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Aesop's fable "the peasant and the Apple tree" Similarities 1. Both fables, in Russian and English, are not written in poetry: “Once upon a time there lived a peasant...” and “In in the peasant’s garden there was an apple tree..." 2. In both fables, sparrows and grasshoppers lived on the apple tree: "...but it was a home for sparrows and grasshoppers..." and "... and sparrows and grasshoppers were jumping along its branches..." Difference 1. In Russian fable abbreviation about sparrows and grasshoppers: “...the sparrows and grasshoppers were jumping...The grasshoppers and sparrows begged him...” and in English there is a little more about them “...for sparrows and grasshoppers...The sparrows and grasshoppers saw the axe...” CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TEXT STYLES CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TEXT STYLES

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Krylov's fable “the crow and the Fox” the Krylov's fable “the crow and the Fox” Similarities 1. In both fables, the Crow and the Fox are written with a capital letter: “Crow and Fox” and “Crow and the Fox” 2. These two fables are written in poetic form: "And now sitting on a branch, The Crow is going to have its tasty lunch. "... Yes, I was thinking, and holding the cheese in my mouth The fox ran close to that misfortune...” Difference 1. The fable in Russian reads more interesting and more beautiful than in English. Try to translate at least a few lines of the fable from English: “The thought is known everywhere, That flattery is bad and vile, but all in vain, - The evil finds a corner in the heart again.” Translation: The thought is known everywhere, That flattery is bad and vile, but all in vain, - Evil finds a corner in the heart again. CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TEXT STYLES CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TEXT STYLES

Wise thoughts

(VI century BC)

Semi-legendary figure of ancient Greek literature, fabulist.

Quote: 35 - 51 out of 150

Life is still always better than death.

Rhodes is here, jump here! = something has to be proven here (HIC RHODUS, HIC SALTA!)

. Kingfisher.
The kingfisher is a bird that loves solitude and always lives in the sea; and in order to hide from bird-catchers, she is said to build her nest in the coastal rocks. And so, when the time came for her to lay eggs, she flew to some cape, looked for a cliff above the sea and built a nest there. But one day, when she was flying out to catch prey, the sea raged from a strong wind, splashed all the way to the 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*.
Likewise, some people, fearing enemies, unexpectedly suffer from friends who are much more dangerous.

Know: just as they betrayed us, the old, tried and true comrades, so they will betray the new ones.

And if misfortune does come, take comfort in the fact that it’s not just you.

Others cannot do anything due to lack of strength, but blame it on chance.

It is impossible to correct an evil person; he can only change his appearance, but not his character.

The true treasure for people is the ability to work.

A true friend is known in misfortune.

You get used to ugliness, just like to the beauty of the woman you love.

Each person is given his own task, and each task has its own time.

What a great head, but no brain. (What a splendid head, yet no brain.)

When grief strikes you, look around and be comforted: there are people whose lot is even worse than yours.

When you are at the royal court, let everything you hear die within you, so that you yourself do not have to die untimely.

. Cat and chickens.
The cat heard that the chickens in the poultry yard were sick. She dressed up as a doctor, took the healing instruments, came there and, standing at the door, asked the chickens how they were feeling? *Great! - said the chickens, - but only when you are not around*.
Likewise, intelligent people recognize the bad ones, even if they pretend to be good.

. 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 by screaming at night and not letting them sleep. The Rooster replied that he was doing this for their benefit: he woke them up for their usual daytime work. Then the cat said: *But you are also a wicked man; contrary to nature, you cover both your mother and sisters*. The rooster replied that he was doing this too for the benefit of his owners - he was trying to make sure they had 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 do it in his own way, not under a plausible pretext, but openly.

. Peasant and apple tree
In the peasant’s garden there was an apple tree that did not bear fruit, and sparrows and grasshoppers were jumping on its branches. The peasant decided to cut it down and, taking an ax in his hand, hit the roots with force. The grasshoppers and sparrows begged him not to cut down the tree that gave them shelter, and to have pity on it. They promised that in return they would make a person’s work easier with their singing. Ignoring their pleas, the peasant struck the second and third blows with the axe. When he reached the hollow in the tree, he discovered a hive full of honey. Having tasted the honeycomb, the peasant threw away the ax and began to carefully look after the tree, as if it were sacred. Many people are motivated only by self-interest.

“Yes, somehow I didn’t want to get out of the house,” the Turtle answers. - I love being at home.

Jupiter became angry with the Turtle for such an answer and decreed: from now on, let all Turtles always carry their house on their backs and not be able to get out of it.

Be careful not to anger the gods.

Everyone came except Turtle.

Soroka saw how well-fed and plump the Pigeons were on the farm, she envied them and decided to pretend to be a Pigeon herself.

She painted herself white and flew to the Pigeons. And while she was silent, no one thought that it was not the Dove.

But Soroka wanted to chat. And immediately everyone realized who she was and began to peck mercilessly. She forcibly escaped from them alive and flew quickly to the other Magpies.

But the Magpies did not recognize her in her new white outfit and drove her away. And that Magpie became a lonely wanderer.

Be yourself.

The magpie was painted white.

The Peasant had an old Apple Tree in his garden. It had not bore fruit for a long time, but only provided shelter for grasshoppers and sparrows, who sang and chirped in its branches. The Peasant was tired of the barren Apple Tree, and he decided to cut it down. He even brought an axe.

And let the grasshoppers and sparrows ask him:

Don’t cut down our Apple Tree, otherwise we will fly away to another tree and you will no longer hear our cheerful songs while you work in the garden.

The Peasant did not listen to them. I took up the axe. And suddenly he sees: there is a hollow in the Apple tree, and in it there is a swarm of bees and full of honey.

The peasant threw the ax and said:

Apparently, the old Apple Tree can come in handy.

You never know where you will find it or where you will lose it.

And there was a hollow in the Apple tree.

One day, a pair of oxen were pulling a heavily loaded cart along the road. They were already pulling, they were already working, and the cart axle kept creaking and groaning. Volam is tired of this. They say:

Hey there! We work, and you creak and groan!

Don't trust someone who always moans.

A heavily loaded cart.

The boy reached into the jug of nuts and grabbed a handful of as many as he could grab. I started to pull my hand out, but it wouldn’t fit through - the neck of the jug was too narrow.

The Boy is this way and that - you can’t pull out your fist, and it’s a pity to let go of the nuts. And he burst into tears. A kind man saw this and said to the Boy:

Dear Boy, you better not be greedy. Release half of the nuts from your fist and calmly remove your hand.

Don't grab what you can't hold.

The neck was too narrow.

The Fox fell into a trap. She managed to get out of the trap, but had to leave her tail there.

What a shame! The fox was ashamed to appear in front of people; life was no longer pleasant to her. And so she decided to convince all the Foxes to cut off their tails so as not to stand out.

She gathered all the Foxes and said:

Well, what is a tail? After all, this is a disgrace, if you think about it. In addition, they are all so heavy. You get tired of carrying!

And only one Fox answers her:

Girlfriend! If you hadn’t lost your tail yourself, you probably wouldn’t have persuaded us to cut off ours!

Don't believe every piece of advice.

She called all the Foxes.

The Traveler was getting ready to go on the road, and the dog was lying stretched out at the door. The traveler tells her:

Well, why are you lying down? It's time to go!

And the Dog just wagged his tail and answered:

Yes, I’ve been ready for a long time, I’m just waiting for you.

Don't blame yourself on someone else.

The dog wagged its tail.

Once, after a shipwreck, one Sailor was thrown ashore by the Sea, and he fell asleep, exhausted from a long struggle with the waves.

He woke up and began to bitterly reproach the Sea for its betrayal: it, they say, lures people with its clear surface, and then, when they trust it, it mercilessly destroys ships.

And then the Sea stood up in the form of a beautiful maiden and said:

Don't scold me, Sailor! There is nothing in the world quieter and more reliable than me. The wind is to blame for everything. It is he who whips, whips, troubles my gentle surface and drives me into a rage, which is not at all characteristic of me by nature.

It is not so easy to understand who is to blame.

The sea rose in the form of a beautiful maiden.

A Wild Boar was sharpening its fangs on a tree trunk, and a Fox was passing by. Lisa says:

Why are you sharpening your fangs, Boar? The hunters are far away, nothing threatens you.

“Indeed, my friend,” the Pig answers her. “But the minute my life is in danger, I will need my fangs, and there will be no time to sharpen them.”

Prepare for trouble in advance; when it comes, it will be too late.

The boar sharpened its horns.

Mercury decided to find out how people value him. So he took the form of a man and came to the Sculptor’s workshop, where there were many statues.

Mercury sees the statue of Jupiter and asks what the price of this statue is.

One crown,” the sculptor answers.

That’s all,” Mercury grinned. - And this one? - And points to Juno.

And this one,” was the answer, “costs only half a crown.”

How much does this statue cost? - And then Mercury points to his own image.

“And I’ll give this one for free if you buy the other two,” answered the Sculptor.

Others will determine the price for us.

At the Sculptor's workshop.

The Deer said to the Little Deer:

Son, nature gave you strong legs, a strong body and powerful horns. I don’t understand why you run away from dogs so cowardly?

And just then they both heard the loud barking of a pack of dogs.

“Stay here,” says Deer. - Don't look at me.

And with these words she ran away as fast as she could.

You can't teach a coward courage.

“Nature gave you strong legs...”

The deer came to the pond to drink. And I saw my reflection in the water. He really liked the strong, branchy horns, but didn’t like the slender, thin legs at all.

While he stood there and looked at himself, a Lion attacked him. But the Deer soon left the Lion behind; he ran quickly and quickly across the empty field.

But, having reached the forest, he immediately got entangled in the branches with his luxurious horns, and the Lion grabbed him.

Fables of the main Aesopian collection

Fables
from the reissue
main Aesopian collection

Fables from manuscripts of the senior edition

Fables from middle edition manuscripts

Fables from manuscripts of the junior edition

2. Eagle, jackdaw and shepherd.

An eagle flew down from a high cliff and carried away a lamb from the flock; and the jackdaw, seeing this, became jealous and wanted to do the same. And with a loud cry she rushed at the ram. But, having gotten her claws entangled in the rune, 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 in the evening he took her to his children. The children began to ask what kind of bird this was? And he replied: “I probably know that this is a jackdaw, but it seems to her that she is an eagle.”

Competing with people above you leads nowhere and failures only cause laughter.

3. Eagle and beetle.

The eagle was chasing a hare. The hare saw that there was no help for him from anywhere, and he prayed to the only one who turned up for 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 his help. The eagle did not even pay attention to such an insignificant defender and devoured 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 peace nowhere, sought refuge with Zeus himself and asked to be given a quiet place to hatch his eggs. Zeus allowed the eagle to put eggs in his bosom. The beetle, seeing this, rolled up a dung ball, flew up to Zeus and dropped his ball into his bosom. Zeus stood up to shake off the dung and accidentally 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 that he cannot avenge an insult.

4. The nightingale and the hawk

The nightingale sat on a tall oak tree and, according to his custom, sang. A hawk, which had nothing to eat, saw this, swooped down and grabbed him. The nightingale felt that the end had come for him, and asked the hawk to let him go: after all, he was too small to fill the hawk’s stomach, and if the hawk had nothing to eat, let him attack larger birds. But the hawk objected to this: “I would be completely crazy if I abandoned the prey that is in my claws and chased after prey that was not in sight.”

The fable shows that there are no more stupid people who, in the hope of more, give up what they have.

5. Debtor

In Athens, a man fell into debt, and the lender demanded the debt from him. At first, the debtor asked for a deferment because he had no money. To no avail. He brought his only pig to the market and began selling it in the presence of the lender. A customer came up and asked if she was pigging well. The debtor replied: “It’s like a pig! You won’t even believe it: she brings pigs to the Mysteries, and wild boars to the Panathenaea.” The buyer was amazed at such words, and the lender said to him: “Why are you surprised? Wait, she will give birth to kids to Dionysia.”

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

6. Wild goats and shepherd

The shepherd drove his goats out to pasture. Seeing that they were grazing there along with the wild ones, in the evening he drove them all into his cave. The next day bad weather broke out, he could not take them out to the meadow, as usual, and looked after them in a cave; And at the same time, he gave his own goats very little food, so that they would not die of hunger, but he piled up whole heaps of strangers in order to tame them too. But when the bad weather subsided and he again drove them to pasture, the wild goats rushed to the mountains and ran away. The shepherd began to reproach them for their ingratitude: he looked after them as best he could, but they left him. The goats turned around and said: “That’s why we are so wary 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 the 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 in the poultry yard were sick. She dressed up as a doctor, took the healing instruments, came there and, standing at the door, asked the chickens how they were feeling? “Great!” said the chickens, “but only when you’re not around.”

Likewise, intelligent people recognize the bad ones, even if they pretend to be good.

8. Aesop at the shipyard

The fabulist Aesop once wandered into a shipyard in his spare time. The shipmen 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 - earth; and he ordered the earth to drink the sea in three sips. And the earth began: with the first sip, mountains appeared; With the second sip, the plains opened up; and when she is about to take a sip a third time, your skill will be of no use to anyone.

The fable shows that when bad people mock the best, they, without noticing it themselves, only get themselves into worse trouble from them.

9. Fox and goat

The fox fell into the well and sat there involuntarily, because she could not get out. The goat, who was thirsty, came to that well, noticed a fox in it and asked her if the water was good. The fox, delighted at the happy occasion, began to praise the water - it was so good! - and call the goat down. The goat jumped down, smelling nothing but thirst; he drank some water and began to think with the fox how they could 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 the goat readily accepted her offer; and the fox jumped 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 breaking 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 about how to get out.”

Likewise, an intelligent person should not take on a task without first thinking about where it will lead.

10. Fox and lion

The fox had never seen a lion in her life. And so, meeting him by accident and seeing him for the first time, she was so frightened that she barely remained alive; the second time we met, she was frightened again, but not as much as the first time; and the third time she saw him, she became so brave that she came up and spoke to him.

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

11. Fisherman

One fisherman was a master of playing the pipe. One day 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 at these sweet sounds. But no matter how hard he tried, nothing worked. Then he put the pipe aside, 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, watching them fight, said: “You worthless creatures: I played for you - you didn’t dance, you stopped playing - you danced.”

The fable refers to those who do everything at the wrong time.

12. Fox and leopard

The fox and the leopard were arguing about who was more beautiful. The leopard boasted in every possible way about his speckled skin; but the fox said to him: “How much more beautiful I am than you, since I don’t have a speckled 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 were pulling 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 had hoped for something completely different. But there was one old man among them, and he said: “Enough, friends: it seems to me that joy and sorrow are sisters to each other, and as much as we rejoiced, we should have grieved as much.”

Likewise, we must look at the variability of life and not be deluded by successes, as if they are ours forever: even after the clearest weather, bad weather comes.

14. Fox and monkey

The fox and the monkey walked along the road together, and they began to argue about who was more noble. Each one said a lot to 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 tombstones, exclaimed: “How can I not cry! After all, these are monuments over the graves of the slaves and freedmen of my ancestors!” But the fox replied: “Well, lie to yourself as much as you want: after all, none of them will rise again to expose you.”

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

15. Fox and grapes

A hungry fox saw a grapevine with hanging grapes and wanted to get to them, but couldn’t; and, walking away, she said to herself: “They are still green!”

Likewise, some people cannot achieve success because they lack the strength, and 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 by screaming at night and not letting them sleep. The Rooster replied that he was doing this for their benefit: he woke them up for their usual daytime work. Then the cat said: “But you are also a wicked person; contrary to nature, you cover for both your mother and sisters.” The rooster replied that he was doing this too for the benefit of his owners - he was trying to make sure they had 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 do it in his own way, not under a plausible pretext, but openly.

17. Tailless fox

The fox lost her tail in some kind of trap and decided that it was impossible for her to live with such 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 replied: “Oh, you! You wouldn’t have given us such advice if it weren’t beneficial for you.”

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

18. Fisherman and little fish

The fisherman cast a net and pulled out a small fish. The little fish began to beg that he would let her go for now - after all, she was so small - and would catch him later, when she grew up and would be of more use to her. But the fisherman said: “I would be a fool if I let go of the catch that is already in my hands and chase after a false hope.”

The fable shows that a small benefit in the present is better than a large one in the future.

19. Fox and thorn

The fox was climbing over the fence and, in order not to stumble, grabbed a thorn bush. The thorns pricked her skin, she felt pain, and she began to reproach him: after all, she seemed to turn to him for help, but he made her feel even worse. But the thorn tree objected: “You were mistaken, my dear, in deciding to cling to me: I myself am used to clinging to everyone.”

