Chapter 50 One day a fawn said to her mother, “You’re larger than a dog and swifter. You also have greater endurance and horns to defend yourself. Why is it then, Mother, that you’re so afraid of the hounds?”She smiled and said, “I know all this full well, my child. But no sooner do I […]

Chapter 49 On a cold, frosty day the ants began dragging out some of the grain they had stored during the summer and began drying it. A grasshopper, half-dead with hunger, came by and asked the ants for a morsel to save his life.“What did you do this past summer?” responded the ants.“Oh,” said the

Chapter 48 An old hound had served his master extremely well in the field but had lost his strength over the years and now had many troubles. One day, while out hunting with his master, he encountered a wild boar and boldly seized the beast by the ear, but his teeth gave way, and the

Chapter 47 A fox had fallen into a well and could not find any means to escape. Eventually, a thirsty goat appeared, and upon noticing the fox, he asked him whether the water was good and plentiful.Pretending that his situation was not precarious, the fox replied, “Come down, my friend. The water is so good

Chapter 46 An eagle and a fox had lived together for a long time as good neighbors. The eagle’s nest was on top of a high tree; and the fox’s lair, was at the foot of it. One day, however, while the fox was away, the eagle could not find any food for her young

Chapter 45 Some pigeons had long lived in fear of a hawk, but since they had always kept on the alert and stayed near their dovecote, they had consistently managed to escape their enemy’s attacks. Finding his sallies unsuccessful, the hawk now sought to use cunning to trick the pigeons.“Why,” he once asked, “do you

Chapter 44 A swallow built her nest under the eaves of a court of justice, and before her young ones could fly, a serpent slid out of his bole and ate them all up. When the poor bird returned to her nest and found it empty, she began to wail in a most pitiful way.

Chapter 43 After putting on a lion’s skin, an ass roamed about and amused himself by frightening all the foolish animals he encountered. Upon meeting a fox, he tried to scare him as well, but once Reynard* heard his voice, he said, “I would’ve been frightened, too, but your braying gave you away.”Those who assume

Chapter 42 A wolf looked into a hut and saw some shepherds enjoying a joint of mutton in great comfort.“If they had caught me enjoying such a supper,” he remarked, “there’d certainly be hell to pay.”Men often tend to condemn others for the very things that they themselves practice.

Chapter 41 A lion, worn out with age, lay stretched out on the ground, utterly helpless and gasping its last breath. A boar, who wanted to satisfy an old grudge, approached him and attacked him with his tusks. Next a bull decided to seek his revenge and gored him with his horns. Realizing that the

Chapter 40 An ant went to a fountain to quench his thirst, but he tumbled in and began to drown. Fortunately, a dove happened to be sitting on a nearby tree and saw the ant’s predicament. So she plucked a leaf off the tree and let it drop into the water. The ant climbed on

Chapter 39 A crow watched an eagle swoop down with majestic air from a nearby cliff, descend upon a flock of sheep, and then carry off a lamb in his talons. The whole thing looked so graceful and easy that the crow was eager to imitate it. So, he swept down upon a large, fat

Chapter 38 During a severe winter, a farmer was trapped in his snowed farmhouse. When he found that he could not procure any food from outside, he began consuming his own sheep. As the hard weather continued, he began to eat his goats. And finally – for there was no break in the weather –

Chapter 37 Many years ago, a mighty rumbling was heard from a mountain, which was said to be in labour. Thousands of people flocked from far and near to see what it would produce. After a long time of waiting in anxious expectation – out popped a mouse!A loud and flashy beginning often ends in

Chapter 36 One day, after a wolf had killed a sheep and was carrying it home to his den, he met a lion, who immediately grabbed the sheep from the wolf and dragged it away. Standing at a safe distance from the lion, the wolf howled at the lion and told him that he should