SAMPLES

ORIGINAL FABLES:

The Boys and the Frogs

Some boys, playing near a pond, saw a number of Frogs in the water and began to pelt them with stones.
They killed several of them, when one of the Frogs, lifting his head out of the water, cried out: “Pray stop,
my boys: what is sport to you, is death to us.”

The Mischievous Dog

There was once a Dog who used to snap at people and bite them without any provocation, and who was a
great nuisance to every one who came to his master's house. So his master fastened a bell round his neck
to warn people of his presence. The Dog was very proud of the bell, and strutted about tinkling it with
immense satisfaction. But an old dog came up to him and said, "The fewer airs you give yourself the
better, my friend. You don't think, do you, that your bell was given you as a reward of merit? On the
contrary, it is a badge of disgrace."
- Notoriety is often mistaken for fame.
 EXPANDED VERSIONS:

The Boys and the Frogs

Some boys playing in the woods one day, stopped and gathered by a pond close by. Robin, the
eldest in the group, bet the others that he could skim a stone the furthest along the water. “Ha! You guys
will never beat that!” he boasted, as the stone sped halfway across. As they competed, throwing harder
and faster, Peter noticed bubbles rising up at various points across the pond but decided to continue,
having fun trying to best his friends.

Under the water though, the frogs grew frightened for their lives as their homes rumbled in the
quake. Large, heavy stones came flying down like comets, bashing some of the frogs who tried to make it
out. “What is that?! What is happening to our pond?!” cried out one of the frogs who was hunching over
her eggs, hoping that nothing would come to squash her babies. “Fear not!” said the wisest frog, who
could take no more of the attack. Poking her head out of the water, she spotted the boys by the weeds who
were having the time of their lives and took them all by surprise when she yelled: “STOP!”

One of the boys, mid-throw, stumbled back in disbelief, knocking over the other who was
standing with his mouth open in shock. “Please, my dear boys, you must stop this! You may not be able
to see us under here but there are plenty of us, and we do not appreciate having our homes destroyed!”

The boys, overcoming their surprise at being called out to by a frog, dropped their stones to the
ground in shame and embarrassment. “I am sorry, Miss. We had no idea at all that we were hurting you!
We would have never done that otherwise. It was his fault…” Robin said, pointing at Christopher, the
youngest, with his head down. “Me?” exclaimed Christopher. “Yours went the furthest across the pond!”

“Children, it does not matter who cast the first stone. We have children, families and lives of our
own. What you must understand is: what is fun and games for you all, can mean the end of us. So, let fun
be so for everyone.”

The boys took a moment to think over the frog’s words and glanced around at the ripples they
had left. Bubbles of disapproval rose up and burst at the surface of the pond. Peter murmured, “We didn’t
think of that.”

With further apologies, putting the stones back by the water’s edge, they set off, careful of each
footstep.

Moral: In this story, the boys were not wrong for wanting to play together. But they did not stop
to observe their surroundings and think whether their games, while fun for them, could have been hurtful
for other animals or even people around them. We always have to be mindful that our actions have
consequences, to do the best we can to be kind to every other living creature.
 The Mischievous Dog
It was a gloomy, rainy midnight when Mr. Delavigne walked across the street and saw a dog
whimpering on the sidewalk. Upon noticing its injured hind leg, he decided to take it home with him.

As the man attended to the wound, Jack, the dog, thought to himself, “I didn’t know such a kind
human existed. I vow to protect him without fail.” This was his means of showing gratitude to his new
master’s caring gesture.

One night, a burglar managed to climb pass through the gate. The vigilant dog spotted the
intruder and alerted the owner with his aggressive barks. Minutes later, the police came to respond to Mr.
Delavigne’s call. It was then when he decided to keep Jack as a pet for good.

As weeks passed by, he noticed that the dog’s hostility extended beyond dangerous people.
Whenever Mr. Delavigne took him out for a walk, he would snarl at unsuspecting passersby. The
troublesome dog snapped at innocent guests who visited his master’s house and had the tendency to bite
them even without being threatened.

One day, Ms. Alana, the man’s friend, came to catch up with him. Upon entering the house, Jack
greeted the visitor with bared teeth and a growl. Before the two humans could stop him, the canine teeth
dug beneath Ms. Alana’s left leg.