Likewise, among people, only the foolish ask for help from those who are naturally more likely to cause harm.

20. Fox and crocodile

The fox and the crocodile were arguing about who was more noble. The crocodile talked a lot about the glory of his ancestors and finally declared that his forefathers were gymnasiarchs. The fox replied: “Don’t talk about it! Even by your skin you can see how hard you worked in the gymnasium.” This is how 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 despondent. Suddenly the tuna, swimming away with a loud splash from the chase, accidentally jumped straight into their shuttle. 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 the woodcutter and prayed for him to shelter her. 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 running here? He answered them out loud: “I didn’t see it,” and meanwhile made signs with his hand, showing where she hid. But the hunters did not notice his signs, but believed his words; So the fox waited for them to gallop away, got out and, without saying a word, walked away. The woodcutter began to scold her: he saved her, but he didn’t 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 people who speak good words but do bad deeds.

23. Roosters and partridge

The man had roosters. One day he came across a tame partridge at the market, he bought it and took it home to keep it with the roosters. But the roosters began to beat and chase her, and with bitterness the partridge thought that they disliked her because she was not of their breed. But a little later she saw how the roosters fought 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.”

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

24. Fat fox

A hungry fox saw bread and meat in a hollow tree that 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 moaning; she came up and asked what was the matter. And when she learned what had happened, she said: “You will have to sit here until you again become the same as you came in; and then it will not be difficult to get out.”

The fable shows that difficult circumstances naturally 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, she is said to build her nest in the coastal rocks. And so, when the time came for her to lay eggs, she flew to some cape, looked for a cliff above the sea and built a nest there. But one day, when she flew out to prey, the sea became raging from a strong wind, splashed all the way to the 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.”

Likewise, some people, fearing enemies, unexpectedly suffer from friends who are much more dangerous.

26. Fisherman

A fisherman was fishing in the river. He stretched out his net to block the current from bank to bank, and then tied a stone to a rope and began to hit the water with it, scaring the fish so that, while fleeing, they would suddenly get caught in the net. One of the local residents saw him doing this and began to scold him for muddying the river and not allowing them to drink clean water. The fisherman answered: “But if I hadn’t muddied the river, I would have had to die of hunger!”

Likewise, demagogues in states then live best when they manage to create unrest in their fatherland.

27. Fox and mask

The fox climbed into the sculptor's workshop and searched through everything that was there. And then she came across a tragic mask. The fox picked it up and said: “What a head, but there’s 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 completely 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 out of bed, but since he did not have real bulls, he blinded a hundred bulls from tallow and burned them on the altar with the words: “Accept, oh gods, my vow!” The gods decided to reward him with deceit for his deception and sent him a dream, and in the dream they indicated to go to the seashore - there he would find a thousand drachmas. The man was delighted and ran to the shore, but there he immediately fell into the hands of robbers, and they took him away and sold him into slavery: that’s how he found his thousand drachmas.

The fable refers to a deceitful person.

29. Coal miner and fuller

A coal miner worked in one house; the clothier approached him, and when he saw him, the coal miner invited him to settle there: they would get used to each other, and it would be cheaper for them to live under the same roof. But the clother objected to this: “No, this is in no way possible for me: what I bleach, you will immediately stain with soot.”

The fable shows that dissimilar things are incompatible.

30. Shipwrecked

One rich Athenian sailed along the sea with another. A terrible storm arose and the ship capsized. Everyone else set off swimming, and only the Athenian endlessly appealed to Athena, promising her countless sacrifices for his salvation. Then one of his comrades in misfortune, sailing by, said to him: “Pray to Athena, and move yourself.”

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

31. The man with gray hair and his mistresses

The man with the gray hair had two mistresses, one young, the other old. The elderly woman 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 was left bald.

Thus, inequality is harmful everywhere.

32. Killer

A certain man committed a murder, and the relatives of the murdered man pursued him. He ran to the Nile River, but then encountered a wolf. In fear, he climbed a tree overhanging the river and hid on it, but saw a snake swinging there. Then he threw himself into the water; but even then a crocodile waylaid him and devoured him.

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

33. Boastful pentathlete

One pentathlete was constantly reproached by his fellow 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 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 one of those present objected to him: “My dear, if you’re telling the truth, why do you need confirmation? Here’s Rhodes, here you jump!”

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

34. The man who promises the impossible

One poor man fell ill and felt completely ill; the doctors abandoned him; and then he prayed to the gods, promising to bring them a hecatomb and donate rich gifts if he recovered. His wife, being nearby, asked: “What kind of money will you do this with?” “Do you really think,” he answered, “that I will begin to recover only so that the gods will demand it of me?”

The fable shows that people easily promise in words what they do not think of fulfilling in practice.

35. Man and Satyr

They say that once a man and 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 dinner, and the food was very hot; and the man began to take it a little at a time, bring it to his lips and blow. The satyr asked again what he was doing, and the man answered that he was cooling the food because it was too hot for him. The satyr then said: “No, friend, you and I cannot be friends if both heat and cold come from the same lips.”

Likewise, we must beware of the friendship of those who behave duplicitously.

36. Insidious

A certain insidious man made a bet with someone that he would show how false the predictions of the Delphic oracle were. He took the 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: “Enough, my dear! After all, it depends on you whether it is alive or not.”

The fable shows that it is impossible to deceive the deity.

37. Blind

One blind man was able to guess by touch what it was for every animal that was put in his hands. And then one day they placed a wolf cub on him; he felt it and said, thinking: “I don’t know whose cub this is - a wolf, a fox or some other similar animal - and I only know one thing: it’s better not to let him into the sheep herd.”

Thus, the properties of bad people are often visible by their appearance.

38. The Plowman and the Wolf

The plowman unharnessed the oxen and drove them to water. And the hungry wolf, in search of profit, came across an abandoned plow, began to lick the bull's yoke, then little by little, without noticing it, he 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! If only you really gave up robbery and robbery and took up arable farming instead!”

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

39. Swallow and birds

As soon as the mistletoe bloomed, the swallow realized what a danger it was for the birds; and, having gathered all the birds, she began to persuade them. “It’s best,” she said, “to completely cut down the oak trees on which mistletoe grows, but if this is impossible, then you need to fly to people and beg them not to use the power of mistletoe to hunt birds.” But the birds did not believe it and laughed at her, and she flew to the people as a petitioner. Because of her intelligence, people accepted her and let her live with them. That is why people catch and eat the rest of the birds, and only the swallow, which asked them for refuge, is left alone, allowing it to nest peacefully in their homes.

The fable shows: those who know how to predict events can easily protect themselves 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 with all his thoughts rushing to heaven, he accidentally fell into a well. Then he started screaming and crying; and some man, hearing these screams, came up, guessed what had happened, and said to him: “Oh, you! Do you want to see what is happening in the sky, but don’t you see what is on earth?”

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

41. Fox and dogs

A fox approached a flock of sheep, grabbed one of the suckling lambs and pretended to caress him. "What are you doing?" - the dog asked her. “I nurse him and play with him,” answered the fox. Then the dog said: “If that’s the case, let the lamb go, otherwise I’ll pet 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, I have a treasure buried under one grapevine.” As soon as he died, his 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 work is a treasure for people.

43. Frogs

Two frogs, when their swamp dried up, set off to look for somewhere to settle. They came to the well, and one of them suggested, without thinking twice, to jump there. But another said: “And if the water dries up here too, how can we get out of there?”

The fable teaches us not to take on a task without thinking.

44. Frogs asking for the 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 block of wood into the swamp. At first the frogs were frightened by the noise and hid in the very depths of the swamp; but the log was motionless, and little by little they became so bold that they jumped on it and sat on it. Considering then that it was beneath their dignity to have such a king, they again turned to Zeus and asked to change their ruler, 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’re carrying all the weight, and you’re moaning?”

So it is with some people: others drag on, but they pretend to be exhausted.

46. ​​Boreas and the Sun

Boreas and the Sun argued about who was stronger; and they decided that the one of them would win the argument who would force the man to undress on the road. Borey began and blew strongly, and the man pulled his clothes around him. Borey began to blow even stronger, and the man, freezing, wrapped himself more and more tightly in his clothes. Finally, Boreas got tired and gave up the man to the Sun. And the Sun at first began to warm up slightly, and the man little by little began to take off everything unnecessary. Then the Sun became hotter, and it ended with the man being unable to bear the heat, undressed and ran to swim in the nearest river.

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

47. Boy who ate too much offal

People slaughtered a bull as a sacrifice to the gods in the field and called their neighbors for a treat. Among the guests, one poor woman came, and with her a son. During a long feast, the boy ate his fill of giblets, got drunk on wine, his stomach hurt, and he cried out in pain: “Oh, mom, the giblets are coming 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 property willingly, and when the time comes to pay, he suffers as if he were giving away his own.

48. Siskin

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 is silent during the day and sings at night? The siskin answered that he had a reason for this: he once sang during the day and got caught in a cage, and after that he became smarter. Then the bat said: “You should have been so careful before, 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 his calf. He looked for him everywhere, did not find him, and then made a vow to Zeus to sacrifice a kid if the thief was found. But then he entered 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 kid of a goat as a sacrifice if I could find the thief; and now I promise an ox if I can escape from the thief.”

This fable can be applied to losers who are looking for something they don't have and then don't know how to get rid of what they find.

50. Weasel and Aphrodite

Weasel fell in love with a handsome 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 fell in love with her so much at one glance that he immediately brought her to his house. And so, when they were in the bedchamber, Aphrodite wanted to know whether the caress, along with her body, had changed her disposition, and she let a mouse into the middle of their room. Then the weasel, forgetting where she was and who she was, rushed straight out of bed at the mouse to devour it. The goddess got angry with her and again returned her to her previous appearance.

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

Peasant and snake

The snake crawled up to the peasant's son and bit him to death. The peasant, beside himself with grief, grabbed an ax and sat down near her hole to kill her immediately, as soon as she appeared. A snake appeared and he struck with an axe, but 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,” answered the snake, “neither I can wish you well, looking at a crack in a stone, nor can you wish me well, looking at your son’s grave.”

The fable shows that after strong hostility, 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 subside; then he ate the goats too. 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 work with him, then they will certainly not spare us.”

The fable shows that we need to be most wary of those who do not hesitate to offend even their loved ones.

Peasant and his sons

The peasant's sons were always quarreling. 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 did this, he gave them these rods all at once and offered to break them. No matter how hard they tried, nothing worked. Then the father untied the bundle and began to give them the rods one by one; and they broke them without difficulty. Then the peasant said: “So do you, my children: if you live in harmony with each other, then no enemies will defeat you; if you start quarreling, then it will be easy for anyone to overcome you.”

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

Snails

A peasant boy was frying snails. And, hearing them hiss, he exclaimed: “Wretched creatures! Your house is on fire, and you still think of singing songs?”

The fable shows how obscene everything is done at the wrong time.

Mistress and maids

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

So for many people, their own tricks become the cause of misfortune.

Vorozheya

One sorceress undertook to ward off the wrath of the gods with conspiracies and spells, and by doing this she lived well and made a lot of money. But people were found, brought to trial, convicted and sentenced to death. And, seeing how they were leading her to trial, someone said: “How did you undertake to turn away the wrath of the deity, but you could not even appease the wrath of people?”

The fable exposes deceivers who promise great things but are caught doing little.

Old woman and doctor

The old woman's eyes hurt, and she invited a doctor, promising to pay him. And every time he came and anointed her eyes, he took away something from her things while she sat with her eyes closed. When he had carried away everything he could, he finished 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, out of self-interest, accidentally expose themselves.

Woman and chicken

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

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

Weasel

The weasel entered the forge and began to lick the saw that lay there. She cut her tongue on it and 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 about those who harm themselves with a passion for bickering.

The old man and death

The old man once chopped some wood and carried it on himself; the road was long, he was tired of walking, threw off the burden and began to pray for death. Death appeared and asked why he called her. “So that you lift this burden for me,” answered the old man.

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

Peasant and fate

A peasant, digging up a field, found a treasure; For this, he began to decorate the Earth with a wreath every day, considering her to be his benefactor. But Fate appeared to him and said: “My friend, why are you thanking the Earth for my gift? After all, I sent it to you so that you could get rich! But if chance changes your affairs and you find yourself in need and poverty, then you will scold again you will be me, Fate."

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

Dolphins and minnow

Dolphins and sharks waged war among themselves, and their enmity became stronger as time went on; when suddenly a gudgeon (this is such a small fish) came up to them and began to try to reconcile them. But in response to this, one dolphin said: “No, it would be better for us to die from each other while fighting than to accept such a reconciliator as you.”

This is how other people, worthless, increase their worth in troubled times.

Speaker Demade

The orator Demades once spoke to 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, a swallow and an eel were walking along the road. They found themselves on the bank of a river; the swallow flew over it, and the eel dived into it...” And then he fell silent. "What about Demeter?" - everyone began to ask him. “And Demeter stands and is angry with you,” answered Demade, “because you listen to Aesop’s fables, but do not want to deal with state affairs.”

Thus, among people, those who neglect necessary things and prefer pleasant things are unwise.

Bitten by a dog

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

Likewise, evil in people, if you please it, only gets worse.

Travelers and the bear

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

The bear walked away, a friend came down from the tree and asked what the bear was whispering in his ear? And he answered: “I whispered: in the future, don’t take on the road such friends who leave you in trouble!”

The fable shows that true friends are made in danger.

The boys 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 put it in the other’s bosom. The butcher turned around, noticed the loss and began to incriminate them; but the one who took it swore that he did not take the meat. The butcher guessed about their cunning and said: “Well, you are saving yourself from me by false oaths, but you cannot be saved from the gods.”

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

Travelers

Two travelers were walking along the road. One of them found an ax, and the other exclaimed: “Here is a find for us!” The first one answered: “What you say is wrong: it’s not a find for us, but a find for me.” A little later they encountered their owners, who had lost their axe, and they chased after them. The one who had the ax shouted to the other: “This is our destruction!” Another replied: “You say wrong: it’s not destruction for us, but destruction for you, because when you found the ax, you didn’t 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 were sailing on the same ship. To stay away from each other, one settled in the stern, the other in the bow; That's how they sat. A terrible storm arose and the ship capsized. The one sitting at the stern asked the helmsman which end of the ship was in danger of sinking first? “The nose,” answered the helmsman. Then he said: “Well, then I don’t mind dying, just to see how my enemy drowns before me.”

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

frogs

Two frogs lived next door: one in a deep pond away from 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 both more satisfyingly and more peacefully. But the other one did not agree and kept saying that she had gotten used to her place and could not part with it - until, finally, a passing cart accidentally crushed her.

Likewise, people with bad habits die before they acquire good ones.

Oak and reed

Oak and reed argued 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 entire 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 of gold and began to reason with himself: “What will happen to me now, I don’t know. I’m not myself, and I don’t know what to do. My greed and my timidity are tearing me apart. What fate or what god created a lion out of gold? My soul is now fighting with itself: it loves gold, but is afraid of the appearance of this gold. Desire prompts it to grab the find, habit - not to touch the find. Oh, evil fate, which gives and does not allow take! Oh, treasure in which there is no joy! Oh, mercy of the gods, turned into disfavor! What then? How can I take possession of it? What trick should I use? I’ll go and bring slaves here: let them all take hold of it at once, and I’ll keep an eye on it! 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 honeycombs and honey with him. The beekeeper returned, saw that the hives were empty, stopped and began to inspect them. And the bees flew 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 some people, not knowing how to figure it out, do not defend themselves from their enemies, and push away their friends as intruders.

Dolphin and monkey

Sea travelers usually carry monkeys and Maltese dogs with them for entertainment while sailing. And one man, setting off on a journey, took a monkey with him. When they sailed past Sunium - a cape not far from Athens - a strong storm broke out, the ship overturned, everyone rushed to swim, and with them the monkey. A dolphin saw her, mistook her for a person, swam up to her and took her to the shore. Approaching Piraeus, the Athenian harbor, the dolphin asked her if she was from Athens? The monkey answered that he was from Athens and that he had noble relatives there. The dolphin asked her again 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 him.

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 large and so branched, but he was dissatisfied with his legs, thin and weak. While he was thinking about this, a lion appeared and chased him. The deer started to run and was far ahead of him: While the places were open, the deer ran forward and remained intact, but when it reached the grove, its antlers got entangled in the branches, it could not run further, and the lion grabbed it. And, feeling that death had come, the deer said to himself: “Unhappy me! What I feared would be betrayed saved me, but what I hoped for most of all destroyed me.”

