Unwilling to lose his filberts, and yet unable to withdraw his hand, he burst into tears and bitterly lamented his disappointment. A bystander said to him, “Be satisfied with half the quantity, and you will easily get your hand out.”

Moral:Do not attempt too much at once.

Among other things, he said that when he was at Rhodes he had leaped to such a distance that no man of his day could leap anywhere near him as to that, there were in Rhodes many persons who saw him do it and whom he could call as witnesses.

One of the bystanders interrupted him, saying:  “Now, my good man, if this be all true there is no need of witnesses.  Suppose this to be Rhodes, and leap for us.”

Moral: Don’t let your words be larger than your deeds.

“Think about it!” said the Horse, “if you really want me to be in good condition, you should groom me less, and feed me more.”

Moral: Spend your time on what will give you the results you want.

photo credit: covilha

One of the miser’s workers observed his frequent visits to the spot and decided to keep an eye on the miser. The worker soon discovered the hidden treasure, and digging down, came to the lump of gold, and stole it.

The next time the Miser visited his gold, he found the hole empty and began to tear his hair and sob loudly. A neighbor, seeing him overcome with grief and learning the cause, said,

“Pray do not grieve so… go and take a stone, place it in the hole, and pretend that the gold is still lying there. It will have the same effect; for when the gold was there, you didn’t really have it, as you did not make the slightest use of it.”

Moral: Use it or lose it

The next day it snowed very hard, so that the Goatherd could not take the herd to their usual feeding places, but was obliged to keep them inside the cave. He gave his own goats just enough food to keep them alive, but fed the wild goats more abundantly, hoping that by doing so, they would stay with him and join his herd.

When the snow thawed, the Goatherd led them all out to feed, and the Wild Goats scampered away as fast as they could to the mountains. The Goatherd scolded them for their ingratitude in leaving him, when during the storm he had taken more care of them than of his own herd.

One of the Wild Goats, turning about, said to him: “That is the very reason why we are so cautious; for if you yesterday treated us better than the Goats you have had so long, it is plain also that if others came after us, you would in the same manner prefer them to ourselves.”

Moral: Don’t sacrifice old friends for new ones.

The Oxen assembled on a certain day to carry out their purpose, and sharpened their horns for the contest. But one of them who was exceedingly old (for many a field had he plowed) thus spoke:

“These Butchers, it is true, slaughter us, but they do so with skillful hands, and with no unnecessary pain. If we get rid of them, we shall fall into the hands of unskillful operators, and thus suffer a double death: for you may be assured, that though all the Butchers should perish, yet will people will always want beef.”

Moral: Do not be in a hurry to change one evil for another.

The Merchant went back to the market by the seashore and refilled his bags with a larger quantity of salt than before. When he came again to the stream, the Donkey fell down on purpose in the same spot, and, regaining his feet with the weight of his load much diminished, brayed triumphantly as if he had obtained what he desired.

The Merchant saw through this trick and drove the Donkey for the third time to the coast, where he bought a cargo of sponges instead of salt.

The Donkey, again playing the fool, fell down on purpose when he reached the stream, but the sponges became swollen with water, greatly increasing his load. Thus his trick recoiled on him, for he now carried on his back a double burden.

Moral: Don’t try a trick too often or it will turn against you.

After the Boys had killed several of the Frogs, one of the Frogs, lifting his head out of the water, cried out: “Please stop, boys: what is sport to you, is death to us.”

Moral: Be aware of the effect of your actions upon others.

Grieving over his loss, the Father decided to kill the Snake.

The next day, when the snake came out of its hole for food, he took up his axe, but by swinging too hastily, missed its head and cut off only the end of its tail. After some time the Laborer, afraid that the Snake would bite him also, endeavored to make peace. So the Laborer placed some bread and salt in the entrance to the hole.

The Snake, hissed and said: “There can be no peace between us; for whenever I see you I shall remember the loss of my tail, and whenever you see me you will be thinking of the death of your son.”

Moral: No one truly forgets injuries in the presence of the person who caused the injury.

Unwilling to lose his candies, and yet unable to withdraw his hand, he burst into tears and bitterly lamented his disappointment.

A bystander said to him, “Be satisfied with half the quantity, and you will easily draw out your hand.”

Moral: Do not attempt too much at once.