The Fables

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 little thing in hand is worth more than a great thing in prospect.

This kit is from The Fables range.

At one time the Horse has the plain entirely to himself. Then a Stag intruded on his domain and shared his pasture.

The Horse, desiring revenge, asked a man if he were willing to help. The man consented on the condition the Horse received a bit in his mouth and agree to carry him.

With the aid of the man, the Horse soon overcame the Stag. However, when the Horse asked the man to remove the bit in his mouth and the saddle, the man responded:

"Not so fast, friend. I have now got you under bit and spur. I prefer to keep you as you are"

Advantages may be dearly bought.

This kit is from The Fables range.

A Jay, tired of being alike to all other Jays, dreamed of being something different.

On finding a peacock feather, he imagined what he could be.

Strapping feathers to himself he strutted back to all the other Jays.

But they quickly discovered he was no peacock and just another Jay. Laughing at his silly behavior they advised him: "It is not only fine feathers needed to make a fine bird".

Fine feathers do not make fine birds.

This kit is from The Fables range.

A Lion fell in love with a beautiful maiden and proposed marriage. The maiden’s parents did not know what to say. They did not want to give their daughter to the Lion, yet they did not wish to enrage the King of Beasts.

At last the father said:

“We feel highly honored by your Majesty’s proposal, but our daughter is a tender young girl, and we fear that in the heat of love you might possibly do her injury. Might I venture to suggest that your Majesty should have your claws removed, and your teeth extracted; then we would consider your proposal again.”

The Lion was so much in love that he had his claws trimmed and his big teeth taken out.

But, when he again came to the parents of the young girl they simply laughed at him.

Love tames the wildest.

This kit is from The Fables range.

A Fox one day invited a Stork to dine with him, and, wishing to be amused at his expense, put the soup which he had for dinner in a large flat dish, so that, while he himself could lap it up quite well, the Stork could only dip in the tips of his long bill.

Some time after, the Stork, bearing his treatment in mind, invited the Fox to take dinner with him.

He, in his turn, put some minced meat in a long and narrow-necked vessel, into which he could easily put his bill, while Master Fox was forced to be content with licking what ran down the sides of the vessel.

The Fox then remembered his old trick, and could not but admit that the Stork had well paid him out.

Trickster expect trickery in return.

This kit is from The Fables range.

The Wind and the Sun were disputing which was the stronger.

Suddenly they saw a traveller coming down the road, and the Sun said: "I see a way to decide our dispute. Whichever of us can cause that traveller to take off his cloak shall be regarded as the stronger. You begin."

So the Sun retired behind a cloud, and the Wind began to blow as hard as it could upon the traveller.

But the harder he blew the more closely did the traveller wrap his cloak round him, till at last the Wind had to give up in despair.

Then the Sun came out and shone in all his glory upon the traveller, who soon found it too hot to walk with his cloak on.

Kindness effects more than severity.

This kit is from The Fables range.

A Woodman saw in the middle of a field a Fox, whose skin was so beautiful that he was inspired with a great desire to take him alive. Having this in view, he found out his hole by a tree and just before the entrance to it he dug a pit, which he covered with twigs and placed a piece of horseflesh in the middle.

When he had done this he went and hid himself behind the tree out of sight. The Fox, smelling the flesh, ran up to see what dainty morsel it was. When he came to the pit he would fain have tasted the meat, but fearing some trick he refrained from doing so, and retreated into his hole.

Presently up came a hungry Tiger, who being tempted by the smell and appearance of the horseflesh, sprang in haste to seize it, and tumbled into the pit.

The Woodman, hearing the noise made by the Tiger in falling, ran up and jumped into the pit without looking into it, never doubting that it was the Fox that had fallen in. But there, to his surprise, he found the Tiger, which quickly tore him in pieces and devoured him.

Look before you leap.