So often, in times of danger, those friends whom we did not trust save us, and those we relied on destroy us.

Deer

A deer, blind in one eye, came to the seashore and began to graze, turning his sighted eye to the ground to watch for hunters, and his blind eye to the sea, from where he expected no harm. But people were swimming by, noticed him and shot him. And, already giving up the ghost, he said to himself: “Unhappy me! I was wary of the land and expected trouble from it, but the sea, where 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 life-saving turns out to be insidious.

Deer and lion

The deer, running away from the hunters, found itself near the cave in which the lion lived, and ran in there to hide. But the lion grabbed him, and, dying, the deer said: “Wretched 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

A deer, running away from hunters, hid in a vineyard. The hunters passed by, and the deer, deciding that he would no longer be noticed, began to eat the grape leaves. But one of the hunters turned around, saw him, threw the remaining dart and wounded the deer. And, feeling death, the deer said to himself with a groan: “Serves me right: the grapes saved me, but I ruined them.”

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

Swimmers

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, crying and groaning, appealed to the gods of his fathers, promising them thanksgiving sacrifices if the ship survived. The storm subsided, the sea calmed again, and the swimmers, unexpectedly escaping danger, began to feast, dance and jump. But the stern helmsman imperiously told them: “No, friends, and in joy we must remember that a storm may break out again!”

The fable teaches not to rejoice overly at your luck, remembering how changeable fate is.

Cat and mice

There were a lot of mice in one house. The cat, having learned about this, came there and began to catch them 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 with 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 into a sack, I won’t come to you.”

The fable shows that reasonable people, having experienced someone’s treachery, no longer allow themselves to be deceived.

flies

Honey was spilled in one pantry and flies flew on it; They tasted it and, sensing how sweet it was, pounced on it. But when their legs got stuck and they could not fly away, they said, drowning: “Unfortunate we are! For a short-lived sweetness, we ruined our lives.”

Thus, for many, voluptuousness becomes the cause of great misfortune.

Fox and monkey

There was a gathering among the foolish animals, and the monkey distinguished himself in dancing before them; 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, suspecting nothing, approached and fell into a trap. She began to reproach the fox for such meanness, and the fox said: “Eh, monkey, and with such and such a mind will you reign over the animals?”

Likewise, those who undertake a task carelessly fail and become a laughing stock.

Donkey, rooster and lion

There was a donkey and a rooster in the barnyard. A 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 roosters crowing; 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, when they ran away, the lion turned and devoured the donkey.

Likewise, some people, seeing the humiliation of their enemies, become filled with self-confidence and, without noticing it, go to destruction.

Monkey and camel

The foolish animals had a meeting, and the monkey began to dance in front of them. Everyone really liked the dance, and the monkey was praised. The camel became jealous, and he also wanted to distinguish himself: he stood up and began to dance. 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 end up in trouble.

Two beetles

A bull was grazing on the island, and two beetles were feeding on its dung. When winter came, one beetle said to another: “I want to fly to the shore 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 too.” The beetle flew to the shore, found a large pile of fresh manure and stayed there to feed. Winter passed and he returned to the island. His comrade saw how fat and strong he was, and began to reproach him for promising but not delivering anything. The beetle answered: “It’s not me who scolds, but nature: the place was such that it was possible to eat, but impossible to carry away.”

This fable applies to those who are affectionate when it comes only to treats, and abandon their friend when they need to help with something more important.

Pig and sheep

In one herd of sheep a pig was grazing. One day a shepherd grabbed him, and he began to squeal and resist. The sheep began to reproach him for such a cry: “We don’t scream when he grabs us every now and then!” The piglet answered them: “He doesn’t grab me as much as you; he needs wool or milk from you, but from me he needs meat.”

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

Thrush

A thrush got into the habit of visiting the myrtle grove and gorging itself on sweet berries. A bird catcher noticed him, waylaid him and caught him with bird glue. The blackbird said, dying: “Unfortunate me! I chased after sweetness, but lost my life.”

Against a dissolute and voluptuous person.

Goose laying golden eggs

One man especially revered Hermes, and Hermes gave him a goose that laid golden eggs. But he did not have the patience to get rich little by little: he decided that the inside of the goose was all gold, and, without thinking twice, he slaughtered it. But he was deceived in his expectations, and from then on he lost his eggs, because he found only giblets in the goose.

So selfish people, flattering themselves for more, lose even what they have.

Hermes and the sculptor

Hermes wanted to know how much people revered him; and so, having assumed human form, he appeared in the sculptor’s workshop. There he saw a statue of Zeus and asked: “How much is it?” The master replied: “Drachma!” Hermes laughed and asked: “What about Hera?” He replied: “Even more expensive!” Then Hermes noticed his own statue and thought that, as the messenger of the gods and the giver of income, people should especially value him. And he asked, pointing to Hermes: “How much is this one?” The master answered: “Yes, if you buy those two, then I’ll add this one for 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 his oxen from the field, and in human form he himself came to the city and stayed as a guest. The news reached Tiresias that his bulls had been stolen; He took Hermes with him and went out of the city to use the bird's flight to tell fortunes about the loss. He asked Hermes what kind of bird he saw; and first Hermes 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 sitting on a tree and looking up and down. Tiresias responded: “Well, the crow 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 a watering hole at the source. And the water snake that lived there did not let her in and was indignant that the viper, as if there was not enough food for her, was getting into her domain. They quarreled more and more, and finally agreed to settle the matter with a fight: whoever wins will be the master of both land and water. So they set a deadline; and the frogs, who hated the water snake, jumped up to the viper and began to encourage it, promising that they would help it. The fight began; the viper fought with the water snake, and the frogs around raised a loud cry - they couldn’t do anything else. The viper won and began to reproach them for promising to help her in battle, but not only did they 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 action, words cannot help.

Dog and owner

One man had a Maltese dog and a donkey. He fussed with the dog all the time and every time he had lunch in the yard, he threw it pieces, and she ran up and caressed him. The donkey became jealous, he jumped up and also began to jump and push his owner. But he got angry and ordered the donkey to be driven away with sticks and tied to a feeding trough.

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

Two dogs

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

Likewise, there is no point in scolding idle sons if their parents themselves raised them that way.

Viper and saw

A viper climbed into the forge and began to ask all the blacksmith tools for a handout; Having collected what they were giving, she crawled to the file and asked him, too, to give her something. But he objected to her like this: “You are stupid, obviously, if you expect profit from me: I’m used to not giving, but only taking from everyone.”

The fable shows that those who hope to make money from a miser are stupid.

Father and daughters

The father had two daughters. He passed one off as a gardener, the other as a potter. Time passed, the father came to the gardener’s wife and asked how she lived and how they were doing. She replied that they had everything, and they prayed to the gods for only one thing: that a thunderstorm would come with rain and that the vegetables would drink. 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 prayed for one thing: that the weather would be good, the sun would shine and the dishes could dry. 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 try two different things at once understandably fail at both.

Husband and wife

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

So often you can recognize the important by the small things, and the hidden by the obvious.

Viper and fox

The snake swam along the river on a bunch of thorns. The fox saw her and said: “The swimmer and the ship!”

Against a bad person who undertakes evil deeds.

Wolf and kid

The kid fell behind the herd and was chased by a wolf. 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 as he ran and said to the kid: “That’s what I need: there’s no need for me, a butcher, to pretend to be a musician.”

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

Wolf and kid

The wolf passed by the house, and the little goat stood on the roof and swore at him. The wolf answered him: “It’s not you who scold me, but your place.”

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

Statue seller

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

Against a selfish and wicked man.

Zeus, Prometheus, Athena and Momus

Zeus created a bull, Prometheus created a man, Athena created a house, and they chose Momus as judge. Mom envied their creations and began to say: Zeus made a mistake, that the bull’s eyes are not on the horns and he does not see where he is butting; Prometheus - that a person’s heart is not on the outside and it is impossible to immediately distinguish a bad person and see what is in someone’s soul; Athena should have equipped the house with wheels to make it easier to move if a bad neighbor settled nearby. Zeus was angry for such slander and kicked Momus out of Olympus.

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

Jackdaw and birds

Zeus wished to appoint a king for the birds and announced a day for everyone to come to him. And the jackdaw, knowing how ugly she was, began to walk around and pick up bird feathers, decorating herself with them. The day came, and she, dismantled, 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 among people, debtors, using other people's funds, achieve a prominent position, but, having given someone else's money, 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 earth and show them where to plow it in order to grow bread.<...>Hermes carried out the order. The earth at first resisted, but then, when Hermes said that this was the order of Zeus, she gave in under force and said: “Let them plow as much as they want: 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 a magic potion of lies to all artisans. Hermes rubbed it and poured it out equally to everyone. Finally, only the shoemaker remained, and there was still a lot of medicine; and then Hermes took it and poured out the entire mortar in front of the shoemaker. That's why all artisans are liars, and shoemakers the most.

The fable is directed against a liar.

Zeus and Appallon

Zeus and Appallon argued who was better at archery. Appallon pulled his bow and shot an arrow, and Zeus took one step and stepped as far as his arrow flew.

Likewise, 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, by his ingenuity, with the onset of cold weather, built himself a house and settled there. The cold was severe, it was raining; and so the horse could no longer stand it, galloped up to the man and asked him to shelter him. And the man said that he would let the horse go only if he gave him part of his life: and the horse willingly agreed. A little later the bull appeared, also no longer able to endure the bad weather, and the man again said that he would let him in only if he gave 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 piece of its century and also found shelter. And so it turned out that only during the years appointed by Zeus does a person live well and truly; having reached the age of a horse, he becomes boastful and arrogant; in bull years he becomes a toiler and a sufferer; and in dog years he turns out to be grumpy and grumpy.

This fable can be applied to an old, malicious and obnoxious person.

Zeus and the turtle

Zeus celebrated the wedding and set out food for all the animals. One turtle didn't 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,” answered the turtle. Zeus was angry with her and forced her to carry her own house everywhere.

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

Zeus and the fox

Zeus, admiring the intelligence and cunning of the fox, made her king over the foolish animals. But he wanted to know, with the change of fate, did the fox’s low soul also change? And so, when they were carrying her in a stretcher, he released a beetle in front of her; the beetle circled over the stretcher, and the fox, unable to restrain itself, forgot all royal honor, jumped out of the stretcher and rushed to catch it. Zeus was angry and turned the fox back to her previous state.

The fable shows that bad people, even amid pomp and splendor, do not change their character.

Zeus and people

Zeus created people and ordered Hermes to pour reason into them. Hermes made a measure for himself and poured an equal amount into each one. But it turned out that this measure filled small people to the brim, and they became intelligent, but tall people did not have enough drink to fill their whole body, and only enough to reach their knees, and they turned out to be stupider.

Against a man who is powerful in body but foolish in spirit.

Zeus and shame

Zeus, having created people, immediately put all his feelings into them and forgot only one thing - shame. Therefore, not knowing which way to enter it, he ordered it to enter through the backside. At first, shame resisted and was indignant at such humiliation, but since Zeus was adamant, he said: “Okay, 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 the libertine.

Hero

A hero lived in one man's house, and the man made rich sacrifices to him. And since he spent more and more, sparing no money on sacrifices, then a hero appeared to him one day in a dream and said: “Stop, my dear, going broke: after all, if you completely spend your money and remain poor, then you will blame me for it.” !"

So many get into trouble due to their own foolishness, and they blame the gods for it.

Hercules and Plutos

When Hercules was accepted into the host of gods, at Zeus’s feast 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 greets all the gods and only does not want to look at Plutos. Hercules answered: “When I lived among people, I saw that Plutos was most often friends with those who were evil; therefore I do not want to look at him.”

The fable can be applied to a man rich in money but of bad character.

Ant and beetle

In the summer, an ant walked through the arable land and collected grains of wheat and barley to stock up on food for the winter. A beetle saw him and sympathized with the fact that he had to work so hard even at this time of year, when all the other animals were taking a break from their hardships and indulged in idleness. Then the ant remained silent; but when winter came and the dung was washed away by the rains, the beetle remained hungry, and he came to ask the ant for food. The ant said: “Eh, beetle, if you had worked then, when you reproached me with labor, you would not have to sit without food now.”

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

Tuna and dolphin

The tuna, fleeing from the dolphin, rushed away with a loud splash; the dolphin almost grabbed him, when suddenly the tuna jumped out onto the shore, and after it, the dolphin flew out at speed. The tuna looked back, saw the dolphin already dying and said: “Now I don’t even mind 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 are also in poverty.

Doctor and patient

The dead man was carried out, and the household followed the stretcher. The doctor said to one of them: “If this man had not drunk wine and put a klister, he would have remained alive.” “My dear,” he answered him, “you should have advised him this before it was too late, but now it is of no use.”

The fable shows that you need to help your friends in time, and not laugh at them when their situation is hopeless.

Birdcatcher and adder

The bird catcher took bird glue and twigs and went hunting. He saw a blackbird on a high tree and wanted to catch it. He tied his rods end to end and began to peer vigilantly upward, not thinking about anything else. And, looking up, he did not notice the adder lying under his feet, stepped on it, and it dodged and stung him. As he gave up the ghost, the bird catcher said to himself: “Unfortunate me! I wanted to catch another, but I didn’t notice how I myself got caught and died.”

Likewise, 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. But the hungry fox saw him, and since she had nothing to eat, she ran up and grabbed him. And, seeing that she was about to 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 business and take on someone else’s and unusual ones, rightly end up in trouble.

Camel and Zeus

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

Likewise, many, greedily looking at other people’s goods, do not notice how they are losing their own.

Beaver

The beaver is a four-legged animal that lives in ponds. It is said that some medicines are prepared from its testicles. And when someone sees him and chases him to kill him, the beaver understands why he is being pursued, and first runs away, relying on his fast legs and hoping to escape unscathed; and when he is already on the verge of death, he bites off and discards his testicles and thereby saves his life.

Likewise, reasonable people do not value wealth at all to save their lives.

Gardener

The gardener was watering the vegetables. Someone came up to him and asked why weed plants are so healthy and strong, while domestic plants are thin and stunted? The gardener answered: “Because the earth is a mother for some, and a stepmother for others.”

Children who are raised by their mother and those who are raised by their stepmother are just as different.

Gardener and dog

The gardener's dog fell into the 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: “Serves me right: if she herself decided to drown, why did I need to save her?”

Against an ungrateful person who pays evil for good.

Kifared

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

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

Thieves and rooster

The thieves broke into the house, but found nothing there except a rooster; They grabbed him and went out. The rooster saw that he was going to be slaughtered 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’ll kill you, since you wake people up and don’t let us steal.”

The fable shows: everything that is useful to good people is especially hated by bad people.

Jackdaw and crows

One jackdaw was taller than all the other jackdaws; and so, inflamed with contempt for her breed, she went to the crows and asked to live with them. But her appearance and voice were unfamiliar to the crows, 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 with neither one nor the other.

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

Raven and fox

The raven took away a piece of meat and sat down on a tree. The fox saw it and wanted to get this meat. She stood in front of the raven and began to praise him: he was great and handsome, and could have become a king over the birds better than others, and, of course, he would have, 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: “Eh, raven, if you also had a mind in your head, you wouldn’t need anything else to reign.”

The fable is appropriate against an unreasonable person.

Crow and Raven

The crow was jealous that the crow gives people signs during fortune-telling, predicts the future, and for this people even remember him in their oaths; and she decided to achieve 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: “Come on, friends: it’s a crow, and its cry is of no use.”

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

Jackdaw and fox

A hungry jackdaw settled on a fig tree. There she saw figs, winter ones, unripe, and decided to wait until they ripened. 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: you can, perhaps, be amused by such hope, but you can never be satisfied.”

Against a man blinded by greed.

Crow and dog

The crow made a sacrifice to Athena and invited the dog to a sacrificial feast. The dog said to her: “Why are you wasting your time on vain sacrifices? After all, the goddess hates you, and does not even give faith to your signs.” The crow answered: “That’s why I make a sacrifice to her: I know that she doesn’t 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 basking in the sun, flew at it and grabbed it; but the snake twisted around and bit him; and the raven said, giving up the ghost: “Wretched me! I have found such prey that I myself am dying from it.”

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

Jackdaw and pigeons

The jackdaw saw how the pigeons in the dovecote were well fed, and painted herself with white to live with them. And while she was silent, the doves took 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 the pigeon's food, the jackdaw returned to her family; but they did not recognize her because of her white feathers and did not let her live with them. So the jackdaw, chasing two benefits, received neither. Consequently, we must be content with what we have, remembering that greed does not bring anything, but only takes away the last.

