An Astronomer used to go out at night to observe the stars. One evening, as he wandered through the suburbs with his whole attention fixed on the sky, he fell accidentally into a deep well. While he lamented and bewailed his sores and bruises, and cried loudly for help, a neighbor ran to the well, and learning what had happened said: “Hark yea, old fellow, why, in striving to pry into what is in heaven, do you not manage to see what is on earth?’
Once there was a fox. He was very cunning. By chance, it fell into a well. He tried to get out. But he did not succeed.
After some time, a goat passed by. She looked into the well and saw the fox there. She said to the fox, ” Mr fox , what are you doing in the well?” The clever fox at once said, “The water of the well is very sweet,and I am drinking it. You also come and enjoy the sweet water.”
The silly goat believed the cunning fox. She jumped into the well. The clever fox climbed upon her back. He came out of the well and saved his life. The foolish remained in the well.
Moral: Try to understand other’s tricks.
An Ass once found a Lion’s skin that some hunters had left out in the sun to dry. He put it on and trotted through the forest and meadow scaring all the poor animals. The Ass was so proud of himself that he raised his head and brayed loudly in triumph. But a fox heard him and recognized him at once. “I’m very sorry, my friend,” said the Fox, “but even though you may pretend to be a Lion, you are still an Ass.”
Moral: Do not pretend to be something that you are not.
A big black Crow was sitting on a branch of a tree with a piece of cheese in her beak, when she was seen by a hungry Fox. The Fox walked under the branch, looked up at the Crow, and said, “What a noble bird you are! Your beauty is without equal and the color of your feathers is exquisite. If your voice is as sweet as your looks, then I think you are the Queen of the Birds.” The Crow was very flattered by the Fox’s compliments and, just to show him that she could sing, she opened her mouth to caw. But as soon as she opened her mouth, the cheese fell to the ground, where it was snatched up by the clever Fox.
Moral: Do not trust flatterers.
An Ass, being driven along a high road, suddenly started off and bolted to the brink of a deep precipice. While he was in the act of throwing himself over, his owner seized him by the tail, endeavoring to pull him back. When the Ass persisted in his effort, the man let him go and said, “Conquer, but conquer to your cost.” A willful beast must go his own way.
An Eagle was soaring through the air when suddenly it heard the whiz of an Arrow, and felt itself wounded to death. Slowly it fluttered down to the earth, with its life-blood pouring out of it. Looking down upon the Arrow with which it had been pierced, it found that the shaft of the Arrow had been feathered with one of its own plumes. “Alas!” it cried, as it died.
In a field one summer’s day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart’s content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest. “Why not come and chat with me,” said the Grasshopper, “instead of toiling and moiling in that way?” “I am helping to lay up food for the winter,” said the Ant, “and recommend you to do the same.” “Why bother about winter?” said the Grasshopper; we have got plenty of food at present.” But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew: It is best to prepare for the days of necessity.
THE Dolphins and Whales waged a fierce war with each other. When the battle was at its height, a Sprat lifted its head out of the waves and said that he would reconcile their differences if they would accept him as an umpire. One of the Dolphins replied, “We would far rather be destroyed in our battle with each other than admit any interference from you in our affairs.
Two neighbors came before Jupiter and prayed him to grant their heart’s 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 neighbor 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 neighbor had two rooms full of the precious metal. Then came the turn of the Envious man, who could not bear to think that his neighbor 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.
A Dog and a Cock being great friends, agreed to travel together. At nightfall they took shelter in a thick wood. The Cock flying up, perched himself on the branches of a tree, while the Dog found a bed beneath in the hollow trunk. When the morning dawned, the Cock, as usual, crowed very loudly several times. A Fox heard the sound, and wishing to make a breakfast on him, came and stood under the branches, saying how earnestly he desired to make the acquaintance of the owner of so magnificent a voice. The Cock, suspecting his civilities, said: “Sir, I wish you would do me the favor of going around to the hollow trunk below me, and waking my porter, so that he may open the door and let you in.” When the Fox approached the tree, the Dog sprang out and caught him, and tore him to pieces.