Analysis of Aesop's fables. Boy eating offal

Aesop composed fables because he was a slave and to say directly what he thought was dangerous for him. On behalf of Aesop, the allegorical language was called "Aesopian language" or "Aesopian language". Aesop's appearance was ugly: his head was like a cauldron, his nose was snub-nosed, his lips were thick, his arms were short, his back was humpbacked. But on the other hand, he had a sharp mind, possessed the gift of words and knew how to compose fables. When the slave trader took Aesop with a batch of other slaves to the market of the island of Samos in order to sell them, the slaves began to disassemble the travel luggage. Aesop said: "I'm new here, weak, give me that bread basket over there" - and pointed to the largest and heaviest. Everyone laughed and gave him the basket. At the first halt, when everyone had eaten, the basket became much lighter. Then everyone realized that the freak is not so simple. Aesop was bought by the philosopher Xanthus. Due to his imprudence and out of love for boasting, Xanth often found himself in difficult situations. Aesop rescued him. Once Xanthus got drunk drunk, began to say:
"Man can do anything!"
- Will you drink the sea?
- I'll drink! Xanth answered. We bet. In the morning, Xanth was horrified by the shame that threatened him. Saved Xanthus Aesop, giving this advice:
“Say: I promised to drink the sea, but I did not promise the rivers that flow into it. Dam all the rivers that flow into the sea, then I will drink it! All the wisdom of Xanth's answer marveled. Xanthus sent Aesop for shopping. The mayor saw him and asked:
Where are you going, Aesop?
- I do not know!
- How you do not know? Speak!
- I do not know.
“To the stubborn prison,” the mayor got angry.
“You see,” said Aesop, “that I spoke the truth? Did I know that I was going to prison?
The chief laughed and released Aesop.
Many times for the services rendered, Xanth promised to release Aesop, but he never kept his promises. I was afraid to part with Aesop. Once there was an alarm on Samos. During the meeting state council in front of the people, an eagle swooped down, grabbed the state seal and dropped it from above into the bosom of a slave. They began to ask Aesop to interpret the sign. “I can explain,” said Aesop, “but it’s not for the slave to give advice to the free. Release me! The people freed Aesop. “The eagle is a royal bird,” says Aesop. “Not otherwise, the Lydian king Croesus decided to conquer Samos and turn it into slavery.” Aesop was sent to Croesus to ask for mercy. Croesus did not attack Samos, and made Aesop his adviser. According to legend, Aesop died at Delphi. The Delphians, who fed from the sacrifices brought to the temple of Apollo by all the Hellenes, were afraid that Aesop would spread the rumor about this all over the world. They threw a golden cup from the temple into Aesop's bag and accused Aesop of stealing. Aesop was sentenced to death and thrown off a cliff. For this, a plague befell Delphi, and then many other troubles. The Delphians had to pay for the death of Aesop for a long time.

Aesop- the ancient Greek poet-fabulist was born in the 6th century BC.

When raising a child, parents try to explain to him as clearly as possible the rules of conduct and morality that prevail in public life. Aesop's short fables will help boys and girls gain indirect experience. Special works written in an accessible language have been known to mankind for several millennia. Reading cautionary tales with a well-defined logical conclusion that exists in each ending, children will understand exactly which situations lead to the corresponding consequences.

Fables are almost always short texts containing observations of people and their behavior at various points in their lives. Aesop's works demonstrate the inner essence of a person - both from the best and from the worst side. The ancient Greek thinker put his wise words into the mouths of animals that were the main characters of his fascinating stories.

Read Aesop's fables online

The work of the gifted fabulist has not become outdated, although dozens of centuries have passed since the creation of instructive texts. Modern children have the opportunity to read Aesop's fables thanks to the Internet, where all the translated materials are posted. The allegoricalness of the author has preserved his heritage from oblivion and destruction. Many phrases from edifying stories are used as sayings: "fox and grapes", "pregnant mountain", "dog in the manger". The wise thoughts contained in each work of the ancient Greek will help children correctly assess the actions of the people around them.

Fables from the manuscripts of the older edition

Fables from manuscripts of the middle edition

Fables from the manuscripts of the younger edition

2. Eagle, jackdaw and shepherd.

The eagle flew down from a high rock and carried away a lamb from the herd; and the jackdaw, seeing this, became envious and wanted to do the same. And with a loud cry she rushed at the ram. But, entangled in the rune with her claws, she could no longer rise and only beat her wings, until the shepherd, guessing what was the matter, ran up and grabbed her. He clipped her wings and took her to his children in the evening. The children began to ask what kind of bird? And he replied: "I probably know that this is a jackdaw, but she herself thinks that she is an eagle."

Rivalry with people above leads to nothing and failures only cause laughter.

3. Eagle and beetle.

The eagle was chasing a rabbit. The hare saw that there was no help for him from anywhere, and he prayed to the only one who turned up to him - to the dung beetle. The beetle encouraged him and, seeing an eagle in front of him, began to ask the predator not to touch the one who was looking for help from him. The eagle did not even pay attention to such an insignificant intercessor and ate the hare. But the beetle did not forget this insult: he tirelessly watched the eagle's nest, and every time the eagle laid eggs, he rose to the heights, rolled them out and broke them. Finally, the eagle, finding no rest anywhere, sought refuge with Zeus himself and asked for a quiet place to sit on his eggs. Zeus allowed the eagle to lay eggs in his bosom. The beetle, seeing this, rolled up a dung ball, flew up to Zeus himself and dropped his ball into his bosom. Zeus got up to shake off the manure, and inadvertently dropped the eagle's eggs. Since then, they say, eagles do not build nests at the time when dung beetles hatch.

The fable teaches that one should never despise, for no one is so powerless as not to avenge an insult.

4. Nightingale and hawk

The nightingale was sitting on a tall oak and, according to its custom, sang. A hawk, which had nothing to eat, saw this, swooped in and grabbed it. The nightingale felt that the end had come to him, and asked the hawk to let him go: after all, he is too small to fill the hawk's stomach, and if the hawk has nothing to eat, let him attack the bigger birds. But the hawk objected to this: "I would have made up my mind if I had abandoned the prey that was in the claws and chased the prey that was not to be seen."

The fable shows that there is no stupider than those people who, in the hope of more, give up what they have.

5. Debtor

In Athens, a man owed a debt, and the lender demanded a debt from him. First, the debtor asked for a respite because he had no money. Not making sense. he brought his only pig to the market and began to sell in the presence of a lender. A buyer came up and asked if she would farrow well. The debtor replied: "It's still going to grow! You won't even believe it: she brings pigs to the Mysteries, and wild boars to the Panathenays." The buyer was amazed at such words, and the lender said to him: “Why are you surprised?

The fable shows that many, for their own benefit, are ready to confirm any fables with a false oath.

6. Wild goats and a shepherd

The shepherd drove his goats out to pasture. Seeing that they were grazing there along with the wild ones, he drove everyone into his cave in the evening. The next day, bad weather broke out, he could not take them out, as usual, to the meadow, and looked after them in a cave; and at the same time he gave his goats very little food, they would not only die of hunger, but heaped whole heaps of strangers in order to tame them to himself. But when the weather subsided and he again drove them to the pasture, the wild goats rushed into the mountains and ran away. The shepherd began to reproach them for ingratitude: he looked after them as well as possible, but they leave him. The goats turned around and said: “That’s why we are so afraid of you: we only came to you yesterday, and you looked after us better than your old goats; therefore, if others come to you, then you will give preference to new ones.” in front of us."

The fable shows that we should not enter into friendship with those who prefer us, new friends, to old ones: when we ourselves become old friends, he will again make new ones and prefer them to us.

7. Cat and chickens

The cat heard that the chickens were sick in the poultry yard. She dressed herself as a doctor, took medical instruments, appeared there and, standing at the door, asked the chickens how they felt? "Great!" said the chickens, "but only when you're not around."

Similarly, among people who are wise, they recognize the bad, even if they pretend to be good.

8. Aesop at the shipyard

The fabulist Aesop once wandered into a shipyard at his leisure. The sailors began to laugh at him and tease him. Then, in response to them, Aesop said: “In the beginning, there was chaos and water in the world. Then Zeus wanted another element to appear to the world - the earth; and he ordered the earth to drink the sea in three sips. And the earth began: mountains appeared with the first sip; the second gulp opened the plains, and when she is about to take a sip for the third time, then your skill will be of no use to anyone.

The fable shows that when bad people make fun of the best, they, without noticing it, only get themselves into worse troubles from them.

9. Fox and goat

The fox fell into the well and sat there involuntarily, because she could not get out. A goat, thirsty, went to that well, saw a fox in it, and asked her if the water was good. The fox, rejoicing at the happy occasion, began to praise the water - it's so good! - and call the goat down. The goat jumped down, smelling nothing but thirst; drank water and began to think with the fox how to get out. Then the fox said that she had a good idea how to save both of them: "You lean your front legs against the wall and tilt your horns, and I will run up your back and pull you out." And this proposal of hers accepted the goat with readiness; and the fox jumped up on his sacrum, ran up his back, leaned on his horns, and so found himself near the very mouth of the well: he climbed out and walked away. The goat began to scold her for violating their agreement; and the fox turned around and said: "Oh, you! if you had as much intelligence in your head as there are hairs in your beard, then before you enter, you would think how to get out."

In the same way, an intelligent person should not take up a task without first thinking what it will lead to.

10. Fox and lion

The fox has never seen a lion in her life. And so, meeting him by chance and seeing him for the first time, she was so frightened that she barely survived; meeting for the second time, she was frightened again, but not as much as for the first time; and the third time she saw him, she had the courage to go up and speak to him.

The fable shows that one can get used to the terrible.

11. Fisherman

One fisherman was a master at playing the pipe. Once he took a pipe and a net, went to the sea, stood on a ledge of a rock and began to play the pipe, thinking that the fish themselves would come out of the water to these sweet sounds. But no matter how hard he tried, nothing worked. Then he put down the pipe, took the nets, threw them into the water and pulled out many different fish. He threw them out of the net onto the shore and, looking at how they beat, he said: "You worthless creatures: I played for you - you did not dance, you stopped playing - you dance."

The fable refers to those who do everything at random.

12. Fox and leopard

The fox and the leopard argued who is more beautiful. The leopard boasted in every way of his mottled skin; but the fox said to him: "How much more beautiful I am than you, since I do not have a dotted body, but a sophisticated soul!"

The fable shows that the subtlety of the mind is better than the beauty of the body.

13. Fishermen

The fishermen pulled the net; the net was heavy, and they rejoiced and danced, anticipating a rich catch. But when the net was pulled out, it turned out that there were very few fish in it, but it was full of stones and sand. And the fishermen began to grieve immensely: they were annoyed not so much because of the failure itself, but because they hoped for something completely different. But there was one old man among them, and he said: “Enough, friends: I think that joy and sorrow are sisters to each other, and how much we rejoiced, we should have grieve so much.”

So we should look at the variability of life and not be deceived by successes, as if they were ours forever: even after the clearest weather, bad weather comes.

14. Fox and monkey

The fox and the monkey walked together along the road, and they began to argue who was more noble. Each one said a lot about himself, when suddenly they saw some tombs, and the monkey, looking at them, began to sigh heavily. "What's the matter?" - asked the fox; and the monkey, pointing to the gravestones, exclaimed: "How can I not cry! After all, these are monuments over the graves of slaves and freedmen of my ancestors!" But the fox answered this: "Well, lie to yourself as much as you like: after all, none of them will rise again to expose you."

So with people, liars boast most of all when there is no one to expose them.

15. Fox and grapes

The hungry fox saw a vine with hanging bunches and wanted to get to them, but could not; and, walking away, she said to herself: "They are still green!"

So with people, others cannot succeed because there are no forces, but they blame circumstances for this.

16. Cat and rooster

The cat caught the rooster and wanted to devour it under a plausible pretext. At first, she accused him of disturbing people when he screams at night and does not let him sleep. The rooster replied that he was doing it for their own benefit: he wakes them up for the usual day job. Then the cat said: "But you are also a wicked one; contrary to nature, you cover both your mother and sisters." The rooster replied that he was doing this for the benefit of the owners - he was trying to make them have more eggs. Then the cat cried out in confusion: "So what do you think, because you have excuses for everything, I won't eat you?"

The fable shows that when a bad person decides to do evil, he will act in his own way, not under a plausible pretext, but openly.

17. Tailless fox

The fox lost its tail in some kind of trap and reasoned that it was impossible for her to live with such a shame. Then she decided to persuade all the other foxes to do the same, in order to hide her own injury in the general misfortune. She gathered all the foxes and began to convince them to cut off their tails: firstly, because they are ugly, and secondly, because it is only an extra burden. But one of the foxes answered this: "Oh, you! You would not give us such advice, if it were not beneficial for you yourself."

The fable refers to those who give advice to their neighbors not from a pure heart, but for their own benefit.

18. Fisherman and small fish

The fisherman cast a net and pulled out a small fish. The little fish began to beg that he let her go for the time being - she is so small - and would catch her later, when she grows up and she will be more useful. But the fisherman said: "I would be a fool if I released the prey that is already in my hands and chased after a false hope."

The fable shows that it is better to have a small profit, but in the present, than a big one, but in the future.

19. Fox and thorn

The fox climbed over the fence and, in order not to stumble, grabbed a thorn bush. The thorns of the blackthorn pierced her skin, it hurt her, and she began to reproach him: after all, she turned to him as if for help, and from him she felt even worse. But the thornbush objected: "You made a mistake, my dear, in thinking of clinging to me: I myself am used to clinging to everyone."

So among people, only the foolish ask for help from those who by nature tend to do harm.

20. Fox and crocodile

The fox and the crocodile argued who was more noble. The crocodile spoke a lot about the glory of his ancestors and, finally, declared that his forefathers were gymnasiarchs. The fox answered this: "And don't talk! Even by your skin you can see how hard you worked in the gymnasium." So reality always exposes liars.

21. Fishermen

The fishermen went to fish, but no matter how much they suffered, they did not catch anything and sat in their boat, sad. Suddenly, the tuna, swimming away with a loud splash from the chase, accidentally jumped right into their canoe. And they grabbed him, took him to the city and sold him.

So often chance gives us what art could not bring.

22. The Fox and the Woodcutter

The fox, running away from the hunters, saw a woodcutter and begged him to give her shelter. The woodcutter told her to go in and hide in his hut. A little later, the hunters appeared and asked the woodcutter if he had seen a fox run through here? He answered them aloud: "I did not see," and meanwhile gave signs with his hand, showing where she hid. But the hunters did not notice his signs, but they believed his words; the fox waited for them to gallop away, got out and, without saying a word, went away. The woodcutter began to scold her: he supposedly saved her, but he does not hear a sound of gratitude from her. The fox answered: "I would thank you, if only your words and the works of your hands were not so dissimilar."

This fable can be applied to such people who speak good words, but do bad deeds.

23. Roosters and partridge

The man had roosters. Once he came across a tame partridge in the market, he bought it and carried it home to keep it with the roosters. But the roosters began to beat and chase her, and the partridge thought bitterly that they disliked her because she was not of their breed. But a little later she saw how the roosters beat each other until they bled, and said to herself: "No, I no longer complain that the roosters beat me: now I see that they do not spare themselves either."

The fable shows that smart people it is easier to endure insults from neighbors if they see that they do not spare their neighbors either.

24. Puffy Fox

The hungry fox saw bread and meat in the hollow of a tree, which the shepherds had left there. She climbed into the hollow and ate everything. But her womb was swollen, and she could not get out, but only moaned and groaned. Another fox ran past and heard her groans; She came up and asked what was the matter. And when she found out what had happened, she said: “You will have to sit here until you become again the same as you entered; and then it will not be difficult to get out.”

The fable shows that difficult circumstances become easier over time.

25. Kingfisher

The kingfisher is a bird that loves solitude and always lives in the sea; and in order to hide from bird-catchers, they say, she builds her nest in the coastal rocks. And so, when the time came for her to lay eggs, she flew to some cape, looked out for herself a cliff above the sea and built a nest there. But one day, when she flew out to prey, the sea raged from a strong wind, splashed up to the very nest, flooded it, and all the chicks drowned. The bird returned, saw what had happened, and exclaimed: "Poor me, poor me! I was afraid of danger on land, I sought refuge by the sea, but it turned out to be even more insidious."