Belly and legs

The stomach and legs argued over who was stronger. Each time the legs boasted that they had so much strength that they carried their very belly; but the stomach answered: “Eh, dear ones, if I didn’t take food, you wouldn’t be able to carry anything.”

Likewise, in troops, numbers mean nothing if the soldiers lack 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: “Unhappy me! I didn’t want to live in slavery among people, but I didn’t notice how I deprived myself of my life.”

The fable refers to people who want to escape from a small misfortune, but unexpectedly find themselves in a big one.

Dog and fox

The hunting dog saw the lion and rushed after him. The lion turned and roared; The dog got scared and ran away. The fox saw her and said: “You’re a bad head: you’re chasing a lion, but you can’t even hear his voice!”

The fable can be applied to a daring person who undertakes to slander someone who is much stronger; but as soon as he resists, the slanderer becomes silent.

Dog with a piece of meat

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

The fable is directed against a greedy person.

Dog and wolf

The dog was sleeping in front of the hut; the wolf saw her, grabbed her and wanted to devour her. The dog asked to let her go this time. “Now I’m thin and skinny,” she said, “but my owners will soon have a wedding, and if you let me go now, you’ll eat me fatter later.” The wolf believed her 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, reminding her of their agreement, but the dog answered: “Well, my dear, if you see me sleeping in front of the house again, then don’t put it off until the wedding!”

Likewise, reasonable people, having once avoided danger, then beware of it throughout their lives.

Hungry dogs

The hungry dogs saw skins in the river that were soaking there, but could not get them, and then they conspired to drink the water first and then get to the skins. They started to drink, but they just burst and didn’t get to the skins.

Thus, other people, in the hope of profit, undertake dangerous work, but rather destroy themselves than achieve what they want.

Dog and hare

The hunting dog caught the 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 my friend.”

The fable refers to a two-faced person.

Mosquito and bull

The mosquito sat on the bull's horn 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 arrived, and I won’t notice how you flew 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 all to drown themselves at once. They came to a cliff above the pond, and the frogs near the pond heard their stomping and 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.”

Likewise, for people, the spectacle of other people’s misfortunes serves as 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: “Serves you right: you were born a bird, why did you need to feed in the sea?”

So rightly the one who gives up his studies and takes on something completely unusual for him gets into trouble.

Lion and peasant

Leo fell in love with a peasant daughter and wooed her. The peasant did not dare to give his daughter to the predator, and was afraid to refuse him; so this is what he came up with. When the lion insisted, 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 trimmed, otherwise the girl was afraid of them. Leo, blinded by love, readily endured both; but after that the peasant was no longer afraid of him, and when the lion came to him again, he drove him out of the yard with sticks.

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

Lion and frog

The lion heard the frog croaking and turned towards 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 on it, saying: “You should not be afraid of the hearing, but of 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 food for himself by force and decided to do it by cunning: he climbed into a cave and lay there, pretending to be sick; the animals began to come to visit him, and he grabbed them and devoured them. Many animals have already died; Finally, the fox guessed his cunning, came up and, standing at a distance from the cave, asked how he was doing. "Badly!" - the lion answered and asked why she didn’t come in? And the fox answered: “And she would have entered if she had not seen that there were many tracks leading into the cave, but not a single one from the cave.”

This is how intelligent people guess about danger by signs and know how to avoid it.

Lion and bull

The lion planned evil against the huge bull and wanted to win him over with cunning. Therefore, he told the bull that he had sacrificed a sheep and was inviting him for a treat, and he himself decided to deal with the guest as soon as he sat down at the table. The bull came and saw: there were many cauldrons, huge spits, 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 leaving, even though no one did anything bad to him. The bull answered: “I have a reason for this: I see that they are not planning to sacrifice a sheep here, but a bull.”

The fable shows that the cunning of villains cannot be hidden from reasonable people.

Lion and peasant

A lion wandered into a peasant's barnyard; and 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: “Serves you right: why was it necessary to lock up such a beast with the cattle, before which you tremble even from afar?”

Likewise, those who irritate the strongest suffer from it themselves.

Lion and dolphin

A lion, walking along the seashore, saw a dolphin in the waves and invited him to enter into an alliance: who, if not them, should most of all be friends and comrades - 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 to 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: “It is not me who is being scolded, but nature, which created me as a sea animal and does not allow me to go onto land.”

Likewise, when we negotiate friendship, we must choose such allies who can help us in danger.

Lion scared by a mouse

A mouse ran across the sleeping lion's face. 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 scared me,” answered the lion, “but its impudence angered me!”

Lion and bear

The lion and the bear hunted down a young deer and began to fight for it. They fought fiercely until their vision darkened and they fell to the ground, half dead. A fox passed by and saw that a lion and a bear were lying next to each other, and between them was a deer; picked up the deer and walked away. And they, unable to rise, said: “We are unfortunate! 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 suddenly he saw a deer running past. The lion abandoned the hare and chased the deer, but 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 when he saw that even that was no longer there, he said: “Serves me right: I released the spoil that was already in my hands, but pursued empty hope.”

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

Lion, donkey and fox

A lion, a donkey and a fox decided to live together and went hunting. They caught a lot of prey, and the lion told the donkey to divide 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 pile, leaving only a small piece for herself, and invited the lion to make a choice. The lion asked her who taught her to do it so well, and the fox answered: “A dead donkey!”

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

Lion and mouse

A mouse ran over the sleeping lion's body. The lion woke up, grabbed her and was ready to devour her; but she begged to be let go, assuring that she would still repay her with goodness for her salvation, and the lion, laughing, let her go. But it so happened that a little later the mouse actually thanked the lion by saving his life. The lion came to the hunters, and they tied him with a rope to a tree; and the mouse, hearing his groans, immediately ran, chewed the rope and freed him, saying: “Then you laughed at me, as if you didn’t 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 stayed at the entrance to trap the goats running out, and the donkey climbed inside and began to cry in order to frighten them and drive them out. When the lion had already caught a lot of goats, the donkey came out to him and asked if he fought well and drove the goats well. The lion answered: “Of course! I would have been scared myself if I hadn’t known that you were a donkey.”

So many boast to those who know them well, and deservedly become a laughing stock.

The Robber and the Mulberry Tree

A robber killed a man on the road; people saw this and chased after him, and he abandoned the dead man and, covered in blood, began to run. Those who met him asked why his hands were bleeding; he replied that it was he who climbed the mulberry tree. But while he was talking to them, his pursuers came running, grabbed him and crucified him on a mulberry tree. And the mulberry tree said: “I don’t regret that I became the instrument of your death: after all, you committed murder, and you also wanted to pin it on me.”

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

Wolves and sheep

The wolves wanted to attack the flock of sheep, but they were unable to do so, because the dogs were guarding the sheep. Then they decided to achieve their goal by cunning and sent envoys to the sheep with a proposal to hand over the dogs: after all, it was because of them that the enmity began, and if they were handed over, then peace would be established between the wolves and the sheep. The sheep didn’t think what would come of it, and gave out the dogs. And then the wolves, being stronger, easily dealt with the defenseless herd.

Likewise, states that hand over people’s leaders without resistance soon become the prey of their enemies without realizing it.

Wolf and horse

The wolf wandered through the field and saw barley; He couldn’t 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 the horse chewing ears of corn. The horse answered this: “Well, my dear, if the wolves could feed on barley, you would not please the ear before the belly.”

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

The Wolf and the Lamb

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

The fable shows: whoever decides in advance to commit an evil deed will not be stopped by even the most honest excuses.

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 the bone. The heron stuck its head into the wolf's throat, pulled out the bone and demanded the promised reward. But the wolf responded: “It’s not enough for you, my dear, that you took the head out of the wolf’s mouth intact, so give you a reward?”

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

Wolf and goat

The wolf saw a goat grazing over the cliff; He couldn’t get to her and began to beg her to go down: up there, you could accidentally fall, but here he had a meadow and the most beautiful grass for her. But the goat answered him: “No, the point is not that you have good grazing, but that you have nothing to eat.”

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

Wolf and old woman

The hungry wolf prowled in search of prey. He approached one 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 her promise; and the wolf left with these words: “In this house people say one thing and do another.”

This fable applies to those people whose words do not match their deeds.

Wolf and sheep

The gorged wolf saw a sheep lying on the ground; He guessed that she had fallen out of fear, approached her and encouraged her: if she told him the truth three times, he said, then he would not touch her. The sheep began: “Firstly, I wish I hadn’t met you at all! Secondly, if I did meet you, it would be blind! And thirdly, all the wolves would perish like an evil death: we didn’t do anything to you, and you are attacking 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 the dogs, lay exhausted and could not even provide food for himself. He saw a sheep and asked him to bring him at least something to drink from the nearest river: “Just give me something to drink, and then I’ll find food myself.” But the sheep answered: “If I give you something to drink, then I myself will become food for you.”

The fable exposes an evil man who acts insidiously and hypocritically.

Fortune Teller

The fortuneteller sat in the square and gave predictions for money. Suddenly a man ran up to him and shouted that robbers had broken into his house and taken away all his belongings. In horror, the fortuneteller jumped up and, screaming, rushed as fast as he could to see what had happened. One of the passers-by saw this and asked: “My dear, how do you undertake to guess about other people’s affairs when you know nothing about your own?”

This fable refers to people who don’t know how to live themselves, and take on other people’s affairs that don’t concern them.

Boy and Raven

One woman was wondering 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 put her son there to protect him from the raven and death. And at the appointed hours, she opened this casket and gave her son the necessary food. And then one day she opened the chest to give him something to drink, and the boy carelessly stuck his head out; and the hook from the door, which is also called the “raven,” fell on his head and killed him to death.

The fable shows that it is impossible to escape fate.

Bees and Zeus

The bees felt sorry for giving people their honey, and they came to Zeus asking him to give them the power to sting anyone who approached their honeycombs. Zeus became angry with them for such malice and made it so that, having stung someone, they immediately lost the 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 on their travels. And when the donkey was exhausted and died, they tore off its skin and made tambourines out of it for their dances. One day other wandering priests met them and asked where their donkey was; and they answered: “He died, but he, the dead one, gets as much beatings as the living one never got.”

So, although some slaves receive their 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. They got together one day and decided that the cause of their misfortunes was lack of leadership. Then they chose generals and placed them over them; and the commanders, in order to stand out from everyone else, got hold of and tied horns for themselves. There was a battle and again all the mice were defeated. But the simple mice ran into the holes and easily hid in them, but the commanders, because of their horns, could not get in there, and the weasels grabbed them and devoured 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 was jealous of 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 his new appearance, his character remained the same: to this day he runs through the fields and collects wheat and barley from the threshing floors for himself.

The fable shows: whoever is evil by nature, no punishment can correct him.

Fly

A fly fell into a pot of meat and, already choking in the broth, said to itself: “Well, I ate, drank, took a bath, now I don’t even mind dying!”

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

Castaway 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 it because it lures people with its peaceful appearance, and as soon as they sail away, it begins to rage and destroys them. Then the sea, taking on a female form, addressed him like this: “It is not me that scolds, my dear, but the winds! I myself by nature are as you see me, but the winds fly at me instantly, and from them I become stormy and furious.”

Likewise, when we see lawlessness, we should blame not those who commit outrages at the instigation of others, but those who encourage them to do so.

Mot and the swallow

The spendthrift youth squandered all his goods, and all he had left was his cloak. Suddenly he saw a swallow that had arrived ahead of time, and decided that it was already summer and he no longer needed a raincoat; He took the cloak to the market and sold it. But then winter and severe cold returned again, and the young man, wandering here and there, saw a swallow dead on the 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 is.

The patient and the doctor

One person was sick. The doctor asked how he was feeling; the patient replied that he was sweating too much; the doctor said, “That’s good.” Another time the doctor asked how things were going; the patient replied that he always gets chills; the doctor said: “And that’s good.” The doctor appeared for the third time 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, judging superficially, consider their neighbors happy precisely because of what they suffer the most.

Bat, Blackthorn and Pochard

The bat, the blackthorn and the duck decided to form together and trade at the same time. The bat borrowed money and contributed it to the partnership, the blackthorn gave his clothes, and the duck bought copper and also contributed. But as they set sail, a violent storm arose and the ship capsized; They themselves made it to land, but lost all their belongings. Since then, the diver has been searching for its copper and diving into the depths of the sea for it; the bat is afraid to show itself to lenders and hides during the day; and at night it 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 most of all we care about what we ourselves once suffered damage to.

Bat and weasel

The bat fell to the ground and was grabbed by the weasel. Seeing that death had come, the bat begged for mercy. The weasel answered that he 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 weasel let her go. Another time, a bat fell to the ground and was grabbed by another weasel. The bat began to ask not to kill it. The weasel answered that she had enmity with all mice. But the bat said that she was not a mouse, but a bat, and the weasel let her go again. So, by changing her name twice, she managed to escape.

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

Woodcutter and Hermes

One woodcutter was chopping wood on the river bank and dropped his ax. The current carried him away, and the woodcutter sat down on the shore and began to cry. Hermes took pity on him, appeared and found out from him why he was crying. He dived into the water and brought out a golden ax to the woodcutter and asked if it was his? The woodcutter replied that it was not his; Hermes dived for the second time, brought out a silver ax and again asked if it was the one that was lost? And the woodcutter refused this; then for the third time Hermes brought him his real axe, a wooden one. The woodcutter recognized him; and then Hermes, as a reward for his honesty, gave the woodcutter all three axes. The woodcutter took the gift, went to his comrades and told everything how 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 chop down trees and deliberately let the ax fall into the water, and he sat down and began to cry. Hermes appeared and asked him what happened? And he replied that the ax was missing. Hermes brought him a golden ax and asked if it was the one that was missing? The man was overcome by greed, and he exclaimed that this was 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.

Traveler and Fate

The traveler, tired after a long journey, threw himself on the ground near the well and fell asleep. In his sleep he almost fell into a well; but Fate came up to him, woke him up and said: “My dear, if you had fallen, you would not have scolded yourself for your carelessness, but me!”

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

Traveler and plane tree

The travelers walked along the road in the summer, at noon, exhausted from the heat. They saw a plane tree, came up and lay down to rest under it. 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 are ungrateful! You yourself use my canopy and immediately call me barren and useless!”

Some people are also unlucky: they do good to their neighbors, but do not see gratitude for it.

Traveler and Viper

A traveler was walking along the road in winter and saw a snake that was dying from the cold. He felt sorry for her, hid her in his bosom and began to warm her up. While the snake was frozen, it lay calm, and as soon as it warmed up, it stung him in the stomach. Feeling death, the traveler said: “Serves me right: why did I save a dying creature when it had to be killed even if it was alive?”

The fable shows that the evil soul not only does not return gratitude in return for good, but even rebels against the benefactor.

Travelers

The travelers walked along the seashore. They climbed the hill and noticed a bundle of brushwood floating in the distance, but they thought it was a large ship and began to wait for it to land. And when the wind blew the brushwood closer, they decided that it was a raft, and smaller than it seemed, but they continued to wait. Finally, the brushwood washed ashore, they saw what it was, and one said to the other: “We waited in vain: there’s nothing here!”

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

Traveler and Hermes

A traveler on a long journey made a vow that if he found something, he would donate half to Hermes. He came across a bag containing almonds and dates, and hurried to pick it up, thinking that there was money in it. He shook out everything that was there and ate it, and put the almond shells and date pits on the altar with the following words: “Here is to you, Hermes, what was promised from the find: I share with you both what was outside and what was inside."

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

Donkey and gardener

The gardener had a donkey; He had little to eat and suffered a lot, and he prayed that Zeus would take him away from the gardener and give him to another owner. Zeus sent Hermes and ordered him 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 upon Zeus, and finally Zeus ordered that he be sold to a tanner. The donkey saw what his owner was doing and said: “Oh, it was better for me with my previous owners: after all, this one, as I look, will completely rip the skin off me.”

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

Donkey loaded with salt

A donkey laden with salt was crossing the river, but slipped and fell into the water; the salt melted and the donkey felt better. The donkey was happy, and when the next time he approached the river, loaded with sponges, he thought that if he fell again, he would get up again with a lighter load; and slipped on purpose. But it turned out that the sponges were swollen from the water, it was no longer possible to lift them, and the donkey drowned.