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A Rat was traveling along the king’s highway. He was a very proud Rat, considering his small size and the bad reputation all Rats have. As Mr. Rat walked along he noticed a great commotion up the road, and soon a grand procession came in view. It was the King and his retinue.

The King rode on a huge Elephant adorned with the most gorgeous trappings. A great crowd of people followed the procession. They were so taken up with admiration of the Elephant, that the Rat was not noticed. His pride was hurt.

“What fools!” he cried. “Look at me, and you will soon forget that clumsy Elephant! Is it his great size that makes your eyes pop out? Why, I have eyes and ears and as many legs as he! I am of just as much importance, and- ”

But just then the royal Cat spied him, and the next instant, the Rat knew he was not quite so important as an Elephant.

A resemblance to the great in some things does not make us great.

This kit is from The Fables range.

A Farmer walked through his field one cold winter morning. On the ground lay a Snake, stiff and frozen with the cold. The Farmer knew how deadly the Snake could be, and yet he picked it up and put it in his bosom to warm it back to life.

The Snake soon revived, and when it had enough strength, bit the man who had been so kind to it.

The bite was deadly and the Farmer felt that he must die. As he drew his last breath, he said to those standing around:

“Learn from my fate not to take pity on a scoundrel.”

The greatest kindness will not bind the ungrateful.

This kit is from The Fables range.

The wise Elephant, whose efforts were always directed towards the benefit of his society, saw with much concern the many abuses among the beasts, which called loudly for reform.

He therefore assembled them, and, with all due respect and humility, began a long harangue; and enlarged for more than a quarter of an hour, remarking all their vices.

To many of his auditors this speech appeared extremely delightful and judicious, and they listened with open-mouthed attention, especially such as the innocent Dove, the faithful Dog, the obedient Camel, the harmless Sheep, and even the little industrious Ant; the busy Bee also approved much of this lecture.

Another part of the audience were extremely offended, and could scarcely endure so long an oration; the Tiger, for instance, and the rapacious Wolf were exceedingly tired, and the Serpent hissed with all his might.

The Elephant, seeing the tumult, concluded his discourse with these words:

“My advice is addressed equally to all, but remember that those who feel hurt by any remarks of mine acknowledge their guilt. The innocent are unmoved.”

If words hurt think carefully about the meaning behind them.

This kit is from The Fables range.

On a summer day, when the great heat induced a general thirst among the beasts, a Lion and a Boar came at the same moment to a small well to drink.

They fiercely disputed which of them should drink first, and were soon engaged in the agonies of a mortal combat.

When they stopped suddenly to catch their breath for a fiercer renewal of the fight, they saw a Vulture waiting in the distance to feast on the one that should fall first.

They at once made up their quarrel, saying, “It is better for us to make friends, than to become the food of Crows or Vultures.”

Better to be friends than fight.

This kit is from The Fables range.

A hungry Crow, flying about in quest of his prey, saw a Snake basking himself upon the side of a sunny bank.

Down he soused upon him, and seized him with his horny beak, in order to devour him.

But the Snake, writhing to and fro with the pain, bit the Crow again with his venomous teeth, to such a degree, that he could not survive it.

The Crow, in the agonies of death, is said to have confessed that this judgment happened to him justly; since he had attempted to satisfy his craving appetite at the expence of another’s welfare.

“Nature has made all the necessaries of life, safe and easier to us, but if we will be hankering after things that we neither want nor understand, we must take our fortune.”

Desire things you don’t understand and you accept the consequences.

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There happen’d a controversie once betwixt a peach, and an apple, which was the fairer fruit of the two.

They were so loud in their discourse, disturbing all plants, flower and berries around them.

So frought did the discussion become, a blackberry from the next hedg, over-heard them.

Come (says the blackberry) we are all friends, and pray let’s have no jangling among our selves.

Every thing would be thought greater in the world then it is, and the root of it is this, that it first thinks it self so.

Everyone thinks themselves best.

This kit is from The Fables range.