2024Aesop008-015LOC

LOC = Library Of Congress The Æsop for Children

008The Plane Tree (The Sycamore tree) Two thoroughly exhausted thirsty Travelers, tired of walking in the noonday sun and sweating profusely, sought the cool shade of a wide spreading tree to rest. As they lay looking up the wind-caressed chattering leaves, they noticed that it was a Plane Tree. The thick foliage completely blocked the sun’s fierce rays, and the whispering wind cooled stroking gently their aching bodies. "How useless is the Plane Tree!" said one of them. "It bears no fruit whatever, and only serves to litter the ground with leaves." "Ungrateful creatures!" said a voice from the Plane Tree. "You lie here in my cooling shade, and yet you say I am useless! Thus ungratefully, O Jupiter, do men receive the blessings!" Purport: Our best blessings are often the least appreciated.

009. The Owl & the Grasshopper The Wise Owl and the Flattering Grasshopper Once upon a time, in a quiet wood, there lived an old Owl. She had a peculiar habit: during the day, she would retreat to her hollow tree and sleep soundly. But as soon as the sun dipped below the horizon, she emerged, ruffling her feathers and blinking her large eyes. Her eerie “hoo-hoo-hoo-oo-oo” echoed through the darkness as she set out on her nightly hunt for bugs, beetles, bats, frogs, and mice. Now, this particular Owl had grown grumpy with age. She cherished her daytime slumbers and disliked any disturbance. One warm summer afternoon, while dozing in her den within the ancient oak tree, she was rudely awakened by a Grasshopper nearby. The Grasshopper, with a raspy voice, began a joyous but rather loud song.                                          Startled, the old Owl poked her head out of the tree opening. “Sir,” she scolded the Grasshopper, “have you no manners? Respect my age and let me sleep in peace!” The cheeky Grasshopper retorted, “I have just as much right to enjoy the sun as you do to your oak tree.” Undeterred, he continued his raucous tune. The wise Owl knew arguing with the Grasshopper would be futile. Her daytime vision wasn’t sharp enough to punish him, so she decided on a different approach. Smiling kindly, she said, “Well, my dear sir, if I must stay awake, let’s make the most of it. I have a splendid wine from Olympus, the very drink Apollo sips before serenading the high gods. Come, taste it with me, and perhaps your singing will rival Apollo’s.” The foolish Grasshopper fell for flattery. He eagerly hopped up to the Owl’s den. But as soon as he came into clear view, the old Owl pounced and devoured him. Flattery is not a proof of true admiration. Do not let flattery throw you off your guard against an enemy.

010. The Oak & the Reeds The Mighty Oak and the Humble Reeds Once upon a time, near a babbling brook, there stood a Giant Oak. Its massive trunk reached for the heavens, and its hundred branches spread wide, as if embracing the sky itself. Nearby, slender Reeds swayed gracefully in the wind, their delicate forms bending and dancing. Whenever the breeze whispered through the meadow, the Oak stood tall and unyielding. It boasted, “See how I defy the elements! Even the slightest zephyr cannot sway me.” Its pride echoed through the forest, drowning out the Reeds’ gentle song. The Reeds, however, knew a different truth. They bowed low, their slender bodies bending like obedient servants. Their voices harmonized in a mournful melody, singing of resilience and acceptance. “We yield,” they whispered to the wind, “for we know our strength lies in flexibility.” One day, the Oak addressed the Reeds. “Why do you complain?” it scoffed. “A mere ripple on the water’s surface makes you bow your heads. But I, the mighty Oak, stand unwavering against the tempest’s fury.” The Reeds replied with wisdom beyond their fragile appearance. “Dear Oak,” they said, “the winds do not harm us. We bend, but we do not break. You, in your stubborn pride, resist their blows. Yet, heed our warning—the end approaches.” And so it came to pass. A great hurricane swept down from the north, its wrath unmatched. The Oak stood defiant, its roots gripping the earth. It wrestled with the storm, branches flailing against the gale. But the Reeds, oh, the Reeds—they bowed low, their whispers lost in the tempest’s rage. The wind intensified, and suddenly, the mighty Oak cracked. Its roots tore from the soil, and with a thunderous crash, it fell. The once-proud tree lay broken, sprawled among the Reeds it had dismissed. The Reeds, though battered, remained standing. They cradled the fallen Oak, their song now one of compassion. “Better to yield,” they murmured, “when resistance is folly. Stubbornness leads to destruction.” And so, the lesson echoed through the meadow: Humility and adaptability are mightier than pride and rigidity.