Donkey and mule

The driver loaded the donkey and mule and drove them on the road. While the road was level, the donkey was still under the weight; but when he had to go up the mountain, he was exhausted and asked the mule to take part of the luggage from him: then he would be able to carry the rest. But the mule did not want to listen to his words. The donkey fell from the mountain and died; and the driver, not knowing what to do now, took and transferred the donkey’s burden onto the mule, and in addition loaded the donkey’s skin onto it. Loaded beyond measure, the mule said: “It serves me right: if I had listened to the donkey and accepted a small part of his load, I would not now have to drag both his entire burden and himself.”

Thus, some lenders, not wanting to make the slightest concession to debtors, often lose all their capital.

Donkey with a statue on his back

One man put 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 decided that they were bowing to him, became proud, began to bray and did not want to go further. The driver guessed what was going on and beat the donkey with a stick, saying: “You stupid head! Only this was not enough for people to bow to the donkey!”

The fable shows that people who boast about the merits of others become a laughing stock to everyone who knows them.

Wild donkey

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

So one should not envy 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?” “With dew,” answered the cicadas. The donkey began to feed on the dew himself, but died of hunger.

Thus, people, pursuing what is contrary to their nature, do not achieve their goal and, moreover, suffer great disasters.

Donkeys and Zeus

The donkeys, exhausted by constant suffering and hardship, sent envoys to Zeus and asked him for relief from their labors. Zeus, wanting to make them understand that this was impossible, said: then a change will come in their bitter fate, when they manage to dam the whole river. And the donkeys thought that he really promised this; and to this day, wherever one donkey urinates, others run there to pond.

The fable shows: whoever is destined for something cannot change it.

Donkey and driver

The driver was driving a donkey along the road; but he walked a little, turned to the side and rushed to the cliff. He was about to fall off, and the driver began to pull him away by the tail, but the donkey stubbornly resisted. Then the driver let him go and said: “Have it 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 a wolf running towards him. The donkey pretended to be limping; and when the wolf approached and asked why he was limping, the donkey replied: “He jumped over the fence and got splintered by a thorn!” - and asked the wolf to first pull out the thorn, and then eat it, so as not to prick himself. The wolf believed; the donkey lifted his leg, and the wolf began to diligently examine his hoof; and the donkey hit him right in the mouth with his hoof and knocked out all his teeth. Suffering from 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 that is unusual for them.

Donkey in lion skin

The donkey pulled on the lion's skin and began to walk around, scaring the foolish animals. Seeing the fox, he wanted to scare her too; but she heard him roaring and said to him: “Be sure, and I would be afraid of you if I hadn’t heard your scream!”

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’re already roaring so much; what would you do if you sat here as long as we did?”

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

Donkey, raven and wolf

A donkey was grazing in the meadow, its entire back was covered in wounds. A raven sat on his back and began to peck at them. The donkey brayed and fought, and the driver stood at a distance and laughed. The wolf saw this while passing by and said to himself: “We are unfortunate! They see us and rush in pursuit, but no matter how hard the raven grabs them, they only laugh at him.”

The fable shows that evil people can be seen 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 hand over 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 the trap and lured him there. The lion saw that the donkey could no longer escape, and first tore the fox to pieces, and then attacked the donkey.

Thus, people who plot evil against their comrades often do not notice how they are destroying themselves.

Hen and swallow

The chicken found the snake eggs, carefully hatched them, and they cracked. The swallow saw this and said to her: “Stupid! Why did you raise such babies that, when they grow up a little, they will destroy you first!”

So no amount of good deeds can tame a bad temper.

The Birdcatcher and the Lark

The bird catcher set a snare for the birds. The lark saw him and asked what he was doing. The bird catcher answered: “I’m building a city!” - and stepped aside. The lark believed it, came up, pecked the bait and suddenly got caught in the snare. The bird catcher ran up and grabbed him, and the lark said: “Well, my dear, if you build cities like this, then you will have few inhabitants!”

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

Birdcatcher and stork

The bird catcher placed nets on the cranes and watched the catch from afar. Together with the cranes, the stork also landed on the field, and the bird catcher ran up and 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 answered: “Even if you were useful three times, you were here among the scoundrels, and therefore you still deserved punishment.”

Likewise, we must avoid the company of bad people, so as not to be branded as their accomplices in evil deeds.

Camel

When people saw the camel for the first time, they were frightened by its size 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 reached such contempt for it that they put a bridle on it and let the children drive it.

The fable shows that even fear is softened 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 harbor evil against him and to be with him as he was with her; but she did not listen. The crab got angry, waylaid her while she was sleeping, grabbed her by the throat and strangled her. And, looking at how she stretched out, he said: “Eh, my dear, not now, after death, you should have been so direct, but then, when I asked you about it, and you still didn’t listen!”

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

Snake, weasel and mice

In one house, a snake and a weasel were fighting each other. And the mice of this house, which both the weasel and the snake were exterminating, ran out to watch their battle. But, seeing this, the weasel and the snake stopped fighting and attacked them.

So in states, those citizens who interfere in the feuds of demagogues, without wanting it themselves, 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 one would not have dared.”

The fable shows: whoever fights back the first offenders is the one the others fear.

Boy catching grasshoppers

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

This fable teaches that good and evil cannot be treated 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. Time passed, the boy became a young man and took on larger thefts. Finally, they caught him red-handed one day and, twisting his elbows, led him to execution; and the mother followed and beat herself in the chest. And so he said that he wanted to whisper something in her ear; She approached, and he immediately grabbed it with his teeth and bit off a piece of her ear. His mother began to reproach him, the wicked man: all his crimes were not enough for him, so he would also maim his own mother! Her son interrupted: “If you had punished me when I brought you the stolen tablet for the first time, I would not have fallen to such a fate and they would not have led me to death now.”

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

201. The pigeon who was thirsty

A thirsty pigeon saw a picture of a bowl of water and thought it was real. He rushed towards her with a loud noise, but unexpectedly stumbled upon a board and crashed: his wings broke, and he fell to the ground, where he became the prey of the first person he met.

This is how some people, in a fit of passion, get down to business recklessly and ruin themselves.

202. Dove and Crow

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

Likewise, 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 seine into the river and began to watch their work. And when they pulled out the net and sat down at a distance to have breakfast, she jumped off and wanted to do it herself, like them: it’s not for nothing that they say that a monkey is a capricious animal. But as soon as she took hold of the net, she became entangled in it; and then she said to herself: “Serves me right: why did I go fishing without knowing how to take up it?”

The fable shows that taking on something unusual is not only useless, but even harmful.

204. The rich man and the tanner

The rich man settled next to the tanner; but, unable to bear the stench, he began to persuade him to move from here. And he kept putting it off, promising to move any day now. So it went on until the end was that the rich man got used to the smell and stopped bothering the tanner.

The fable shows that habit and inconvenience soften.

205. Rich men 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, complete strangers, sob and beat their chests.” The mother answered: “Don’t be surprised, my child, that they work so hard: they get paid for it.”

Thus, out of self-interest, some people do not hesitate to profit from the misfortune of others.

206. Shepherd and dog

The shepherd had a huge dog, and he always gave it stillborn lambs and dead sheep to eat. One day, having already driven the flock, the shepherd saw a dog walking among the sheep and wagging them. “Hey, my dear!” he shouted, “you should have what you wish for them!”

207. Shepherd and sea

A shepherd grazed 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 onto the ship and sailed away. But a terrible storm broke out, the ship capsized, all the goods were lost, and he himself barely swam to the shore. And when silence fell 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, did the sea want dates from you?”

So often torment for intelligent people is science.

208. Shepherd and sheep

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

So many people foolishly serve others and offend their neighbors.

209. Shepherd and wolf cubs

The shepherd found the wolf cubs and fed them with great diligence: he hoped that when they grew up, they would not only protect his sheep, but even hunt for him and strangers. But as soon as the wolf cubs grew up, at the first opportunity they attacked his own herd. The shepherd said with a groan: “Serves me right: why did I save as little girls those who should have been killed as adults?”

So, saving bad people means strengthening their strength against themselves first.

210. Shepherd joker

The shepherd drove his flock away from the village and often had fun in this way. He shouted that wolves were attacking the sheep and called out to the villagers for help. Two or three times the peasants got scared and came running, 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 entire flock.

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

211. Boy bathing

One day, while swimming in the river, the boy began to drown; he noticed a passerby and called him for help. He began to scold the boy for going 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 themselves.

212. Sheep shorn

A sheep, which was being clumsily sheared, said to the shearer: “If you need wool, hold the scissors higher; and if it’s meat, then cut me right away, rather than torture me like this, prick after prick.”

The fable applies to those who take up work without skill.

213. Pomegranate tree, apple tree and blackthorn

The pomegranate tree and the apple tree were arguing about who had the best fruit. They argued more and more hotly, until the thorn tree from the nearby hedge heard them and announced: “Let’s stop, friends: why should we quarrel!”

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

214. Mole

The 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 answered that it was a pebble. And she told him: “My child, not only have you not gained sight, but you have also lost your sense of smell!”

So some boasters promise the impossible, but they themselves turn out to be powerless in small things.

215. Wasps, partridges and a peasant

One day, wasps and partridges, thirsty, came to the peasant and asked him to drink water; for this, the partridges promised him to dig up the vineyard and take care of the vines, and the wasps promised to fly around and drive away thieves with their stings. The peasant answered: “But I have two oxen, they don’t promise me anything, but do everything: it’s better that I give them something to drink.”

The fable refers to an ungrateful person.

216. Wasp and snake

The wasp sat on the snake’s head and stung it all the time, giving it no rest. The snake was mad with pain, but could not take revenge on its enemy. Then she crawled out onto the road and, seeing the cart, stuck 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, just to destroy the enemy.

217. Bull and wild goats

The bull, fleeing from the overtaking lion, ran into a cave where wild goats lived. The goats began to kick and gore him, but he only said: “I tolerate this because I’m afraid, not of you, but of the one who stands in front of the cave.”

So many, out of fear of the stronger, suffer insults from the weaker.

218. Monkey children

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

The fable shows that any care is stronger than fate.

219. Peacock and jackdaw

The birds held a council about who should be chosen as king, and the peacock insisted that they choose him because he was handsome. The birds were ready to agree, but then the jackdaw said: “And if you are a king and an eagle attacks us, how will you save us?”

That it is not beauty, but strength that should adorn rulers.

220. Camel, elephant and monkey

The animals held a council about who should be elected king, and the elephant and camel came out and argued with each other, thinking that they were superior to everyone in height and strength. However, the monkey declared that both of them were unsuitable: the camel - because it does not know how to be angry with offenders, and the elephant - because with him they could be attacked by a pig, which the elephant is afraid of.

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

221. Zeus and the snake

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

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

222. Pig and dog

The pig and the dog were arguing. The pig swore by 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 pigs, so much so that she does not allow those who have tasted pork meat to enter her temples. The pig responded: “She does this not out of hatred, but out of love for me, so that people don’t kill me.”

Thus, skillful rhetoricians often know how to turn even insults heard from opponents into praise.

223. Pig and dog

The pig and the dog were arguing about who had better children. The dog said that she gives birth faster than all the animals in the world. But the pig replied: “If this is 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, and he was sharpening his fangs. The boar answered: “It’s not in vain that I say: when trouble comes, I won’t have to waste time on it, and I’ll have them ready.”

The fable teaches that one must prepare for dangers in advance.

225. Miser

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

The fable shows that possession without use is useless.

226. The Tortoise and the Hare

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

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

227. Swallow and snake

The swallow made a nest for itself under the roof of the court. One day, when she flew away, a snake crawled into the nest and ate her chicks. The swallow returned, saw the empty nest and began to cry bitterly. Other swallows tried to console her, because she was not the only one who had lost her babies. 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 people are most seriously offended when they come from the one from whom you least expect them.

228. Geese and cranes

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

It’s the same with people: during times of state unrest, the poor, easy-going, easily escape from one city to another, while the rich, due to the excess of property, remain behind and often fall into slavery.

229. Swallow and crow

The swallow and the crow were arguing about who was more beautiful. And the crow said to the swallow: “Your beauty blooms only in spring, but my body can withstand 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 him to teach her for any fee. The eagle said that this was impossible, but she still insisted and begged. Then the eagle lifted her into the air, carried her into the heights and threw her from there onto a rock. The turtle collapsed, broke and gave up the ghost.

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

231. The flea and the athlete

A flea once jumped on the leg of a heated athlete and bit him while galloping. He got angry and already folded his nails to crush her, but she again jumped as she was naturally given to jump, and escaped death. The athlete groaned and said: “Oh Hercules! if you don’t help me against a flea, then how can you help me against my rivals?”

The fable shows that the gods should not be invoked for the sake of trivial 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 noise that no matter how much they encouraged each other, no one dared to go down to the water. But one of them wanted to humiliate the others: she came forward, began to mock their cowardice, and she 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 bank, shouted to her: “Don’t leave us, come back, show me how to get down to the water more accurately?” The fox, carried away by the current, answered: “I have news to Miletus, and I want to take it there; when I return, I will show it!”

Against those who, with their boasting, put themselves in danger.

233. Swan

They say that swans sing before they die. And then one man saw a swan being sold at the market, and bought it because he had heard enough of its singing. One day, when preparing to treat guests, he asked the swan to sing at the feast; but he refused. However, soon afterwards, sensing his imminent death, he began to mourn himself in song; and, having heard this, the owner said: “If you sing only before death, then I, a fool, should not have asked you for a song, but stabbed you to death.”

Likewise, some people, not wanting to do something of their own free will, must do it under compulsion.

234. The Wolf and the Shepherd

The wolf followed the flock of sheep, but did not touch anyone. The shepherd at first suspected him as an enemy and waited cautiously; but, seeing that the wolf always followed behind and did not attack anyone, the shepherd decided that he had found in the wolf not an enemy, but a watchman. And when the need came for him to go to the city, he left his sheep to the wolf and left. The wolf realized that his time had come, and finished off almost the entire herd. The shepherd returned, saw that his sheep had died, and said: “Serves me right: how could I entrust the sheep to a wolf?”

Likewise, people who entrust their property to the greedy lose it rightly.

235. Ant and dove

The ant was thirsty; He went down to the source 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 wanted to catch the dove; but then the ant bit the birdcatcher on the leg, the bars shook, and the dove managed to fly away.

The fable shows that on occasion, help can come from the powerless.

236. Travelers and Ravens

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

Thus, people who are helpless in their own affairs are not suitable as advisers to their loved ones.

237. Buying a donkey

One man, buying a donkey, took it for a test - he brought it to his donkeys and placed it near the feeding trough. And the donkey immediately stood next to the laziest and gluttonous one, who was of no use, and did not even look at the other donkeys. The buyer took the donkey by the leash and led it back to the owner. he asked how the test ended; the buyer answered: “Now I don’t need any tests: as I see, he is the same as the one whom he chose as his comrade out of all of them.”

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 entangled in the nets, and the bird catcher ran up and began to catch them. The wild began to reproach the domestics 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.”

Likewise, servants should not be scolded because, out of loyalty to their masters, they retreat from love for their relatives.

239. Money Keeper and Oath

One man 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 coming 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 the oathbreakers. Then the man asked how long it takes for a lame person to return to the city. He answered: “In forty years, or even thirty.” And then the man, without worrying about the future, went and swore that he had not taken any money for safekeeping. But then the Oath pounced on him and chased him to throw him off the cliff. He began to complain that the Oath promised to return in thirty years, but she did not even give him a day. The Oath answered: “Know that if anyone commits a cruel crime against me, not a day passes before I return.”

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

240. Prometheus and people

Premeteus, by order of Zeus, sculpted 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 their animal-like soul.

The fable is directed against a rude and stupid person.

241. Cicada and fox

A cicada sang on a tall tree. The fox wanted to eat her, and the fox used such a trick. Standing in front of the tree, she began to admire the wondrous voice and beg the cicada to come down: she wanted to see what kind of creature sings so beautifully. The cicada guessed that the fox was being cunning, tore a leaf from the tree and threw it away. The fox rushed at him as if 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.”

About the fact 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 a hyena, having met a fox, began to reproach her: she, the hyena, wants to become her friend, but the fox rejects her. But she answered: “Not measles, but your breed - because of it, I cannot even know whether you will be my friend 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 the male hyena approached the female in an inappropriate way. But she answered: “Do what you want, my dear, but soon I will do whatever I want with you.”

This is what his successor can tell an elected official if he offends him.

244. Parrot and weasel

A man bought a parrot and let it live in his house. The parrot, accustomed to domestic life, flew up to the hearth, perched there and began to squeal in its sonorous voice. The weasel saw him and asked who he was and where he came from. The parrot answered: “My owner just bought me.” The lasm said: “You impudent creature! They just bought you, and you’re screaming so much! But for me, even though I was born in this house, the owners don’t allow me to say a word, and as soon as I give a voice, they start getting angry and drive me away.” The parrot answered: “Go ahead, mistress: my voice is not at all as disgusting to the owners as yours.”

