Aesop's Fables - Short stories with a moral
« backThe Frogs & the Ox
An Ox came down to a reedy pool to drink. As he splashed heavily into the water, he crushed a young Frog into the
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Belling the Cat
The Mice once called a meeting to decide on a plan to free themselves of their enemy, the Cat. At least they wished
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The Town & the Country Mouse
A Town Mouse once visited a relative who lived in the country. For lunch the Country Mouse served wheat stalks,
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The Fox & the Grapes
A Fox one day spied a beautiful bunch of ripe grapes hanging from a vine trained along the branches of a tree.
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The Wolf & the Crane
A Wolf had been feasting too greedily, and a bone had stuck crosswise in his throat. He could get it neither
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The Lion & the Mouse
A Lion lay asleep in the forest, his great head resting on his paws. A timid little Mouse came upon him
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The Gnat & the Bull
A Gnat flew over the meadow with much buzzing for so small a creature and settled on the tip
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The Plane Tree
Two Travellers, walking in the noonday sun, sought the shade of a widespreading tree to rest.
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The Owl & the Grasshopper
The Owl always takes her sleep during the day. Then after sundown, when the rosy light
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The Oak & the Reeds
A Giant Oak stood near a brook in which grew some slender Reeds. When the wind blew,
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The Crow and the Pitcher
A Giant Oak stood near a brook in which grew some slender Reeds. When the wind blew,
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The Crow & the Pitcher
In a spell of dry weather, when the Birds could find very little to drink, a thirsty
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The Two Goats
Two Goats, frisking gayly on the rocky steeps of a mountain valley, chanced to meet,
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The Wild Boar & the Fox
A Wild Boar was sharpening his tusks busily against the stump of a tree, when a Fox h
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The Heron
A Heron was walking sedately along the bank of a stream, his eyes on the clear water,
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The Fox & the Stork
The Fox one day thought of a plan to amuse himself at the expense of the Stork, at wh
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The Stag & His Reflection
A Stag, drinking from a crystal spring, saw himself mirrored in the clear water. He g
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The Cock & the Fox
One bright evening as the sun was sinking on a glorious world a wise old Cock flew in
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The Fox & the Goat
A Fox fell into a well, and though it was not very deep, he found that he could not g
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The Fox & the Leopard
A Fox and a Leopard, resting lazily after a generous dinner, amused themselves by dis
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The Frog & the Mouse
A young Mouse in search of adventure was running along the bank of a pond where lived
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The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
A certain Wolf could not get enough to eat because of the watchfulness of the Shepher
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The Eagle & the Beetle
A Beetle once begged the Eagle to spare a Hare which had run to her for protection. B
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The Mother & the Wolf
Early one morning a hungry Wolf was prowling around a cottage at the edge of a villag
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The Hare & the Tortoise
The Dog & His Reflection
A Dog, to whom the butcher had thrown a bone, was hurrying home with his prize as fas
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The Fox & the Crow
One bright morning as the Fox was following his sharp nose through the wood in search
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The Ant & the Dove
A Dove saw an Ant fall into a brook. The Ant struggled in vain to reach the bank, and
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The Man & the Satyr
A long time ago a Man met a Satyr in the forest and succeeded in making friends with
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The Hare & His Ears
The Lion had been badly hurt by the horns of a Goat, which he was eating. He was very
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The Fisherman & the Little Fish
A poor Fisherman, who lived on the fish he caught, had bad luck one day and caught no
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The Wolf & the Kid
There was once a little Kid whose growing horns made him think he was a grown-up Bill
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The Tortoise & the Ducks
The Tortoise, you know, carries his house on his back. No matter how hard he tries, h
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The Young Crab & His Mother
"Why in the world do you walk sideways like that?" said a Mother Crab to her son. "Yo
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The Dog, the Cock, & the Fox
A Dog and a Cock, who were the best of friends, wished very much to see something of
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The Eagle & the Jackdaw
An Eagle, swooping down on powerful wings, seized a lamb in her talons and made off w
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The Boy & the Filberts
A Boy was given permission to put his hand into a pitcher to get some filberts. But h
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Hercules & the Wagoner
A Farmer was driving his wagon along a miry country road after a heavy rain. The hors
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The Kid & the Wolf
"A frisky young Kid had been left by the herdsman on the thatched roof of a sheep she
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The Bundle of Sticks
A certain Father had a family of Sons, who were forever quarreling among themselves.
