child?” said an old crab to her young one. “Walk straight!”“Mother,” the young crab replied, “show me the way, and when I see you moving straight ahead, I’ll try to follow.”Actions speak louder than words. (Also, the kids are always smarter than you think!)
Chapter 94 An ass and a cock lived together in a farmyard. One day a hungry lion passed by and saw the ass in such good condition that he decided to make a meal out of him. Now, they say that nothing irritates a lion so much as the crowing of a cock, and at
Chapter 93 The lion called the sheep to him to ask her if his breath smelled. She said yes, and he bit off her head for being a fool. He called the wolf and asked him as well. The wolf said no, and the lion tore him to pieces for being a flatterer. Finally he
Chapter 92 An old man who had traveled a long way with a huge bundle of sticks became so weary that he threw his bundle down on the ground and called upon death to deliver him from his most miserable existence. Death came straight to his side and asked him what he wanted.“Please, good sir,”
Chapter 91 Once when a bull was being pursued by a lion, he hid in a cave where a wild goat was living. The goat was an ornery* creature and began attacking the bull by butting with his horns.“If I put up with this now,” the bull said, “don’t suppose it’s because I’m afraid of
Chapter 90 A young pig, hoping to avoid the slaughterhouse, set up quarters in a fold of sheep. One day the shepherd grabbed hold of him, and he squeaked and struggled with all his might to get away. The sheep reproached him for making such a commotion and said, “The master often grabs hold of
Chapter 89 After hearing some grasshoppers chirping, an ass was enchanted by their music and wanted to acquire the same melodic charms. When he asked them what they ate to sing so sweetly, they told him that they dined on nothing but dew. Consequently, the ass followed the same diet, but he soon died of
Chapter 88 A hart, who was mercilessly pursued by hunters, hid himself among the branches of a vine. When the hunters passed by without discovering him and he thought that the coast was clear, he began browsing upon the leaves that had concealed him. But one of the hunters, attracted by the rustling of the
Chapter 87 After having loaded his camel, an Arab asked the beast whether he preferred to go up hill or down hill.“Tell me, master,” responded the camel, “has someone blocked the straight way across the plain?”Why seek turbulent path when there is one ‘plainly’ simple?
Chapter 86 Seeing a ship full of sailors being tossed about on the waves of the sea, a farmer cried out, “Oh sea, how deceitful and merciless you are! You can look so inviting and then you destroy all who venture out upon you!”The sea heard him and, disguising his voice as that of a
Chapter 85 An ass, who belonged to a gardener and had little to eat but much to do, prayed to Jupiter to release him from the gardener’s employ and provide him with another master. However, Jupiter was angry that the ass was discontent and placed him in the service of a potter. Now the ass
Chapter 84 According to an ancient lore, every man is born into the world with two bags suspended from his neck – one in front and one behind, and both are full of faults. But the one in front is full of his neighbor’s faults; the one behind, full of his own. Consequently, men are
Chapter 83 Once there was a knight who was growing old, and his hair was falling out. When he became bald, he decided to hide this imperfection by wearing a wig. One day, as he was out hunting with some friends, a sudden gust of wind blew off the wig and exposed his bald head.
Chapter 82 There was once a nest of young larks in a field of corn that had just become ripe, and the mother was on the lookout every day for the reapers. Whenever she went in search of food, she told her young ones to report all the news they heard to her. One day,