The fable refers to a grumpy person who is always lashing out at others with accusations.

246. Diogenes and the bald man

The Cynic 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 for coming out of your ugly head.”

247. Camel

The camel was ordered by its owner to start dancing. The camel said: “I’m too clumsy even when I walk, let alone when I dance!”

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

248. Hazel

A hazel tree grew near the road, and passersby knocked the nuts off with stones. With a groan, the hazel tree said: “Unhappy me! No matter what year, I inflict pain and reproach on myself.”

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 replied: “Only one, but a lion!”

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

250. The Wolf and the Lamb

The wolf was chasing the lamb. he ran into the temple. The wolf began to call him back: after all, if the priest caught him, he would sacrifice him to God. The lamb answered: “It is better for me to become a sacrifice to God than to die from you.”

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

251. Donkey and mule

The donkey and the mule were walking along the road together. The donkey saw that they both had the same luggage, and began to complain indignantly that the mule carried no more than he, and received twice the feed. They walked a little, and the driver noticed that the donkey was no longer able to bear it; then he removed part of the luggage from him and put it on a mule. They walked a little more, and he noticed that the donkey was even more exhausted; again he began to lighten the load on the donkey, until finally he took everything off him and put it on the mule. And then the mule turned to the donkey and said: “Well, what do you think, my dear, am I honestly earning my double feed?”

Likewise, we must judge everyone’s deeds not by their beginning, but by their end.

252. Birdcatcher 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 kill it. The partridge began to reproach him with ingratitude: after all, she helped him a lot when she lured and gave him other partridges, but he wants to kill her! The bird catcher answered: “I will kill you all the more willingly, since you did not spare your relatives!”

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

253. Two bags

Prometheus, having sculpted people, hung two bags on each of their shoulders: one with other people's vices, the other with his own. He hung the bag with his own vices behind his back, and with those of others - in front. It so happens 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 others.

254. Worm and snake

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

This is what happens to those who want to measure themselves against the strongest; they will burst before they can reach their rivals.

255. Boar, horse and hunter

A boar and a horse were grazing in the same pasture. Every time the boar spoiled the horse's grass 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 took him on its back as a rider. The horse agreed to everything. And, jumping on him, the boar hunter defeated the boar, and drove the horse to him and tied him to the feeding trough.

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

256. The dog and the cook

The dog entered the kitchen and, while the cook had no time for it, stole the heart and started running. 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 people's mistakes are often a lesson to them.

257. Hares and foxes

The hares had a war with the eagles, and they asked the foxes for help. But they answered: “We would help you if we didn’t know who you are and who your enemies are.”

The fable shows: those who start enmity with the strongest do not take care of themselves.

258. Mosquito and lion

The mosquito flew up to the lion and shouted: “I’m not afraid of you: you are no stronger than me! Think, what is your strength? Is it that you scratch with your claws and bite with your teeth? This is what any woman does when she fights with her husband. No ", I'm much stronger than you! If you want, we'll fight!" The mosquito trumpeted, attacked the lion and bit into his face near the nostrils, where hair does not grow. And the lion began to tear his face with his own claws until he burst into rage. The mosquito defeated the lion and took off, trumpeting and singing a victory song. But then suddenly he was caught in a spider’s web and died, bitterly complaining that he had fought against an enemy stronger than him, and was dying from an insignificant creature - a spider.

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

259. Woodcutters and oak

Woodcutters were cutting down oak trees; making wedges out of it, they split the trunk with them. The oak tree said: “I do not curse the ax that chops me as much as these wedges that were born from me!”

About the fact that resentment from loved ones is heavier than from strangers.

260. Pine and blackthorn

The pine tree said arrogantly to the thorn tree: “You are of no use, but they use me to build houses and roofs of temples.” The thorn tree answered: “And you, unfortunate one, remember how axes and saws torment you, and you yourself will want to turn from a pine tree into a thorn tree.”

Safe poverty is better than wealth with sorrows and worries.

261. Man and lion are traveling companions

A lion and a man walked along the road together. The man proclaimed: “Man is mightier 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, “you see what it’s like for lions!” But the lion answered: “If lions knew how to cut stones, you would see many people on stone, trampled by lions!”

About the fact that other people brag about what they actually cannot 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: “Serves me right: I shouldn’t have thought that everything that’s round is an egg.”

The fable teaches us that people who get down to business without thinking, unwittingly put themselves in an absurd position.

263. Two roosters and an eagle

Two roosters fought over chickens, and one beat the other. The beaten man trudged away and hid in a dark place, and the winner flew into the air, sat on a high wall and screamed with a loud cry. when suddenly an eagle swooped down and grabbed him; and the one who was hiding in the darkness calmly began to own all the chickens from then on.

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 in the hollow below. The night passed, dawn broke, and the rooster crowed loudly, as usual. The fox heard this and wanted to devour him; She came up, stood under the tree and shouted to him: “You are a nice bird and useful to people! Please come down and let’s sing a night song together - it will be pleasant for both of us!” But the rooster answered her: “Come, dear, closer and call to the watchman there at the roots so that he knocks on the tree.” The fox came up to call out to the watchman, and the dog jumped out at her; She grabbed the fox and tore it to pieces.

The fable shows that reasonable people, when something threatens them, easily know how to repay their enemies.

265. Lark

The lark fell into a trap and said, sobbing: “I am a poor and unfortunate bird! I did not steal gold, nor silver, nor anything else valuable - I am dying because of a small grain of bread.”

The fable is against those who, for the sake of small gain, are exposed to great danger.

266. Warrior and crows

One coward went to war. The crows cawed over him, he threw down his weapon and hid. Then he picked up the weapon and moved on. Again they croaked, again he stopped, but finally said: “Scream as much as you want: 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 am afraid of the rooster!” Prometheus answered him: “You shouldn’t blame me! Everything I could do, you got from me; your soul is just too weak!” The lion began to cry about his fate and complain about his cowardice and finally decided to commit suicide. 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’s wrong with you, why do you have such restless ears?” And at that time a mosquito was fluttering around the elephant. “You see,” said the elephant, “this one over there, 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 much happier than an elephant as a rooster is stronger than a mosquito!”

You see how powerful a mosquito is: even an 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 tree: “Reign over us!” The olive tree answered them: “Will I give up my oil, which both God and people value so much in me, in order to reign over the trees?” The trees said to the fig tree: “Come and reign over us!” The fig tree answered them: “Shall I give up my sweetness and my good fruit in order to reign over the trees?” The trees said to the thorn bush: “Come and reign over us!” The thorn tree answered the trees: “If you really anoint me king over you, then come and rest under my shadow; if not, then fire will come out of the thorn tree and devour the cedars of Lebanon.”

269. Wolf and dog

The wolf saw a huge dog in a collar and a chain and asked: “Who chained you up and fattened you up like that?” The dog answered: “Hunter.” - “No, such a fate is not for a wolf! Hunger is dearer to me than a heavy collar.”

In misfortune, the food is not tasty.

270. Donkey and dog

The donkey and the dog were walking along the road together. They found a sealed letter on the ground; The donkey picked it up, broke the seal, opened it and began to read it so that the dog could hear, and the letter spoke about livestock feed: about hay, about barley, about straw. The dog was disgusted to listen to the donkey reading about this, and she said to the donkey: “Skip, my friend, a little: maybe there will be something there about meat and bones?” The donkey looked through the entire letter, but did not find anything that the dog was asking about. Then the dog said: “Drop it, my friend, this letter is on the ground again: there is nothing worthwhile in it.”

271. Wall and wedge

They hammered a wedge into the wall with strong blows, and the wall parted and shouted: “Why are you tormenting me, because I haven’t done anything bad to you!” And the wedge answered: “It’s not my fault, but the one who hits me from behind like that.”

272. Winter and spring

Winter mocked spring and reproached it: as soon as it appears, no one knows peace, some go to meadows and groves, where they love to pick flowers, admire lilies and roses and weave them into their curls; others board ships and sail overseas to see who lives there; and no one thinks about the winds or the showers anymore. “And I,” said winter, “rule as an autocratic king and leader: I force people to look not at the sky, but at their feet, at the ground, I force them to 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 even than 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 the summer heat and in the evening he lay down to sleep on the dewy grass near the pond. He fell asleep, and the frogs in the neighborhood started screaming loudly, as is their wont. The puppy woke up, got angry and decided to come 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 stupider than you if I decided to teach you, loud and obnoxious, 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 this way because of the negligence of his previous owner, and therefore, as soon as he brought him home, he began to wash him with all the waters and all the lyes. But the skin remained the same as it was, and his efforts only made the Ethiopian sick.

The fable shows that, as a person is by nature, that is how 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 has grown up; but when the wolf happened to carry away a sheep from the herd, he chased the wolf along with the dogs, and when the dogs turned around without catching up with the wolf, he ran on, snatched the sheep and shared its prey with the wolf, and then returned. If the wolves did not attack the flock from anywhere, he killed the sheep himself and devoured them along with the dogs. Finally, the shepherd found out what was going on, 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 which was which: and instead of the goose, they grabbed a swan. But the swan sang, sensing death, and this singing revealed its nature and saved it from death.

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

278. Wife and drunkard husband

One woman's husband was a drunkard. To discourage him from this addiction, she came up with this trick. She waited for her husband to get drunk and fall asleep, and when he became insensible, like a dead man, she threw him on her shoulders, carried him to the cemetery, laid him there and left. And when, according to her calculations, 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’m bringing food to the dead!” And he: “It’s better to bring me something to drink, my dear! It’s torment for me to hear you talk about food and not wine!” Then she hit herself in the chest with her hands: “Unhappy me! My cunning is of no use to me! Apparently, you, hubby, not only have 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 bad things: otherwise the time will come, and the habit will control a person against his will.

Prometheus, by order of Zeus, sculpted 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 like this. that people, converted from animals, received a human appearance, but the soul underneath retained an animal-like soul.
The fable is directed against a rude and stupid person.

The raven took away a piece of meat and sat down on a tree. The fox saw it and wanted to get this meat. She stood in front of the raven and began to praise him: he was great and handsome, and could have become a king over the birds better than others, and, of course, he would have, 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: “Eh, raven, if you also had a mind in your head, you wouldn’t need anything else to reign.”
The fable is appropriate against an unreasonable person.

The wolf saw a lamb drinking water from the river, and under a plausible pretext he wanted to devour the lamb. He stood upstream and began to reproach the lamb for muddying the water and not letting him drink. The lamb answered that he barely touched the water with his lips, and he couldn’t muddy the water for him, because he was standing downstream. Seeing that the accusation had failed, the wolf said: “But last year you insulted my father with abusive words!” The lamb answered that he was not yet in the world then. The wolf said to this: “Even though you are clever at making excuses, I will still eat you!”
The fable shows: whoever decides in advance to commit an evil deed will not be stopped by even the most honest excuses.

In the summer, an ant walked through the arable land and collected grains of wheat and barley to stock up on food for the winter. A beetle saw him and sympathized with the fact that he had to work so hard even at this time of year, when all the other animals were taking a break from their hardships and indulged in idleness. Then the ant remained silent; but when winter came and the dung was washed away by the rains, the beetle remained hungry, and he came to ask the ant for food. The ant said: “Eh, beetle, if you had worked then, when you reproached me with labor, you would not have to sit without food now.”

Thus, wealthy people do not think about the future, but when circumstances change, they suffer severe disasters.

Oak and reed argued 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.

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

The fable is directed against a greedy person.

The donkey pulled on the lion's skin and began to walk around, scaring the foolish animals. Seeing the fox, he wanted to scare her too; but she heard him roaring and said to him: “Be sure, and I would be afraid of you if I hadn’t heard your scream!”

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

The lion, the donkey and the fox decided to live together and went hunting. They caught a lot of prey, and the lion told the donkey to divide 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 pile, kept only a small piece for herself and invited the lion to make a choice. The lion asked her who taught her to divide so well, and the fox answered: “A dead donkey!”

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

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 large and so branched, but he was dissatisfied with his legs, thin and weak. While he was thinking about this, a lion appeared and chased him. The deer started to run and was far ahead of him: after all, the strength of deer is in their legs, and the strength of lions is in their hearts. While the places were open, the deer ran forward and remained intact, but when he reached the grove, his antlers got entangled in the branches, he could not run further, and the lion grabbed him. And, feeling that death had come, the deer said to himself: “Unhappy me! what I feared would be betrayed saved me, but what I most hoped for destroyed me.”

So often, in times of danger, those friends whom we did not trust save us, and those we relied on destroy us.

A hungry fox saw a grapevine with hanging grapes and wanted to get to them, but couldn’t; and, walking away, she said to herself: “They are still green!”

Likewise, some people cannot achieve success because they lack the strength, and they blame circumstances for this.

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 the bone. The heron stuck its head into the wolf's throat, pulled out the bone and demanded the promised reward. But the wolf responded: “It’s not enough for you, my dear, that you took the head out of the wolf’s mouth intact, so give you a reward?”

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

The turtle saw an eagle in the sky, and she wanted to fly herself. She approached him and asked him to teach her for any fee. The eagle said that this was impossible, but she still insisted and begged. Then the eagle lifted her into the air, carried her into the heights and threw her from there onto a rock. The turtle collapsed, broke and gave up the ghost.

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

Zeus wished to appoint a king for the birds and announced a day for everyone to come to him. And the jackdaw, knowing how ugly she was, began to walk around and pick up bird feathers, decorating herself with them. The day came, and she, dismantled, 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 among people, debtors, using other people's funds, achieve a prominent position, but, having given someone else's money, they remain the same as they were.

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 block of wood into the swamp. At first the frogs were frightened by the noise and hid in the very depths of the swamp; but the log was motionless, and little by little they became so bold that they jumped on it and sat on it. Considering then that it was beneath their dignity to have such a king, they again turned to Zeus and asked to change their ruler, 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.

The jackdaw saw how the pigeons in the dovecote were well fed, and painted herself with white to live with them. And while she was silent, the doves took 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 the pigeon's food, the jackdaw returned to her family; but they did not recognize her because of her white feathers and did not let her live with them. So the jackdaw, chasing two benefits, received neither.

Consequently, we must be content with what we have, remembering that greed does not bring anything, but only takes away the last.

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

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

The wolves wanted to attack the flock of sheep, but they were unable to do so, because the dogs were guarding the sheep. Then they decided to achieve their goal by cunning and sent envoys to the sheep with a proposal to hand over the dogs: after all, it was because of them that the enmity began, and if they were handed over, then peace would be established between the wolves and the sheep. The sheep didn’t think what would come of it, and gave out the dogs. And then the wolves, being stronger, easily dealt with the defenseless herd.

Likewise, states that hand over people’s leaders without resistance soon become the prey of their enemies without realizing it.

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

This is how intelligent people guess about danger by signs and know how to avoid it.

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

The bear walked away, a friend came down from the tree and asked what the bear was whispering in his ear? And he answered: “I whispered: in the future, don’t take on the road such friends who leave you in trouble!”

The fable shows that true friends are known through danger.

The fable shows that the evil soul not only does not pay gratitude in return for good, but even rebels against the benefactor,

The old man once chopped some wood and carried it on himself; the road was long, he was tired of walking, threw off the burden and began to pray for death. Death appeared and asked why he called her. “So that you lift this burden for me,” answered the old man.

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

One man especially revered Hermes, and Hermes gave him a goose that laid golden eggs. But he did not have the patience to get rich little by little: he decided that the inside of the goose was all gold, and, without hesitation, he slaughtered it. But he was deceived in his expectations, and from then on he lost his eggs, because he found only giblets in the goose.

So often selfish people, flattering themselves for more, lose what they have.

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

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

The bird catcher placed nets on the cranes and watched the catch from afar. Together with the cranes, the stork also landed on the field, and the bird catcher ran up and 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 answered: “Even if you were useful three times, you were here among the scoundrels and therefore still deserved punishment.”

Likewise, we must avoid the company of bad people, so as not to be branded as their accomplices in evil deeds.

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

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

The thieves broke into the house, but found nothing there except a rooster; They grabbed him and went out. The rooster saw that he was being overgrown 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’ll kill you, since you wake people up and don’t let us steal.”

The fable shows: everything that is useful to good people is especially hated by bad people.