So some people, fearing enemies, suddenly suffer from friends who are much more dangerous.

26. Fisherman

The fisherman was fishing in the river. He stretched out his net to block the current from shore to shore, and then tied a stone to a rope and began to hit the water with it, frightening the fish so that, fleeing, they would suddenly fall into the net. Some of the local residents saw him doing this and began to scold him for muddying the river and not letting them drink clean water. The fisherman replied: "But if I hadn't muddied the river, I would have had to die of hunger!"

So the demagogues in the states then live best when they manage to start a turmoil in the fatherland.

27. Fox and mask

The fox climbed into the sculptor's workshop and ransacked everything that was there. And then she came across a tragic mask. The fox lifted it up and said: "What a head, but there is no brain in it!"

The fable refers to a man who is majestic in body, but foolish in soul.

28. Deceiver

One poor man fell ill and, feeling quite ill, made a vow to the gods to sacrifice a hecatomb to them if they healed him. The gods wanted to test him and immediately sent him relief. He got up from his bed, but since he did not have real bulls, he molded a hundred bulls from fat and burned them on the altar with the words: "Accept, oh gods, my vow!" The gods decided to reward him with deception for deceit and sent him a dream, and in a dream they indicated to go to the seashore - there he would find a thousand drachmas. The man was delighted and ran ashore, but there he immediately fell into the hands of robbers, and they took him away and sold him into slavery: and so he found his thousand drachmas.

The fable refers to a deceitful person.

29. Coal miner and fuller

The coal miner worked in the same house; a fuller approached him, and, seeing him, the collier offered him to settle right there: they would get used to each other, and it would be cheaper for them to live under the same roof. But he objected to this and fullered: “No, it’s impossible for me in any way: whatever I bleach, you will immediately stain it with soot.”

The fable shows that dissimilar things are incompatible.

30. Shipwrecked

One rich Athenian sailed with another on the sea. A terrible storm arose, and the ship capsized. All the rest started swimming, and only the Athenian endlessly appealed to Athena, promising her countless sacrifices for his salvation. Then one of the comrades in misfortune, sailing by, said to him: "Pray to Athena, but move yourself."

So we should not only pray to the gods, but also take care of ourselves.

31. A man with gray hair and his mistresses

The gray-haired man had two mistresses, one young, the other old. The elderly was ashamed to live with a man younger than her, and therefore every time he came to her, she pulled out his black hair. And the young woman wanted to hide the fact that her lover was an old man, and pulled out his gray hair. So they plucked him first one, then the other, and in the end he remained bald.

So everywhere inequality is fatal.

32. Assassin

A certain person committed a murder, and the relatives of the murdered man pursued him. He ran to the Nile River, but then he ran into a wolf. In fear, he climbed a tree hanging over the river and hid on it, but he saw a snake that was swinging there. Then he threw himself into the water; but even then a crocodile lay in wait for him and ate him.

The fable shows that for a person stained with crime, neither earth, nor air, nor water will be a refuge.

33. Boastful Pentathlete

One pentathlete was constantly reproached by his countrymen for being a coward. Then he left for a while, and when he returned, he began to boast that in other cities he had accomplished many feats and in Rhodes he had made such a jump that no Olympic winner had ever done; everyone who was there could confirm this to you if they came here. But to this one of those present objected to him: "My dear, if you are telling the truth, why do you need confirmation? Here is Rhodes for you, then you jump!"

The fable shows: if something can be proved by deed, then there is no need to waste words on it.

34. The Man Who Promises the Impossible

One poor man fell ill and felt quite ill; the doctors abandoned him; and then he prayed to the gods, promising to bring them a hecatomb and donate rich gifts if he recovers. His wife, finding herself nearby, asked: "Yes, with what money will you do this?" “Do you really think,” he replied, “that I will get well only so that the gods demand it from me?”

The fable shows that people easily promise in words what they do not think to fulfill in deeds.

35. Man and satyr

They say that once a man with a satyr decided to live in friendship. But then winter came, it became cold, and the man began to breathe into his hands, bringing them to his lips. The satyr asked him why he was doing this; the man replied that this is how he warms his hands in the cold. Then they sat down to dine, and the food was very hot; and the man began to take it little by little, bring it to his lips and blow. Again the satyr asked what he was doing, and the man replied that he was cooling the food in this way, because it was too hot for him. Then the satyr said: "No, friend, we will not be friends if you have both heat and cold coming from the same lips."

So we must beware of the friendship of those who act duplicitously.

36. Insidious

A certain cunning person bet with someone, which will show how false the predictions of the Delphic oracle are. He took a sparrow in his hands, covered it with a cloak, entered the temple and, standing in front of the oracle, asked what he was holding in his hand - living or inanimate? If the answer is: "Inanimate" - he wanted to show a living sparrow; if: "Alive" - ​​strangle him and show him dead. But God understood his evil intent and said: "Come on, my dear! After all, it depends on you whether it is alive or inanimate."

The fable shows that the deity cannot be deceived.

37. Blind

One blind person was able to guess by touch about each animal that was given to him, what it is. And then one day a wolf cub was planted on him; he felt it and said, thinking: "I do not know whose cub it is - a wolf, a fox, or some other similar animal - and I only know one thing: it is better not to let him into the sheep herd."

Thus, the qualities of bad people are often seen in their outward appearance.

38. Plowman and wolf

The plowman unharnessed the oxen and drove them to the watering hole. And the hungry wolf, in search of prey, came across an abandoned plow, began to lick the bull's yoke, then little by little, without noticing it, stuck his head into it and, unable to free himself, dragged the plow across the arable land. The plowman returned, saw him and exclaimed: "You evil creature! Now, if only you had really abandoned robbery and robbery and would have taken up arable farming instead! .."

So the temper of bad people cannot be trusted, even if they promise to become good.

39. Swallow and birds

As soon as the mistletoe blossomed, the swallow guessed what danger to the birds lurked in it; and, having gathered all the birds, she began to persuade them. “The best thing,” she said, “is to completely cut down the oaks on which the mistletoe grows, but if this is not possible, then you need to fly to people and beg them not to use the power of the mistletoe to hunt birds.” But the birds did not believe and ridiculed her, and she flew to the people as a petitioner. For her ingenuity, people accepted her and left her to live with them. That is why people catch and eat the rest of the birds, and only the swallow that asked them for shelter is not touched, allowing it to nest peacefully in their homes.

The fable shows: who knows how to predict events, he easily saves himself from dangers.

40. Stargazer

One astrologer used to go out every evening and look at the stars. And so, one day, walking along the outskirts and rushing to heaven with all his thoughts, he accidentally fell into the well. Then he raised a cry and a cry; and a man, hearing these cries, came up, guessed what had happened, and said to him: “Oh, you! Do you want to see what is happening in the sky, but what is on earth, you don’t see it?”

This fable can be applied to such people who boast of miracles, but are not able to do themselves even what anyone can do.

41. Fox and dogs

The fox stuck to the flock of sheep, grabbed one of the suckling lambs and pretended to caress him. "What are you doing?" - asked her dog. “I nurse him and play with him,” answered the fox. Then the dog said: "And if so, let the lamb go, otherwise I will caress you like a dog!"

The fable refers to a frivolous, stupid and thieving person.

42. Peasant and his children

The peasant was about to die and wanted to leave his sons as good farmers. He called them together and said: "Children, under one vine I have buried a treasure." As soon as he died, the sons grabbed spades and shovels and dug up their entire plot. They did not find the treasure, but the dug up vineyard brought them a harvest many times greater.

The fable shows that labor is a treasure for people.

43. Frogs

Two frogs, when their swamp dried up, set off looking for a place to settle. They came to the well, and one of them offered, without thinking twice, to jump there. But another said: "And if the water dries up here, how can we get out of there?"

The fable teaches us not to get down to business without thinking.

44. Frogs asking for a king

The frogs suffered because they did not have strong power, and they sent ambassadors to Zeus asking him to give them a king. Zeus saw how unreasonable they were, and threw a wooden block into the swamp. At first, the frogs were frightened by the noise and hid in the very depths of the swamp; but the block was motionless, and by and by they grew so bold that they both jumped on it and sat on it. Judging then that it was beneath their dignity to have such a king, they again turned to Zeus and asked to change the ruler for them, because this one was too lazy. Zeus got angry with them and sent them a water snake, which began to grab and devour them.

The fable shows that it is better to have lazy rulers than restless ones.

45. Oxen and axle

The oxen pulled the cart, and the axle creaked; they turned around and said to her: "Oh, you! we are carrying all the weight, and you are moaning?"

So it is with some people: others pull, and they pretend to be exhausted.

46. ​​Boreas and the Sun

Boreas and the Sun argued who is stronger; and they decided that one of them would win the dispute, who would force a man to undress on the road. Boreas began and blew heavily, and the man wrapped his clothes around him. Boreas began to blow even harder, and the man, freezing, wrapped himself in clothes more and more tightly. Finally, Boreas got tired and yielded the man to the Sun. And the Sun at first began to warm slightly, and the man gradually began to remove everything superfluous from himself. Then the Sun got hotter, and ended with the fact that the man was unable to endure the heat, undressed and ran to bathe in the nearest river.

The fable shows that often persuasion is more effective than force.

47. The boy who ate the giblets

People slaughtered a bull in the field as a sacrifice to the gods and called the neighbors for a treat. Among the guests came a poor woman, and with her son. During a long feast, the boy ate to the full of giblets, drank wine, his stomach ached, and he cried out in pain: “Oh, mother, giblets are climbing out of me!” And the mother says: "These are not your offal, son, but those that you ate!"

This fable can be applied to a debtor who takes someone else's willingly, and when it comes time to pay, suffers as if giving his own.

48. Chizh

A siskin in a cage hung on the window and sang in the middle of the night. A bat flew to his voice and asked why he was silent during the day and sang at night? The siskin replied that he had a reason for that: he once sang during the day and got into a cage, and after that he became smarter. Then the bat said: "Before, you should have been so careful before you were caught, and not now, when it is already useless!"

The fable shows that after a misfortune, no one needs repentance.

49. Shepherd

A shepherd who was tending a herd of oxen lost a calf. He looked for him everywhere, did not find him, and then he vowed to Zeus to sacrifice a kid if the thief was found. But then he went into a grove and saw that his calf was being devoured by a lion. In horror, he raised his hands to the sky and exclaimed: "Lord Zeus! I promised you a goat as a sacrifice if I can find the thief; and now I promise an ox if I can escape the thief."

This fable can be applied to losers who are looking for what they do not have, and then do not know how to get rid of what they found.

50. Weasel and Aphrodite

Weasel fell in love with a beautiful young man and prayed to Aphrodite to turn her into a woman. The goddess took pity on her suffering and transformed her into a beautiful girl. And the young man at one glance fell in love with her so much that he immediately brought her to his house. And so, when they were in the bedchamber, Aphrodite wanted to know if the caress had changed along with the body and temper, and she let the mouse into the middle of their room. Then the weasel, forgetting where she was and who she was, rushed straight from the bed to the mouse to devour it. The goddess became angry with her and again returned her former appearance.

So people who are bad by nature, no matter how they change their appearance, cannot change their temper.

Peasant and snake

The snake crawled up to the peasant's son and stung him to death. The peasant, beside himself with grief, grabbed an ax and sat down near her hole in order to kill her immediately, as soon as she showed herself. A snake looked out, and he hit with an ax, but he did not hit the snake, but split a stone near the hole. However, then he became afraid, and he began to ask the snake to make peace with him. "No," the snake replied, "neither I can wish you well, looking at a crack in the stone, nor you to me, looking at the grave of your son."

The fable shows that after a strong enmity, reconciliation is not easy.

Peasant and dogs

The peasant was caught in the pasture by bad weather, and he could not leave the hut to get food. Then he ate his sheep first. The storm did not let up; then he also ate the goats. But there was no end in sight to the bad weather, and then, in the third place, he took up the arable oxen. Then the dogs, looking at what he was doing, said to each other: "It's time for us to run away from here: if the owner did not spare the oxen that they are working with him, then we will certainly not be spared."

The fable shows that it is necessary to beware most of all those who do not even hesitate to offend their loved ones.

Peasant and his sons

The peasant's sons always quarreled. Many times he persuaded them to live in a good way, but no words had any effect on them; and then he decided to convince them by example. He told them to bring a bundle of twigs; and when they had done this, he gave them the rods all at once and offered to break them. No matter how hard they tried, nothing happened. Then the father untied the bundle and began to give them rods one at a time; and they easily broke them. Then the peasant said: “So it is with you, my children: if you live in harmony with each other, then no enemies will overcome you; if you start to quarrel, then it will be easy for everyone to overpower you.”

The fable shows that how invincible is agreement, so powerless is discord.

snails

The peasant boy was roasting snails. And, hearing how they hiss, he exclaimed: "Useless creatures! your house is on fire, and you still think of singing songs?"

The fable shows how obscene everything is that is not done at the right time.

Mistress and servants

One diligent widow had maids, and every night, as soon as the rooster crowed, she woke them up for work. Exhausted by work without respite, the maids decided to strangle the domestic cock; he is the trouble, they thought, because he is the one who wakes up the hostess at night. But when they did this, it was even worse for them: the hostess now did not know the night time and woke them up not with roosters, but even earlier.

So for many people their own cunning becomes the cause of misfortune.

Vorozheya

One soothsayer was taken by conspiracies and spells to avert the wrath of the gods, and by this she lived well and made a lot of money. But there were people, brought to trial, convicted and sentenced to death penalty. And, seeing how they led her to the court, someone said: "How did you undertake to avert the wrath of the deity, and could not even appease the wrath of the people?"

The fable denounces deceivers who promise great things, but are caught in small things.

The old woman and the doctor

The old woman's eyes hurt, and she invited the doctor, promising to pay him. And every time he came and smeared her eyes, he took away something from her things while she sat closed her eyes. When he had taken everything he could, he completed the treatment and demanded the promised payment; and when the old woman refused to pay, he dragged her to the archons. And then the old woman said that she promised to pay only if her eyes were cured, and after the treatment she began to see not better, but worse. “I used to see all my things in my house,” she said, “but now I don’t see anything.”

This is how bad people unintentionally expose themselves out of self-interest.

woman and chicken

A widow had a hen that laid an egg every day. The widow thought that if the hen was fed more, she would lay two eggs a day. And so she did; but the chicken grew fat from this and stopped laying altogether.

The fable shows that many people, striving for more out of greed, lose what they have.

weasel

Weasel entered the forge and began to lick the saw that lay there. She cut her tongue on it, blood flowed; and the weasel thought that it was she who was sucking something out of the iron, and rejoiced until she was left completely without a tongue.

The fable tells of those who harm themselves with a passion for bickering.

old man and death

The old man once chopped firewood and dragged it on himself; the road was long, he got tired of walking, threw off his burden and began to pray for death. Death appeared and asked why he called her. "For you to lift this burden for me," the old man replied.

The fable shows that every person loves life, no matter how unhappy he is.

Peasant and fate

A peasant, digging a field, found a treasure; for this, he began to decorate the Earth with a wreath every day, believing her to be his benefactor. But Fate appeared to him and said: “My friend, why do you thank the Earth for my gift? After all, I sent it to you so that you get rich! be me, Destiny."

The fable shows that you need to know your benefactor and give him thanks.

Dolphins and gudgeon

Dolphins and sharks waged war among themselves, and their enmity was the further, the stronger; when suddenly a minnow (this is such a small fish) emerged to them and began to try to reconcile them. But in response to this, one dolphin said: "No, it is better for us, fighting, to die from each other, than to accept such a conciliator as you."

So other people, worthless, fill their worth in troubled times.

Orator Demad

The orator Demad once spoke before the people in Athens, but they listened to him inattentively. Then he asked permission to tell the people Aesop's fable. Everyone agreed, and he began: "Demeter, the swallow and the eel were walking along the road. They found themselves on the bank of the river; the swallow flew over it, and the eel dived into it ..." And at this he fell silent. "And what about Demeter?" - everyone began to ask him. “And Demeter stands and is angry with you,” Demad answered, “because you listen to Aesop’s fables, but you don’t want to deal with state affairs.”