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The Ass & His Driver
An Ass was being driven along a road leading down the mountain side, when he suddenly
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The Oxen & the Wheels
A pair of Oxen were drawing a heavily loaded wagon along a miry country road. They ha
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The Shepherd Boy & the Wolf
A Shepherd Boy tended his master's Sheep near a dark forest not far from the village.
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The Farmer & the Stork
A Stork of a very simple and trusting nature had been asked by a gay party of Cranes
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The Sheep & the Pig
One day a shepherd discovered a fat Pig in the meadow where his Sheep were pastured.
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The Travelers & the Purse
Two men were traveling in company along the road when one of them picked up a well-fi
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The Lion & the Ass
One day as the Lion walked proudly down a forest aisle, and the animals respectfully
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The Frogs Who Wished for a King
The Frogs were tired of governing themselves. They had so much freedom that it had sp
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The Wolf & His Shadow
A Wolf left his lair one evening in fine spirits and an excellent appetite. As he ran
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The Rat & the Elephant
A Rat was traveling along the King's highway. He was a very proud Rat, considering hi
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The Boys & the Frogs
Some Boys were playing one day at the edge of a pond in which lived a family of Frogs
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The Ants & the Grasshopper
One bright day in late autumn a family of Ants were bustling about in the warm sunshi
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The Ass Carrying the Image
A sacred Image was being carried to the temple. It was mounted on an Ass adorned with
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A Raven & a Swan
A Raven, which you know is black as coal, was envious of the Swan, because her feathe
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The Ass & the Load of Salt
A Merchant, driving his Ass homeward from the seashore with a heavy load of salt, cam
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The Lion & the Gnat
"Away with you, vile insect!" said a Lion angrily to a Gnat that was buzzing around h
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The Leap at Rhodes
A certain man who visited foreign lands could talk of little when he returned to his
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The Cock & the Jewel
A Cock was busily scratching and scraping about to find something to eat for himself
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The Monkey & the Camel
At a great celebration in honor of King Lion, the Monkey was asked to dance for the c
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The Ass, the Fox, & the Lion
An Ass and a Fox had become close comrades, and were constantly in each other's compa
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The Birds, the Beasts, & the Bat
The Birds and the Beasts declared war against each other. No compromise was possible,
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The Lion, the Bear, & the Fox
Just as a great Bear rushed to seize a stray kid, a Lion leaped from another directio
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The Wolf & the Lamb
A stray Lamb stood drinking early one morning on the bank of a woodland stream. That
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The Wolf & the Sheep
A Wolf had been hurt in a fight with a Bear. He was unable to move and could not sati
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The Hares & the Frogs
Hares, as you know, are very timid. The least shadow, sends them scurrying in fright
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The Travelers & the Sea
Two Travelers were walking along the seashore. Far out they saw something riding on t
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The Wolf & the Lion
A Wolf had stolen a Lamb and was carrying it off to his lair to eat it. But his plans
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The Peacock
The Peacock, they say, did not at first have the beautiful feathers in which he now t
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The Mice & the Weasels
The Weasels and the Mice were always up in arms against each other. In every battle t
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The Wolf & the Lean Dog
A Wolf prowling near a village one evening met a Dog. It happened to be a very lean a
