The Æsop for Children

The Wolf & the Kid

There was once a little Kid whose growing horns made him think he was a grown-up Billy
Goat and able to take care of himself. So one evening when the flock started home from
the pasture and his mother called, the Kid paid no heed and kept right on nibbling the
tender grass. A little later when he lifted his head, the flock was gone.

He was all alone. The sun was sinking. Long shadows came creeping over the ground. A
chilly little wind came creeping with them making scary noises in the grass. The Kid
shivered as he thought of the terrible Wolf. Then he started wildly over the field, bleating
for his mother. But not half-way, near a clump of trees, there was the Wolf!

The Kid knew there was little hope for him.

"Please, Mr. Wolf," he said trembling, "I know you are going to eat me. But first please
pipe me a tune, for I want to dance and be merry as long as I can."

The Wolf liked the idea of a little music before eating, so he struck up a merry tune and
the Kid leaped and frisked gaily.

Meanwhile, the flock was moving slowly homeward. In the still evening air the Wolf's
piping carried far. The Shepherd Dogs pricked up their ears. They recognized the song
the Wolf sings before a feast, and in a moment they were racing back to the pasture. The
Wolf's song ended suddenly, and as he ran, with the Dogs at his heels, he called himself
a fool for turning piper to please a Kid, when he should have stuck to his butcher's trade.

Do not let anything turn you from your purpose

.
The Æsop for Children

The Man & the Satyr

A long time ago a Man met a Satyr in the forest and succeeded in making friends with him. The
two soon became the best of comrades, living together in the Man's hut. But one cold winter
evening, as they were walking homeward, the Satyr saw the Man blow on his fingers.

"Why do you do that?" asked the Satyr.

"To warm my hands," the Man replied.

When they reached home the Man prepared two bowls of porridge. These he placed steaming
hot on the table, and the comrades sat down very cheerfully to enjoy the meal. But much to the
Satyr's surprise, the Man began to blow into his bowl of porridge.
"Why do you do that?" he asked.

"To cool my porridge," replied the Man.

The Satyr sprang hurriedly to his feet and made for the door.

"Goodby," he said, "I've seen enough. A fellow that blows hot and cold in the same breath
cannot be friends with me!"

The man who talks for both sides is not to be trusted by either.

The Hare & His Ears

The Lion had been badly hurt by the horns of a Goat, which he was eating. He was very angry
to think that any animal that he chose for a meal, should be so brazen as to wear such
dangerous things as horns to scratch him while he ate. So he commanded that all animals with
horns should leave his domains within twenty-four hours.

The command struck terror among the beasts. All those who were so unfortunate as to have
horns, began to pack up and move out. Even the Hare, who, as you know, has no horns and so
had nothing to fear, passed a very restless night, dreaming awful dreams about the fearful Lion.

And when he came out of the warren in the early morning sunshine, and there saw the shadow
cast by his long and pointed ears, a terrible fright seized him.

"Goodby, neighbor Cricket," he called. "I'm off. He will certainly make out that my ears are
horns, no matter what I say."

The Æsop for Children

The Tortoise & the Ducks
The Tortoise, you know, carries his house on his back. No matter how hard he tries, he cannot
leave home. They say that Jupiter punished him so, because he was such a lazy stay-at-home
that he would not go to Jupiter's wedding, even when especially invited.

After many years, Tortoise began to wish he had gone to that wedding. When he saw how gaily
the birds flew about and how the Hare and the Chipmunk and all the other animals ran nimbly
by, always eager to see everything there was to be seen, the Tortoise felt very sad and
discontented. He wanted to see the world too, and there he was with a house on his back and
little short legs that could hardly drag him along.

One day he met a pair of Ducks and told them all his trouble.
"We can help you to see the world," said the Ducks. "Take hold of this stick with your teeth and
we will carry you far up in the air where you can see the whole countryside. But keep quiet or
you will be sorry."

The Tortoise was very glad indeed. He seized the stick firmly with his teeth, the two Ducks took
hold of it one at each end, and away they sailed up toward the clouds.

Just then a Crow flew by. He was very much astonished at the strange sight and cried:

"This must surely be the King of Tortoises!"

"Why certainly—" began the Tortoise.

But as he opened his mouth to say these foolish words he lost his hold on the stick, and down
he fell to the ground, where he was dashed to pieces on a rock.

Foolish curiosity and vanity often lead to misfortune.

Do not give your enemies the slightest reason to attack your reputation. Your enemies will seize
any excuse to attack you.
The Æsop for Children
The Fisherman & the Little Fish
A poor Fisherman, who lived on the fish he caught, had bad luck one day and caught nothing
but a very small fry. The Fisherman was about to put it in his basket when the little Fish said:

"Please spare me, Mr. Fisherman! I am so small it is not worth while to carry me home. When I
am bigger, I shall make you a much better meal."

But the Fisherman quickly put the fish into his basket.

"How foolish I should be," he said, "to throw you back. However small you may be, you are
better than nothing at all."

A small gain is worth more than a large promise.