Thus, among people, those who are unreasonable are those who neglect necessary deeds, and prefer pleasant deeds.

Bitten by a dog

One man was bitten by a dog, and he rushed to seek help. Someone told him that he should wipe the blood with bread and throw the bread to the dog that bit him. “No,” he protested, “if I do that, then all the dogs in the city will rush to bite me.”

So the wickedness in people, if you please it, only gets worse.

Travelers and bear

Two friends were walking along the road, when suddenly a bear met them. One immediately climbed a tree and hid there. And it was already too late for the other to run, and he threw himself on the ground and pretended to be dead; and when the she-bear moved her muzzle towards him and began to sniff him, she held her breath, because, they say, the beast does not touch the dead.

The bear went away, a friend came down from the tree, asking what was the bear whispering in his ear? And he answered: "She whispered: henceforth do not take on the road such friends who leave you in trouble!"

The fable shows that true friends are known in danger.

The youths and the butcher

Two young men were buying meat in a shop. While the butcher was busy, one of them grabbed a piece of meat and thrust it into the bosom of the other. The butcher turned around, noticed the loss and began to incriminate them; but the one who took it swore that he did not take meat. The butcher guessed about their cunning and said: "Well, you are saved from me by false oaths, but you will not be saved from the gods."

The fable shows that a false oath is always unholy, no matter how you cover it.

Wayfarers

Two travelers were walking along the road. One of them found an ax, and the other exclaimed: "Here we have a find!" The first one replied: "You say it wrong: it's not a find for us, but a find for me." A little later, they ran into the owners, who had lost their ax, and they chased after them. The one who had the ax shouted to the other: "This is our death!" Another replied: "You are saying wrong: it is not death for us, but death for you, because when you found the ax, you did not take me as a share!"

The fable shows: whoever does not share with friends in happiness will be abandoned by them in misfortune.

Enemies

Two enemies sailed on the same ship. To keep away from each other, one settled down in the stern, the other in the bow; so they sat. A terrible storm arose, and the ship capsized. The one sitting at the stern asked the helmsman which end of the ship threatened to sink first? "Nose," replied the helmsman. Then he said: "Well, then I do not feel sorry for dying, just to see how my enemy will choke before me."

So some people out of hatred for their neighbors are not afraid to suffer, just to see how they suffer.

frogs

Two frogs lived in the neighborhood: one - in a deep pond on the side of the road, the other - on the road itself, where there was little water. The one who lived in the pond persuaded the other to move to her in order to live more satisfying and calmer. But the other did not agree and kept saying that she was used to her place and could not part with it - until, at last, a cart accidentally passing by crushed her.

So people with bad habits die before they acquire good ones.

Oak and reed

The oak and the reed were arguing over who was stronger. A strong wind blew, the reed trembled and bent under its gusts and therefore remained intact; and the oak met the wind with its whole chest and was uprooted.

The fable shows that one should not argue with the strongest.

The coward who found the golden lion

A certain money-lover of a timid disposition found a lion made of gold and began to reason with himself like this: “What will happen to me now, I don’t know. I myself am not myself, and I don’t know what to do. What fate or what god created a lion out of gold? My soul now struggles with itself: it loves gold, but fears the appearance of this gold. Desire prompts it to seize the find, habit - not to touch the finds. Oh, evil fate that gives and does not allow take! Oh, a treasure in which there is no joy! Oh, the mercy of the gods, turned into disfavor! What then? How can I master it? What trick can I use? I will go and bring slaves here: let them all take it at once, and I will look from afar."

The fable refers to a rich man who does not dare to use and enjoy his wealth.

Beekeeper

Some man came to the apiary when the beekeeper was not there, and took the honeycomb and honey with him. The beekeeper returned, saw that the hives were empty, stopped and began to examine them. And the bees flew in from the field, noticed him and began to sting. And the beekeeper, painfully bitten, said to them: "You worthless creatures! Whoever stole your honeycombs, you let him go without touching him, but you bite me, who cares about you!"

So other people, not knowing how to figure it out, do not defend themselves from enemies, and repel friends as intruders.

Dolphin and monkey

Sea travelers usually carry monkeys and Maltese dogs with them to have fun on the voyage. And one man, going on a journey, took a monkey with him. When they sailed past Sunia - this is a cape not far from Athens - a strong storm broke out, the ship turned over, everyone rushed to swim, and with them the monkey. A dolphin saw her, mistook her for a human, swam up to her and took her to the shore. Sailing already to Piraeus, the Athenian harbor, the dolphin asked her if she was from Athens? The monkey replied that she was from Athens and that she had noble relatives there. Once again the dolphin asked her if she knew Piraeus? And the monkey thought that this was such a person, and replied that he knew - this was her good friend. The dolphin got angry at such a lie, dragged the monkey into the water and drowned it.

deer and lion

The deer, tormented by thirst, approached the source. While he was drinking, he noticed his reflection in the water and began to admire his horns, so big and so branched, but his legs were dissatisfied, thin and weak. While he was thinking about it, a lion appeared and chased him. The deer rushed to run and was far ahead of him: While the places were open, the deer ran forward and remained intact, but when he reached the grove, his horns got tangled in the branches, he could not run further, and the lion grabbed him. And, feeling that death had come, the deer said to himself: "I am unhappy! What I was afraid of betrayal saved me, and what I hoped for most of all, it ruined me."

So often in danger, those friends whom we did not trust save us, and those we hoped for destroy us.

Deer

The deer, blind in one eye, came to the seashore and began to graze, turning his sighted eye to the land to see if hunters appeared, and with his blind eye to the sea, from where he did not expect any trouble. But people floated by, noticed him and shot him. And, already expiring, he said to himself: "Unfortunate me! I was wary of the land and expected trouble from it, but the sea, from which I sought refuge, turned out to be much more dangerous."

So often, contrary to our expectations, what seemed dangerous turns out to be useful, and what seemed to be saving turns out to be insidious.

deer and lion

The deer, running away from the hunters, found himself near the cave in which the lion lived, and ran in there to hide. But the lion seized him, and, dying, the deer said: "The unfortunate me! I ran away from people, but fell into the claws of the beast!"

So some people, out of fear of small dangers, rush into big troubles.

Deer and grapes

The deer, running away from the hunters, hid in the vineyard. The hunters passed by, and the deer, deciding that they would no longer notice him, began to eat grape leaves. But one of the hunters turned around, saw him, threw the remaining dart and wounded the deer. And, sensing death, the deer with a groan said to himself: "It is right for me: the grapes saved me, and I ruined it."

This fable can be applied to people who offend their benefactors, and for this they are punished by God.

Swimmers

The people boarded the ship and set sail. When they were already far out to sea, a terrible storm arose, and the ship almost sank. And one of the swimmers began to tear his clothes and, with weeping and groaning, appealed to his father's gods, promising them grateful sacrifices if the ship survived. The storm subsided, the sea calmed down again, and the swimmers, unexpectedly avoiding danger, began to feast, dance and jump. But the stern helmsman said imperiously to them: "No, friends, and in joy we must remember that a storm can break out again!"

The fable teaches not to rejoice too much in one's luck, remembering how changeable fate is.

Cat and mice

There were many mice in one house. The cat, having learned about this, appeared there and began to catch and devour them one by one. The mice, in order not to die completely, hid in holes, and the cat could not reach them there. Then she decided to lure them out by cunning. To do this, she grabbed a nail, hung and pretended to be dead. But one of the mice looked out, saw her and said: "No, my dear, even if you turn around like a sack, but I won't come to you."

The fable shows that reasonable people, having experienced someone's deceit, do not allow themselves to be deceived anymore.

flies

Honey spilled in one pantry and flies swooped in; they tasted it, and sensing how sweet it was, they attacked it. But when their legs got stuck and they could not fly away, they said, drowning: "We are unfortunate! We ruined our lives for a short sweetness."

So for many, voluptuousness becomes the cause of great misfortunes.

Fox and monkey

There was a meeting among unreasonable animals, and the monkey distinguished himself in the dance; for this they chose her as king. And the fox was envious; and so, seeing a piece of meat in one trap, the fox brought a monkey to him and said that she had found this treasure, but did not take it for herself, but saved it for the king as an honorary gift: let the monkey take it. She, not suspecting anything, approached and landed in a trap. She began to reproach the fox for such meanness, and the fox said: "Oh, monkey, and with such a mind will you reign over animals?"

So also those who take up things imprudently fail and become a laughing stock.

Donkey, rooster and lion

There were a donkey and a rooster in the barnyard. The hungry lion saw the donkey and wanted to sneak up and tear it to pieces. But at that very moment a rooster crowed - and lions, they say, are afraid of rooster crows; the lion fell to the ground and began to run. And the donkey perked up, seeing that the lion was afraid of the rooster, and rushed in pursuit; and then, as they ran farther away, the lion turned and devoured the donkey.

So some people, seeing the humiliation of their enemies, are filled with self-confidence and, without noticing it themselves, go to death.

Monkey and camel

The unreasonable animals had a meeting, and the monkey started dancing in front of them. Everyone liked the dance very much, and the monkey was praised. The camel became envious, and he also wanted to distinguish himself: he got up and started dancing himself. But he was so clumsy that the animals only got angry, beat him with sticks and drove him away.

The fable refers to those who, out of envy, try to compete with the strongest and get into trouble.

Two beetles

A bull grazed on the island, and two beetles fed on its manure. When winter came, one beetle said to another: "I want to fly ashore so that you have enough food here; I myself will spend the winter there, and if there is a lot of food, I will bring it to you." The beetle flew ashore, found a large pile of fresh manure and stayed there to feed. The winter passed, and he returned to the island. The comrade saw how fat and strong he was, and began to reproach him for having promised, but brought nothing. The beetle answered: "Do not scold me, but nature: the place was such that it was possible to eat, but it was impossible to carry it away."

This fable refers to those who are affectionate when it comes only to treats, and leaves a friend when they need help with something more important.

Piglet and sheep

A pig grazed in one sheep herd. Once a shepherd grabbed him, and he began to squeal and resist. The sheep began to reproach him for such a cry: "We don't cry when he keeps grabbing us!" The piglet answered them: "He does not miss me as much as you; from you he needs wool or milk, but from me he needs meat."

The fable shows that it is not for nothing that those who risk losing not money, but their lives cry.

Thrush

A thrush got into the myrtle grove and gorged itself on sweet berries. The bird catcher noticed him, ambushed him and caught him on bird glue. Dying, the thrush said: "Unfortunate me! I chased sweetness, but lost my life."

Against a licentious and voluptuous person.

Goose that lays golden eggs

One man especially honored Hermes, and Hermes gave him a goose that laid golden eggs. But he did not have the patience to get rich a little: he decided that the goose inside was all of gold, and, without thinking twice, stabbed her to death. But even in his expectations he was deceived, and since then he has lost eggs, because in the goose he found only giblets.

So people who are greedy, flattering for more, lose what they have.

Hermes and the sculptor

Hermes wanted to know how much people revere him; and so, taking on a human form, he appeared in the workshop of the sculptor. There he saw a statue of Zeus and asked: "How much is it?" The master replied: "Drahma!" Hermes laughed and asked: "How much is Hera?" He replied: "More expensive!" Then he noticed Hermes and his own statue and thought that people should especially appreciate him, as the messenger of the gods and the giver of income. And he asked, pointing to Hermes: "How much is this one?" The master answered: "Yes, if you buy those two, then I will add this one to you for free."

The fable refers to a vain person who is worthless next to others.

Hermes and Tiresias

Hermes wanted to test whether the witchcraft of Tiresias was infallible. And so he stole from him from the field of oxen, and he himself in human form came to the city and stopped at his place. The news came to Tiresias that his bulls had been stolen; he took Hermes with him and went outside the city to tell fortunes about the loss from a bird's eye view. He asked Hermes what kind of bird he sees; and Hermes first told him that he saw an eagle flying from left to right. Tiresias replied that this did not concern them. Then Hermes said that now he sees a crow that sits on a tree and looks up and down. Tiresias replied: "Well, it's the crow that swears by heaven and earth that it depends only on you whether I will return my bulls or not."

This fable is applicable against a thief.

Viper and water snake

The viper crawled to the watering hole to the source. And the water snake, which lived there, did not let her in and was indignant that the viper, as if she had little food, climbed into her possessions. They quarreled more and more, and, finally, agreed to solve the matter by a fight: whoever overcomes, he will be the owner of both land and water. Here they appointed a term; and the frogs, who hated the water snake, galloped up to the viper and began to encourage her, promising that they would help her. The fight began; the viper fought with a water snake, and the frogs around raised a loud cry - they couldn’t do anything else. The viper won and began to reproach them that they promised to help her in battle, but they themselves not only did not help, but even sang songs. “So know, my dear,” answered the frogs, “that our help is not in our hands, but in our throats.”

The fable shows that where there is a need for deeds, words cannot help.

dog and owner

One person had a Maltese dog and a donkey. He was always fiddling with the dog, and every time he dined in the yard, he threw pieces to her, and she ran up and caressed. The donkey became envious, he jumped up and also began to jump and push the owner. But he got angry and ordered to drive the donkey away with sticks and tie it to the trough.

The fable shows that by nature not everyone is given the same lot.

Two dogs

One man had two dogs: he taught one to hunt, the other to guard the house. And every time a hunting dog brought him prey from the field, he threw a piece to another dog. The hunter got angry and began to reproach the other: they say that she is exhausted every time she hunts, but she does nothing and only eats off on other people's labors. But the guard dog answered: "Do not scold me, but the owner: it was he who taught me not to work, but to live by the labor of others."

So there is nothing to scold sons who are loafers if their parents themselves raised them like that.

Viper and saw

The viper climbed into the forge and began to ask for handouts from all the blacksmith tools; collecting what was given, she crawled to the file and asked him to give her something. But he objected to her like this: "You are stupid, apparently, if you expect a living from me: I'm not used to giving, but only taking from everyone."

The fable shows that those who hope to get hold of a miser are stupid.

Father and daughters

The father had two daughters. He gave one to a gardener, the other to a potter. Time passed, the father came to the gardener's wife and asked how she was living and how they were doing. She answered that they had everything, and they only pray to the gods for one thing: that a thunderstorm with a downpour would come and the vegetables would get drunk. A little later he came to the potter's wife and also asked how she lived. She replied that they had enough of everything, and they only pray for one thing: that the weather would be good, the sun would shine and the dishes could dry out. Then her father said to her: "If you ask for good weather, and your sister for bad weather, then with whom should I pray?"

So people who take on two different things at the same time understandably fail in both.

Husband and wife

A man had a wife whose temper no one could bear. He decided to check whether she would behave in the same way in her father's house, and under a plausible pretext sent her to her father. A few days later she returned, and her husband asked how she was received there. "Shepherds and shepherds," she answered, "looked at me very angrily." “Well, wife,” said the husband, “if those who with their flocks are not at home from morning to evening were angry with you, then what will others say, from whom you have not left all day?”

So often in small things you can find out the important, in the obvious - the hidden.

viper and fox

The snake floated down the river on a bunch of thorns. The fox saw her and said: "After the swimmer and the ship!"

Against a bad person who undertakes evil deeds.

wolf and goat

The goat lagged behind the herd, and the wolf chased after him. The kid turned around and said to the wolf: "Wolf, I know that I am your prey. But in order not to die ingloriously, play the pipe, and I will dance!" The wolf began to play, and the kid began to dance; The dogs heard this and rushed after the wolf. The wolf turned around on the run and said to the kid: "That's what I need: there's nothing for me, the butcher, to pretend to be a musician."

So people, when they take up something at the wrong time, miss out on what they already have in their hands.

wolf and goat

The wolf passed by the house, and the kid stood on the roof and swore at him. The wolf answered him: "You do not scold me, but your place."

The fable shows that favorable circumstances give others audacity even against the strongest.

statue seller

One man made a wooden Hermes and carried it to the market. No buyer approached; then, in order to call at least someone, he began to shout that God, the giver of blessings and the keeper of profits, is for sale. Some passer-by asked him: "Why, my dear, are you selling such a god instead of using it yourself?" The seller answered: "Now I need an ambulance from him, and he usually brings his profit slowly."

Against a selfish and ungodly person.