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The Fox & the Lion
A very young Fox, who had never before seen a Lion, happened to meet one in the fores
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The Dog & His Master's Dinner
A Dog had learned to carry his master's dinner to him every day. He was very faithful
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The Vain Jackdaw & his Borrowed Feathers
A Jackdaw chanced to fly over the garden of the King's palace. There he saw with much
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The Monkey & the Dolphin
It happened once upon a time that a certain Greek ship bound for Athens was wrecked o
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The Wolf & the Ass
An Ass was feeding in a pasture near a wood when he saw a Wolf lurking in the shadows
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The Monkey & the Cat
Once upon a time a Cat and a Monkey lived as pets in the same house. They were great
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The Dogs & the Fox
Some Dogs found the skin of a Lion and furiously began to tear it with their teeth. A
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The Dogs & and the Hides
Some hungry Dogs saw a number of hides at the bottom of a stream where the Tanner had
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The Rabbit, the Weasel & the Cat
A Rabbit left his home one day for a dinner of clover. But he forgot to latch the doo
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The Bear & the Bees
A Bear roaming the woods in search of berries happened on a fallen tree in which a sw
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The Dog in the Manger
A Dog asleep in a manger filled with hay, was awakened by the Cattle, which came in t
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The Wolf & the Goat
A hungry Wolf spied a Goat browsing at the top of a steep cliff where he could not po
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The Ass & the Grasshoppers
One day as an Ass was walking in the pasture, he found some Grasshoppers chirping mer
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The Mule
A Mule had had a long rest and much good feeding. He was feeling very vigorous indeed
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The Cat, the Cock, and the Young Mouse
A very young Mouse, who had never seen anything of the world, almost came to grief th
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The Wolf & the Shepherd
A Wolf had been prowling around a flock of Sheep for a long time, and the Shepherd wa
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The Peacock & the Crane
A Peacock, puffed up with vanity, met a Crane one day, and to impress him spread his
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The Farmer & the Cranes
Some Cranes saw a farmer plowing a large field. When the work of plowing was done, th
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The Farmer & His Sons
A rich old farmer, who felt that he had not many more days to live, called his sons t
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The Two Pots
Two Pots, one of brass and the other of clay, stood together on the hearthstone. One
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The Goose & the Golden Egg
There was once a Countryman who possessed the most wonderful Goose you can imagine, f
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The Fighting Bulls and the Frog
Two Bulls were fighting furiously in a field, at one side of which was a marsh. An ol
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The Mouse & the Weasel
A little hungry Mouse found his way one day into a basket of corn. He had to squeeze
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The Farmer & the Snake
A Farmer walked through his field one cold winter morning. On the ground lay a Snake,
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The Sick Stag
A Stag had fallen sick. He had just strength enough to gather some food and find a qu
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The Goatherd & the Wild Goats
One cold stormy day a Goatherd drove his Goats for shelter into a cave, where a numbe
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The Spendthrift & the Swallow
A young fellow, who was very popular among his boon companions as a good spender, qui
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The Cat & the Birds
A Cat was growing very thin. As you have guessed, he did not get enough to eat. One d
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The Dog & the Oyster
There was once a Dog who was very fond of eggs. He visited the hen house very often a
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The Astrologer
A man who lived a long time ago believed that he could read the future in the stars.