The travelers walked along the road in the summer, at noon, exhausted from the heat. They saw a plane tree, came up and lay down to rest under it. 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 are ungrateful! You yourself use my canopy and immediately call me barren and useless!”

Some people are also unlucky: they do good to their neighbors, but do not see gratitude for it.

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. Time passed, the boy became a young man and took on larger thefts. Finally, they caught him red-handed one day and, twisting his elbows, led him to execution; and the mother followed and beat herself in the chest. And so he said that he wanted to whisper something in her ear; She approached, and he immediately grabbed it with his teeth and bit off a piece of her ear. His mother began to reproach him, the wicked man: all his crimes were not enough for him, so he would also maim his own mother! Her son interrupted: “If you had punished me when I brought you the stolen tablet for the first time, I would not have fallen to such a fate and they would not have led me to execution now.”

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

The driver loaded the donkey and mule and drove them on the road. While the road was level, the donkey was still under the weight; but when he had to go up the mountain, he was exhausted and asked the mule to take part of the luggage from him: then he would be able to carry the rest. But the mule did not want to listen to his words. The donkey fell from the mountain and died; and the driver, not knowing what to do now, took and transferred the donkey’s burden onto the mule, and in addition loaded the donkey’s skin onto it. Loaded beyond measure, the mule said: “It serves me right: if I had listened to the donkey and accepted a small part of his load, I would not now have to drag both his entire burden and himself.”

Thus, some lenders, not wanting to make the slightest concession to debtors, often lose all their capital.

The donkey and the mule were walking along the road together. The donkey saw that they both had the same luggage, and began to complain indignantly that the mule carried no more than he, and received twice the feed. They walked a little, and the driver noticed that the donkey was no longer able to bear it; then he removed part of the luggage from him and put it on a mule. They walked a little more, and he noticed that the donkey was even more exhausted; again he began to lighten the load on the donkey until he finally 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 food?”

Likewise, we must judge everyone’s deeds not by their beginning, but by their outcome.

A hungry fox saw bread and meat in a hollow tree that 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 moaning; she came up and asked what was the matter. And when she learned what had happened, she said: “You will have to sit here until you again become the same as you came in; and then it won’t be difficult to get out.”

The fable shows that difficult circumstances naturally become easier over time.

As soon as the mistletoe bloomed, the swallow immediately guessed the danger it contained for the birds; and, having gathered all the birds, she began to persuade them. “It’s best,” she said, “to completely cut down the oak trees on which the mistletoe grows; if this is impossible, then you need to fly to people and beg them not to use the power of mistletoe to hunt birds.” But the birds did not believe it and laughed at her, and she flew to the people as a petitioner. Because of her intelligence, people accepted her and let her live with them. That is why people catch and eat the rest of the birds, and only the swallow, which asked them for refuge, is left alone, allowing it to nest peacefully in their homes.

The fable shows: those who know how to predict events can easily protect themselves from dangers.

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, and he was sharpening his fangs. The boar answered: “It’s not in vain that I say: when trouble comes, I won’t have to waste time on it, and I’ll have them ready.”

The fable teaches that one must prepare for dangers in advance.

The mosquito flew up to the lion and shouted: “I’m not afraid of you: you’re no stronger than me!” Think about what your strength is? Is it that you scratch with your claws and bite with your teeth? This is what any woman does when she fights with her husband. No, I'm much stronger than you! If you want, we’ll fight!” The mosquito trumpeted, attacked the lion and bit into his face near the nostrils, where hair does not grow. And the lion began to tear his face with his own claws until he burst into rage. The mosquito defeated the lion and took off, trumpeting and singing a victory song. But then he suddenly got caught in a spider’s web and died, bitterly complaining that he had fought against an enemy stronger than him, and was dying from an insignificant creature - a spider.

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

The eagle and the fox decided to live in friendship and agreed to settle next to each other so that their friendship would be stronger from their proximity. An eagle built a nest in a high tree, and a fox gave birth to cubs under the bushes below. But then one day the bald woman went out to hunt for prey, and the eagle got hungry, flew into the bushes, grabbed her cubs and devoured them with her eaglets. The fox returned, realized what had happened, and she felt bitter - not so much because the children died, but because she could not take revenge: the animal could not catch the bird. All she could do was curse the offender from afar: what else could the helpless and powerless do? But soon the eagle had to pay for the trampled friendship. Someone was sacrificing a goat in the field; The eagle flew to the altar and carried away the burning entrails. And as soon as he brought them to the nest, a strong wind blew, and the thin old twigs burst into flames. The scorched eaglets fell to the ground - they did not yet know how to fly; and then the fox ran up and ate them all in front of the eagle.

The fable shows that even if those who betray their friendship escape the revenge of the offended, they still cannot escape the punishment of the gods.

The fisherman cast a net and pulled out a small fish. The little fish began to beg that he would let her go for now - after all, she was so small - and catch him later, when she grew up and would be more useful from her. But the fisherman said: “I would be a fool if I let go of the catch that is already in my hands and chase after a false hope.”

The fable shows that a small benefit in the present is better than a large one in the future.

The dog was sleeping in front of the hut; the wolf saw her, grabbed her and wanted to devour her. The dog asked to let her go this time. “Now I’m thin and skinny,” she said, “but my owners will soon have a wedding, and if you let me go now, you’ll eat me fatter later.” The wolf believed her 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, reminding her of their agreement, but the dog answered: “Well, my dear, if you see me sleeping in front of the house again, then don’t put it off until the wedding!”

Likewise, reasonable people, having once avoided danger, then beware of it throughout their lives.

The fox fell into the well and sat there involuntarily, because she could not get out. The goat, who was thirsty, came to that well, noticed a fox in it and asked her if the water was good? The fox, delighted at the happy occasion, began to praise the water - it was so good! - and call the goat down. The goat jumped down, smelling nothing but thirst; he drank some water and began to think with the fox how they could 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 the goat readily accepted her offer; and the fox jumped 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 because she had violated 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, you would think about how to get out before entering.”

Likewise, an intelligent person should not take on a task without first thinking about where it will lead.

The fox, running away from the hunters, saw the woodcutter and prayed for him to shelter her. 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 running here? He answered them out loud: “I didn’t see it,” and meanwhile made signs with his hand, showing where she hid. But the hunters did not notice his signs, but believed his words. So the fox waited until they galloped away, got out and, without saying a word, walked away. The woodcutter began to scold her: he saved her, but he didn’t hear a sound of gratitude from her. The fox answered: “I would thank you if your words and the works of your hands were not so dissimilar.”

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

The oxen pulled the cart, and the axle creaked; they turned around and said to her: “Oh, you! We’re carrying all the weight, and you’re moaning?”

So it is with some people: others work, but they pretend to be exhausted.

The shepherd drove his goats out to pasture. Seeing that they were grazing there along with the wild ones, in the evening he drove them all into his cave. The next day bad weather broke out, he could not take them out to the meadow, as usual, and looked after them in a cave; And at the same time, he gave his own goats very little food, so that they would not die of hunger, but he piled up whole heaps of strangers in order to tame them to himself. But when the bad weather subsided and he again drove them to pasture, the wild goats rushed to the mountains and ran away. The shepherd began to reproach them for their ingratitude: he looked after them as best he could, but they left him. The goats turned around and said: “That’s why we are so wary 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 the new ones over 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.

Honey was spilled in one pantry and flies flew on it; They tasted it and, sensing how sweet it was, pounced on 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.”

Thus, for many, voluptuousness becomes the cause of great misfortune.

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

So many, greedily looking at other people's goods, do not notice how they are losing their own.

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 around and stung him. And the raven said, giving up the ghost: “Wretched me! I found such prey that I myself am dying from it.”

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

The lion and the bear hunted down a young deer and began to fight for it. They fought fiercely until their vision darkened and they fell to the ground, half dead. A fox passed by and saw that a lion and a bear were lying next to each other, and between them was a deer; picked up the deer and walked away. And those, unable to rise, said: “Unfortunate we are! 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.

The mice had a war with the weasels, and the mice were defeated. They got together one day and decided that the cause of their misfortunes was lack of leadership. Then they chose generals and placed them over them; and the commanders, in order to stand out from everyone else, got hold of and tied horns for themselves. There was a battle and again all the mice were defeated. But the simple mice ran into the holes and easily hid in them, but the commanders, because of their horns, could not get in there, and the weasels grabbed them and devoured them.

Vanity brings unhappiness to many.

A boar and a horse were grazing in the same pasture. Every time the boar spoiled the horse's grass 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 took him on his back as a rider. The horse agreed to everything. And, jumping on him, the boar hunter defeated the boar, and drove the horse to him and tied him to the feeding trough.

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

Woodcutters were cutting down oak trees; making wedges out of it, they split the trunk with them. The oak tree said: “I do not curse the ax that chops me as much as these wedges that were born from me!”

About the fact that resentment from loved ones is heavier than from strangers.

The bees felt sorry for giving people their honey, and they came to Zeus asking him to give them the power to sting anyone who approached their honeycombs. Zeus became angry with them for such malice and made it so that, having stung someone, they immediately lost the sting, and with it their life.

This fable refers to evil people who harm themselves.

The mosquito sat on the bull's horn and sat there for a long time, and 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 arrived, and I won’t notice how you flew away.”

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

The fox reproached the lioness for giving birth to only one cub. The lioness replied: “Only one, but a lion!”

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

The spendthrift youth squandered all his goods, and all he had left was his cloak. Suddenly he saw a swallow that had arrived 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 and severe cold returned again, and the young man, wandering here and there, saw a swallow dead on the ground. He said to her: “Oh, you! She ruined both me and herself.”

The fable shows how dangerous everything that is done at the wrong time is.

One fisherman was a master of playing the pipe. One day 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 at these sweet sounds. But no matter how hard he tried, nothing worked. Then he put the pipe aside, 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, watching them fight, said: “You worthless creatures: I played for you - you didn’t dance, you stopped playing - you danced.”

The fable refers to those who do everything at the wrong time.

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

It’s the same with people: those who abandon their own affairs and take on those that are foreign and unusual, rightly end up in trouble.

Zeus celebrated the wedding and set out food for all the animals. Only the 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,” answered the turtle. Zeus was angry with her and forced her to carry her own house everywhere.

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

Boreas and the Sun argued about who was stronger; and they decided that the one of them would win the argument who would force the man to undress on the road. Borey began and blew strongly, and the man pulled his clothes around him. Borey began to blow even stronger, and the man, freezing, wrapped himself more and more tightly in his clothes. Finally Boreas got tired and gave up the man to the Sun. And the Sun at first began to warm up slightly, and the man little by little began to take off everything unnecessary. Then the Sun became hotter: and it ended with the man being unable to bear the heat, undressed and ran to swim in the nearest river.

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

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

So for many people, their own tricks become the cause of misfortune.

The peasant's sons were always quarreling. Many times he persuaded them to live in an amicable way, but no words helped them. And then he decided to convince them by example. He told them to bring a bundle of twigs; and when they did this, he gave them these rods all at once and offered to break them. No matter how hard they tried, nothing worked. Then the father untied the bundle and began to give them the rods one by one; and they broke them without difficulty. Then the peasant said: “So do you, my children: if you live in harmony with each other, then no enemies will defeat you; if you start to quarrel, then it will be easy for anyone to overpower you.”

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

The peasant was about to die and wanted to leave his sons as good farmers. He called them together and said: “Children, I have a treasure buried under one grapevine.” As soon as he died, his 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 work is a treasure for people.

One woodcutter was chopping wood on the river bank and dropped his ax. The current carried him away, and the woodcutter sat down on the shore and began to cry. Hermes took pity on him, appeared and found out from him why he was crying. He dived into the water and brought out a golden ax to the woodcutter and asked if it was his? The woodcutter replied that it was not his; Hermes dived for the second time, brought out a silver ax and again asked if it was the one that was lost? And the woodcutter refused this. Then for the third time Hermes brought him his real axe, a wooden one. The woodcutter recognized him; and then Hermes, as a reward for his honesty, gave the woodcutter all three axes. The woodcutter took the gift, went to his comrades and told everything how 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 chop down trees and deliberately let the ax fall into the water, and he sat down and began to cry. Hermes appeared and asked him what happened? And he replied that the ax was missing. Hermes brought him a golden ax and asked if it was the one that was missing? The man was overcome by greed, and he exclaimed that this was 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.

The lion, having grown old, fell ill and lay down in a cave. All the animals came to visit their king, except for one fox. The wolf took advantage of this opportunity and began to slander the lion about the fox: she, they say, does not value the animal ruler at all and therefore did not come to visit him. And then the fox appeared and heard the last words of the wolf. The lion roared at her; and she immediately asked to be allowed to justify herself. “Who of all those gathered here,” she exclaimed, “will help you as I did, who ran everywhere, looked for medicine for you from all the doctors and found it?” The lion immediately told her to tell her what kind of medicine it was. And she: “You must skin the wolf alive and wrap yourself in his skin!” And when the wolf prostrated himself dead, the fox said with mockery: “You must motivate the ruler not to do evil, but to do good.”

The fable shows: whoever plots against another is preparing a trap for himself.

The bat fell to the ground and was grabbed by the weasel. Seeing that death had come, the bat begged for mercy. The weasel answered that he 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 weasel let her go. Another time, a bat fell to the ground and was grabbed by another weasel. The bat began to ask not to kill it. The weasel answered that she had enmity with all mice. But the bat said that she was not a mouse, but a bat, and the weasel let her go again. So, by changing her name twice, she managed to escape.

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

There was a gathering among the foolish animals, and the monkey distinguished himself in dancing before them; 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, suspecting nothing, approached and fell into a trap. She began to reproach the fox for such meanness, and the fox said: “Eh, monkey, and with such and such a mind will you reign over the animals?”

Likewise, those who undertake a task carelessly fail and become a laughing stock.

The kid fell behind the herd and was chased by a wolf. 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’ll dance!” The wolf began to play and the little goat began to dance; The dogs heard this and rushed after the wolf. The wolf turned around as he ran and said to the kid: “That’s what I need: there’s no need for me, a butcher, to pretend to be a musician.”

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

Weasel fell in love with a handsome 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 fell in love with her so much at one glance that he immediately brought her to his house. And so, when they were in the bedchamber, Aphrodite wanted to know whether the caress, along with her body, had changed her disposition, and she let a mouse into the middle of their room. Then the weasel, forgetting where she was and who she was, rushed straight out of bed at the mouse to devour it. The goddess got angry with her and again returned her to her previous appearance.

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

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 stayed at the entrance to trap the goats running out, and the donkey climbed inside and began to cry in order to frighten them and drive them out. When the lion had already caught a lot of goats, the donkey came out to him and asked if he fought well and drove the goats well. The lion answered: “Of course! I would be scared myself if I didn’t know that you are an ass.”

So many boast to those who know them well, and deservedly become a laughing stock.

The priests of Cybele had a donkey on which they loaded luggage on their travels. And when the donkey was exhausted and died, they tore off its skin and made tambourines out of it for their dances. One day other wandering priests met them and asked where their donkey was; and they answered: “He died, but he, the dead one, gets as many beatings as he never got while alive.”

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

A donkey laden with salt was crossing the river, but slipped and fell into the water; the salt melted and the donkey felt better. The donkey was happy, and when the next time he approached the river, loaded with sponges, he thought that if he fell again, he would get up again with a lighter load; and slipped on purpose. But it turned out that the sponges were swollen from the water, it was no longer possible to lift them, and the donkey drowned.

Likewise, some people, with their own tricks, without knowing it, bring themselves into trouble.

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?” “With dew,” answered the cicadas. The donkey began to feed on the dew himself, but died of hunger.

Thus, people, pursuing what is contrary to their nature, do not achieve their goal and, moreover, suffer great disasters.

The donkey was grazing in the meadow and suddenly saw a wolf running towards him. The donkey pretended to be limping; and when the wolf approached and asked why he was limping, the donkey replied: “I jumped over the fence and got splintered by a thorn!” - and asked the wolf to first pull out the thorn, and then eat it, so as not to prick himself. The wolf believed; the donkey lifted his leg, and the wolf began to diligently examine his hoof; and the donkey hit him right in the mouth with his hoof and knocked out all his teeth. Suffering from pain, the wolf said: “Serves me right! My father raised me as a butcher—it doesn’t suit me to become a doctor!”

Likewise, people who take up an occupation that is unusual for them, rightly end up in trouble.

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 and are already roaring so much; “What would you do if you sat here as long as we did?”

This fable can be applied to a cowardly person who becomes discouraged by the smallest troubles, while others calmly endure even more serious ones.

