In the evening, the wolf was shut up by the shepherd in the fold, the gate was closed and the entrance made thoroughly secure. Later that night, the shepherd decided to kill a sheep for his dinner. But instead of catching a sheep, he mistakenly chose the sleeping wolf. Even before realizing his error, the shepherd killed the wolf, only realizing it when he went to skin the wolf for dinner.

Moral: If you go looking for trouble, trouble will find you.

Grieving over his loss, the Father decided to kill the Snake. The next day, when the Snake came out of its hole for food, the Laborer 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, and placed some bread and salt in the hole.

The Snake hissed: “There can never be 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 really forgets their injuries in the presence of the person who caused the injury.

He expressed his willingness to accept the Lion as the suitor of his daughter on one condition: that the Lion allowed the Father to extract his teeth, and cut off his claws, as his daughter was fearfully afraid of both. The Lion cheerfully agreed to the proposal.

But when the toothless, clawless Lion returned to repeat his request, the Woodman, no longer afraid, set upon him with his club, and drove him away into the forest.

Moral: Don’t give away an essential part of yourself for the sake of love.

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.

The Sheep and the Goat complained of his distressing cries, saying, “He often handles us, and we do not cry out.”

To this the Piglet replied, “Your handling and mine are very different things. He catches you only for your wool, or your milk, but he lays hold on me for my very life.”

Moral: Don’t complain about something you cannot understand.

The Rooster defended himself by saying that he did this for the benefit of people, that they might rise in time for their labors.

The Cat replied, “Although you abound in specious apologies, I shall not remain supperless”; and he made a meal of him.

Moral: Evildoers will always find a justification for their actions.

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.

They rushed clamorously into the presence of the Lioness and demanded her to the settlement of the dispute.  “And you,” they said, “how many sons have you at a birth?’  The Lioness laughed at them, and said: “Why! I have only one; but that one is altogether a thoroughbred Lion.”

Moral: The value is in the worth, not in the number.

The Donkey often lamented his own hard fate and contrasted it with the luxury and idleness of the Lapdog, till at last one day he broke his cords and halter, and galloped into his master’s house, kicking up his heels without measure, and frisking and fawning in the same way that he had seen the Lapdog do.  The Donkey next tried to jump about his master as the Lapdog did, but he broke the table and smashed all the dishes upon it to tiny pieces.  He then attempted to lick his master, and jumped upon his back.

The servants, hearing the strange hubbub and perceiving the danger of their master, quickly relieved him, and drove out the Donkey to his stable with kicks and clubs.

The Donkey, as he returned to his stall beaten nearly to death, lamented:  “I have brought it all on myself! Why could I not have been contented to labor with my companions, and not wish to be idle all the day like that useless little Lapdog!”

Moral: don’t try to be something you’re not.

photo credit:
Thomas Hawk

The Bat assured the Weasel that he was not a bird, but a mouse and was promptly set free, with the Weasel apologizing for his mistake.

Shortly afterwards the Bat again fell to the ground and was caught by another Weasel, whom he likewise entreated not to eat him.

The second Weasel said that he had a long standing feud with mice and hated all mice. The Bat assured him that he was not a mouse, but a bat and escaped for a second time.

Moral: Use your circumstances to your advantage.