A Muleteer (Mule-Driver) set off on a journey, driving before him a Donkey and a Mule, both well laden with goods to trade and money.

The Donkey, as long as he traveled along the flatlands, carried his load easily, but when he began to ascend the steep path of the mountain, he felt his load to be more than he could bear.

The Donkey pleaded with the Mule to relieve him of a small portion of his load, that he might carry home the rest; but the Mule paid no attention to the request.

The Donkey shortly afterwards fell down dead under his burden. Not knowing what else to do in such a wild region, the Muleteer placed upon the Mule the load carried by the Donkey in addition to his own, and at the top of all placed the hide of the Donkey, after he had skinned him.

The Mule, groaning beneath his heavy burden, said to himself: “I am treated according to my deserts. If I had only been willing to assist the Donkey a little in his need, I should not now be bearing, together with his burden, himself as well.”

Moral: Help your friends in their need or you will carry the burden all by yourself.

Once upon a time a Wolf resolved to disguise his appearance in order to secure food more easily.

Encased in the skin of a sheep, the Wolf went out to pasture with the flock, deceiving the shepherd by his costume. In the evening he was shut up by the shepherd in the fold; the gate was closed, and the entrance made thoroughly secure.

When the shepherd, returning to the fold during the night to obtain meat for the next day, he mistakenly caught up the Wolf instead of a sheep, and killed him instantly.

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

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.

A Lion was in love with the daughter of a woodcutter. One day he went to the woodcutter and asked for her hand in marriage.

The Father, unwilling to grant, and yet afraid to refuse his request, thought of an excellent idea to rid himself of his dilemna.

He expressed his willingness to accept the Lion as the suitor of his daughter on one condition: that the Lion allowed the woodcutter to extract his teeth, and cut off his claws, as the woodcutter’s daughter was terribly 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: Think before you put yourself into someone else’s power.

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.