The pomegranate tree and the apple tree were arguing about who had the best fruit. They argued more and more hotly, until the thorn tree from the nearby hedge heard them and announced: “Let’s stop, friends: why should we quarrel?”

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

The viper crawled to a watering hole at the source. And the water snake that lived there did not let her in and was indignant that the viper, as if there was not enough food for her, was getting into her domain. They quarreled more and more and finally agreed to settle the matter by battle: whoever wins will be the master of both land and water. So they set a deadline; and the frogs, who hated the water snake, jumped up to the viper and began to encourage it, promising that they would help it. The fight began; the viper fought with the water snake, and the frogs around raised a loud cry - they couldn’t do anything else. The viper won and began to reproach them for promising to help her in battle, but not only did they 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 action, words cannot help.

There were a lot of mice in one house. The cat, having learned about this, came there and began to catch them 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 map them out with 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 into a sack, I won’t come to you.”

The fable shows that reasonable people, having experienced someone’s treachery, no longer allow themselves to be deceived.

The wolf passed by the house, and the little goat stood on the roof and cursed at him. The wolf answered him: “It’s not you who scold me, but your place.”

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

The wolf saw a goat grazing over the cliff; He couldn’t get to her and began to beg her to go down: up there, you could accidentally fall, but here he has a meadow and the most beautiful grass for her. But the goat answered him: “No, the point is not that you have good grazing, but that you have nothing to eat.”

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

The hungry wolf prowled in search of prey. He approached one 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 her promise; and the wolf left with these words: “In this house people say one thing and do another.”

This fable applies to those people whose words do not match their deeds.

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

The fable exposes an evil man who acts insidiously and hypocritically.

The gorged wolf saw a sheep lying on the ground; He guessed that she had fallen out of fear, approached her and encouraged her: if she told him the truth three times, he said, then he would not touch her. The sheep began: “First of all, I wouldn’t meet you forever! Secondly, if you meet him, then he’ll be blind! And thirdly, all the wolves would die an evil death: we didn’t do anything to you, and you’re attacking us!” The wolf listened to her truth and did not touch the sheep.

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

The foolish animals had a meeting, and the monkey began to dance in front of them. Everyone really liked this dance, and the monkey was praised. The camel became jealous, and he also wanted to distinguish himself: he stood up and began to dance. 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 end up in trouble.

In one herd of sheep a pig was grazing. One day a shepherd grabbed him, and he began to squeal and resist. The sheep began to reproach him for such a cry: “We don’t scream when he grabs us every now and then!” The piglet answered them: “He doesn’t grab 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 their money, but their lives cry.

The snake swam along the river on a bunch of thorns. The fox saw her and said: “The ship is like the swimmer!”

Against a bad person who undertakes evil deeds.

A peasant, digging up a field, found a treasure; For this, he began to decorate the Earth with a wreath every day, considering her to be his benefactor. But Fate appeared to him and said: “My friend, why are you thanking the Earth for my gift? After all, I sent it to you so that you could get rich! But if chance changes your affairs and you find yourself in need and poverty, then again you will scold me, Fate.”

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

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

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

A man bought a parrot and let it live in his house. The parrot, accustomed to domestic life, flew up to the hearth, perched there and began to squeal in its sonorous voice. The weasel saw him and asked who he was and where he came from. The parrot answered: “My owner just bought me.” The weasel said: “You impudent creature! you just got bought and you're screaming so loud! And even though I was born in this house, the owners don’t allow me to say a word, and as soon as I raise my voice, they start getting angry and drive me away.” The parrot answered: “Go ahead, mistress: my voice is not at all as disgusting to the owners as yours.”

The fable refers to a grumpy person who is always lashing out at others with accusations.

A shepherd who was tending a herd of oxen lost his calf. He looked for him everywhere, did not find him, and then made a vow to Zeus to sacrifice a kid if the thief was found. But then he entered 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 kid as a sacrifice if I could find the thief; and now I promise an ox if I can save myself from the thief.”

This fable can be applied to losers who are looking for something they don't have and then don't know how to get rid of what they find.

A thirsty pigeon saw a picture of a bowl of water and thought it was real. He rushed towards her with a loud noise, but unexpectedly stumbled upon a board and crashed: his wings broke, and he fell to the ground, where he became the prey of the first person he met.

This is how some people, in a fit of passion, get down to business recklessly and ruin themselves.

The fox lost her tail in some kind of trap and decided that it was impossible for her to live with such 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 responded: “Oh, you! You wouldn’t give us such advice if it weren’t for your own benefit.”

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

The eagle was chasing a hare. The hare saw that there was no help for him from anywhere, and he prayed to the only one who turned up for 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 his help. The eagle did not even pay attention to such an insignificant defender and devoured 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 peace nowhere, sought refuge with Zeus himself and asked to be given a quiet place to hatch his eggs. Zeus allowed the eagle to put eggs in his bosom. The beetle, seeing this, rolled up a dung ball, flew up to Zeus and dropped his ball into his bosom. Zeus stood up to shake off the dung and accidentally 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 no one should be despised, for no one is so powerless that he cannot avenge an insult.

The fox had never seen a lion in her life. And so, meeting him by accident and seeing him for the first time, she was so frightened that she barely remained alive; the second time we met, she was frightened again, but not as much as the first time; and the third time she saw him, she became so brave that she came up and spoke to him.

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

They say that once a man and 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 dinner, and the food was very hot; and the man began to take it a little at a time, bring it to his lips and blow. The satyr asked again what he was doing, and the man answered that he was cooling the food because it was too hot for him. The satyr then said: “No, friend, you and I cannot be friends if both heat and cold come from the same lips.”

Likewise, we must beware of the friendship of those who behave duplicitously.

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 is silent during the day and sings at night? The siskin answered that he had a reason for this: he once sang during the day and got caught in 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.

The wasp sat on the snake’s head and stung it all the time, giving it no rest. The snake was mad with pain, but could not take revenge on its enemy. Then she crawled out onto the road and, seeing the cart, stuck her head under the wheel. Dying along with the wasp, she said: “I’m losing my life, but at the same time with the enemy.”

A fable against those who are ready to die just to destroy the enemy.

A sheep that was being clumsily sheared said to the shearer: “If you need wool, hold the scissors higher; and if it’s meat, then kill me right away, rather than torture me like this, injection after injection.”

The fable applies to those who take up work without skill.

The gardener was watering the vegetables. Someone came up to him and asked why weed plants are so healthy and strong, while domestic plants are thin and stunted? The gardener answered: “Because the earth is a mother for some, and a stepmother for others.”

Children who are raised by their mother and those who are raised by their stepmother are just as different.

One day, while swimming in the river, the boy began to drown; he noticed a passerby and called him for help. He began to scold the boy for going into the water without thinking; but the boy answered him: “First you help me, and then, when I pull you out, then scold me.”

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

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

Likewise, evil in people, if you please it, only gets worse.

One blind man was able to guess by touch what it was for every animal that was put in his hands. And then one day they placed a wolf cub on him; he felt it and said, thinking: “I don’t know whose cub this is - a wolf, a fox or some other similar animal - and I only know one thing: it’s better not to let him into the sheep herd.”

Thus, the properties of bad people are often visible by their appearance.

The man with the gray hair had two mistresses, one young, the other old. The elderly woman 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 was left bald.

Thus, inequality is harmful everywhere.

A robber killed a man on the road; people saw this and chased after him, but he abandoned the dead man and, covered in blood, began to run away. Those who met him asked why his hands were bleeding; he replied that it was he who climbed the mulberry tree. But while he was talking to them, the pursuers came running, grabbed him and crucified him right on the mulberry tree. And the mulberry tree said: “I don’t regret that I became the instrument of your death: after all, you committed murder, and you also wanted to pin it on me.”

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

The father had two daughters. He passed one off as a gardener, the other as a potter. Time passed, the father came to the gardener’s wife and asked how she lived and how they were doing. She replied that they had everything and they prayed to the gods for only one thing: that a thunderstorm would come with rain and that the vegetables would drink. A little later he came to the potter’s wife and also asked how she lived. She answered that they had enough of everything and they only prayed for one thing: that the weather would be good, the sun would shine and the dishes could dry. 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 once, understandably, fail at both.

One pentathlete was constantly reproached by his fellow 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 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 one of those present objected to him: “My dear, if you are telling the truth, why do you need confirmation? Here’s Rhodes, here you can jump!”

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

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

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

The fortuneteller sat in the square and gave predictions for money. Suddenly a man ran up to him and shouted that robbers had broken into his house and taken away all his belongings. In horror, the fortuneteller jumped up and, screaming, rushed as fast as he could to see what had happened. One of the passers-by saw this and asked: “My dear, how do you undertake to guess about other people’s affairs when you know nothing about your own?”

This fable refers to people who don’t know how to live themselves, and take on other people’s affairs that don’t concern them.

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

Against a selfish and wicked man.

Zeus created a bull, Prometheus created a man, Athena created a house, and they chose Momus as judge. Mom envied their creations and began to say: Zeus made a mistake, that the bull’s eyes are not on the horns and he does not see where he is butting; Prometheus - that a person’s heart is not on the outside and it is impossible to immediately distinguish a bad person and see what is in someone’s soul; Athena should have equipped the house with wheels to make it easier to move if a bad neighbor settled nearby. Zeus was angry for such slander and kicked Momus out of Olympus.

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

Zeus created man, but gave him a short life. And the man, by his ingenuity, with the onset of cold weather, built himself a house and settled there. The cold was severe, it was raining; and so the horse could no longer stand it, galloped up to the man and asked him to shelter him. And the man said that he would let the horse go only if he gave him part of his life: and the horse willingly agreed. A little later the bull appeared, also no longer able to endure the bad weather, and the man again said that he would let him in only if he gave 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 piece of its century and also found shelter. And so it turned out that only during the years appointed by Zeus does a person live well and truly; having reached the age of a horse, he becomes boastful and arrogant; in bull years he becomes a toiler and a sufferer; and in dog years he turns out to be grumpy and grumpy.

This fable can be applied to an old, malicious and obnoxious person.

The bat, the blackthorn and the duck decided to form together and trade at the same time. The bat borrowed money and contributed it to the partnership, the blackthorn gave his clothes, and the duck bought copper and also contributed. But as they set sail, a violent storm arose and the ship capsized; They themselves made it to land, but lost all their belongings. Since then, the diver has been searching for its copper and diving for it into the depths of the sea; the bat is afraid to show itself to creditors and hides during the day, and flies out at night 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 most of all we care about what we ourselves once suffered damage to.

The dead man was carried out, and the household followed the stretcher. The doctor said to one of them: “If this man had not drunk wine and administered an enema, he would have remained alive.” “My dear,” he answered him, “you should have advised him this before it was too late, but now it is of no use.”

The fable shows that you need to help your friends in time, and not laugh at them when their situation is hopeless.

The old woman's eyes hurt, and she invited a doctor, promising to pay him. And every time he came and anointed her eyes, he took away something from her things while she sat with her eyes closed. When he had carried away everything he could, he finished 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, out of self-interest, accidentally expose themselves.

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

So often you can recognize the important from the small things, and the hidden from the obvious.

One rich Athenian, along with others, was sailing on the sea. A terrible storm arose and the ship capsized. Everyone else set off swimming, and only the Athenian endlessly appealed to Athena, promising her countless sacrifices for his salvation. Then one of his comrades in misfortune, sailing by, said to him: “Pray to Athena, and move yourself.”

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

One poor man fell ill and felt completely ill; the doctors abandoned him; and then he prayed to the gods, promising to bring them a hecatomb and donate rich gifts if he recovered. His wife, being nearby, asked: “What kind of money will you do this with?” “Do you really think,” he answered, “that I will begin to recover only so that the gods will demand it of me?”

The fable shows that people easily promise in words what they do not think of fulfilling in practice.

One poor man fell ill and, feeling completely 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 out of bed, but since he did not have real bulls, he blinded a hundred bulls from tallow and burned them on the altar with the words: “Accept, oh gods, my vow!” The gods decided to reward him with deceit for his deception and sent him a dream, and in the dream they told him to go to the seashore - there he would find a thousand drachmas. The man was delighted and ran to the shore, but there he immediately fell into the hands of robbers, and they took him away and sold him into slavery: that’s how he found his thousand drachmas.

The fable refers to a deceitful person.

Two young men were buying meat in a shop. While the butcher was busy, one of them grabbed a piece of meat and put it in the other’s bosom. The butcher turned around, noticed the loss and began to incriminate them; but the one who took it swore that he had no meat, and the one who hid it swore that he did not take the meat. The butcher guessed about their cunning and said: “Well, you are saving yourself from me by false oaths, but you cannot be saved from the gods.”

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

Hermes wanted to test whether the witchcraft of Tiresias was infallible. And so he stole his oxen from the field, and in human form he himself came to the city and stayed as a guest. The news reached Tiresias that his bulls had been stolen; He took Hermes with him and went out of the city to use the bird's flight to tell fortunes about the loss. He asked Hermes what kind of bird he saw; and first Hermes 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 sitting on a tree and looking up and down. Tiresias responded: “Well, the crow 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.

The orator Demades once spoke to 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 walked along the road. They found themselves on the river bank; a swallow flew over it, and an eel dived into it...” And with that he fell silent. “What about Demeter?” - everyone began to ask him. “And Demeter stands and is angry with you,” answered Demade, “because you listen to Aesop’s fables, but do not want to deal with state affairs.”

Thus, among people, those who neglect the deeds of virtue and prefer pleasant deeds are unreasonable.

Aesop told the following fable: a wolf saw the shepherds in their hut eating a lamb, came closer and said: “What a fuss you would make if I were you!”

Anyone who offers this kind of subject for discussion is no better in society than Aesop’s crane and fox. This fox smeared liquid porridge on a flat stone, and offered it to the crane - not so much for satiety as for ridicule, because the crane could not grab the liquid porridge with its narrow beak. Then, in turn, the crane invited the fox to visit and brought her a treat in a jug with a long and narrow neck: he himself easily stuck his beak in there and feasted on it, but the fox could not do this and so suffered a well-deserved punishment.

In the same way, when at a feast philosophers begin to delve into subtle and cunning reasoning, difficult for most to follow and therefore boring, and the rest, in turn, take up empty stories and songs, vulgar common chatter, then all the joy of a joint feast is lost and Dionysus is filled with anger .

Aesop in Samos gave a speech in defense of a demagogue who was being tried in a criminal case. He said: “The fox was crossing the river and fell into a pool, could not get out of there and suffered there for a long time: many ticks clung to it. A hedgehog passed by, saw her, felt sorry for her and asked if he should pick off ticks from her? Lisa didn't want to. "Why?" - asked the hedgehog. The fox explained: “These ticks have already sucked on my blood and now they are barely pulling; and if you rob them, others will appear, hungry, and they will completely suck me dry.” “So to you, citizens of Samos,” said Aesop, “this man is no longer dangerous, because he is rich; and if you execute him, then others, poor ones, will come after you, and they will steal all your common property.

Here one could say, as Antisthenes said: the hares in the national assembly made speeches that everyone is equal in everything, but the lions objected: “Your arguments, hares, lack only our teeth and claws.”

One day Luna asked her mother: “Sew me a dress that fits my figure!” But the mother said: “How can I sew it to fit? After all, now you are plump, but soon you will become thin, and then you will bend in the other direction.”

So for an empty and unreasonable person there is no measure in life: due to the vicissitudes of passions and fate, he is like this in everything today, and different tomorrow.

The first day of the holiday and the second day of the holiday quarreled. The second said to the first: “You are full of worries and troubles, and I give everyone peace to enjoy what has been prepared.” “The truth is yours,” answered the first day, “but if it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t exist either.”

One owner was sailing on the sea and fell ill from bad weather. While the bad weather continued, the sailors helped the sick man, and he told them: “If you don’t sail the ship quickly, I will throw stones at you all!” To this one of the sailors said: “Oh, if only we were in a place where there are stones!”

This is our life: we have to endure light insults in order to avoid serious ones.

And this is what Aesop also tells: the clay from which Prometheus sculpted man, he mixed not with water, but with tears. Therefore, one should not influence a person by force - it is useless; and if necessary, then it is better to tame him and soften, calm and reason with him as much as possible. And he is responsive and sensitive to such treatment.

Don't be ashamed to learn at an older age: it's better to learn late than never.

You can recognize a donkey even in lion skin by its cry.

There is nothing so perfect as to be free from all reproaches.

Even fear is softened by habit.

A true friend is known in misfortune.

If someone is lucky, do not envy him, but rejoice with him, and his luck will be yours; and whoever is jealous makes things worse for himself.

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