A Monkey once danced in an assembly of the Beasts, and so pleased them all by his performance that they elected him their King. A Fox, envying him the honor, discovered a piece of meat lying in a trap, and leading the Monkey to the place where it was, said that she had found a store, but had not used it, she had kept it for him as treasure trove of his kingdom, and counseled him to lay hold of it. The Monkey approached carelessly and was caught in the trap; and on his accusing the Fox of purposely leading him into the snare, she replied, “Oh Monkey, and are you, with such a mind as yours, going to be King over the Beasts?”

A bat fell upon the ground and was caught by a Weasel. The bat pleaded with the weasel to spare him his life. The Weasel refused, saying, “I am by nature the enemy of all birds.” The Bat assured him that he was not a bird, but a mouse, and thus was set free.

Shortly afterwards the Bat again fell to the ground and was caught by another Weasel. The bat begged this weasel not to eat him. The Weasel said “I have a special hostility to mice.” The Bat assured him that he was not a mouse, but a bat, and thus escaped the second time.

Moral: It is wise to turn the circumstances to your advantage.

The ants were spending a fine winter’s day drying grain collected in the summertime.

A grasshopper, quite hungry, passed by and begged for a little food.

The ants asked him, “Why didn’t you gather up food during the summer?” He replied, “I as too busy having fun to work. I passed the days singing.”

They then said in mockery: “If you were foolish enough to sing all the summer, you must dance without supper to bed in the winter.”

Moral: One can not get through life without a little work.

A delivery man was driving a wagon along a country lane, when the wheels sank down deep into a rut.

The old driver, dazed and confused, stood looking at the wagon. He did nothing but utter loud cries to Hercules to come and help him.

Hercules, it is said, appeared and thus addressed him: “Put your shoulders to the wheels, my man. Try with all your might to move the wagon back onto the road. Never pray to me for help, until you have done your best to help yourself, or depend upon it you will henceforth pray in vain.”

Moral: Self-help is the best help.

In a field one summer’s day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart’s content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.

“Why not come and chat with me,” said the Grasshopper, “instead of toiling and moiling in that way?”

“I am helping to lay up food for the winter,” said the Ant, “and recommend you to do the same.”

“Why bother about winter?” said the Grasshopper; we have got plenty of food at present.” But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil.

When the winter came the Grasshopper found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing, every day, corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer.

Then the Grasshopper knew…

It is best to prepare for the days of necessity.

The hare was once boasting of his speed before the other animals. “I have never yet been beaten,” said he, “when I put forth my full speed. I challenge anyone here to race with me.”

The tortoise said quietly, “I accept your challenge.”

“That is a good joke,” said the hare. “I could dance around you all the way.”

“Keep your boasting until you’ve beaten,” answered the tortoise. “Shall we race?”

So a course was fixed and a start was made. The hare darted almost out of sight at once, but soon stopped and, to show his contempt for the tortoise, lay down to have a nap. The tortoise plodded on and plodded on, and when the hare awoke from his nap, he saw the tortoise nearing the finish line, and he could not catch up in time to save the race.

Plodding wins the race.

A Lion was awakened from sleep by a Mouse running over his face. Rising up angrily, he caught him and was about to kill him, when the Mouse piteously entreated, saying: “If you would only spare my life, I would be sure to repay your kindness.” The Lion laughed and let him go. It happened shortly after this that the Lion was caught by some hunters, who bound him by strong ropes to the ground. The Mouse, recognizing his roar, came and gnawed the rope with his teeth and set him free, exclaiming:

“You ridiculed the idea of my ever being able to help you, expecting to receive from me any repayment of your favor; now you know that it is possible for even a Mouse to con benefits on a Lion.”

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted