Aesop Fables

Childrens Story – The Old Man And The Three Young Men As an old man was planting a tree, three young men came along and began to make sport of him, saying: “It shows your foolishness to be planting a tree at your age. The tree cannot bear fruit for many years, while you must […]

Childrens Story – The Dove And The Crow A Dove shut up in a cage was boasting of the large number of the young ones which she had hatched. A Crow, hearing her, said: “My good friend, cease from this unreasonable boasting. The larger the number of your family, the greater your cause of sorrow, […]

Childrens Story – The Shepherd And The Wolf A Shepherd once found a young Wolf, and brought it up, and after a while taught it to steal lambs from the neighboring flocks. The Wolf, having shown himself an apt pupil, said to the Shepherd: “Since you have taught me to steal, you must keep a […]

Childrens Story – The Mother And The Wolf A famished Wolf was prowling about in the morning in search of food. As he passed the door of a cottage built in the forest, he heard a mother say to her child: “Be quiet, or I will throw you out of the window, and the Wolf […]

Childrens Story – The Huntsman And The Fisherman A Huntsman, returning with his dogs from the field, fell in by chance with a Fisherman, bringing home a basket laden with fish. The Huntsman wished to have the fish, and their owner experienced an equal longing for the contents of the game-bag. They quickly agreed to […]

Childrens Story – The Oak And The Reeds A very large Oak was uprooted by the wind, and thrown across a stream. It fell among some Reeds, which it thus addressed: “I wonder how you, who are so light and weak, are not entirely crushed by these strong winds.” They replied: “You fight and contend […]

Childrens Story – The Man And The Satyr A Man and a Satyr once formed a bond of alliance. One very cold wintry day, as they talked together, the Man put his fingers to his mouth and blew on them. On the Satyr inquiring the reason, he told him that he did it to warm […]

Childrens Story – The Playful Ass An Ass climbed up to the roof of a building, and, frisking about there, broke in the tiling. The owner went up after him, and quickly drove him down, beating him severely with a thick wooden cudgel. The Ass said: “Why, I saw the Monkey do this very thing […]

Childrens Story – The Milkmaid And Her Pot Of Milk A Maid was carrying her pail of milk to the farm-house, when she fell a-musing. “The money for which this milk will be sold will buy at least three hundred eggs. The eggs, allowing for all mishaps, will produce two hundred and fifty chickens. The […]

Childrens Story – The Vain Jackdaw Jupiter determined, it is said, to create a sovereign over the birds, and made proclamation that, on a certain day, they should all present themselves before him, when he would himself choose the most beautiful among them to be king. The Jackdaw, knowing his own ugliness, searched through the […]