As the victim shrieked in pain, the owner yelled at his ill-natured pet, “Why did you do that?” He
immediately applied first aid to his friend while apologizing profusely. They drove to the hospital for
proper medical attention.

Even when the problem persisted, Mr. Delavigne, who grew to love the dog, still wanted to keep
him. However, he figured he needed to notify people of the troublesome dog’s presence. Before he went
to bed, an idea came to his mind, “Aha! Perhaps adding a bell to Jack’s collar would warn my guests to
beware of him when he’s coming!”

As soon the bell was fastened to his collar, Jack beamed in delight, “Wow! Look at this bell! It
feels like a medal of honor!” The dog boastfully walked outside to parade his master’s gift. Intending to
attract everybody’s attention, every vain step he took jingled the bell hanging from his neck.

“How foolish!” whispered the female dog from the neighbor’s house. Opposite to what he
thought, nobody was impressed.

He mistook the stares of other dogs for jealousy until an old, wise hound approached him and
said, “I’m afraid that is not a badge of honor, my friend. Embarrass yourself no more; unless you want
everybody to know how much of a disgraceful and mischievous pet you are.”

Moral: Blinded by vanity and ego, some people don’t even realize the recognition they receive is
out of pity, disgust, anger, fear, or shame. Do not be proud of being known for having a bad reputation.
Fame must root from an incredible talent or a good deed. With or without an award or anyone watching,
always choose to be kind.
 TASKS:
The Flea and the Man
A Flea bit a Man, and bit him again, and again, till he could stand it no longer, but made a thorough
search for it, and at last succeeded in catching it. Holding it between his finger and thumb, he said - or
rather shouted, so angry was he - "Who are you, pray, you wretched little creature, that you make so
free with my person?" The Flea, terrified, whimpered in a weak little voice, "Oh, sir! pray let me go;
don't kill me! I am such a little thing that I can't do you much harm." But the Man laughed and said, "I
am going to kill you now, at once: whatever is bad has got to be destroyed, no matter how slight the
harm it does."

- Do not waste your pity on a scamp. Live and let live is the rule of common justice, but if people will be
troublesome on the one hand, the obligation is discharg’d on the other. Tolerate no evil.

The Bee and Jupiter

A Queen Bee from Hymettus flew up to Olympus with some fresh honey from the hive as a present to
Jupiter, who was so pleased with the gift that he promised to give her anything she liked to ask for. She
said she would be very grateful if he would give stings to the bees, to kill people who robbed them of
their honey. Jupiter was greatly displeased with this request, for he loved mankind: but he had given his
word, so he said that stings they should have. The stings he gave them, however, were of such a kind
that whenever a bee stings a man the sting is left in the wound and the bee dies.

- Evil wishes, like fowls, come home to roost.

The Shepherd's Boy and the Wolf

A Shepherd's Boy was tending his flock near a village, and thought it would be great fun to hoax the
villagers by pretending that a Wolf was attacking the sheep: so he shouted out, "Wolf! wolf!" and when
the people came running up he laughed at them for their pains. He did this more than once, and every
time the villagers found they had been hoaxed, for there was no Wolf at all. At last a Wolf really did
come, and the Boy cried, "Wolf! wolf!" as loud as he could: but the people were so used to hearing him
call that they took no notice of his cries for help. And so the Wolf had it all his own way, and killed off
sheep after sheep at his leisure.

- You cannot believe a liar even when he tells the truth.

The Fox and the Goat

A Fox fell into a well and was unable to get out again. By and by a thirsty Goat came by, and seeing the
Fox in the well asked him if the water was good. "Good?" said the Fox, "it's the best water I ever tasted
in all my life. Come down and try it yourself." The Goat thought of nothing but the prospect of
quenching his thirst, and jumped in at once. When he had had enough to drink, he looked about, like the
Fox, for some way of getting out, but could find none. Presently the Fox said, "I have an idea. You stand
on your hind legs, and plant your forelegs firmly against the side of the well, and then I'll climb on to
your back, and, from there, by stepping on your horns, I can get out. And when I'm out, I'll help you out
too." The Goat did as he was requested, and the Fox climbed on to his back and so out of the well; and
then he coolly walked away. The Goat called loudly after him and reminded him of his promise to help
him out: but the Fox merely turned and said, "If you had as much sense in your head as you have hair in
your beard you wouldn't have got into the well without making certain that you could get out again."

- Look before your leap.