Classic Short Fables and Their Lessons
The Frog and the Fox
Once there was a frog in a pond who cried out to all the animals: "I am a physician knowledgeable of remedies!" A fox who heard him said: "How are you going to save others when you cannot even heal yourself?"
The fable shows that the uninitiated cannot educate others until they first educate themselves.
Oxen and Axes
Oxen were dragging a cart. The shaft was grinding as it turned, and it was told: "Oh! You complain when we are all still carrying the burden?"
This also applies to some men who, while others work, pretend to be tired.
The Weasel and the File
A weasel entered a blacksmith's shop and licked a file that was there. As it licked, its tongue was cut and bled profusely. The weasel was glad, assuming it had cut off some iron, until it lost its tongue.
The fable is about those who hurt themselves in disputes.
The Old Man and Death
Once there was an old man who had cut firewood and traveled a long way. Having dropped his load due to fatigue from the road, he called out to Death. When Death appeared and asked why he had been called, the old man said, "To carry the load."
The fable shows that every man loves life, even if it is very unfortunate.
The Snake and the Fox
A snake was swept into a river on a bunch of thistles. A fox saw it and said, "Worthy of being a ship's pilot!"
This is said against a man who has taken to evil deeds.
Zeus and the Snake
When Zeus celebrated his wedding, all animals brought gifts according to their own strength. Then the snake crept up after picking up a rose in its mouth. Zeus saw it and said: "I accept gifts from all others, but I will not accept anything from your mouth."
The myth shows that favors from the wicked are terrible.
The Boy Who Drowned
Once a child bathing in a river was in danger of drowning. Seeing a passerby, he called out shouting for help. The passerby began to blame the child for being reckless. Then the boy said, "But first help me, and then blame me when I am safe."
This fable is for those who offer criticism instead of help when someone is in danger.
The Bear and the Fox
A bear boasted greatly that he was a friend of man because he did not eat corpses. A fox said to him: "I wish you would drag the dead away, but not the living."
This fable censures those who live in hypocrisy and greed.
The Woman and the Hen
A widow had a hen that laid an egg every day. She thought that if she gave it more food, it would lay eggs twice a day. When she did this, the hen became fat and stopped laying eggs even once a day.
The fable shows that greed often leads to loss.
The Oak and the Reed
An oak and a reed competed about their strength. When a strong wind blew, the reed bent and swayed, escaping the force that tried to uproot it. The oak, however, stood firm and was torn from its roots.
The fable shows that one should not compete with or resist the strongest.