Part 1 (1/2)

Fables for Children, Stories for Children, Natural Science Stories, Popular Education, Decembrists, Moral Tales.

by Leo Tolstoy.

I. AESOP'S FABLES

THE ANT AND THE DOVE

An Ant came down to the brook: he wanted to drink. A wave washed him down and almost drowned him. A Dove was carrying a branch; she saw the Ant was drowning, so she cast the branch down to him in the brook. The Ant got up on the branch and was saved. Then a hunter placed a snare for the Dove, and was on the point of drawing it in. The Ant crawled up to the hunter and bit him on the leg; the hunter groaned and dropped the snare. The Dove fluttered upwards and flew away.

THE TURTLE AND THE EAGLE

A Turtle asked an Eagle to teach her how to fly. The Eagle advised her not to try, as she was not fit for it; but she insisted. The Eagle took her in his claws, raised her up, and dropped her: she fell on stones and broke to pieces.

THE POLECAT

A Polecat entered a smithy and began to lick the filings. Blood began to flow from the Polecat's mouth, but he was glad and continued to lick; he thought that the blood was coming from the iron, and lost his whole tongue.

THE LION AND THE MOUSE

A Lion was sleeping. A Mouse ran over his body. He awoke and caught her.

The Mouse besought him; she said:

”Let me go, and I will do you a favour!”

The Lion laughed at the Mouse for promising him a favour, and let her go.

Then the hunters caught the Lion and tied him with a rope to a tree. The Mouse heard the Lion's roar, ran up, gnawed the rope through, and said:

”Do you remember? You laughed, not thinking that I could repay, but now you see that a favour may come also from a Mouse.”

THE LIAR

A Boy was watching the sheep and, pretending that he saw a wolf, he began to cry:

”Help! A wolf! A wolf!”

The peasants came running up and saw that it was not so. After doing this for a second and a third time, it happened that a wolf came indeed.

The Boy began to cry:

”Come, come, quickly, a wolf!”

The peasants thought that he was deceiving them as usual, and paid no attention to him. The wolf saw there was no reason to be afraid: he leisurely killed the whole flock.

THE a.s.s AND THE HORSE