Zeus, Prometheus, Athena and Mom

Zeus created a bull, Prometheus created a man, Athena created a house, and they chose Mom as a judge. Mom envied their creations and began to say: Zeus made a mistake that the bull has no eyes on the horns and he does not see where he butts; Prometheus - that a person's heart is not outside and it is impossible to immediately distinguish a bad person and see what is in someone's soul; Athena should have provided the house with wheels, so that it would be easier to move if a bad neighbor settled nearby. Zeus was angry for such slander and drove Mom from Olympus.

The fable shows that nothing is so perfect as to be free from all reproach.

Jackdaw and birds

Zeus wished to appoint a king to the birds and declared a day for everyone to come to him. And the jackdaw, knowing how ugly she was, began to walk and pick up bird feathers, decorating herself with them. The day came, and she, undressed, appeared before Zeus. Zeus already wanted to choose her as king for this beauty, but the birds, indignant, surrounded her, each tearing out their feather; and then, naked, she again turned out to be a simple jackdaw.

So with people, debtors, using other people's means, reach a prominent position, but, having given away someone else's, they remain the same as they were.

Hermes and Earth

Zeus created a man and a woman and called on Hermes to take them to the ground and show them where to plow it in order to grow bread.<...>Hermes carried out the order. At first, the earth resisted, but then, when Hermes said that such was Zeus's order, she forcedly yielded and said: "Let them plow as much as they like: but with weeping and groaning they will give back what they took."

The fable refers to those who borrow money with a light heart and return it with sadness.

Hermes

Zeus ordered Hermes to pour the magic potion of lies to all the artisans. Hermes crushed it and sprinkled it equally on each. Finally, only the shoemaker remained, and there was still a lot of medicine; and then Hermes took and poured out the whole mortar in front of the shoemaker. That's why all artisans are liars and shoemakers the most.

The fable is directed against the liar.

Zeus and Apollo

Zeus and Apollo were arguing over who was the better archer. Apollo pulled his bow and shot an arrow, and Zeus took one step and stepped as far as his arrow flew.

So anyone who competes with the strong will only fail and become a laughing stock.

Horse, bull, dog and man

Zeus created man, but gave him a short life. And the man, according to his ingenuity, with the onset of cold weather, built himself a house and settled there. The cold was strong, it was raining; and now the horse could not stand it any longer, galloped to the man and asked to be sheltered. And the man said that he would let the horse go only if he would give him part of his life: and the horse willingly agreed. A little later, the bull also appeared, also unable to endure the bad weather any longer, and the man again said that he would let him go only if he would give him so many years of his life; the bull gave, and the man let him go. Finally, a dog came running, exhausted in the cold, also gave away a particle of his age and also found shelter. And so it happened that only the years appointed by Zeus do people live in a good and real way; having lived to the age of a horse, he becomes boastful and swaggering; in bull years becomes a worker and a sufferer; and in dog years it turns out to be quarrelsome and grouchy.

This fable can be applied to an old, malevolent and unbearable person.

Zeus and the turtle

Zeus celebrated the wedding and put out a treat for all the animals. One turtle did not come. Not understanding what was the matter, the next day Zeus asked her why she did not come to the feast alone. "Your home is the best home," the tortoise replied. Zeus got angry with her and forced her to carry her own house everywhere.

So it is more pleasant for many people to live modestly at home than richly with strangers.

Zeus and the fox

Zeus, admiring the intelligence and cunning of the fox, made her king over unreasonable animals. But he wanted to know if the fox's low soul had changed with the change of fate? And so, when they carried her in a stretcher, he released a beetle in front of her; the beetle circled over the stretcher, and the fox, unable to restrain himself, forgot all royal honor, jumped out of the stretcher and rushed to catch him. Zeus got angry and turned the fox back to its original state.

The fable shows that bad people, even in the midst of pomp and brilliance, do not change their temper.

Zeus and people

Zeus created humans and ordered Hermes to infuse intelligence into them. Hermes took a measure for himself and poured equally into each. But it turned out that this measure filled people of small stature to the brim, and they became reasonable, but tall people did not have enough drink for the whole body, but only enough to the knees, and they turned out to be more stupid.

Against a man who is powerful in body, but unreasonable in spirit.

Zeus and shame

Zeus, having created people, immediately put all his feelings into them and forgot only one thing - shame. So, not knowing which way to bring him in, he told him to enter through the backside. At first, shame resisted and was indignant at such humiliation, but since Zeus was adamant, he said: "Well, I will go in, but on this condition: if anything else enters there after me, I will immediately leave." That is why all depraved boys do not know shame.

This fable can be applied to a libertine.

Hero

A hero lived in a man's house, and the man brought rich sacrifices to him. And since he spent more and more, not sparing money on sacrifices, then a hero appeared to him one day in a dream and said: “Stop, my dear, ruining: after all, if you completely spend and remain poor, then you will blame me for this. !"

So many get into trouble through their own folly, and they blame the gods for this.

Hercules and Plutus

When Hercules was accepted into the host of the gods, then at the feast of Zeus, he greeted each of them with great cordiality; but when Plutos was the last to approach him, Hercules lowered his eyes to the ground and turned away. Zeus was surprised at this and asked why he joyfully welcomes all the gods and does not want to look only at Plutos. Hercules answered: "When I lived among people, I saw that Plutos is friends most often with those who are distinguished by malevolence; therefore I do not want to look at him."

The fable can be applied to a person who is rich in money, but has a bad temper.

Ant and beetle

In the summer, an ant walked around the arable land and collected wheat and barley grain by grain in order to stock up on food for the winter. The beetle saw him and sympathized that he had to work so hard even at such a time of the year when all other animals rest from hardships and indulge in idleness. Then the ant was silent; but when winter came and the manure was washed away by the rains, the beetle was left hungry, and he came to ask the ant for food. The ant said: "Oh, beetle, if you had worked then, when you reproached me with labor, you would not have to sit without food now."

So people in prosperity do not think about the future, but when circumstances change, they suffer severe disasters.

Tuna and Dolphin

The tuna, escaping from the dolphin, rushed away with a loud splash; the dolphin almost grabbed him, when suddenly the tuna jumped out of the sky ashore, and after him, accelerating, the dolphin flew out. The tuna looked back, saw the dolphin already dying and said: “Now I don’t feel sorry for dying, since I see the culprit of my death dying with me.”

The fable shows that people endure their misfortunes more easily if they see how the perpetrators of these misfortunes also suffer.

doctor and patient

The deceased was carried out, and the household followed the stretcher. The doctor said to one of them: "If this man did not drink wine and put a klister, he would still be alive." - "My dear," he answered him, "you would advise him to do this before it was too late, but now it is already useless."

The fable shows that one should help friends in time, and not laugh at them when their situation is hopeless.

birder and asp

The bird-catcher took the bird glue and rods and went hunting. He saw a thrush on a tall tree and wanted to catch it. He tied his rods end to end and began to peer vigilantly upwards, thinking of nothing else. And, looking up, he did not notice the asp lying under his feet, stepped on him, and he twisted and stung him. Breathing his last, the bird-catcher said to himself: "Unfortunate me! I wanted to catch another, but did not notice how I myself was caught and died."

So those who plot against their neighbors are the first to get into trouble.

Crab and fox

The crab crawled out of the sea and fed on the shore. And the hungry fox saw him, and since she had nothing to eat, she ran up and grabbed him. And, seeing that now she would eat it, the crab said: "Well, it serves me right: I am a resident of the sea, but I wanted to live on land."

So it is with people - those who give up their affairs and take on other people's and unusual ones, rightly get into trouble.

Camel and Zeus

The camel saw the bull swaggering with its horns; he became envious, and he wanted to get such for himself. And so he appeared to Zeus and began to ask for horns. Zeus was angry that his height and strength were not enough for a camel, and he also demanded more; and not only did he not give the camel horns, but he cut off his ears.

So many, greedily looking at someone else's good, do not notice how they lose their own.

Beaver

The beaver is a four-legged animal that lives in ponds. Some medicines are said to be made from his testicles. And when someone sees him and chases to kill him, the beaver understands why he is being pursued, and at first runs away, relying on his quick legs and hoping to get away safe; and when he is already on the verge of death, he bites off and discards his testicles and thereby saves his life.

Similarly, reasonable people do not value wealth in order to save their lives.

Gardener

The gardener watered the vegetables. Someone approached him and asked why weeds are so healthy and strong, and domestic plants are thin and stunted? The gardener answered: "Because the earth is a mother for some, and a stepmother for others."

So dissimilar are the children who are raised by their mother and who are raised by their stepmother.

Gardener and dog

A gardener's dog fell into a well. To pull her out, he climbed after her himself. But the dog did not understand why he was coming down, thought that he wanted to drown her, and bit him. The gardener said, sensing the pain: "It serves me right: if she herself decided to drown, why did I have to save her?"

Against an ungrateful person who pays evil for good.

Kifared

One incompetent kifared sang his songs from morning to evening in a house with plastered walls; the voice reverberated off the walls and seemed to him unusually harmonious. This gave him the spirit, and he decided to perform in the theater. But when he went on stage and started his song with an unbearable voice, they threw stones at him and kicked him out.

So it is with some rhetoricians: while they are at school, they seem talented, but as soon as they take up state affairs, they turn out to be insignificant.

Thieves and rooster

The thieves broke into the house, but found nothing there except a rooster; grabbed him and went out. The rooster saw that they would kill him, and began to beg for mercy: he is a useful bird and wakes people up at night for work. But the thieves said: "That's why we will kill you, since you wake people up and do not let us steal."

The fable shows: everything that is useful good people, is especially hatefully bad.

Jackdaw and crows

One jackdaw was taller than all the other jackdaws; and so, inflamed with contempt for her kind, she went to the ravens and asked to live with them. But her appearance and voice were unfamiliar to the ravens, and they beat her and drove her away. Rejected, she returned to her jackdaws: but they, indignant at her arrogance, refused to accept her. So she remained neither with those nor with these.

So it is with people who leave their fatherland for foreign lands: they are not respected in a foreign land, but alienated in their homeland.

Raven and fox

The raven took away a piece of meat and sat on a tree. The fox saw, and she wanted to get this meat. She stood in front of the raven and began to praise him: he is already great and handsome, and he could have become better than others king over birds, and he would, of course, if he also had a voice. The raven wanted to show her that he had a voice; he released the meat and croaked in a loud voice. And the fox ran up, grabbed the meat and said: "Oh, raven, if you also had a mind in your head, you would not need anything else to reign."

A fable is appropriate against a foolish person.

Crow and raven

The crow was envious that the raven gives people signs during fortune-telling, predicts the future, and for this people even commemorate him in oaths; and she decided to do the same for herself. And so, seeing passers-by on the road, she sat down on a tree and began to croak loudly. The travelers turned around and were surprised, but one of them exclaimed: "Let's go, friends: this is a crow, and its cry is of no use."

So people, when they compete to be equal to the strongest, fail and become a laughing stock.

Jackdaw and fox

A hungry jackdaw perched on a fig tree. There she saw figs, winter, unripe, and decided to wait until they ripen. The fox saw that the jackdaw was sitting and not flying away, found out from her what was the matter, and said: “You are in vain, my dear, hoping for something: perhaps you can amuse yourself with such a hope, but you will never be satisfied.”

Against a man blinded by greed.

Crow and dog

The crow sacrificed to Athena and called the dog to the sacrificial feast. The dog said to her: "Why are you wasting money on vain sacrifices? After all, the goddess hates you, which does not even give faith to your signs." The crow answered: "That's why I offer her a sacrifice: I know that she does not love me, and I want her to soften towards me."

So many out of fear are ready to serve their own enemies.

Raven and snake

The raven, not seeing prey anywhere, noticed a snake that was basking in the sun, flew at it and grabbed it; but the snake twisted and bit him; and the raven said, expiring his spirit: "Unfortunate me! I have found such prey that I myself perish from it."

The fable can be applied to a person who found a treasure and began to fear for his life.

Jackdaw and doves

The jackdaw saw how the pigeons were well fed in the dovecote, and painted herself with whitewash in order to heal with them. And while she was silent, the doves mistook her for a dove and did not drive her away; but when she forgot herself and croaked, they immediately recognized her voice and drove her away. Left without pigeon food, the jackdaw returned to her own; but they did not recognize her because of the white feathers and did not let her live with them. So the jackdaw, chasing two benefits, did not receive a single one. Consequently, we should be content with what we have, remembering that greed brings nothing, but only takes away the last.

Belly and legs

Belly and legs argued who was stronger. Each time the legs boasted that there was so much strength in them that they carried the very stomach on themselves; but the stomach answered: "Oh, dear, if I did not take food, you could not wear anything."

So in the army, the number means nothing if the soldiers are deprived of prudence.

runaway jackdaw

One man caught a jackdaw, tied its legs with a rope and gave it to his son. The jackdaw was unable to live with people, and at the first opportunity she returned to her nest. But her rope got tangled in the branches, she could no longer fly, and, seeing her death, the jackdaw said to herself: “Unfortunate me! I didn’t want to live in slavery among people, but I didn’t notice how I deprived myself of life.”

The fable refers to such people who want to escape from a small misfortune, but unexpectedly fall into a big one.

dog and fox

The hunting dog saw the lion and rushed after him. The lion turned and barked; The dog got scared and ran away. The fox saw her and said: "You are a bad head: you are chasing a lion, but you yourself cannot even hear his voice!"

The fable can be applied to a daring person who undertakes to slander someone who is much stronger; but it is worth rebuffing it, and the slanderer falls silent.

Dog with a piece of meat

A dog with a piece of meat in its teeth was crossing the river and saw its reflection in the water. She decided that this was another dog with a larger piece, threw her meat and rushed to beat someone else's. so she was left without one and without the other: she did not find one, because it did not exist, the other was lost, because the water carried it away.

The fable is directed against a greedy person.

dog and wolf

The dog slept in front of the hut; the wolf saw her, grabbed her and wanted to devour her. asked the dog to let her go this time. "Now I am thin and skinny," she said, "but my masters will soon have a wedding, and if you let me go now, then you will eat me fatter." The wolf believed and let her go for now. But when he returned a few days later, he saw that the dog was now sleeping on the roof; he began to call her, recalling their agreement, but the dog answered: “Well, my dear, if you see me sleeping in front of the house again, then don’t put off until the wedding!”

So intelligent people, once having avoided danger, then beware of it all their lives.

Hungry dogs

Hungry dogs saw the skins in the river, which were soaked there, but could not get them, and then they agreed to drink the water first, and then get to the skins. They began to drink, but only burst, and did not reach the skins.

So some people, in the hope of profit, undertake dangerous labors, but rather ruin themselves than achieve what they want.

dog and hare

A hunting dog caught a hare and either bit him or licked him on the lips. The hare was exhausted and said: "My dear, either don't bite, or don't kiss, so that I know whether you are my enemy or friend."

The fable refers to a two-faced man.

mosquito and bull

The mosquito sat on the horn of the bull and sat there for a long time, then, about to take off, he asked the bull: maybe he shouldn’t fly away? But the bull answered: “No, my dear: I didn’t notice how you flew in, and I won’t notice how you fly away.”

This fable can be applied to an insignificant person, from whom, whether he exists or not, there can be neither harm nor benefit.

Hares and frogs

The hares realized how cowardly they were, and decided that it was better for them to drown themselves all at once. They came to a cliff above the pond, and the frogs near the pond, as soon as they heard their stomping, jumped into the very depths. One hare saw this and said to the others: "Let's not drown ourselves: look, there are creatures in the world more cowardly than us."

So for people, the spectacle of other people's misfortunes serves as an encouragement in their own misfortunes.

Seagull and kite

A seagull grabbed a fish from the sea, but tore its throat with it and fell dead on the seashore. The kite saw this and said: "It serves you right: you were born a bird, why did you have to feed in the sea?"

So justly does he fall into trouble who abandons his studies and takes on those that are completely uncharacteristic of him.

The lion and the peasant

The lion fell in love with a peasant's daughter and wooed her. The peasant did not dare to give his daughter to the predator, and was afraid to refuse him; so here's what he came up with. When the lion began to insist, the peasant said that he was a suitable groom for his daughter, but he could give her away only when the lion allowed his teeth to be pulled out and his claws cut, otherwise the girl was afraid of them. The lion, blinded by love, readily endured both; but after that the peasant was no longer afraid of him, and when the lion again appeared to him, he drove him out of the yard with sticks.