011. The Crow & the Pitcher It was the height of summer. The lakes, the wells and the ponds went dry. The fields were parched and fissured. People, animals, and birds were thirsty. A crow found a pitcher with some water in it. The water was so low, and the pitcher’s neck was so narrow its beak could not reach the water. The thirsty crow felt it drinks the water and if not, dies. A thought popped up in the crow’s mind. It picked up pebbles and dropped them into the pitcher. With each pebble, the water rose in the pitcher until the crow could easily drink the water at the neck of the pitcher. Good wits bring desired results.

012. The Two Goats Two haughty Goats, frisking gayly on the rocky steeps of a mountain valley, chanced to meet, one on each side of a deep chasm through which poured a mighty mountain torrent. The trunk of a fallen tree formed the bridge, the only means of crossing the chasm, and on this not even two sure-footed, nimble, and brave squirrels could have passed each other in safety. In reality, two squirrels passed each other one on the underside and the other on the overside of the log. Those squirrels were clever. Both were safe when they reached solid ground. What the squirrels did, the goats could not. The narrow path would have made the bravest tremble. Not so our Goats. Their stubborn pride would not permit either to stand aside or ever better, back up for the other, One set her foot on the log. The other did likewise. In the middle of the canyon they met nose to nose, eye to eye and horn to horn. Neither would give way or retrace the steps, and so they both fell, to be swept away by the roaring torrent below. It is better to yield than to come to misfortune through stubbornness.

013. The Wild Boar & the Fox A Wild Boar was sharpening his tusks busily against the stump of a tree, when a Fox happened by. Now the Fox was always looking for a chance to make fun of his neighbors. So he made a great show of looking anxiously about, as if in fear of some hidden enemy. But the Boar kept right on with his work. "Why are you doing that?" asked the Fox at last with a grin. "There isn't any danger that I can see." "True enough," replied the Boar, "but when danger does come there will not be time for such work as this. My weapons will have to be ready for use then, or I shall suffer for it." Preparedness for war is the best guarantee of peace.

014. The Heron A Heron was walking confidently along the bank of a stream, his eyes on the clear water, and his long neck and pointed bill ready to snap up a likely morsel for his breakfast. The clear water swarmed with fish, but Master Heron was hard to please that morning. "No small fry for me," he said. "Such scanty fare is not fit for a Heron, the Hero." Now a fine young Perch swam nearby. "No indeed," said the Heron. "I wouldn't even trouble to open my beak for anything like that!" As the sun rose, the fish left the shallow water near the shore and swam below into the cool depths toward the middle. The Heron failed to catch a big fish, and very glad was he at last to breakfast on a tiny Snail. Do not be too hard to suit or you may have to be content with the worst or with nothing at all.

015. The Fox & the Stork The Fox one day thought of a plan to amuse himself at the expense of the Stork, at whose odd appearance he was always laughing. "You must come and dine with me today," he said to the Stork, smiling to himself at the trick he was going to play. The Stork gladly accepted the invitation and arrived in good time and with a very good appetite. For dinner the Fox served soup. But it was set out in a very shallow dish, and all the Stork could do was to wet the very tip of his bill. Not a drop of soup could he get. But the Fox lapped it up easily, and, to increase the disappointment of the Stork, made a great show of enjoyment. The hungry Stork was much displeased at the trick, but he was a calm, even-tempered fellow and saw no good in flying into a rage. Instead, not long afterward, he invited the Fox to dine with him in turn. The Fox arrived promptly at the time that had been set, and the Stork served a fish dinner that had a very appetizing smell. But it was served in a tall jar with a very narrow neck. The Stork could easily get at the food with his long bill, but all the Fox could do was to lick the outside of the jar, and sniff at the delicious smell. And when the Fox lost his temper, the Stork said calmly: Do not play tricks on your neighbors unless you can stand the same treatment yourself.