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Three Bullocks & a lion
A Lion had been watching three Bullocks feeding in an open field. He had tried to att
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Mercury & the Woodman
A poor Woodman was cutting down a tree near the edge of a deep pool in the forest. It
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The Fox & the Crab
A Crab one day grew disgusted with the sands in which he lived. He decided to take a
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The Serpent & the Eagle
A Serpent had succeeded in surprising an Eagle and had wrapped himself around the Eag
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The Bull & the Goat
A Bull once escaped from a Lion by entering a cave which the Goatherds used to house
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The Old Lion & the Fox
An old Lion, whose teeth and claws were so worn that it was not so easy for him to ge
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The Man & the Lion
A Lion and a Man chanced to travel in company through the forest. They soon began to
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The Ass & the Lap Dog
There was once an Ass whose Master also owned a Lap Dog. This Dog was a favorite and
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The Milkmaid & Her Pail
A Milkmaid had been out to milk the cows and was returning from the field with the sh
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The Wolf & the Shepherd
A Wolf had been prowling around a flock of Sheep for a long time, and the Shepherd wa
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The Goatherd & the Goat
A Goat strayed away from the flock, tempted by a patch of clover. The Goatherd tried
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The Miser
A Miser had buried his gold in a secret place in his garden. Every day he went to the
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The Wolf & the House Dog
There was once a Wolf who got very little to eat because the Dogs of the village were
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The Fox & the Hedgehog
A Fox, swimming across a river, was barely able to reach the bank, where he lay bruis
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The Bat & the Weasels
A Bat blundered into the nest of a Weasel, who ran up to catch and eat him. The Bat b
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The Quack Toad
An old Toad once informed all his neighbors that he was a learned doctor. In fact he
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The Fox Without a Tail
A Fox that had been caught in a trap, succeeded at last, after much painful tugging,
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The Mischievous Dog
There was once a Dog who was so ill-natured and mischievous that his Master had to fa
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The Rose & the Butterfly
A Butterfly once fell in love with a beautiful Rose. The Rose was not indifferent, fo
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The Cat & the Fox
Once a Cat and a Fox were traveling together. As they went along, picking up provisio
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The Boy & the Nettle
A Boy, stung by a Nettle, ran home crying, to get his mother to blow on the hurt and
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The Old Lion
A Lion had grown very old. His teeth were worn away. His limbs could no longer bear h
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The Fox & the Pheasants
One moonlight evening as Master Fox was taking his usual stroll in the woods, he saw
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Two Travelers & a Bear
Two Men were traveling in company through a forest, when, all at once, a huge Bear cr
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The Porcupine & the Snakes
A Porcupine was looking for a good home. At last he found a little sheltered cave, wh
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The Fox & the Monkey
At a great meeting of the Animals, who had gathered to elect a new ruler, the Monkey
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The Flies & the Honey
A jar of honey was upset and the sticky sweetness flowed out on the table. The sweet
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The Eagle & the Kite
An Eagle sat high in the branches of a great Oak. She seemed very sad and drooping fo
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The Stag, the Sheep, & the Wolf
One day a Stag came to a Sheep and asked her to lend him a measure of wheat. The Shee
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The Animals & the Plague
Once upon a time a severe plague raged among the animals. Many died, and those who li
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The Shepherd & the Lion
A Shepherd, counting his Sheep one day, discovered that a number of them were missing
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The Bees & Wasps, & the Hornet
A store of honey had been found in a hollow tree, and the Wasps declared positively t
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The Lark & Her Young Ones
A Lark made her nest in a field of young wheat. As the days passed, the wheat stalks
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The Cat & the Old Rat
There was once a Cat who was so watchful, that a Mouse hardly dared show the tip of h
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The Ass & His Shadow
A Traveler had hired an Ass to carry him to a distant part of the country. The owner
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The Miller, His Son, & the Ass
One day, a long time ago, an old Miller and his Son were on their way to market with
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The Wolf, the Kid, & the Goat
Mother Goat was going to market one morning to get provisions for her household, whic
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The Swallow & the Crow
Jupiter & the Monkey
There was once a baby show among the Animals in the forest. Jupiter provided the priz
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The Lion, the Ass, & the Fox
A Lion, an Ass, and a Fox were hunting in company, and caught a large quantity of gam
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The Lion's Share
A long time ago, the Lion, the Fox, the Jackal, and the Wolf agreed to go hunting tog
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The Mole & his Mother
The North Wind & the Sun
The North Wind and the Sun had a quarrel about which of them was the stronger. While
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The Wolves & the Sheep
A pack of Wolves lurked near the Sheep pasture. But the Dogs kept them all at a respe
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The Cock & the Fox
A Fox was caught in a trap one fine morning, because he had got too near the Farmer's
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The Ass in the Lion's Skin
An Ass found a Lion's skin left in the forest by a hunter. He dressed himself in it,
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The Fighting Cocks & the Eagle
Once there were two Cocks living in the same farmyard who could not bear the sight of
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