The fable shows that even the one who was terrible to the enemies will become easy prey for them if he thoughtlessly believes them and deprives himself of everything that was terrible.

Lion and frog

The lion heard the croaking of a frog and turned around at the voice, thinking that it was some kind of big animal. But when, after waiting, he saw that it was a frog that had crawled out of the pond, he came up and trampled it, saying: “It is not the hearing that should be frightened, but the sight.” .

Against a talkative person who only knows how to work with his tongue.

Lion and fox

The lion grew old, could no longer get his own food by force and decided to do it by cunning: he climbed into the cave and lay down there, pretending to be sick; animals began to come to visit him, and he grabbed them and devoured them. Many animals have already died; Finally, the fox guessed his trick, came up and, standing at some distance from the cave, asked how he was doing. "Badly!" - answered the lion and asked why she did not enter? And the fox answered: "And she would have entered if she had not seen that there are many tracks leading into the cave, but not a single one from the cave."

So intelligent people, by signs, guess about the danger and know how to avoid it.

Lion and bull

The lion conceived evil against a huge bull and wanted to get him by cunning. Therefore, he told the bull that he had sacrificed a sheep and was calling him for a treat, and he himself decided to deal with the guest as soon as he settled down at the table. A bull came and saw: there were many cauldrons, huge skewers, but no sheep; He didn't say a word and walked away. The lion began to reproach him and ask why he was silent and left, even though no one was doing him harm. The bull replied: "I have a reason for this: I see that they are not planning a sheep here as a sacrifice, but a bull."

The fable shows that the cunning of villains will not hide from reasonable people.

The lion and the peasant

The lion wandered to the peasant's barnyard; but he wanted to catch him and locked the gate behind him. Unable to get out, the lion first tore the sheep to pieces, then attacked the oxen; the peasant was afraid that the lion would attack him too, and opened the gate for him. The lion left; and the peasant's wife, watching her husband being killed, said: "It serves you right: why was it necessary to lock up such a beast with cattle, in front of which you even tremble from afar?"

So those who irritate the strongest suffer from it themselves.

Lion and dolphin

The lion, walking along the seashore, saw a dolphin in the waves and offered him to conclude an alliance: who, if not them, should be friends and comrades most of all - the king of sea animals and the king of the earth? And the dolphin readily agreed. A little later, the lion happened to fight with a wild bull, and he called the dolphin for help. The dolphin wanted to get out of the sea, but could not, and the lion began to blame him for treason. The dolphin answered: "Do not scold me, but nature, which created me as a sea animal and does not allow me to go on land."

So we, agreeing on friendship, must choose for ourselves such allies who, in danger, can help us.

Lion scared by mouse

A mouse ran across the sleeping lion's muzzle. The lion jumped up and began to rush in all directions, looking for who dared to approach him. The fox saw this and began to shame him: he, a lion, was suddenly afraid of a mouse! "It wasn't the mouse that frightened me," replied the lion, "but its arrogance angered me!"

Lion and bear

The lion and the bear hunted down a young deer and began to fight for him. They fought fiercely until their eyes went dark and they fell to the ground, half dead. A fox was passing by and saw that a lion and a bear were lying side by side, and between them a deer; picked up the deer and walked away. And those, unable to get up, said: "We are unhappy! It turns out that we worked for the fox!"

The fable shows that it is not in vain that people grieve when they see that the fruits of their labors go to the first person they meet.

Lion and hare

The lion found a sleeping hare and was about to devour it, when he suddenly saw that a deer was running past. The lion left the hare and chased the deer, and the hare woke up from the noise and ran away. The lion chased the deer for a long time, but could not catch it and returned to the hare; and seeing that even that was no longer there, he said: “It serves me right: I released the booty that was already in my hands, and chased after empty hope.”

So some people, dissatisfied with a moderate income, do not notice how they lose what they own.

Lion, donkey and fox

The lion, donkey and fox decided to live together and went hunting. They caught a lot of booty, and the lion told the donkey to share it. The donkey divided the prey into three equal shares and invited the lion to choose; the lion got angry, ate the donkey, and ordered the fox to share. The fox collected all the prey in one heap, and left only a small piece for herself and invited the lion to make a choice. The lion asked her who taught her to do so well, and the fox answered: "The dead donkey!"

The fable shows that the misfortunes of neighbors become a science for people.

Lion and mouse

A mouse ran over the sleeping lion's body. The lion woke up, grabbed it and was ready to devour it; but she begged to be let go of her, assuring her that she would still repay good for her salvation, and the lion, bursting out laughing, let her go. But it so happened that a little later the mouse actually thanked the lion by saving his life. A lion was caught by the hunters, and they tied him with a rope to a tree; and the mouse, hearing his groans, immediately ran, gnawed through the rope and freed him, saying this: "Then you laughed at me, as if you did not believe that I could repay you for the service; and now you will know that the mouse knows how to be grateful."

The fable shows that sometimes, when fate changes, even the strongest need the weakest.

lion and donkey

The lion and the donkey decided to live together and went hunting. They came to a cave where there were wild goats, and the lion remained at the entrance to lie in wait for the running goats, and the donkey climbed inside and began to wail to frighten them and drive them out. When the lion had already caught quite a few goats, the donkey came out to him and asked if he fought nicely and whether he drove the goats well. The lion answered: "Sure! I myself was frightened if I did not know that you were an ass."

Thus, many boast before those who know them well, and become a laughing stock according to their merits.

Robber and mulberry tree

The robber killed a man on the road; people saw this and chased after him, but he left the dead man and, covered with blood, started to run. Passers-by asked why his hands were covered in blood; he replied that he had climbed the mulberry tree. But while he was talking to them, the pursuers came running, seized him and crucified him just on a mulberry tree. And the mulberry tree said: "I do not regret that it became the instrument of your death: after all, you committed a murder, and even wanted to blame it on me."

So people who are naturally good often become evil in response to slander.

Wolves and sheep

The wolves wanted to attack the herd of sheep, but they could not do it, because the sheep were guarded by dogs. Then they decided to get their way by cunning and sent ambassadors to the sheep with a proposal to hand over the dogs: after all, because of them, enmity had begun, and if they were handed over, then peace would be established between wolves and sheep. The sheep did not think what would come of it, and gave out the dogs. And then the wolves, being stronger, easily dealt with the defenseless herd.

In the same way, states that hand over the leaders of the people without resistance soon become the prey of their enemies without noticing it.

wolf and horse

The wolf wandered through the field and saw barley; he could not eat it, so he turned and walked away. Having met a horse along the way, he led him to this field and said that he had found barley here, but he did not eat it himself, but saved it for the horse: it was so pleasant for him to hear how the horse chews the ears. The horse answered this: "Well, my dear, if the wolves could feed on barley, you would not please your ear before your belly."

The fable shows that a person who is bad by nature will not be trusted, no matter what he promises.

wolf and lamb

The wolf saw a lamb that drank water from the river, and he wanted to devour the lamb under a plausible pretext. He stood upstream and began to reproach the lamb for muddying his water and not letting him drink. The lamb answered that he barely touched the water with his lips, and that he could not muddy the water for him, because he was standing downstream. Seeing that the accusation had failed, the wolf said: "But last year you cursed my father with swear words!" The lamb answered that he was not yet in the world then. The wolf said to this: "Although you are clever at making excuses, I will still eat you!"

The fable shows: whoever decides in advance on an evil deed, even the most honest excuses will not stop him.

wolf and heron

The wolf choked on a bone and scoured to find someone to help him. He met a heron, and he began to promise her a reward if she pulled out a bone. The heron stuck its head down the wolf's throat, pulled out the bone, and demanded the promised reward. But the wolf answered: "It's not enough for you, my dear, that you took out a whole head from the wolf's mouth - so give you a reward?"

The fable shows that when bad people do no evil, it already seems to them a good deed.

wolf and goat

The wolf saw a goat that was grazing over a cliff; he could not get to her and began to beg her to go down: there, at the top, one could fall inadvertently, but here he had a meadow, and herbs were the most beautiful for her. But the goat answered him: "No, the point is not that you have good grazing, but that you have nothing to eat."

So, when bad people plot evil against reasonable people, then all their intricacies turn out to be useless.

wolf and old woman

The hungry wolf roamed in search of prey. He went up to a hut and heard a child crying, and an old woman threatening him: "Stop it, or I'll throw you out to the wolf!" The wolf thought that she had told the truth, and began to wait. Evening came, but the old woman still did not fulfill the promise; and the wolf went away with these words: "In this house, people say one thing, but do another."

This fable refers to those people whose word is at odds with the deed.

wolf and sheep

The full wolf saw a sheep lying on the ground; he guessed that it was she who fell from fear, came up and encouraged her: if she tells him the truth three times, he said, then he will not touch her. The sheep began: “Firstly, I wouldn’t meet you at all! Secondly, if I already meet, then the blind one! And thirdly, all the wolves would perish with an evil death: we didn’t do anything to you, but you attack us! " The wolf listened to her truth and did not touch the sheep.

The fable shows that often the enemy yields to the truth.

wolf and sheep

The wolf, bitten by dogs, lay exhausted and could not even provide food for himself. He saw a sheep and asked them to bring him at least a drink from the nearest river: "Just give me something to drink, and then I will find food myself." But the sheep answered: "If I give you a drink, then I myself will become your food."

The fable denounces an evil person who acts cunningly and hypocritically.

fortuneteller

The fortuneteller sat in the square and gave predictions for money. Suddenly, a man ran up to him and shouted that the robbers broke into his house and took away all the goods. Horrified, the soothsayer jumped up and, with a cry, ran as fast as he could to see what had happened. One of the passersby saw this and asked: "My dear, how can you guess about other people's affairs when you know nothing about your own?"

This fable refers to such people who themselves do not know how to live, and take on other people's affairs that do not concern them.

boy and raven

One woman wondered about the fate of her little son, and the fortune-tellers told her that a raven would bring him death. In fear, she made a large casket and placed her son there to protect him from the raven and death. And at the appointed hours, she opened this chest and gave her son the necessary food. And then one day she opened the casket to give him a drink, and the boy inadvertently leaned out; and the hook from the door, which is also called "crow", fell on his crown and killed him to death.

The fable shows that it is impossible to escape from fate.

Bees and Zeus

It was a pity for the bees to give their honey to people, and they came to Zeus with a request to give them the power to sting anyone who comes to their honeycombs. Zeus was angry with them for such anger and made it so that, having stung someone, they immediately lost their sting, and with it their life.

This fable refers to evil people who harm themselves.

Priests of Cybele

The priests of Cybele had a donkey on which they loaded luggage in their wanderings. And when the donkey was exhausted and dead, they tore off its skin and made tambourines out of it for their dances. Once other wandering priests met them and asked where their donkey was; and they answered: "He died, but he, the dead, gets as many beatings as the living did not get."

So some slaves, although they receive freedom, they cannot get rid of their slave share.

Mice and weasels

The mice had a war with the weasels, and the mice were defeated. Once they got together and decided that the cause of their misfortunes was anarchy. Then they chose generals and placed them over them; and the commanders, in order to stand out among everyone, got hold of and tied their horns. There was a battle, and again all the mice were defeated. But simple mice fled into the holes and easily hid in them, and the generals because of their horns could not climb there, and the weasels grabbed them and ate them.

Vanity brings misfortune to many.

Ant

The ant was once a man and was engaged in arable farming; but, not content with the fruits of his labor, he envied others and robbed them all the time. Zeus was angry with him for such greed and turned him into an insect, which we call an ant. But even in the new guise, his temper remained the same: to this day he runs through the fields and collects wheat and barley from the threshing floor for himself as a reserve.

The fable shows: whoever is malicious by nature, no punishment will correct him.

Fly

A fly fell into a pot of meat and, already choking in the broth, said to itself: "Well, I ate, drank, bathed, and now it's not a pity to die!"

The fable is that it is easier for people to accept death when it is unexpected.

The shipwrecked man and the sea

A shipwrecked man swam to the seashore and fell asleep there, exhausted; and a little later he woke up, saw the sea and began to scold him for the fact that it lures people with its peaceful appearance, and as soon as they set sail, it begins to rage and destroy them. Then the sea, having taken female image, turned to him like this: "Do not scold me, my dear, but the winds! I myself am by nature the way you see me, but the winds fly at me instantly, and from them I become stormy and furious."

So, when we see iniquities, we should not blame those who act out of order at the instigation of others, but those who incite them to this.

Mot and swallow

The young squanderer squandered all his property, and only his cloak remained. Suddenly he saw a swallow that flew in ahead of time, and decided that it was already summer and he no longer needed a cloak; he took the cloak to the market and sold it. But then winter returned again and severe cold, and the young man, wandering here and there, saw a swallow on the dead ground. He said to her: "Oh, you! You have ruined both me and yourself." The fable shows how dangerous everything that is done at the wrong time.

Sick and doctor

One person was sick. The doctor asked how he felt; the patient replied that he was sweating too much; the doctor said, "That's good." Another time the doctor asked how things were; the patient replied that he was constantly chilled; the doctor said, "That's good." The third time the doctor came and asked how the illness was; the patient replied that he had dropsy; the doctor said, "That's good too." And when one of the relatives visited the patient and asked how his health was, the patient answered: "It's so good that it's time to die."

So many, superficially judging, consider their neighbors happy just for what they suffer the most from.

Bat, Blackthorn and Dive

The bat, the thornbush, and the dive decided to form and trade together. The bat borrowed money and contributed to the partnership, the thorn gave his clothes, and the dive bought copper and also contributed. But when they set sail, a violent storm broke out and the ship capsized; they themselves got out on land, but lost all the good. Since then, the dive has been looking for its copper and dives for it into the depths of the sea; the bat is afraid to show itself to lenders and hides during the day; and at night flies out to prey; and the thorn bush, looking for its clothes, clings to the cloaks of passers-by in order to find its own among them.

The fable shows that we care most about that in which we ourselves once suffered damage.

Bat and weasel

The bat fell to the ground and was seized by a weasel. Seeing that death had come, the bat begged for mercy. The weasel answered that she could not spare her: by nature she has enmity with all birds. But the bat said that she was not a bird, but a mouse, and the caress let her go. Another time a bat fell to the ground and was seized by another weasel. She began to ask the bat not to kill her. The weasel replied that she had enmity with all mice. But the bat said that she was not a mouse, but a flying animal, and again her caress let go. So, changing her name twice, she managed to escape.

So we cannot always be the same: those who know how to adapt to circumstances often avoid great dangers.

Woodcutter and Hermes

One lumberjack was chopping wood on the river bank and dropped his axe. The current carried him away, and the woodcutter sat down on the bank and began to cry. Hermes took pity on him, came and found out from him why he was crying. He dived into the water, and took out a golden ax to the woodcutter, and asked if it was his? The woodcutter replied that it was not his; Hermes dived a second time, brought out a silver ax and again asked if this was the one that was lost? And the woodcutter refused it; then for the third time Hermes brought him his real ax, wooden. The woodcutter recognized him; and then Hermes, as a reward for his honesty, gave the woodcutter all three axes. The woodcutter took a gift, went to his comrades and told everything as it happened. And one of them became envious, and he wanted to do the same. He took an ax, went to the same river, began to cut down trees and deliberately let the ax into the water, and he sat down and began to cry. Hermes came and asked him what happened? And he replied that the ax was gone. Hermes brought him a golden ax and asked if it was the one that had disappeared? Greed seized the man, and he exclaimed that this is the one. But for this, God not only did not give him a gift, but also did not return his own ax.

The fable shows that as much as the gods help the honest, they are just as hostile to the dishonest.

Wayfarer and Destiny

The traveler, tired after a long journey, threw himself on the ground near the well and fell asleep. In his sleep he nearly fell into a well; but Fate came up to him, woke him up and said: "My dear, if you fell down, you would not scold yourself for your negligence, but me!"

So many people blame the gods when they themselves are to blame.

Traveler and plane tree

Travelers walked along the road in the summer, at noon, exhausted from the heat. They saw a plane tree, came up and lay down under it to rest. Looking up at the plane tree, they began to say to each other: "But this tree is barren and useless for people!" The plane tree answered them: "You ungrateful! you yourself use my canopy and immediately call me barren and useless!"

