“Think about it!” said the Horse, “if you really want me to be in good condition, you should groom me less, and feed me more.”

Moral: Spend your time on what will give you the results you want.

photo credit: covilha

One of the miser’s workers observed his frequent visits to the spot and decided to keep an eye on the miser. The worker soon discovered the hidden treasure, and digging down, came to the lump of gold, and stole it.

The next time the Miser visited his gold, he found the hole empty and began to tear his hair and sob loudly. A neighbor, seeing him overcome with grief and learning the cause, said,

“Pray do not grieve so… go and take a stone, place it in the hole, and pretend that the gold is still lying there. It will have the same effect; for when the gold was there, you didn’t really have it, as you did not make the slightest use of it.”

Moral: Use it or lose it

The next day it snowed very hard, so that the Goatherd could not take the herd to their usual feeding places, but was obliged to keep them inside the cave. He gave his own goats just enough food to keep them alive, but fed the wild goats more abundantly, hoping that by doing so, they would stay with him and join his herd.

When the snow thawed, the Goatherd led them all out to feed, and the Wild Goats scampered away as fast as they could to the mountains. The Goatherd scolded them for their ingratitude in leaving him, when during the storm he had taken more care of them than of his own herd.

One of the Wild Goats, turning about, said to him: “That is the very reason why we are so cautious; for if you yesterday treated us better than the Goats you have had so long, it is plain also that if others came after us, you would in the same manner prefer them to ourselves.”

Moral: Don’t sacrifice old friends for new ones.

The Jackdaw looked into the lake and realized how ugly he was. So he searched through the woods and fields and collected the feathers which had fallen from the wings of his companions. He stuck the feathers in all parts of his body, hoping thereby to make himself the most beautiful of all.

When the appointed day arrived, and the birds had assembled before Zeus, the Jackdaw also made his appearance in his many feathered finery.

There was not a bird in sight that had as many colored feathers as the Jackdaw. Zeus declared the Jackdaw to be the most beautiful of all the birds. However, the birds indignantly protested, and recognizing their own feathers stuck onto the Jackdaw, the birds each went to the Jackdaw and plucked their own feathers off him.

The Jackdaw, being stripped of his stolen plumage, was shown to be nothing but a Jackdaw after all.

A Fox seeing the Lion so put out by the Mouse said: “A fine Lion you are, to be frightened of a Mouse.”

“It’s not that I’m afraid of the Mouse,” said the Lion; “I resent his familiarity and ill-breeding.”

Moral: Little liberties may be great offenses.

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.

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.

Moral: Evil companions bring more hurt than profit.

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.

Zeus, knowing their simplicity, cast down a huge log into the lake. The Frogs were terrified at the splash that went with the fall of the log and hid themselves in the depths of the pool.

But as soon as they realized that the huge log was motionless, they swam again to the top of the water, got over their fears, climbed up, and began squatting on the log in contempt.

After some time, the Frogs began to think themselves ill-treated in the appointment of so useless a Ruler, and sent a second deputation to Zeus to pray that he would set over them another sovereign.

Zeus then gave the Frogs an Eel to govern them.

When the Frogs discovered that the Eel had an easy good nature, they sent yet a third time to Zeus to beg him to choose for them still another King.

Zeus, displeased with all their complaints, sent a Heron, who attacked and ate the Frogs day by day until there were none left to croak upon the lake.

Moral: Be content with what you’ve got.