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Chapter 1 -The Too-Fat Fox
Chapter 2 -The Lion and the Lost Meal
Chapter 3 -The Caged Bird
Chapter 4 -The Parrot and the Cat
Chapter 5 -The Jealous Camel
Chapter 6 -The Tortoise and the Hare
Chapter 7 -The Ant and the Dove
Chapter 8 -The Lion's Share
Chapter 9 -The Clever Dog
Chapter 10 -The Selfish Horse
Chapter 1 The Too-Fat Fox
One afternoon, a half-starved fox found
some meat that had been left by shepherds
in the hollow of an old oak tree.
The fox crept inside the tree and ate and ate
until he could eat no more. When he had
finished, the fox was ready to be on his
way, but he found that his stomach had
swollen so much that he could not get out of
the tree.
Another fox, who was passing by, heard his
cries for help and came up to find out what
was the matter.
"Well," said the second fox, "I suggest you
stay there until you're thin again. Then you'll
be able to get out." Then he ran away.
So the too-fat fox waited and waited, and,
when he was thin again, he was able to
leave the tree.
| Chapter 2 The Lion and the Lost Meal
One evening, a lion found a hare eating in
the grass.
He was very pleased and was just about to
eat the hare when he noticed some deer
nearby.
Forgetting the hare, he jumped up and
chased after the deer, making so much
noise that the hare finally noticed him and
ran away.
After a long chase, the lion realized that he
could not catch the deer.
Remembering the hare, he returned to
where it had been eating, only to find that,
like the deer, it had gotten away.
"If I hadn't left the hare in the hope of getting
something bigger," he said, "I could've
eaten."
Chapter 3 The Caged Bird
There was once a bird in a cage who had a
very beautiful voice but who would sing only
at night.
A bat who was passing by heard her and
asked why she never sang during the day.
"I used to sing in the daytime," she replied
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sadly, "but then I was captured. Now I've
learned my lesson--it's too dangerous to
sing during the day. That's why I sing only at
night."
"It's a bit late to be careful now," said the
bat.
"You should've thought about these things
before you were caught."
Chapter 4 The Parrot and the Cat
Some time ago a man bought a parrot and
took her home.
The man allowed his new parrot to fly all
around the house, and the parrot settled in
very quickly.
One day soon after she arrived, the house
cat came across the parrot sitting on her
perch, chattering away quite happily to
herself.
The cat, who had not yet met the parrot, was
very surprised, and asked, in a rather voice,
who she was and where she had come
from.
The parrot replied that the master had just
bought her.
"Well," said the cat, "you do have a nerve.
Imagine a newcomer like you making such
a racket, when I, who was born in this
house, am not allowed to even meow.
If I do, my master gets furious and chases
me away."
"Well," replied the parrot, "my advice to you
is to leave this house and find yourself a
new home. You see, the master of the
house doesn't mind my voice, but I'm afraid
| it seems he doesn't like yours."
Chapter 5 The Jealous Camel
One night a monkey got up in front of a
gathering of animals and began to dance.
His audience clapped so loudly and paid
him so many compliments that a camel
standing in the crowd grew jealous.
Thinking that he could get just as much
attention, the camel went out in front of the
crowd and tried to dance like the monkey.
But the clumsy camel couldn't dance well,
and he looked so silly as he shuffled around
that the crowd booed him and sent him
away.
Chapter 6 The Tortoise and the Hare
A tortoise and a hare once got into an
argument about who could run faster.
They decided that the best way to settle the
matter was to have a race, so they agreed
on a time and a place to meet and then went
their separate ways.
The hare was so confident that he was
going to win that he didn't bother to start at
the agreed time.
Instead he decided to take a nap.
He told himself that when he woke, he could
easily overtake the toroise and win the race.
The tortoise, however, started on time.
He plodded along, going slowly, but not
stopping even once to rest.
On and on he went.
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Eventually, just as the hare was waking up,
the tortoise crossed the finish line.
The tortoise was slow but he had won the
race.
Chapter 7 The Ant and the Dove
A thirsty ant crawled down to the edge of a
stream for a drink, but just at that moment
the current swelled and the ant was carried
away.
A dove who was flying by saw that the ant
was in trouble, broke off a twig, and threw it
into the water.
The ant crawled onto the twig and soon was
washed onto dry land.
Later that day, a hunter appeared with
some sticks smeared with lime and started
to set them in position to catch the dove.
When the ant saw this, she bit the man
sharply on the foot.
With a shriek of pain, the hunter dropped the
sticks and grabbed his foot.
The dove, frightened by the noise, flew off
to safety.
Chapter 8 The Lion's Share
A lion, a fox and a wild donkey went hunting
together, the lion using his strength, the fox
using his slyness, and the donkey using his
speed.
When they had caught a number of animals,
the lion divided the catch into three parts.
He said,"because, as king, I hold the
highest position in the animal kingdom.
| And since I'm your equal partner in hunting,
I'll take the second part, too.
As for the third portion, I want that as well,
so go away before I gobble you up."
Chapter 9 The Clever Dog
A dog was lying asleep in a farmyard when
he was suddenly attacked by a wolf.
The wolf was about to devour him when the
dog shouted, "Don't eat me yet! I'm very
scraggly at the moment. But my master is at
a wedding. When he comes back, he'll
bring me lots of delicious leftovers. Then I'll
make a better meal for you."
After thinking it over, the wolf agreed to
postpone his meal and went away.
Later the wolf returned to the farm.
But the dog was no longer in the yard.
Instead the wolf saw the dog high up on the
roof and called out to him to come down and
keep his promise.
But the dog replied, "You're too late. Thanks
to you I will always sleep in a safe place. If
you ever find me sleeping on the ground
again, I'll deserve to be eaten!"
Chapter 10 The Selfish Horse
A farmer set off on a journey with many
baskets, taking both his horse and his
donkey to carry the load.
But after many miles the little donkey could
no longer carry all his burden.
He begged the horse to help him, but the
horse was quite comfortable as he was and
refused.
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Soon the exhausted donkey could walk no
further, and he collapsed in the road.
The farmer, who had no intention of
stopping, put all the donkey's baskets on
the horse's back and continued on his way.
"I wish I had helped the donkey earlier,"
wailed the horse. "Now I have to carry the
whole burden alone." |
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