Some people are not so lucky either: they do good to their neighbors, but they don’t see gratitude for it.

The Traveler and the Viper

The traveler was walking along the road in winter and saw a snake that was dying from the cold. He took pity on her, hid her in his bosom and began to warm her. While the snake was frozen, it lay quietly, and as soon as it warmed up, it stung him in the stomach. Feeling death, the traveler said: "It serves me right: why did I save a dying creature, when it and the living one had to be killed?"

The fable shows that an evil soul not only does not repay goodness with gratitude, but even rebels against a benefactor.

Wayfarers

The travelers walked along the seashore. They went up the hill and noticed a bundle of brushwood floating in the distance, but they thought it was big ship and waited for him to land. And when the wind drove the brushwood closer, they decided that it was a raft, and smaller than it seemed, but continued to wait. Finally, brushwood was washed ashore, they saw what it was, and said one to the other: "We waited in vain: there is nothing here!"

So some people from a distance seem formidable, but when you look closer, they turn out to be nonentities.

Wayfarer and Hermes

Traveler in long road made a vow that if he finds anything, he will donate half to Hermes. He stumbled upon a bag containing almonds and dates, and hastened to pick it up, thinking it was money. He shook out everything that was there and ate it, and put the shells from almonds and bones from dates on the altar with these words: “Here you, Hermes, promised from the find: I share with you both what was outside, and what was inside."

The fable refers to a greedy man who, for the sake of profit and the gods, is ready to outwit.

Donkey and gardener

There was a gardener's donkey; he had little to eat, but a lot of suffering, and he prayed that Zeus would take him away from the gardener and give him to another owner. Zeus sent Hermes and ordered to sell the donkey to the potter. And here the donkey had a hard time, and he suffered much more; he again began to call on Zeus, and, finally, Zeus ordered to sell him to a tanner. The donkey saw what his master was doing, and said: "Oh, it was better for me with my former owners: after all, this one, as I see it, will completely tear off the skin from me."

The fable shows that as soon as the slaves recognize their new masters, they begin to regret the old ones.

Donkey loaded with salt

A donkey loaded with salt was crossing the river, but slipped and fell into the water; the salt melted, and the donkey felt better. The donkey was delighted, and the next time he approached the river, loaded with sponges, he thought that if he fell again, he would rise again with a lightened burden; and slipped on purpose. But it turned out that the sponges swelled from the water, it was already impossible to lift them, and the donkey drowned.

Donkey and mule

The driver loaded a donkey and a mule and drove them on their way. As long as the road was level, the donkey was still supported by the weight; but when he had to go uphill, he was exhausted and asked the mule to take part of the load from him: then he could carry the rest. But the mule did not want to listen to such words of his. The donkey fell down from the mountain and killed himself to death; and the drover, not knowing what to do now, took and transferred the burden of the donkey to the mule, and in addition loaded it on him and donkey skin. Loaded beyond all measure, the mule said: "It serves me right: if I had obeyed the donkey and accepted a small part of his load, I would not now have to drag all his burden, and himself."

So some lenders, not wanting to make the slightest concession to debtors, often lose their entire capital on this.

Donkey with a statue on his back

One man placed a statue of a god on a donkey and drove the donkey into the city. And everyone who met this statue bowed low; and the donkey thought that they were bowing to him, became proud, began to roar and did not want to go further. The driver guessed what was the matter, and beat the donkey with a stick, saying: "You are a bad head! Only this was not enough for people to bow to the donkey!"

The fable shows that people who boast of other people's merits become a laughingstock for everyone who knows them.

wild donkey

A wild ass met a domestic donkey, which was basking in the sun, approached him and envied him that he had such a good view and so much food. But then he saw how a domestic donkey was dragging a load, and a driver was walking behind him and beating him with a stick, and he said: “No, I don’t envy you anymore: I see that your free life is coming at a high price to you.”

Thus, one should not envy the benefits that are associated with dangers and misfortunes.

Donkey and cicadas

The donkey heard the cicadas chirping; he liked their sweet singing, he became envious, and he asked: "What do you eat to have such a voice?" - "Dew", - answered the cicadas. The donkey began to feed himself on the dew, but died of hunger.

Thus, people, striving for what is contrary to their nature, do not reach the goal and, moreover, suffer great calamities.

Donkeys and Zeus

Donkeys, tormented by constant suffering and adversity, sent ambassadors to Zeus and asked him to get rid of their labors. Zeus, wanting to let them know that this was an impossible thing, said: then there will be a change in their bitter fate when they succeed in making a whole river. And the donkeys thought that he really promised it; and so far, where one donkey urinates, others run to pond there.

The fable shows: who is destined for what, that cannot be changed.

Donkey and driver

The drover drove the donkey along the road; but he walked a little, turned aside and rushed to the cliff. He was about to fall off, and the driver began to pull him by the tail, but the donkey stubbornly resisted. Then the drover let him go and said: "Be your way: it's worse for you!"

The fable refers to a stubborn person.

Donkey and wolf

The donkey was grazing in the meadow and suddenly saw that a wolf was running at him. The donkey pretended to be lame; and when the wolf approached and asked why he was lame, the donkey answered: "Jumped through the wattle fence and slithered with a thorn!" - and asked the wolf to first pull out the thorn, and then eat it, so as not to prick. The wolf believed; the donkey lifted his leg, and the wolf carefully examined his hoof; and the donkey kicked him right in the mouth with his hoof, and knocked out all his teeth. Tormented by pain, the wolf said: "Serves me right! My father raised me as a butcher - it doesn't suit me to become a doctor!"

So are people who take on an occupation unusual for them.

Donkey in a lion's skin

The donkey pulled on a lion's skin and began to walk around, frightening the unreasonable animals. Seeing the fox, he wanted to frighten her too; but she heard him roaring, and said to him: "Be sure, and I would be afraid of you, if your cry was not heard!"

So some ignoramuses attach importance to themselves with feigned arrogance, but give themselves away by their own conversations.

Donkey and frogs

A donkey loaded with firewood was crossing a swamp. He slipped, fell, could not get up and began to moan and scream.

The marsh frogs heard his groans and said: "My dear, you just fell down, and you are already crying so much; what would you do if you sat here as long as we do?"

This fable can be applied to a faint-hearted person who loses heart from the smallest troubles, while others calmly endure even more serious ones.

Donkey, raven and wolf

A donkey was grazing in the meadow, with wounds all over its back. The raven sat on his back and began to peck at them. The donkey roared and fought, and the driver stood at a distance and laughed. The wolf saw this as he passed by and said to himself: "We are unfortunate! They will see us and rush in pursuit, but no matter how hard they cling, the raven only laughs at him."

The fable shows that evil people visible from afar.

Donkey, fox and lion

The donkey and the fox decided to live in friendship and went hunting. They met a lion. The fox, seeing the impending danger, ran up to him and promised to betray the donkey if he did not touch her for this. Leo announced that he would let her go; and then the fox led the donkey to a trap and lured him there. The lion saw that the donkey could no longer run away, and first tore the fox to pieces, and then attacked the donkey.

So people who plot evil against their comrades often do not notice how they are ruining themselves.

Hen and swallow

The hen found the snake eggs, carefully hatched them, and they cracked. The swallow saw this and said to her: "Stupid! Why did you raise such cubs, who, a little older, will ruin you first!"

So no good deeds can tame a bad temper.

birder and lark

The birder put snares on the birds. The lark saw him and asked him what he was doing. The bird-catcher replied: "I'm building the city!" - and stepped aside. The lark believed, approached, pecked at the bait and unexpectedly fell into a snare. The bird-catcher ran up and grabbed him, and the lark said: “Well, my dear, if you build such cities, then you will have few inhabitants!”

The fable shows that people leave their home and homeland most often when bad rulers are in power.

birder and stork

The bird-catcher placed nets on the cranes and watched the fishing from a distance. Together with the cranes, the stork landed on the field, and the bird-catcher, running up, caught it along with them. The stork began to ask not to kill him: after all, he is not only not harmful to people, but even useful, because he catches and kills snakes and other reptiles. The bird-catcher replied: "If you were at least thrice useful, you were here among the villains, and therefore you still deserve punishment."

So we must avoid the company of bad people, so that we ourselves do not pass for their accomplices in bad deeds.

Camel

When people saw a camel for the first time, they were afraid of its growth and fled in horror. But time passed, they recognized his meek disposition, grew bolder and began to approach him; and a little later they realized that the camel was not at all capable of being angry, and they came to such contempt for him that they put a bridle on him and let the children drive him.

The fable shows that even fear is mitigated by habit.

snake and crab

The snake and the crab lived together. But the crab treated the snake ingenuously and friendly, and the snake was always malicious and insidious. The crab more than once asked her not to hide evil against him and to be with him the way he is with her; but she did not listen. The crab got angry, lay in wait for her during sleep, grabbed her by the throat and strangled her. And, looking at how she stretched out, he said: "Oh, my dear, not now, after death, would you be so direct, but when I asked you about it, but you still did not obey!"

This fable can be applied to people who during life treated friends badly, and after death boast of good deeds.

Snake, weasel and mice

In the same house, a snake and a weasel fought each other. And the mice of this house, which both the weasel and the snake exterminated, ran out to watch their battle. But, seeing this, the weasel and the snake stopped fighting and pounced on them.

So in states, those citizens who intervene in the feuds of demagogues, unwittingly, become their victims.

trampled snake

The snake, which people trampled one after another, began to complain to Zeus. But Zeus answered her: "If you had bitten the first one who stepped on you, then the second would not have dared."

The fable shows: who repulses the first offenders, the rest are afraid of him.

boy catching grasshoppers

Outside the city wall, the boy was catching grasshoppers. He had already caught a lot, when he suddenly saw a scorpion and, mistaking it for a grasshopper, he folded his hand to cover it. But the scorpion raised its sting and said: "Just try to do this! You will immediately lose those grasshoppers that you have caught."

This fable teaches that good and evil cannot be treated in the same way.

200. Thief boy and his mother

A boy at school stole a tablet from a friend and brought it to his mother. And she not only did not punish him, but even praised him. Then another time he stole the cloak and brought it to her, and she accepted it even more willingly. As time went on, the boy became a young man and took up bigger thefts. Finally, they once caught him red-handed and, twisting his elbows, led him to execution; and the mother followed and pounded her chest. And so he said that he wanted to whisper something in her ear; she came up, and he at once seized with his teeth and bit off a piece of her ear. His mother began to reproach him, the wicked one: all his crimes were not enough for him, so he would still mutilate his own mother! Her son interrupted: "If you had punished me when I first brought you the stolen tablet, I would not have sunk to such a fate and would not have led me to my death now."

The fable shows that if guilt is not punished at the very beginning, it becomes more and more.

201. A dove who was thirsty

The dove, exhausted by thirst, saw a picture depicting a bowl of water, and thought it was real. He rushed towards her with a loud noise, but suddenly stumbled upon the board and crashed: his wings were broken, and he fell to the ground, where he became the prey of the first comer.

So some people, in a fit of passion, take up the matter recklessly and ruin themselves.

202. Dove and crow

The pigeon, fattened in the dovecote, boasted of how many chicks she had. The crow, hearing her words, said: "Stop, my dear, boasting about this: the more chicks you have, the more bitterly you will mourn your slavery."

So among slaves, the most unfortunate of all are those who give birth to children in slavery.

203. Monkey and fishermen

The monkey, sitting on a tall tree, saw the fishermen throwing a net into the river, and began to follow their work. And when they pulled out the seine and sat down to have breakfast at a distance, she jumped off and wanted to do it herself, as they did: it’s not for nothing that they say that a monkey is an impulsive animal. But as soon as she took hold of the net, she became entangled in it; and then she said to herself: “It serves me right: why did I climb to fish, not knowing how to take it?”

The fable shows that undertaking an unusual task is not only useless, but even harmful.

204. Rich man and tanner

The rich man settled next to the tanner; but, unable to endure the stench, began to persuade him to move from here. And he kept putting it off, promising to move from day to day. And so it went, until the case ended with the fact that the rich man got used to the smell and stopped bothering the tanner.

The fable shows that habit and inconvenience softens.

205. Rich people and mourners

The rich man had two daughters. One of them died, and he hired mourners for her. The second daughter said to her mother: “Poor us! We are in grief, but we don’t even know how to cry, while these women, completely strangers, sob and beat their breasts.” The mother answered: "Do not be surprised, my child, that they are so overworked: they are paid money for this."

So some people out of greed do not disdain to cash in on someone else's grief.

206. Shepherd and dog

The shepherd had a huge dog, and he always gave her stillborn lambs and dead sheep to eat. Once, having driven the flock already, the shepherd saw a dog walking among the sheep and waggling them. "Hey, my dear!" he shouted, "you yourself should have what you wish them!"

207. The shepherd and the sea

The shepherd was tending his flock on the seashore. He saw how calm and quiet the sea was, and he wanted to set sail. He sold the sheep, bought dates, loaded them on the ship and set sail. But a terrible storm broke out, the ship capsized, all the goods perished, and he himself barely swam to the shore. And when silence came again, he saw that a man was standing on the shore and praising the calm sea. And the swimmer said to him: "Hey, my dear, does the sea want dates from you?"

So often for reasonable people, flour is a science.

208. Shepherd and sheep

The shepherd drove his sheep into a grove and saw a huge oak tree there, covered in acorns. He spread out his cloak, climbed up a tree and began to shake off the acorns. And the sheep began to eat up these acorns and imperceptibly ate the cloak with them. The shepherd came down, saw what had happened, and said: "You evil creatures! You give wool for cloaks to other people, but do you take away my old cloak from me, who feeds you?"

So many people foolishly serve strangers, and offend their neighbors.

209. Shepherd and wolf cubs

The shepherd found wolf cubs and fed them with great diligence: he hoped that when they grow up, they will not only protect his sheep, but even get strangers to him. But as soon as the cubs grew up, they attacked his own herd at the first opportunity. With a groan, the shepherd said: "It serves me right: why did I save with little kids those who should have been killed even by adults?"

Thus, to save bad people means to strengthen their forces against themselves first.

210. Joker shepherd

The shepherd drove his flock away from the village and often had fun in this way. He shouted as if the wolves attacked the sheep, and called the villagers for help. Two or three times the peasants got frightened and ran, and then returned home ridiculed. Finally, the wolf actually appeared: he began to destroy the sheep, the shepherd began to call for help, but people thought that these were his usual jokes and did not pay attention to him. So the shepherd lost his whole flock.

The fable shows that this is what liars achieve - they are not believed, even when they tell the truth.

211. Bathing boy

The boy once, swimming in the river, began to drown; he noticed a passerby and called him for help. He began to scold the boy for climbing into the water without thinking; but the boy answered him: "First you help me, and then, when you pull me out, then scold me."

The fable is directed against those who give themselves a reason to scold.

212. Sheared sheep

The sheep, which was clumsily sheared, said to the shearer: "If you need wool, hold the scissors higher; and if meat, then cut me right away, rather than torment me like this, injection after injection."

The fable refers to those who get down to business without skill.

213. Pomegranate tree, apple tree and blackthorn

The pomegranate tree and the apple tree were arguing over who had the best fruit. They argued more and more hotly, until a thorn bush from the near hedge heard them and announced: "Let's stop, friends: why should we quarrel!"

So, when the best citizens are in discord, even the insignificant people gain importance.

214. Mole

Mole, a blind creature, once said to his mother: "I have received my sight!" She decided to check and gave him a grain of incense, asking what it was? The mole replied that it was a stone. And she told him: "My child, not only did you not get your sight, but you also lost your scent!"

So some braggarts promise the impossible, while they themselves turn out to be powerless even in small things.

215. Wasps, partridges and a peasant

Once, wasps and partridges, languishing with thirst, came to the peasant and asked him to drink water; for this, the partridges promised him to dig up the vineyard and look after the vines, and the wasps - to fly around and ward off thieves with a sting. The peasant replied: "But I have two oxen, they do not promise me anything, but they do everything: it's better for me to give them a drink."

The fable refers to an ungrateful person.

216. Wasp and snake

The wasp sat on the head of the snake and stung her all the time, not giving her rest. The snake went mad with pain, but could not take revenge on the enemy. Then she crawled out onto the road and, seeing the cart, put her head under the wheel. Dying along with the wasp, she said: "I am losing my life, but at the same time with the enemy."

