Aesop Fables

The Oxen and the Butchers

Aesop Fables

Fidy Says

The Oxen and the Butchers

The Oxen once sought to destroy the Butchers, who practiced a trade destructive to their race.

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.

posted in Bull, People | 4 Suggested Morals

The Salt Merchant and the Donkey

A Salt Merchant drove his Donkey to the seashore to buy salt. His road home lay across a stream into which his Donkey tripped and fell by accident. When the Donkey got out of the water, his load considerably lighter, as the water melted the salt in the sack.

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.

posted in Donkey, People | 29 Suggested Morals

The Boys and the Frogs

Some boys, playing near a pond, saw a number of Frogs in the water and began to throw stones at them.

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.

posted in Miscellaneous, People | 5 Suggested Morals

The Laborer and the Snake

A Snake, having made his hole close to the porch of a cottage, inflicted a mortal bite on the Laborer’s infant son.

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.

posted in People, Snake | 2 Suggested Morals

The Boy and the Candies

A Boy put his hand into a pitcher full of candies. He grasped as many as he could possibly hold, but when he tried to pull out his hand, he was prevented from doing so by the neck of the pitcher.

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.

posted in People | 1 Suggested Moral

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