The Bull and The Goat Bull once escaped from a Lion by entering a cave that the Goatherds used to house their flocks in stormy weather and at night. It happened that one of the Goats had been left behind, and the Bull had no sooner got inside than this Goat lowered his head and made a rush at him, butting him with his horns. As the Lion was still prowling...

Mercury and The Woodman A poor Woodman was cutting down a tree near the edge of a deep pool in the forest. It was late in the day and woodman was tired. He had been working since sunrise and sunrise and his strokes were not as sure as they had been early that morning. Thus it happened that the axe slipped and flew out of his hands into the pool. The...

Three Bullocks and A Lion The lion had been watching three Bullocks feeding in an open field. He had tried to attack them several times, but they had kept together and helped each other to drive him off. The Lion had little hope of eating them, for he was no match for three strong Bullocks with their sharp horns and hoofs. But he could not keep away from that field, for...

The Goose and The Golden Egg There was once a Countryman who possessed the most wonderful Goose you can imagine, for every day when he visited the nest, the Goose had laid a beautiful, glittering golden egg. The Countryman took the eggs to market and soon began to get rich. But it was not long before he grew impatient with the Goose because she gave him only a single golden egg...

The Farmer and His Sons A rich old farmer, who felt that he had not many more days to live, called his sons to his bedside. “My sons,” he said, “heed what I have to say to you. Do not on any account part with the estate that has belonged to our family for so many generations. Somewhere in it is hidden a rich treasure. I do not know the exact...

Once a Wolf, Always a Wolf Wolf had been prowling around a flock of Sheep for a long time and the Shepherd watched very anxiously to prevent him from carrying off a Lamb. But the Wolf did not try to do any harm. Instead, he seemed to be helping the Shepherd take care of the Sheep. At last, the Shepherd got so used to seeing the Wolf near about that he...

The Fox and The Goat Fox fell into a well and though it was not very deep, he found that he could not get out again. “After he had been in the well for a long time, a thirsty Goat came by. The Goat thought the Fox had gone down to drink and so he asked if the water was good. “The finest in the whole country,” said the crafty Fox,...