A fable against those who are ready to destroy themselves, if only to destroy the enemy.

217. Bull and wild goats

The bull, fleeing the overtaking lion, ran into a cave where wild goats lived. The goats began to kick and butt him, but he only said to this: "I endure this because I am afraid, but not of you, but of the one who stands in front of the cave."

Thus, out of fear of the strongest, many endure insults from the weakest.

218. Monkey children

Monkeys, they say, give birth to two cubs, and one of them is loved and carefully nursed, and the other is hated and does not care for him. But some divine fate arranges it so that the cub that is cared for dies, and the one that is not cared for remains alive.

The fable shows that any care is stronger than fate.

219. Peacock and Jackdaw

The birds held a council on who to choose as king, and the peacock insisted that he be chosen because he is beautiful. The birds were ready to agree, but then the jackdaw said: "And if you are the king and the eagle attacks us, then how will you save us?"

The fact that not beauty, but strength should adorn the rulers.

220. Camel, elephant and monkey

The animals held a council on whom to elect as king, and the elephant and camel came out and argued with each other, thinking that they were superior to everyone both in size and strength. However, the monkey said that both of them are not suitable: the camel - because he does not know how to be angry with offenders, and the elephant - because with him a piglet, which the elephant is afraid of, can attack them.

The fable shows that often a small hindrance stops a big thing.

221. Zeus and the snake

Zeus celebrated the wedding, and all the animals brought him gifts, whoever could. The snake also crawled, holding a rose in its teeth. Zeus saw her and said: "I will accept gifts from everyone else, but I will not accept from your teeth."

The fable shows that the courtesies of bad people are dangerous.

222. Pig and dog

The pig and the dog fought. The pig swore to Aphrodite that if the dog did not shut up, she would knock out all her teeth. The dog objected that the pig was wrong here too: after all, Aphrodite hates the pig, so much so that she does not allow those who have tasted pork meat to enter her temples. The pig replied: "Not out of hatred, but out of love for me, she does this so that people do not kill me."

Thus, skillful rhetoricians can often turn even an insult heard from opponents into praise.

223. Pig and dog

The pig and the dog were arguing over who had better children. The dog said that she gave birth faster than all the animals in the world. But the pig answered: "If so, then do not forget that you give birth to cubs blind."

The fable shows that the main thing is not to do it quickly, but to do it to the end.

224. Boar and fox

The boar stood under a tree and sharpened its fangs. The fox asked why this was: there were no hunters in sight, no other trouble, but he sharpened his fangs. The boar answered: "It is not in vain that I sharpen: when trouble comes, I will not have to waste time on this, and they will be ready for me."

The fable teaches that dangers must be prepared ahead of time.

225. Miser

One miser turned all his property into money, bought a bar of gold, buried it under the wall, and every day came there to look at it. People were working nearby; one of them noticed his visits, guessed what was the matter, and, when the miser was away, stole the gold. The owner returned, saw an empty place and began to sob and tear his hair. Someone saw his despair, found out what was the matter, and said to him: "Do not grieve: take a stone, put it in the same place and dream that it is gold. After all, when gold lay here, you did not use it."

The fable shows that possession without use is useless.

226. Turtle and hare

The tortoise and the hare were arguing which of them was faster. They appointed a time and place for the competition and dispersed. But the hare, relying on its natural agility, did not try to run, but lay down near the road and fell asleep. And the turtle understood that it was moving slowly, and therefore ran without a break. So she overtook the sleeping hare and received a victorious award.

The fable shows that often labor takes precedence over natural abilities when they are neglected.

227. Swallow and snake

The swallow built her nest under the roof of the court. Once, when she flew away, she crawled into the nest of a snake and ate her chicks. The swallow returned, saw an empty nest and began to cry bitterly. Other swallows tried to console her, because she was not the only one who had a chance to lose cubs. But she replied: "I'm not crying so much for the children, but for the fact that I became a victim of violence in a place where other victims of violence find help."

The fable shows that then it is most difficult for people to be offended when they come from the one from whom you least expect them.

228. Geese and cranes

Geese and cranes graze in the same meadow. Suddenly the hunters appeared; light cranes flew into the air, and geese were overweight, hesitated and were captured.

So it is with people: during state troubles, the poor, easy-going, easily escape from one city to another, and the rich from excess property remain and often fall into slavery.

229. Swallow and crow

The swallow and the crow were arguing over who was prettier. And the crow said to the swallow: "Your beauty blooms only in the spring, but my body can withstand the winter."

The fable shows that longevity is better than beauty.

230. Turtle and eagle

The turtle saw an eagle in the sky, and she wanted to fly herself. She approached him and asked for any fee to teach her. The eagle said that it was impossible, but she kept insisting and begging. Then the eagle lifted her into the air, carried her to the heights and threw her from there onto a rock. The tortoise collapsed, crashed and expired.

The fact that many people, in the thirst for rivalry, do not listen to reasonable advice and destroy themselves.

231. Flea and athlete

A flea once jumped on the leg of a heated athlete and bit him as she ran. He got angry and already folded his nails to crush her, and she again jumped as it was natural for her to jump, and eluded death. The athlete groaned and said: "O Hercules! If you do not help me against a flea, then how can you help me against rivals?"

The fable shows that the gods should not be invoked for the sake of trifling and harmless trifles, but only when there is an important need.

232. Fox at Meander

One day the foxes gathered on the banks of the Meander to get drunk; but the river rushed with such a noise that no matter how they encouraged each other, no one dared to go down to the water. But then one of them wanted to humiliate the others: she stepped forward, began to mock their cowardice, and herself, proud of her courage, boldly threw herself into the water. The current carried her to the middle of the river, and the rest of the foxes, standing on the shore, shouted to her: "Do not leave us, come back, show me how to get down to the water more correctly?" The fox, carried away by the current, answered: "I have news in Miletus, and I want to carry it there; when I return, I will show it!"

Against those who put themselves in danger with their boasting.

233. Swan

It is said that swans sing before they die. And then one man saw how a swan was being sold in the bazaar, and bought it, because he had heard a lot of his singing. One day, when he was about to treat his guests, he asked the swan to sing at the feast; but he refused. However, soon after, sensing his imminent death, he began to mourn himself with a song; and, hearing this, the owner said: "If you sing only before death, then I, the fool, should not have asked you for a song, but slaughtered you."

So some people, not wanting to do something of their own free will, have to do it under duress.

234. Wolf and shepherd

The wolf followed the herd of sheep, but did not touch anyone. The shepherd at first suspected an enemy in him and waited cautiously; but, seeing that the wolf was following all the time, and not attacking anyone, the shepherd decided that he had found in the wolf not an enemy, but a watchman. And when the need came to him to leave for the city, he left his sheep to the wolf and left. The wolf realized that his hour had come, and finished off almost the entire herd. The shepherd returned, saw that his sheep had died, and said: "It is right for me: how could I entrust the sheep to the wolf?"

So people who trust their kindness to the greedy, rightfully lose it.

235. Ant and dove

The ant wanted to drink; he went down to the spring to drink, but fell into the water. A dove tore off a leaf from a nearby tree and threw it to him; The ant climbed onto the leaf and escaped. At this time, a hunter stopped nearby, prepared his rods and was about to catch a dove; but then the ant bit the bird-catcher on the leg, the rods trembled, and the dove managed to fly away.

The fable shows that on occasion and from the powerless there is help.

236. Travelers and Raven

People were going about their business, and they came across a raven, blind in one eye. They began to follow him, and one even offered to return: this, they say, requires a sign. But another objected: "How can a raven foretell the future to us, if he could not foresee his own injury and was not careful?"

So people who are helpless in their own affairs are not suitable for advisers to those close to them.

237. Buying a donkey

One man, buying a donkey, took him for a test - he brought him to his donkeys and put him near the feeder. And the donkey immediately stood next to the most lazy and gluttonous, from which there was no sense, and did not even look at other donkeys. The buyer took the donkey by the leash and took it back to the owner. he asked how the test ended; the buyer answered: "Now I don't need any tests: as I see it, he is the same as the one whom he chose from all one as his comrade."

The fable shows that a person is judged by his friends.

238. Domestic pigeons and wild pigeons

The bird-catcher spread his nets and tied domestic pigeons to them, and he himself stood at a distance and began to wait. Wild pigeons flew up to the domestic ones and got tangled in the nets, and the birder ran up and began to catch them. The wild ones began to reproach the household for not warning their fellow tribesmen about the trap; but they answered: "No, it is more important for us not to quarrel with the owner than to take care of our fellow tribesmen."

So servants are not to be reproached for, out of fidelity to their masters, they depart from the love of their kindred.

239. Keeper of Money and Oath

One person received money from a friend for safekeeping and decided to appropriate it. A friend called him to an oath; then he became worried and went to his village. At the very city gates, he saw a lame man walking out of the city, and asked him who he was and where he was going. The lame man answered that his name was Oath and he was going in pursuit of perjurers. Then the man asked how long it would take for the lame man to return to the city. He answered: "In forty years, or even in thirty." And then the man, not worrying about the future, went and swore an oath that he did not take any money for safekeeping. But then the Oath pounced on him and chased to throw him off the cliff. He began to complain that the Oath promised to return in thirty years, but she herself did not even give him a day. The Oath answered: "Know that if someone is cruelly guilty against me, then not a day passes before I return."

The fable shows that the terms of God's punishment sent to the villains for their wickedness are not written.

240. Prometheus and people

Premetheus, at the behest of Zeus, molded people and animals from clay. But Zeus saw that there were much more unreasonable animals, and ordered him to destroy some of the animals and mold them into people. He obeyed; but it turned out that people, converted from animals, received a human appearance, but retained an animal-like soul.

The fable is directed against a rude and stupid person.

241. Cicada and fox

The cicada sang on a tall tree. The fox wanted to eat it, and the fox went to such a trick. Standing in front of a tree, she began to admire the marvelous voice and beg the cicada to come down: she wants to see what kind of creature sings so beautifully. The cicada guessed that the fox was cunning, tore off a leaf from the tree and threw it away. The fox rushed at him, as at a real cicada; and she said: "You were mistaken, my dear, if you dreamed that I would get off: I have been wary of foxes ever since I noticed the wings of cicadas in fox dung."

That reasonable people learn from the misfortunes of their neighbors.

242. Hyena and fox

They say that hyenas change their sex every year and become either male or female. And then one day the hyena, having met the fox, began to reproach her: she, the hyena, wants to become her friend, and the fox rejects her. But she answered: “Not me, but your breed - because of her, I can’t even know whether you will be my girlfriend or friend.

Against a two-faced person.

243. Hyenas

They say that hyenas change their sex every year and become either male or female. And then one day a male hyena climbed to the female in an improper way. But she replied: "Do what you want, my dear, but soon I will do with you what I want."

So an elected official can be told by his successor if he offends him.

244. Parrot and weasel

A man bought a parrot and let him live in his house. The parrot, accustomed to domestic life, flew up to the hearth, perched there and began to squeal with its sonorous voice. Weasel saw him and asked who he was and where he came from. The parrot answered: "The owner has just bought me." The weasel said: "Insolent creature! You have just been bought, and you are screaming so much! And even though I was born in this house, the owners do not even allow me to utter a word, and as soon as I raise my voice, they begin to get angry and drive me away." The parrot answered this: "Go to yourself, hostess: after all, my voice is not at all so disgusting to the owners as yours."

The fable refers to a quarrelsome person who always lashes out at others with accusations.

246. Diogenes and the bald man

The cynical philosopher Diogenes was scolded by a bald man. Diogenes said: “But I won’t scold you, not at all: I’ll even praise your hair that it crawled out of your bad head.”

247. Camel

His master ordered the camel to start dancing. The camel said: "Yes, it hurts, I'm clumsy even when I walk, not like when I dance!"

The fable refers to a person who is not suitable for any business.

248. Hazel

A hazel tree grew near the road, and passers-by knocked nuts off it with stones. With a groan, the hazel-tree said: "Unfortunate me! every year, I myself grow both pain and reproach."

A fable about those who suffer for their own good.

249. Lioness and fox

The fox reproached the lioness for giving birth to only one cub. The lioness answered: "One, but a lion!"

The fable shows that it is not quantity that is valuable, but dignity.

250. Wolf and lamb

The wolf was chasing the lamb. he ran to the temple. The wolf began to call him back: after all, if the priest catches him, he will sacrifice him to the god. The lamb answered: "It is better for me to become a victim of God than to perish from you."

The fable shows that if it is necessary to die, it is better to die with honor.

251. Donkey and mule

A donkey and a mule walked along the road together. The donkey saw that they both had the same load, and began to complain indignantly that the mule carried no more than he did, and received twice the feed. They walked a little, and the drover noticed that the donkey was already unbearable; then he removed part of the load from him and transferred it to the mule. They went on a little more, and he noticed that the donkey was even more exhausted; again he began to reduce the burden on the donkey, until at last he took everything off him and put it on the mule. And then the mule turned to the donkey and said: "Well, how do you think, my dear, honestly, I earn my double feed?"

So we must judge the deeds of each, not by their beginning, but by their end.

252. Birdman and Partridge

A guest came to the bird-catcher at a late hour. There was nothing to treat him with, and the owner rushed to his tame partridge to slaughter it. The partridge began to reproach him with ingratitude: after all, she helped him a lot when she lured and gave him other partridges, and he wants to kill her! The bird-catcher answered: "The more willingly I will slaughter you, if you did not spare your relatives either!"

The fable shows: who betrays his fellow tribesmen, he is hated not only by those whom he betrays, but also by those to whom he betrays them.

253. Two sums

Prometheus, fashioning people, hung two sums on their shoulders: one with other people's vices, the other with his own. He hung a bag with his own vices behind his back, and with strangers - in front. And so it happened that other people's vices are immediately evident to people, but they do not notice their own.

This fable can be applied to a curious person who knows nothing about his own affairs, but cares about strangers.

254. Worm and snake

A fig tree grew by the road. The worm saw a sleeping snake and envied that it was so big. He wanted to become the same himself, lay down next to him and began to stretch, until he suddenly burst from the effort.

So it is with those who want to measure themselves against the strongest; they will burst before they can reach their rivals.

255. Boar, horse and hunter

The boar and the horse grazed on the same pasture. Each time the boar spoiled the grass for the horse and muddied the water; and the horse, in order to take revenge, turned to the hunter for help. The hunter said that he could help him only if the horse put on a bridle and take him as a rider on his back. The horse agreed to everything. And, jumping on him, the hunter won the boar, and drove the horse to himself and tied it to the trough.

So many, in unreasonable anger, wanting to take revenge on their enemies, themselves fall under someone else's power.

256. Dog and cook

The dog went into the kitchen and, while the cook was not up to her, stole the heart and rushed to run. The cook turned around, saw her and shouted: “Look, my dear, now you won’t leave! You didn’t steal my heart, but you will give me yours!”

The fable shows that often the mistakes of people are their science.

257. Hares and foxes

The hares had a war with the eagles and asked the foxes for help. But they answered: "We would have helped you if we did not know who you are and who your enemies are."

The fable shows: those who start enmity with the strongest do not protect themselves.

258. Mosquito and lion

The mosquito flew up to the lion and shouted: “I’m not afraid of you: you are not stronger than me! Think about what your strength is? Is it that you scratch with your claws and bite with your teeth? That’s what any woman does when she fights with her husband. No "I'm much stronger than you! If you want, let's meet in battle!" A mosquito blew, pounced on the lion and dug into his muzzle near the nostrils, where hair does not grow. And the lion began to tear his muzzle with his own claws, until he went out with rage. The mosquito defeated the lion and took off, trumpeting and singing a victory song. But then he suddenly got caught in the web of a spider and died, bitterly complaining that he fought with an enemy stronger than whom there is no one, but he is dying from an insignificant creature - a spider.

The fable is directed against the one who defeated the great, and is defeated by the insignificant.

259. Lumberjacks and oak

The lumberjacks cut down the oak; making wedges out of it, they split the trunk with them. The oak said: "I do not curse the ax that cuts me like these wedges, which are born from me!"

The fact that resentment from close people is harder than from strangers.

