Reading Post A: Classical Stories

Aesop's Fable; Lions Part 1

• The lion is the alpha male.
• The fox is bitter of the lion's alpha status
• The lion became sick, and the animals took revenge out on him
• The ass took a hit once the lion was already injured
• A slave, named Androcles found the lion injured in the forest
• The lion would bring meat to the slave in his cave
• They were both captured. The slave was sentenced to be eaten by the lion after several days without food.
• The lion couldn't eat the slave.
• The story depends on the story teller

Aesop's Fable; Lions Part 2

• The oxen would stand together to fight the lion.
• They were killed when they were separated
• United we stand, separated we fall.
• A lion fell in love with a maiden.
• The lion made himself presentable
• Love can tame a wild beast
• Animals were going in to see the Lion king wince he said he was sick.
• Animals went in, the fox figured out that they were not coming out

Aesop's Fable; Foxes, Part 1

• The fox and the stork are friends
• The fox likes to play tricks
• But the stork seeks revenge on the fox at dinner
• The fox and the crane is almost identical to the fox and the stork
• The fox finds a mask that scares him. He laughs at it for not having a brain.
• A fox tried to get grapes from a high branch. H misses and calls them sour for he can not have them.

Aesop's Fable; Foxes, Part 2

• The fox ran from the lion, then he observed him the next time, to finally speak to him
• The fox gets his tail stuck in the bushes. Mosquitos feast on him. He allows it so new ones will not come and help.
• The fox gets his tail stuck in a trap.
• He proposes that all the foxes cut their tails off because they are inconvenient
• Other foxes say it is a good point but they say no
• A fox fell into a well and a goat wondered by
• The fox tricks the goat to get out of the well.

Aesop's Fable; Wolves

• The wolf sees a sheep drinking water, and he uses a bad excuse to eat the sheep.
• The wolf was eating an animal when a bone got stuck in his throat
• The crane was the only animal to agree to take the bone out by reaching into his throat
• The wolf doesn't reward the crane for his help
• It is easy to be brave from a safe distance
• A wolf was dying from hunger when a house dog passes him
• The dog tries to give the wolf a home to be fed but the wolf passes on the chance after learning the dog is chained up.
• The wolf would rather be free and starving
• A wolf finds a sheep pellet and shrouds himself in it
• The lamb followed the wolf, the wolf ate the lamb
• Appearances are deceptive
• A nurse threatens to throw a loud child to a wolf
• The child cried. The wolf waits to eat the child only to be chased off by the family's dog.

Aesop's Fable; Dogs and Cats

• A dog had a piece of meat
• He saw his reflection, he snapped at it, losing his original meat
• A dog laid in the hay for the ox. The ox wanted to eat the hay but the dog barked at him for waking him from his afternoon nap
• A cat jumped in a tree to hide at the sounds of dogs approaching.
• The fox boasted about having many ways of hiding. He grew confused on which was the best way and was killed
• Venus and Jupiter were arguing if it were possible for a human to change it's nature.
• Jupiter changed a cat into a human to prove his point
• Venus tossed a mouse in front of her and she jumped on it, proving she is right

Aesop's Fable; Mice

• A mouse proposes the idea of putting a bell around the cats neck
• No one volunteered to do the job
• A snooty town mouse turned his nose up at the offerings his country cousin provided
• The meal at the town mouse's house ended in them being chased off by dogs in fear
• A mouse is running on a sleeping lion
• The lion tried to eat the mouse, the mouse begged for his life, and offered to help the lion in the future.
• The lion was trapped by hunters, when the little mouse was walking by and could help
• A female lion was going to marry a mouse. She stepped on the mouse and killed him

Aesop's Fable; Asses

• An ass found a lion skin that had been left out. He wore into the village
• The ass brayed and everyone knew that he was really now a lion
• A fox and lion were hunting for food.
• They convinced the ass to come join their alliance, the ass went
• The fox ate the ass's brains claiming he had none or he wouldn't have come
• The ass tried to act like the farmer's dog.
• An ass struggled with the weight of the bags it carried, while the horse pranced along. He wished evil upon the horse
• The horse died in battle the next day and the donkey was wrong

Aesop's Fable; Deer

• A horse wants revenge on a deer.
• Horse asks a hunter for help. The hunter agrees to help if the horse will agree to be saddled
• The deer is killed but the hunter doesn't let the horse go after
• The deer boasted about having great antlers but tiny legs
• His legs save his life but his antlers get him killed
• A deer being chased by dogs hid in the hay of the oxen leaving only the tips of his horns to be seen
• The deer was safe until the master of the stable saw him. Then he was killed.
• A deer was blind in one eye.
• She lived by the sea with her good eye facing the land to escape hunters
• The hunters killed her from the sea. You can't escape your fate.

Aesop's Fable: Hares

• The hare boasted about his speed and challenged anyone to a race
• The tortoise agreed.
• The hare became over confident, took a nap in the middle of the race, the turtle passed him and the Hare lost the race
• The hare thought she had many friends.
• None would help her when time of trouble arose.
• She escaped on her own

A bust of Aesop. Source: Wikimedia