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Aesop

Fairy tales and stories from Aesop.

Short stories
The Rooster and the Fox

Aesop

The Rooster and the Fox

4
 min
5
+
4.65

One day, a rooster meets a fox near the forest and is surprised when he tells him that all the animals are now friends and he need not be afraid of him. The rooster has his wits about him, though, and uses a clever trick to check whether the fox is telling him the truth.

Short stories
The Stag and His Reflection

Aesop

The Stag and His Reflection

4
 min
5
+
4.73

What’s the most beautiful is not always the most useful. The majestic stag can’t help looking at his antlers on the flat watery surface of the forest lake and admiring their beauty. At the same time though, having noticed his long and thin legs, he doesn’t like them at all. However, he doesn’t know yet that a hungry lion is watching him. To learn what happens next, read the fable.

Aesop's fables
The Mice and the Weasels

Aesop

The Mice and the Weasels

6
 min
5
+
4.26

A true leader is an example for their acts, and not just words. The mice have been losing fights with the weasels for a while, so they decide to appoint some leaders to prepare them for the next fight. But the leaders feel overly superior, so they quickly separate from the team.

Short stories
The Grasshopper and the Ants

Aesop

The Grasshopper and the Ants

5
 min
5
+
4.54

This version of Aesop's fable teaches us that we always have to think about the future. When the young grasshopper saw the ants stocking up for the winter in the middle of the summer, it made her laugh. How could anyone work when there was such good weather outside? But the days passed, and soon the heat and sunlight were replaced by cold and snow. And while the ants had things ready, the grasshopper had to wait for anyone who’d feel sorry for it.

Aesop's fables
The Reckless Man and the Swallow

Aesop

The Reckless Man and the Swallow

4
 min
8
+
4.06

One swallow doesn’t make a summer. A man has wasted his inheritance and is left only with one giant winter coat. But he sells this, too, for a few coins, when it gets warmer and he spots a lone swallow - which he mistakenly believes is a sign of the coming spring.

Short stories
The Oak and the Fern

Aesop

The Oak and the Fern

6
 min
5
+
4.71

Sometimes it’s better to back off than to resist at all costs. A strong and beautiful oak couldn’t imagine anything that could beat it. This was what it liked to boast about to all the other trees and grasses. But when a storm comes, it learns that sometimes it’s better and wiser to retreat.

Short stories
The Swan and the Crow

Aesop

The Swan and the Crow

5
 min
5
+
4.66

If we want to be happy, it is important to accept who we are. The crow greatly admires the majestic swans swimming on the lake. One day she decides that she too would like to become a beautiful swan. But she almost loses her life by trying to imitate the swans.

Animal stories
The Mouse and the Bull

Aesop

The Mouse and the Bull

5
 min
5
+
4.58

Size and strength don’t decide everything. One small cheeky mouse bites the big bull right in the nose and causes him immense pain. The furious bull wants revenge on her immediately. But despite his huge strength, he doesn’t manage to harm the little mouse.

Short stories
The North Wind and the Sun

Aesop

The North Wind and the Sun

5
 min
3
+
4.67

This version of Aesop's fable teaches that peace and a smile can help you achieve more than anger and strength. The North wind and the sun couldn’t figure out who was stronger. In the end, they decide that the first one to take the coat off the traveller who was walking along the way would win.

Short stories
The Moon and his Mother

Aesop

The Moon and his Mother

5
 min
3
+
4.62

The ones who truly love us don’t care what we look like. Once upon a time, the moon thought to herself that after all these years of staring up at her pale form, people simply must be bored with her looks. So she decided to spruce herself up a bit. She even asked her mother to tailor her a beautiful dress. To find out what happened next, read the rest of this retelling of Aesop’s famous fable.

Animal stories
The Lion and the Mouse

Aesop

The Lion and the Mouse

10
 min
3
+
4.9

Even the weaker can help the stronger. This version of Aesop's fable is about a great strong lion, the king of the jungle, who one day allows a little mouse to run free. Soon, when the lion falls into a trap and finds himself in need, the mouse comes to help. By saving the lion’s life, the mouse repays the lion for his kindness.

Animal stories
The Dog and the Lion

Aesop

The Dog and the Lion

7
 min
5
+
4.5

Overestimating our abilities can do us much harm. A brave dog sets out to explore the unknown jungle. Because every animal thinks that the dog is the strongest and the smartest one, it inspires him to set out into the dangerous jungle.

Short stories
The Honest Woodcutter

Aesop

The Honest Woodcutter

5
 min
5
+
4.67

Honesty pays off. A woodcutter was cutting a tree when his ax slipped and fell to the bottom of the mountain stream. Luckily for him, Mercury, the god of water, saw how miserable the woodcutter was and decided to help. But not before he had tested him.

Aesop's fables
The Horse and His Rider

Aesop

The Horse and His Rider

5
 min
3
+
4.61

If we want something to serve us long and well, we have to take good care of it. The old soldier knew very well that he had survived all the pitfalls of the war only thanks to the bravery and strength of his horse. So he took good care of it. The horse was always prepared for battles. When the war ended, however, he stopped paying so much attention to the horse - which does him no good in the end.

Short stories
The Tortoise and The Hare

Aesop

The Tortoise and The Hare

5
 min
5
+
4.74

The hare was always showing-off, mocking the tortoise for being so slow and boasting about his running speed. Fed up with all the ridicule, the tortoise suggests holding a race. The hare finds this a completely comical idea and laughs his head off. But of course he cannot resist the opportunity to humiliate her, so a race is promptly organised. Let’s find out how they get on.

Aesop's fables
Of Eagles and Bugs

Aesop

Of Eagles and Bugs

5
 min
8
+
4.39

Our wits can help us defeat much stronger opponents and overcome difficult obstacles. When the eagle catches the hare in its claws, the little beetle orders him to release the poor animal immediately. But the eagle just laughs, and certainly does not plan to give up its prey because of a little beetle. The beetle succeeded in swindling the eagle in the end.

Short stories
The Peacock and the Crane

Aesop

The Peacock and the Crane

5
 min
5
+
4.64

Nature takes something from us, and gives something in return. The peacock is so obsessed with its own beauty that over time it begins to completely ignore the other animals. They aren't beautiful enough for it to talk to them. They decide to teach it a small lesson.

Animal stories
The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse

Aesop

The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse

7
 min
3
+
4.61

It’s better to live happily and peacefully than in abundance, but fearing about the future. When the country mouse visits her town mouse cousin, despite the abundance of things, she finds herself standing there in fear of her own life, too.

Aesop's fables
The Bees and the Beekeeper

Aesop

The Bees and the Beekeeper

5
 min
5
+
4.32

Some things are not what they look like. When a thief breaks into the hives where the bees live, the beekeeper immediately starts to repair them. But just as the bees return from their meadows they see the beekeeper standing among the ruins of their houses. At first glance, it seems to them that they have caught the culprit of this devastation in the act!

Animal stories
The Mouse Council

Aesop

The Mouse Council

5
 min
5
+
4.7

Even the best idea can be worthless when there is no one to carry it out. The mice have found their shelter on a big animal farm. They have been doing really well there. The farmer doesn’t like this, so he brings in a cat to help solve the problem. The mice have to come up with a plan to save themselves. How do they manage it?

Short stories
Hercules and the Potter

Aesop

Hercules and the Potter

4
 min
5
+
4.7

Before asking for help, make sure you have done all you could. One day, a potter’s wagon got stuck on the muddy road. Even though he kept whipping the horse, the wagon didn't even move from the mud. The potter lamented his bad fortune, and called to the mighty Hercules to come to help. But who eventually does help him?