260. Pine and thorn

The pine tree said arrogantly to the thorn bush: "You are of no use, but they build houses and roofs of temples out of me." The blackthorn answered: "And you, unhappy, remember how axes and saws torment you, and you yourself will want to become a blackthorn from a pine tree."

Better secure poverty than wealth with sorrows and anxieties.

261. Man and lion companions

The lion and the man walked together along the road. The man proclaimed: "Man is stronger than the lion!" The lion answered: "The lion is stronger!" They went further, and the man pointed to stone slabs with carved figures, on which lions were depicted, tamed and trampled by people. "Here," he said, "see what it's like for lions!" But the lion answered: "If the lions knew how to cut on the stone, you would have seen a lot on the stone and people trampled by lions!"

The fact that other people brag about what they really don’t know how to do.

262. Dog and snail

One dog had a habit of swallowing eggs. one day she saw a snail, mistook it for an egg, opened her mouth and swallowed it with a strong gulp. But, feeling a heaviness in her stomach, she said: "It serves me right: I shouldn't have thought that everything that is round is an egg."

The fable teaches us that people who take up a task without thinking, unwittingly put themselves in an absurd position.

263. Two roosters and an eagle

Two roosters fought over hens, and one beat the other. The beaten one trudged away and hid in a dark place, and the victor flew into the air, sat on a high wall and screamed with a loud cry. when suddenly an eagle swooped down and seized him; and the one who hid in the dark calmly from that time began to own all the chickens.

264. Dog, fox and rooster

The dog and the rooster decided to live in friendship and set off on the road together. By nightfall they came to the grove. The rooster flew up the tree and settled in the branches, and the dog fell asleep below in a hollow. The night passed, the dawn broke, and the rooster crowed loudly, according to its custom. The fox heard this and wanted to devour him; she came up, stood under a tree and shouted to him: "You are a glorious bird and useful to people! Come down, please, and sing a night song together - it will be pleasant for both of us!" But the rooster answered her: "Come, dear, come closer and call the watchman there at the roots to knock on the tree." The fox came up to call the watchman, and the dog jumped out at her; she seized the fox and tore it to pieces.

The fable shows that intelligent people, when something threatens them, can easily repay their enemies.

265. Lark

The lark fell into a trap and said, weeping: "Poor me and unfortunate bird! I did not steal gold, nor silver, nor anything else of value - because of a small grain of bread I die."

A fable is against those who, for the sake of a small profit, are exposed to great danger.

266. Warrior and crows

one coward went to war. Crows croaked over him, he dropped his weapon and hid. Then he picked up his weapon and went on. Again they croaked, again he stopped, but finally said: "Shout as much as you like: you won't feast on me!"

267. Lion, Prometheus and Elephant

The lion complained to Prometheus more than once: Prometheus created him both big and beautiful, he has sharp teeth in his mouth, strong claws on his paws, he is stronger than all animals. "And yet," said the lion, "I'm afraid of the rooster!" Prometheus answered him: "You shouldn't blame me! Everything that I could do, you got from me; it's just that your soul is too weak!" The lion began to cry about his fate and complain about his cowardice and finally decided to end his life. He walked with this thought and met an elephant, said hello and stopped to talk. He saw that the elephant was moving its ears all the time, and asked: "What is the matter with you, why do you have such restless ears?" And around the elephant at that time a mosquito fluttered. "Do you see," said the elephant, "this one, which is small and buzzing? So, if he gets into my ear, then I'm dead." Then the lion said: "Why should I die? After all, I should be as happier than an elephant as a rooster is stronger than a mosquito!"

You see how powerful the mosquito is: even the elephant is afraid of it.

268. Trees and olive

One day the trees decided to anoint a king over them. They said to the olive: "Reign over us!" The olive tree answered them: "Will I give up my oil, which both God and people so value in me, in order to reign over the trees?" The trees said to the fig tree: "Go reign over us!" The fig tree answered them: "Will I give up my sweetness and my good fruits to reign over the trees?" The trees said to the thorn bush: "Go, reign over us!" The thorn bush answered the trees: "If you really anoint me as king over you, then come, rest under my shade; if not, then fire will come out of the thorn bush and devour the cedars of Lebanon."

269. Wolf and dog

The wolf saw a huge dog in a collar on a chain and asked: "Who chained you and fed you like that?" The dog answered: "Hunter." - "No, such a fate is not for the wolf! And hunger is dearer to me than a heavy collar."

Unfortunately, the food is not tasty.

270. Donkey and dog

The donkey and the dog walked together along the road. They found a sealed letter on the ground; the donkey picked it up, broke the seal, opened it and began to read so that the dog could hear, and the letter spoke about livestock feed: about hay, about barley, about straw. It was disgusting for the dog to listen to the donkey read about it, and she said to the donkey: "Skip, my friend, a little bit: maybe there is something about meat and bones?" The donkey looked through the whole letter, but did not find anything that the dog asked about. Then the dog said: "Come on, my friend, this letter is again on the ground: there is nothing worthwhile in it."

271. Wall and wedge

They hammered a wedge into the wall with strong blows, and the wall, parting, shouted: "Why are you torturing me, because I have done nothing wrong to you!" And the wedge answered: "It's not my fault, but the one who hits me like that from behind."

272. Winter and spring

Winter mocked spring and reproached her: as soon as she appears, no one knows peace, some go to meadows and groves, where they like to pick flowers, admire lilies and roses and weave them into their curls; others board ships and sail across the sea to see who lives there; and no one thinks of the winds or the showers any more. “And I,” said winter, “I rule as an autocratic king and leader: I make people look not at the sky, but at their feet, at the ground, I make them tremble and tremble, and they try not to leave their houses for whole days.” “That’s why people are always happy to say goodbye to you,” answered spring, “and even my name seems beautiful to them, I swear by Zeus, more beautiful than even all names. And when I’m not there, they remember me, and when I come, they are glad to see me.” ".

274. Puppy and frogs

The puppy ran after one passerby; he was tired from the long journey and from the summer heat, and in the evening lay down to sleep on the dewy grass near the pond. He fell asleep, and the frogs in the neighborhood raised a loud cry, as they usually do. The puppy woke up, got angry and decided to go closer to the water and bark at the frogs so that they would stop croaking and he could sleep peacefully. But no matter how much he barked at them, nothing helped; he got angry and, walking away, said: "I would be more stupid than you if I thought of teaching you, noisy and insufferable, intelligence and politeness."

The fable is that arrogant people, no matter how hard they try, cannot even reason with their loved ones.

275. Ethiopian

One person bought an Ethiopian. He thought that the color of his skin had become so from the negligence of the former owner, and therefore, as soon as he brought him home, he began to wash him with all waters and all lyes. But the skin, as it was, remained so, and from his efforts the Ethiopian only got sick.

The fable shows that what a person is by nature, so he will remain.

276. Shepherd and wolf

The shepherd found a newborn wolf cub, took him and fed him along with the dogs. The wolf cub grew up; but when the wolf happened to carry a sheep out of the herd, he chased the wolf along with the dogs, and when the dogs, not catching up with the wolf, turned, he ran on, snatched the sheep and shared his prey with the wolf, and then returned. If the wolves did not attack the herd from anywhere, he killed the sheep himself and devoured them along with the dogs. Finally, the shepherd found out what was the matter, understood everything and executed the wolf by hanging him on a tree.

277. Swan

One rich man fed a goose and a swan, but for different purposes: the goose - for the table, the swan - for the sake of singing. And when the time came for the goose to accept the fate for which it was raised, it was night, and it was impossible to recognize who was who: and instead of the goose they grabbed a swan. But the swan sang, sensing death, and this singing revealed his nature and saved him from death.

The fable shows that often the gifts of the Muses help to avoid death.

278. Drunk wife and husband

One woman's husband was a drunkard. To discourage him from this addiction, she came up with such a trick. She waited for her husband to get drunk and fall asleep, and when he became insensible, like a dead man, she put him on her shoulders, took him to the cemetery, put him there and left. And when, according to her calculation, he should have sobered up, she went to the cemetery gate and knocked. The husband shouted: "Who's knocking at the gate?" - "It's me," she answered, "I bring food to the dead!" And he: "Do not eat, but bring me a drink, my dear! For me, it's torment to hear you talk about food, and not about wine!" Here she hit herself with her hands on the chest: "Unfortunate me! My cunning is of no use to me! It is evident that you, hubby, have not only not come to your senses, but have become even worse than you were: habit has become nature."

The fable shows that one should not get used to the bad: otherwise the time will come, and the habit will possess a person against his will.

Aesop is an ancient Greek fabulist who created about 426 fables. In the 5th century BC. Herodotus mentions Aesop in his works and writes that this fabulist was a slave, but managed to become a free man.

Aesop's fables are short and concise, and the moral of his works is simple, but this does not lose its main value. The heroes of his fables are various animals, and the instructive lesson is not presented directly, but through allegories.

Aesop is the creator of such a literary form as a fable, and the traditions he created are still valid. In his many fables, Aesop shows how smart and wise he is.

After all, all his works carry instructive lessons that people still need. Those problems and vices that Aesop reveals are eternal for humanity, and will always remain relevant.

Features of Aesop's fable

In his fables, this legendary man created a whole world, the symbols of which are birds, animals, insects and objects. With the help of his wisdom, Aesop created stories that allow people to look at themselves and their behavior from the outside, because this is the only way to see their shortcomings.

Most often, a fable is a depiction of a short scene from life, in which the true and false values ​​of human life are revealed.

Famous are the fables of Aesop about the sons who dug up the vineyard when they were looking for the treasure left by their father: about the pig that destroyed the roots of the tree whose fruits were its food; about the fox, who never managed to get the coveted grapes and decided that they were still green.

Fables always have an instructive ending that fully reveals the mistake made by the hero before. Aesop teaches us to look at life more meaningfully and not to forget to analyze our own behavior - after all, often we ourselves can be the culprits of our failures.

The influence of Aesop's fables on other fabulists

Many fabulists, including the Russian writer Krylov, borrowed the plots of fables from the famous Aesop. Thus, the wisdom and truths of Aesop still influence the spiritual development of many generations of the most various peoples. After all, such a genre as a fable is the best means for conveying literary allegory.

And allegorical speech in literature began to be called "Aesopian language", thanks to the wisdom and capacity of his fables. The plots created by Aesop contain the basic moral and spiritual values ​​for a person, and the simple, concise form of the fable helps children instantly understand the true state of things.

The outstanding Russian writer Tolstoy was engaged in the translation of Aesop's fables in order to provide peasant children with expressive, short stories about the true virtues of man in life. Therefore, it is believed that the wise works of Aesop should be studied by schoolchildren in the first place.

Aesop is a fabulist of ancient times. He lived in Greece, around the seventh century BC. He was a slave, but his stories were so good that the master gave him freedom. Even the kings, according to legend, invited him to the court to listen to the famous fables.

Fables are mostly about animals. But they, while retaining their own character (the Fox is cunning, the Goat is stupid, etc.), are endowed with human features and human mind. Often they find themselves in difficult situations and sometimes find an original way out of them. Many of Aesop's phrases have become proverbs in different languages. His fables contain, as it were, an edification, a certain set of laws of human behavior in different circumstances.

The stories told by Aesop in antiquity have spread all over the world, they are known and loved by people of all countries.

Hare and Turtle

The Hare kept teasing the Turtle that she walked so slowly. Here is the Turtle and says:

Let's run away."

The hare, of course, agreed.

Here the Hare started and immediately left the Turtle far behind. But soon he got tired, began to stop, to feast on juicy leaves along the way. And the midday sun was hot from the sky, and the Hare became hot. He looked around, saw that the Turtle was trudging somewhere far, far away, lay down in the shade and decided to take a nap. Turtle, he thinks, I will always have time to overtake. And the Turtle walked on, walked, sees: the Hare lies and sleeps, passed by, and then forward.

The Hare woke up and sees: and the Turtle has overtaken him. He allowed as much as he could, ran, ran, but did not have time. So the Turtle was the first to reach the goal.

No need to brag and rely too much on your own strength!

The tortoise overtook the Hare.

Fox and grapes

The hungry Fox somehow saw: bunches of grapes hanging on the vines. And she began to jump to get the grapes.

He jumps and jumps, but he can't get the grapes.

Lisa got bored. She walks away and says to herself:

I thought - he is ripe, but he is completely green.

An envious person blasphemes what he cannot reach.

Can't get grapes.

Wolf in sheep's clothing

The Wolf decided to sneak unnoticed into the sheep herd, so that it would be more convenient for him to kill and devour the sheep. So he found a sheepskin, took it, put it on himself and imperceptibly attached himself to the sheep.

And the owner locked his sheep in the sheepfold, and then he sees that he has nothing to eat. He returned to the sheepfold, grabbed the first sheep and slaughtered it. And this is just the Wolf and turned out to be.

Do not dig a hole for another, you will fall into it yourself.

He wrapped himself in sheepskin.

The boy who yelled "Wolf!"

A shepherd boy was tending his sheep near the village. Once he decided to joke and shouted:

Wolf! Wolf!

People heard, they were afraid that the wolf would kill the sheep, and they ran. And the Boy is glad that he led everyone so cleverly, and let's laugh out loud. He liked it. And he joked like that, then another, another, and every time people came running and saw that there was no wolf.

And finally, the wolf really ran to the herd. The boy began to scream:

Wolf! Wolf!

He screamed for a long time, screaming at the top of his voice. Yes, people are used to the fact that he always deceives them, and did not believe him. And the wolf calmly ate all the sheep, one by one.

Do not lie, or they will not believe you, even when you tell the truth.

He shouted: “Wolf! Wolf!"

Grasshopper and Ants

Once, on a clear winter day, the Ants were drying grain, it got wet under the long autumn rains.

Here the Grasshopper comes to them and says:

Give me some grains. I, - he says, - just die of hunger.

The ants took a break from their work for a moment, although this is generally not accepted among them.

Can I ask you, - they say, - what did you do in the summer? Why didn't you stock up for the winter?

Ah, - Grasshopper answers. I didn't have much time in the summer. I was busy, I was singing.

Well, since you sang everything in the summer, - the Ants answer, - then now take up the winter dances.

They laughed and went back to work.

Business time - fun hour.

The ants stopped working for a minute.

Lion and Fox

When the Fox first saw the Lion, she was so frightened that she almost died of fear.

The second time, she was also frightened, but already managed to hide her fear.

And for the third time, she became completely bolder and spoke to Leo as if they were old friends.

I don't care about anything.

Nearly died of fear.

Two Pots

Once, two Pots, one copper, the other earthenware, carried in one wave. Here is the Copper Pot and says:

Stay close to me, I'll protect you.

I humbly thank you, - answers the Clay Pot. - When you are far away, I swim calmly for myself, and if we are near, but we will be pushed together in one wave, then I will not be healthy.

With the strong it is better to be alert.

"I will protect you!"

Fox and Crane

The Fox invited the Crane to visit her and put out a treat - a bowl of soup. She eats and licks her lips, and the Crane hammers, hammers the plate with a long beak - but he tried in vain.

Lisa had a lot of fun. However, the Crane did not remain in debt. He also invited the Fox and put out a treat: a jug with a narrow long neck, and in it a delicious compote. The long beak itself launches there, eats and licks its lips, and the Fox only looks and envy. So I went home hungry.

How you behave towards others is how others will behave towards you.

The crane tried in vain.

Leopard and three bulls

The leopard was stalking three Bulls. He wanted to grab them and eat them. He would have defeated one Bull very easily, but these three Bulls did not want to part. Where one goes, the other two follow. What will you do here? And the Leopard began to spread evil gossip and vile rumors about the Bulls, he tried very hard, and finally he managed to quarrel the Bulls.

As soon as the Leopard saw that the Bulls had quarreled and were now walking apart, he immediately grabbed everyone and easily defeated them.

It is better for friends to stick together - their strife only plays into the hands of enemies.

The leopard was tracking the Bulls.

Wolf and Lamb

Once the Wolf was drinking water from a stream and suddenly he sees: not far from him, down the stream, stands the Lamb. And the Wolf wanted to eat it. But first, something had to be done.

How dare you stir up trouble for me? - asks the Wolf.

How can I stir it up for you if it flows from you to me, and not vice versa? - The lamb answers.